Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
02-04-2005, 02:05 PM
#21
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 107
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
ORIGINAL: soarkrebel
UHHHH maybe you need to go look at guns there alsatian . those other guns(30-06,25-06,243) ALL come in stainless synthetic versions. at least the ones in my safe are!
And take that old outdated 30-06 and shoot it at some steel plate and see the nice hole it leaves.
larger heavier bullets don't always mean a quick kill. i have trailed deer a long way after being hit by 45-70's and most recently a 450 marlin. and those heavy large bullets will expand.
But it's ok to desire a 338 win mag i wouldnt mind having one myself but then again i really would like one of each .
ORIGINAL: Alsatian
If I had a .338 winchester magnum, as someday I would like to, I would not hestitate to use it on either deer or pronghorn antelope. As someone pointed out, larger, heavier bullets won't expand on deer -- which means they won't destroy a bunch of meat -- but they will probably kill the deer or antelope just as effectively. Larger calibers may also qualify -- .375 H&H, .416.
Obviously you don't need .338 to kill deer or antelope. But what if it is raining, your other guns (.30-06, .25-06, .243) are all nice wooden stocked guns, and your .338 is stainless with a synthetic stock, which rifle do you take into the steady rain?
Of course, you have to be careful of your backstops with such a powerful cartridge, but you are supposed to be taking care that your bullet is safely contained even if you miss your target anyway.
If I had a .338 winchester magnum, as someday I would like to, I would not hestitate to use it on either deer or pronghorn antelope. As someone pointed out, larger, heavier bullets won't expand on deer -- which means they won't destroy a bunch of meat -- but they will probably kill the deer or antelope just as effectively. Larger calibers may also qualify -- .375 H&H, .416.
Obviously you don't need .338 to kill deer or antelope. But what if it is raining, your other guns (.30-06, .25-06, .243) are all nice wooden stocked guns, and your .338 is stainless with a synthetic stock, which rifle do you take into the steady rain?
Of course, you have to be careful of your backstops with such a powerful cartridge, but you are supposed to be taking care that your bullet is safely contained even if you miss your target anyway.
And take that old outdated 30-06 and shoot it at some steel plate and see the nice hole it leaves.
larger heavier bullets don't always mean a quick kill. i have trailed deer a long way after being hit by 45-70's and most recently a 450 marlin. and those heavy large bullets will expand.
But it's ok to desire a 338 win mag i wouldnt mind having one myself but then again i really would like one of each .
02-04-2005, 02:59 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 3,903
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
Largest caliber I've ever used on deer had a bore diameter of 0.729! Heck of alot bigger than anything mentioned so far. Shooting 1.25 oz of lead downrange at about 1100 fps @ 100 yards. Kills deer with extreme prejudice.
02-04-2005, 04:33 PM
#23
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 339
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
i've taken deer with my .338 win mag can't say theres much difference.than killing with the 30-06 the big bullet really doesn't expand well unless you hit'em in the shoulder bone.i did handload some of the barnes 160 grain bullets and take a couple deer they worked real well.
02-04-2005, 10:12 PM
#27
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: A shack in Arkansas
Posts: 2,029
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
1865 i see that now
After working all night and a little pain medicine for my throbbing tooth that just got a root canal i could misread it. sorry!
And sorry to alsatian also.
After working all night and a little pain medicine for my throbbing tooth that just got a root canal i could misread it. sorry!
And sorry to alsatian also.
02-04-2005, 10:13 PM
#28
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: A shack in Arkansas
Posts: 2,029
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
ORIGINAL: timbercruiser
Biggest I would use is the .270. Its the largest rifle I own, and it does and excellent job.
Biggest I would use is the .270. Its the largest rifle I own, and it does and excellent job.
02-05-2005, 06:26 AM
#29
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 6,357
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
soarkrebel: 1865 has correctly interpreted my thought. I'm not saying the .338 would be preferable out of the lot of rifles I mentioned. Actually, I definitely prefer my .243 or .25-06 to my .30-06 for deer/antelope hunting. They are entirely adequate to the task, and why hammer yourself with heavier recoil than necessary? On the other hand, I have stayed home on days of steady rain during deer season because I'm not about to put these rifles through a wash cycle. I have thought about buying a crummy cheap rifle, perhaps with iron sights, for just such rainy day duty -- 8 mm mauser, .303 british, some other military surplus rifle -- but haven't found the rifle yet. On the other hand, I have been musing over the idea of acquiring a .338 winchester mag and while I prefer the aesthetic virtues of wood, am considering the practical advantages of synthetic stocks and stainless steel action/barrel. Were I to acquire such a .338 with synthetic stock and stainless steel action/barrel, what would be wrong with using the .338 on rainy days rather than staying home?
Maybe I have mistaken the original post. Also, if in fact the .338 would destroy substantially more meat than more traditional deer cartridges, I probably would not use it for that purpose, because I sure don't like damaging and throwing away deer meat.
Maybe I have mistaken the original post. Also, if in fact the .338 would destroy substantially more meat than more traditional deer cartridges, I probably would not use it for that purpose, because I sure don't like damaging and throwing away deer meat.
02-05-2005, 02:04 PM
#30
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Whats the biggest gun u would use on a whitetail?
Soark I don't usually hunt in Fl, choosing to do the majority of my hunting in Alabama. Good bucks, live weight are around 190 lbs. Tell the truth, this year I saw a few local Florida deer that would be a trophy anywhere.