Magnum obsession seems real

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

I've hunted in a few states. Never used a magnum other than a .257Wby and that was only on paper.
I mainly hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor and rarely exceed 350y on game. Most shots here in SC are under 150.
Now, it seems like every time a cartridge discussion comes up, 7mm or greater mags are the go to.
I know that some folks on here feel that velocity and mass will always trump a well placed shot and we are called Long Range Hunting, but at what point is a magnum necessary?
I guess what I'm asking is at what point did you decide a magnum was the best all around cartridge for you?

In the nature of full disclosure, I also currently own a 6.5PRC, had a 6.5x284, 257WBY and a 300WM(never fired ). The PRC's performance(a hunter) reminds me most of my 6.5x284, which was an F Classer.

I'm also considering having a new WSM built. So there's that.

when I moved to Alaska and ran in to my first grizz

 

[HARPERC]

.....Also - unlike the OP - I seem to be seeing fewer and fewer magnums at the range and on hunts. Am thinking a lot of hunters may have decided that something with less muzzle blast & recoil can get the job done just fine.......

The reality of limited entry turning more into shooters, than hunters.

Age mixed in lets my old .375 rest in the safe a bit more. Like an old hound enjoying the fire as much as the chase.

 

[chilli42]

I wanted a bit more horsepower for Elk and Moose. The distances involved 50yds to 300 yards and up. Everything else my 6.5 CM is more than enough rifle. Whitetail, Mulies, Blacktail, Antelope, Sheep, Goats. That said I have a soft spot for shooting Lever guns in 3030 and 45-70 (for maximum giggle effect) ... don't do much hunting with them though. Seems many on this forum carry more rifle than they need but maybe that's for the fun effect ... I get that. Went hunting Antelope with a friend in Alberta last year. I had my CM and he a 7mm RM. I got a nice buck at 300 yards. Dropped in its tracks. His 300 yard shot hit the leg (wind was bad that day) and he spent the next 2 hours tracking it. To me it's shot placement ... whatever rifle you shoot best.

 

[bigred1]

I'm a follower of Elmer Keith's philosophy. "A 270 is a right fine coyote gun".

 

[Sam Pace]

I have a 6.5 PRC and a 7MM Rem Mag. The way they are set up delivers very similar recoil. I like the additional bullet weight options for my 7MM. With the brake on the 7MM it feels like my 6MM Creedmore. Why not have the best of both options?

My approach to choosing a rifle is simple. I do the math and choose the rifle that will do what I want best. I don't believe in the one rifle for everything approach. And thus I have many rifles.

Shot placement is critical with all calibers, no doubt.

I like the saying ... if your only tool is a hammer all of your problems look like nails. I just try to bring the right tool for each hunt.

 

[tony d willIiams]

I have owned magnum pistols, a lot of fun to shoot, too much power for home defense. I need the bullet to stop when the threat is hit, not travel thru walls.
Magnum rifles? When I had a permanent friend, Emphysema move in the breathing equipment makes a lot of racket, hissing or clicking with hisses. Kind of makes it difficult to creep up on food. So I picked up a magnum.
I still scout and find herds of deer, pig, coyotes and the rest. Learning their habits and patterns throughout the day. When it comes time to shoot I use my magnum. I drop them where I have easy access to clean and retrieve.
Only problem with a magnum is I get carried away with reloading and becoming more accurate and reaching out to touch somebody at greater distances. I keep beating my old scores and sometimes this becomes too important. But then I am very confident that one bullet always kills, I greatly dislike injuring an animal and needing to track him down.
Keeping both eyes open makes it possible to spot my shots and acquire the target quickly.

 

[rustyshackleford]

To me magnum means A) a 0.6+ G1 bullet comfortably stepping out the barrel near or over 3k ft/sec or B) something exceeding 3500 ft/lbs. these aren't particularly hard and fast rules but I think we all agree you are talking about significant milestones in performance compared to standard hunting cartridges like 308 or the like.

The only magnums I plan to have are a 300 wsm to push sleek bullets near 3k for the occasional long poke on a distant target and a 416 rem for fun.

 

[UplandFreak]

Oh boy - I grew up with all my family using 270's to kill everything from Mule Deer to Elk to Grizzlies. When I was in my early 20's I bought a 7mm, then a 300 rum, and then several other Magnum cartridges. after 15 years of shooting them I have come almost full circle and have settled on the 6.5 prc. I have sold all my big magnums - the 6.5 prc is the biggest cartridge I own. I shoot elk, mule deer etc with it and am not afraid to take a poke over 1000 - it will get the job done. I am taking it on an alaskan moose hunt next year.

I think people buy a magnum for the psychological advantage that comes from believing you have a cannon that will kill anything. Some people think it compensates for poor marksmanship or allows them to take or justify bad shots. A lot of people cant shoot them for crap and develop a flinch, either from the recoil or from the excessive noise from having to brake it. I especially love the guys from out of state that go buy a big cannon for their western elk hunt and can't shoot it for crap. I have watched through the binos a couple of these groups throw 4 or 5 rounds at an elk at 400 yards and miss every single shot. LOL. That is best case, worst case is wounding an animal and not recovering it. I've seen that too. I think you shoot whatever you want, but just make sure you can shoot it well.

 

[RCMSTER]

First of all, I'm not co.pletely sure what defines a magnum. And even if I did know, I think some cartridges are deserving of the magnum designation that dont have it right now. That might be a good post for later, but not the question here. In my opinion, the answer is pretty simple, and for me is data driven. What conditions will I encounter in the way of shot distance? What velocity do I need to achieve proper bullet performance (per manufacturers rec.). What is the margin of error that I want to afford myself as it relates to the numbers. Then find bullet/cartridge combo that gets me to that value. One thing that should also be said is that I have seen guys shoot whitetails with too much gun. 4years ago, a friend lit the wick on his Christiansen 300Rum on a Big North Texas whitetail (over 225 lbs). He shot the buck, and then an hour later the buck showed up again with a through and through type wound in high lung area. He took him down with a second shot in the high shoulder area, but it too pencilled through the animal at that short distance, and high velocity. To me, with max shots in that area being 200 yds, he was over gunned and it almost cost him his hunt.

I think it's all in how you load said magnum. I've killed 2 deer with my 375 ruger. Was I overgunned? Not in my opinion. I was using a 265 grain cast bullet loaded to about 1900 fps. My muzzleloader, at that loading, leaves my 375 ruger in the dust.

 

[ddavis5030]

A lot of this makes sense. I guess I'm old school. At my ranch in Texas I'm normally shooting deer size game under 300 yards, where I use a 25-06, 30-06, and 6.5'-284.However, at my place in New Mexico, I'm shooting not only deer, but Elk, Bear, and Oryx, where my shots usually go from 250 yards out to 650+ yards, where I normally will use a 7mm, 300WM, 264WM, and 338WM. I have been an advocate of "knock down power" , and high BC, as the further the shot, and the bigger the animal, with multiple wind conditions at longer ranges. I have found that it is extremely important not to be under gunned.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

For a long time I followed the trend of buying and shooting more and more powerful cartridges. I've owned centerfire rifles chambered for everything from 221 Fireball to 460 Wby mag. Many of the big bores were just something that I wanted to shoot and didn't have a "need" for. However, I did hunt with most of them because I felt that bigger was better in most instances even if not needed.

Moving forward a few decades and having already taken quite a bit of game my attitude has changed. With the advent of better bullets, more accurate rifles, greater ranging devices and a better understanding of bullet drop & wind drift, most of the big cartridges just aren't needed the way they might have been.

Unlike many, I am slowly moving away from the big cartridges and am enjoying my shooting/hunting just as much, if not more. The 460 Wby was sold a long time ago. My 375 Ruger did a great job on a buffalo hunt but killed way more paper than animals so I recently sold it. My 338 RUM is a virtual tack driver but I can't imagine that for my current hunting needs that my 30 Nosler won't get the job done. And for my 45-70, well ............. that lever gun is just too much fun to shoot even with the heaviest loads - I'll be keeping that one.

 

[jarnold37]

First of all, I'm not co.pletely sure what defines a magnum. And even if I did know, I think some cartridges are deserving of the magnum designation that dont have it right now. That might be a good post for later, but not the question here. In my opinion, the answer is pretty simple, and for me is data driven. What conditions will I encounter in the way of shot distance? What velocity do I need to achieve proper bullet performance (per manufacturers rec.). What is the margin of error that I want to afford myself as it relates to the numbers. Then find bullet/cartridge combo that gets me to that value. One thing that should also be said is that I have seen guys shoot whitetails with too much gun. 4years ago, a friend lit the wick on his Christiansen 300Rum on a Big North Texas whitetail (over 225 lbs). He shot the buck, and then an hour later the buck showed up again with a through and through type wound in high lung area. He took him down with a second shot in the high shoulder area, but it too pencilled through the animal at that short distance, and high velocity. To me, with max shots in that area being 200 yds, he was over gunned and it almost cost him his hunt.

I think something is being overlooked in this discussion,and that is remaining energy. Very rarely will a bullet with more energy pencil through easier than one with less energy. The longer the distance the more energy is needed at the muzzle. Here is an example. When deer hunting with a 25-06, I realized when the range increased, there was less energy expelled to the animal, especially if impact was between two ribs. Many times result was 25 cal. hole in and 25 cal. hole out. Definitely undergunned for longer distances. Eventually gravitated to more powerful cartridges. With a 30-378 and a 338-378 I could quickly drop deer at longer distances. It seems the more the energy the more explosive effect as the bullet hits and violently pushes mass ahead of its path. Add to the fact the bullet is spinning at 175,000 rpm, there is tremendous damage and blood shock. I shot large deer at 312 yards with 150 grn @ 3550 muzzle velocity and bullet entered between two ribs and exit hole was 6" diameter. That hole was caused not just from the bullet but all the meat and blood blowing in front of the bullet. Shot another at 752 yards with 300 grn @ 2950 and exit hole was 3", but when skinned there was massive blood shock. There are variations such as using smaller bullet to expel all the energy on impact with smaller cartridge, but downrange energy is a main factor.

 

[tomsd]

A year ago - I bought a beautiful used Weatherby Mark V (stainless) in 300 Win - that I saw in my favorite gun store in my ole home town of Klamath Falls, Ore - on which I put a nice scope (4x14 44) - for under $1,000 total. Have yet to shoot it (harder to get to outdoor ranges here - and indoor are limited to my other rifle - a 30.06 caliber). Low and behold - was at a parking lot sale at a gun store here in San Diego - and they had Tikka T3x's on sale for $520 - so bought a 6.5 Creedmoor. Have always loved Tikkas - great bang for the buck. Heck - I haven't really hunted much since I left Oregon (deer are too small here in San Diego anyway) - so I can understand the itch to add more rifles - even if not a necessity -- as any one of these rifles would do on anything I would hunt - except maybe a long shot on a big bull elk.

 

[RCMSTER]

Oh boy - I grew up with all my family using 270's to kill everything from Mule Deer to Elk to Grizzlies. When I was in my early 20's I bought a 7mm, then a 300 rum, and then several other Magnum cartridges. after 15 years of shooting them I have come almost full circle and have settled on the 6.5 prc. I have sold all my big magnums - the 6.5 prc is the biggest cartridge I own. I shoot elk, mule deer etc with it and am not afraid to take a poke over 1000 - it will get the job done. I am taking it on an alaskan moose hunt next year.

I think people buy a magnum for the psychological advantage that comes from believing you have a cannon that will kill anything. Some people think it compensates for poor marksmanship or allows them to take or justify bad shots. A lot of people cant shoot them for crap and develop a flinch, either from the recoil or from the excessive noise from having to brake it. I especially love the guys from out of state that go buy a big cannon for their western elk hunt and can't shoot it for crap. I have watched through the binos a couple of these groups throw 4 or 5 rounds at an elk at 400 yards and miss every single shot. LOL. That is best case, worst case is wounding an animal and not recovering it. I've seen that too. I think you shoot whatever you want, but just make sure you can shoot it well.

I guess I'm one of them cursed out-of-state that shoot big guns. My next elk hunt, I'll be packing my 375 ruger, shooting 260 grain accubonds. I shoot it as well as my 264 win mag or my 25-06. I've shot countless groups of 1" or less with a heavy load of R-15 or H100V. Just have to spend time pulling the trigger. I do agree that some people cant hit the broadside of a barn at 10 feet tho. Last trip to Colorado, there was a group from Oregon there, and they wounded 2 elk, and neither was recovered. Man, the outfitter and their guide was way ****ed off. Don't blame them one bit either. I can't remember the last time I needed more than 1 shot to harvest what I'm hunting, but maybe the fact that I can walk out my back door and shoot out to 400 yards helps.