Magnum obsession seems real

[Rich Coyle]

Bought a magnum for Daughter #1 to use elk hunting. It shoots a 150g ABLR @ 2910fps and at 7000 feet will deliver over 2100fps and 1500fpe past 700 yards.

It is called a .270 Win.

Years ago I discovered the .270 is really a magnum in disguise.

 

[bdyal1972]

Holy City,
I too live in the SE. Have way too many rifles and love them all.
Like you, i prefer extreme accuracy. Also, here, a long shot would be 400 yds - and that would be on a crop field or clear cut. We don't have the need for minor cannons. Our deer average 125 lbs. Or less. I have gotten rid of all my magnums but one - and it is being kept for a 1500 yd shot on a prairie dog, if i ever go back.
I prefer the 6mm, 25 or 6.5 for my applications. More than sufficient IMO.

I hunt public land near Birmingham Alabama.

In general a shot here is 150 yards or less in the woods.

But.

I keep finding grass areas, food plots and openings with LOTS of scrapes and sign in remote, loud, dry, difficult areas to walk into.

Sooo

I get on a ridge 300, 400, 700 yards away, set up a hide, make a clear trail....

Sun comes up behind my back, rifle on bipod and sock full of sand.

Buck secure in his silent haven is just 5 minutes too late leaving his feeding area...

DRT

ASASSINATED

1 shot in the sunrise light HUNDREDS of yards away...

Could an 06 work? Maybe

However

A magnum impacting at 2900fps leaves him DRT in his tracks..

Never knew what hit him...

 

[bdyal1972]

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.

That bullet he is using SUCKS!!!

 

[bdyal1972]

About 11 years ago, anticipating a hunt for grizzly, and another for cape buff, I bought my first 375 H&H, as that seemed an appropriate cartridge, without being too ridiculous for black bear or elk. This one is a Ruger Number One.

Later, a second nice, used 375 Winchester Model 70 seemed to just throw itself at me, and I took it home too. Both have proven to be great rifles.

I shot a few black bear with the Number One. Unnecessarily powerful, but it worked fine.

Ended up taking the grizzly with my 30-06, and am pretty sure I'll never get around to the cape buff hunt... So, have two nice 375's that are more unnecessary now than they were when I got them.

I still like 'em though. Fun to handload, actually pretty pleasant to shoot. Don't need them, but I do like them.

Guy

375h&h

IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT ANSWER!!!

JUST CHANGE BULLET!

LOL

 

[memtb]

QUOTE from a previous post:
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.

It would make no difference what he fired those bullets from. A good hunting bullet would open up at close range.

I'm fully in agreement with Rich here. We've cleanly taken antelope, much lighter than that 225 pound deer, with larger caliber cartridges with bullets that many feel are too resistant to expansion. With proper placement

 

[JC in Calif]

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.

I have picked Magnums mostly because of the ballistics. I like the velocity and the ability to adjust bullet weight to meet game requirement. I have magnums in .257WBY, .300Win, .350 Rem and 7STW.

 

[azarcher10x]

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.

Not to much gun, to much bullet! Many who shoot LR type magnums, fall into the trap of using a bullet way to heavy by caliber because that's what they see guys shooting for extreme long range. They fail to match the weight of the bullet to to the game. A 230 gr. from a 300 RUM is the wrong choice for whitetail at 100 yds. So is a 220 gr. Norma out of an '06! A 150- 165 would give devastating results at that range. The magnum will just enable one to extend the range. Putting the "Rock in the hole" is the most important thing, followed closely by terminal ballistics of the bullet!

 

[bdyal1972]

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

Lol that's AWESOME!!!

TRUTH

 

[memtb]

Not to much gun, to much bullet! Many who shoot LR type magnums, fall into the trap of using a bullet way to heavy by caliber because that's what they see guys shooting for extreme long range. They fail to match the weight of the bullet to to the game. A 230 gr. from a 300 RUM is the wrong choice for whitetail at 100 yds. So is a 220 gr. Norma out of an '06! A 150- 165 would give devastating results at that range. The magnum will just enable one to extend the range. Putting the "Rock in the hole" is the most important thing, followed closely by terminal ballistics of the bullet!

I thought that long range "hunting" Bullets were relatively thinned jacketed designed to expand at reduced velocities. Perhaps the bullet would "fragment" at close range, limiting adequate penetration.....even in that situation, it should have killed a deer!

We've been using the same brand bullet for many years, only changing them as they improved with technology and using calibers and bullets that many believe "will not" work on " smaller" big game. Thus far, with 25+ years of use.....they've always given adequate expansion!
memtb

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

I've realky taken to the smaller rounds and their overall ease but big boomers have always held a special place in my heart.

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

For me its not an obsession its REALITY!

 

[Radman]

About 11 years ago, anticipating a hunt for grizzly, and another for cape buff, I bought my first 375 H&H, as that seemed an appropriate cartridge, without being too ridiculous for black bear or elk. This one is a Ruger Number One.

Later, a second nice, used 375 Winchester Model 70 seemed to just throw itself at me, and I took it home too. Both have proven to be great rifles.

I shot a few black bear with the Number One. Unnecessarily powerful, but it worked fine.

Ended up taking the grizzly with my 30-06, and am pretty sure I'll never get around to the cape buff hunt... So, have two nice 375's that are more unnecessary now than they were when I got them.

I still like 'em though. Fun to handload, actually pretty pleasant to shoot. Don't need them, but I do like them.

Guy

They're your's & you like what you've got. Nothing wrong with that.
The woodgrain in your bottom picture is as beautiful as I've ever seen!

 

[MontanaJack]

My move to and from and back to magnums was driven by experience. As a teenager, I grabbed my dad's new 7mm Remington Magnum every chance a got. My rifle was 300 Savage. Killed my first elk at age 12 with the 300 Savage under 100 yards. I grew up shooting small bore competitively and was a state class shooter. My shooting skills took a brief hiatus because of that 7mm Mag. I got "scoped" a couple of times shooting at game and developed a flinch. It took several years of shooting smaller calibers to regain my lost skill. For big game hunting, I purchased a pre-war Model 70, 30-06. We hunted in the timber so most shots were under 100 yards. Everything worked fine at that range. Then I had a chance to hunt elk during the late hunt near Yellowstone Park (before the wolf reintroduction decimated the north Yellowstone elk herd!). I shot a raghorn bull at about 400 yards with my 30-06. I fired 3 times until he moved out of sight. Snow was deep. I bucked deep snow up to my waist climbing a steep hill so it took me almost an hour to reach the elk track. I tracked the bull for about 100 yards around the hill and found him laying down, head erect. One more shot to the neck finished him. I had hit him 3 times behind the front shoulder as I had been taught. That ineffective kill caused me to buy my own 7mm magnum which was subsequently replaced by 300 Winchester Magnums. Those magnificent animals need to be killed effectively and quickly. In my opinion, elk sized game being shot over 300 yards deserve the energy that can only be delivered by magnum rounds delivering enough energy to put the animal down quickly. Various writers over the years suggesting using 1000 ft-lbs of energy as minimum requirement for a clean kill on medium sized game with a well placed shot. I was using 150 gr Winchester Silvertips in the early 1970's when my Yellowstone hunt occurred. That bullet did not have the necessary 1000 ft-lbs of energy. Granted, bullet technology has advanced significantly since my raghorn bull laid in the snow for an hour waiting to die. My go to elk round is currently a Berger 190 gr VLD placed in a "high shoulder shot". My load maintains over 1000 ft-lbs of energy beyond 900 yards and has produced quick one shot kills on elk to 600 yards. Summarizing: to be an responsible hunter, one needs to be able to: 1) consistently place shots accurately at a given distance demonstrated before the hunt. 2) Carry a rifle that will deliver at least 1000 ft-lbs of energy at the kill distance. 3) Use a modern high technology bullet that will deliver the energy to the game. I can attest to the effectiveness of the Berger bullets. This forum has shared experiences with other bullets that perform effectively. Good luck!!

 

[Wy Will]

I use a 6.5-284 for mule deer and antelope. It has killed some elk as well. I use a 300 Win Mag for elk. I have thought about going to a 28 caliber for mule deer. I prefer larger calibers to help fight the wind that is common where I hunt.