Too much gun?

[wilkup]

What do you consider too much gun?
Growing up, my uncle always talked about guys hunting with too much gun. He's old school. Both rifles he owns for big game hunting were hand picked by Jack O'Connor for him as a boy and then a young man. He sees the rounds I choose to hunt with and gives me a hard time time for taking my "elephant rifles" deer hunting. As a houndsman, when it was legal here, he carried a 22lr revolver. His first big game rifle he purchased was a 257 Roberts and he killed everything up to bull elk in the Blues with it! In his late teens he purchased his "big" gun, a 270 Winchester. That's the largest caliber he owns and has hunted and killed everything in the lower 48 with it.
So how many of you old school, or new school guys are of this mindset? Just curious if other people still think this way. I'm not a proponent of big magnums by any means. I like my SS rounds, but that's as big as I typically go.

 

[dmj]

Well if I personally used the phrase (to much gun) I would be referring to someone using a firearm that they couldn't shot straight. Another words they are afraid of it. Not to much gun for hunting purposes. I don't have any of the 338 edge or like rifles but do have several of the 30 and 28 caliber mags. Mostly I am an elk hunter, so take that into consideration along with the fact that this is my opinion and probably far from right. For my use I like some of the smaller rifles for practice (cheaper to reload and shot, easier on barrel). But with the selection of reloading supplies ( bullets, powder, primer) selection of items to assist making our rifles more friendly to shoot (muzzle brake, suppressors, trigger, ear protection, scopes, range finder) I tend to gravitate towards the magnums when I go hunting. Yes most of my shots are under 100 yards but I do like the feeling that if that 800 plus yard shot (providing I have put in the time and am confident in making an ethical shot) presents itself I am carrying enough rifle. This is just me, if you like the non magnums more power to you. Have a nice day.

 

[FIGJAM]

Is it possible that anything over a 6.5 caliber 140gr bullet is uneccessary for all big hooved game in NA and purely used because it is wanted and not needed?

 

[KyCarl]

Too Much = weight or recoil. I like plenty of gun if I can carry and shoot it I'm good.

 

[Ndfarmer]

There is no such thing as to much gun if it does the job it is intended for and can be shot accurately. Ask a tradesman if he owns a tool that is too good for the job it was created for, that's just nonsense.

 

[therifleman556]

. Ask a tradesman if he owns a tool that is too good for the job it was created for, that's just nonsense.

Not the same thing. Too good implies quality where the op is referring to too big/too much force. I suppose when it comes to killing game animals you really can't achieve a greater level of dead by using a bigger rifle but what's practical?
Can I drive a finishing nail with a 10 lb maul? Sure, but it's excessive and not practical. Just like I could smoke a whitetail with a 458 Win mag. It'll certainly work, but the 270 on the other side of the toolbox is the right tool for this job.

 

[Heavyiron]

In safe country the old 270 is plenty of gun. In grizzly country i feel safer with 32 caliber and up guns, with the old 35 whelen being a favorite. Even the whelen needs premium bullets though.

 

[FIGJAM]

There is no such thing as to much gun if it does the job it is intended for and can be shot accurately. Ask a tradesman if he owns a tool that is too good for the job it was created for, that's just nonsense.

If that was true everybody would be shooting 338LM or 50 BMGs with brakes...

 

[Quicksilver338]

For me it's as simple as this. Yes, many ethical kill shots have been made with smaller calibers largely due to their accuracy (6.5CM, 6.5-284, 6.5 PRC, etc) and many people question the usage of them and I as well in certain situations. Now this is all relative to game being hunted and distance of shot taken which in turn relates to velocity and energy upon impact. Question is not whether a certain small caliber can kill, but what happens when that smaller caliber meets a real world situation and you miss the vital zone for numerous reasons and conditions? Is that animal getting it's due justice and going down quickly or is it going to trot off a mile and die slowly because the smaller projectile didn't wreck any and all internals vital or not? This is the argument that within reason you can't carry too much muscle while hunting.

Example - This season due to unforeseen circumstances I was left to hunt the end of the bear season with my .338 Lapua. Heavy rifle and wouldn't have been my first choice. I was able to harvest a bear at 500yds and hit it right behind the shoulder, a few inches farther back than I would have wanted but 8-10mph wind alters things an inch or two. That being said it was still a well placed shot and while it didn't go through the heart, it just missed it and the 300gr berger otm turned anything in its path into jello and left a fist sized exit hole on the other side of the ribs. I will be the first to say this was overkill but that bear didn't make it 30yds before it died quickly seconds after impact. While I wouldn't consider it a perfect vital shot (heart/lungs) the larger caliber and energy took care of the animal quickly and ethical and despite any caliber argument that is the most important debate.

Hunt with whatever you can shoot the best with, but please bring insurance if shot placement isn't ideal. That is our jobs as hunters.

 

[wilkup]

All interesting answers. As a tradesman, I believe in using the right tool for the job. There are many things I compromise on though. Sometimes an 8 oz hammer works best for trim work, but a big 24+ oz framing hammer works for hand driving the 16 pennies. I carry an 18 oz hammer that's sort of the best of both worlds for me. My chosen hunting rifle is currently a 270SS that's big enough for anything in the northwest and small enough (when loaded lightly with solids) for any of the light stuff like yotes and bobcats. Always curious what everyone else is thinking on matters like this and it's fun to read through the responses when the cabin fever gets to be too much

 

[Caveman0101]

There is no such thing as to much gun if it does the job it is intended for and can be shot accurately. Ask a tradesman if he owns a tool that is too good for the job it was created for, that's just nonsense.

I shot a rabbit with my 300wby, yep it was too much gun.

 

[dmj]

But it worked, didn't it?

 

[Quicksilver338]

Building on what others have said here, if you're going to own one gun to hunt anything with get a big one. Otherwise 2-3 of them would be a good option to cover a number of game scenarios.

 

[Caveman0101]

But it worked, didn't it?

Yep, it did wasn't much left to eat though.