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Weight of rifle
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<blockquote data-quote="SansSouci" data-source="post: 1234331" data-attributes="member: 84520"><p>We've all heard stories about elk being the toughest animal in North America to kill. They probably are...if hunters can't shoot their rifles. </p><p></p><p>My elk rifle is a Sako 7MM Rem Mag with a Leupold Vari-X II 4x12. This rifle weighs every ounce of 10 pounds. It's also the most accurate rifle I own. I'm considering sending that rifle in to hunting retirement.</p><p></p><p>I'm good with whatever rifles and cartridges other hunters use to hunt. However, hunters will cause synapses in my noggin to crossfire when they tell me that only calibers .338 and up are suitable for elk. But then again, hunters will use cockamamy rationale to justify their choices of rifles and cartridges.</p><p></p><p>All big game animals need topside oxygenated blood flow to continue living. Destroy the largest elk that has ever lived oxygenated blood making and pumping equipment, and it will die within seconds. Put a .338 RUM bullet in its guts, and be prepared to do a lot of miserable tracking. Hence, that old hunter's bromide of a .243 Win in the boiler room is a whole lot better that an '06 to the guts. Yes, a .243 Win will kill an elk just as dead as a .338 RUM provided that a bullet from a .243 Win destroys a elk's oxygenated blood making and/or pumping equipment. </p><p></p><p>I have a 40+ year-old .270 Win that's much lighter than my 7MM Rem Mag. It will kill the biggest big game in North America just as dead as a .300 Win Mag, although I wouldn't want to hunt griz with a .270 Win. For that application, I'd want a stoutly loaded .45/70 Gov't. </p><p></p><p>I've watched well-put-up studly dudes having difficulty shooting .300 mags from benches. Sporter weight rifles in magnum cartridges hurt when bench shooting.</p><p></p><p>Weight of gun in a gun store is a whole lot lighter than weight of a rifle at Rocky Mountain altitude. Trust me. I've experienced it. A couple years ago on a rut trophy elk hunt, I felt every ounce of my 10 pound Sako while chasing a HUGE elk over I have no clue of how many ridges. After about 2 & 1/2 hours of hard, and I mean total exhaustion hard hunting, I caught my breath long enough to put one 160 grain Partition through his heart. The rub is I could have killed him just as dead with a much lighter .270 Win. </p><p></p><p>I've learned far too late in life that accuracy trumps caliber every single time. </p><p></p><p>Biology is always controlling. Nothing living remains in that condition without topside oxygenated blood supply. Elk have no clue of what cartridge launched a bullet that stopped its topside oxygenated blood flow. </p><p></p><p>Heavy rifles will become heavier and more difficult to hold steady as barometric falls. </p><p></p><p>Accuracy trumps caliber every single time.</p><p></p><p>Under absolute perfect conditions, 400 yards is a long way to shoot at any big game animal at Rocky Mountain altitude. </p><p></p><p>Magnum cartridges in sporter weight rifles hurt when bench shooting. Bench shooting builds confidence. Confidence kills big game. Flinching screws with confidence. </p><p></p><p>For all big game in North America except the largest bears, I'd take a .270 Win over a bigger rifle. Remember, nothing living remains in that condition without its oxygenating blood making and pumping equipment. What destroys that equipment is immaterial. That they are destroyed is.</p><p></p><p>The largest bull moose ever killed in North America was killed a couple years ago with a .303 British. Mr. Naef knew that accuracy trumps big calibers: <u><a href="http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/featured_story.asp?area=news&ID=186" target="_blank">Boone and Crockett Club | Wildlife Conservation | Deer Hunting | Elk Hunting | Big Game Hunting | Wildlife Conservation | Deer Hunting | Elk Hunting | Big Game Hunting</a></u></p><p></p><p>My advice is to go light.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SansSouci, post: 1234331, member: 84520"] We've all heard stories about elk being the toughest animal in North America to kill. They probably are...if hunters can't shoot their rifles. My elk rifle is a Sako 7MM Rem Mag with a Leupold Vari-X II 4x12. This rifle weighs every ounce of 10 pounds. It's also the most accurate rifle I own. I'm considering sending that rifle in to hunting retirement. I'm good with whatever rifles and cartridges other hunters use to hunt. However, hunters will cause synapses in my noggin to crossfire when they tell me that only calibers .338 and up are suitable for elk. But then again, hunters will use cockamamy rationale to justify their choices of rifles and cartridges. All big game animals need topside oxygenated blood flow to continue living. Destroy the largest elk that has ever lived oxygenated blood making and pumping equipment, and it will die within seconds. Put a .338 RUM bullet in its guts, and be prepared to do a lot of miserable tracking. Hence, that old hunter's bromide of a .243 Win in the boiler room is a whole lot better that an '06 to the guts. Yes, a .243 Win will kill an elk just as dead as a .338 RUM provided that a bullet from a .243 Win destroys a elk's oxygenated blood making and/or pumping equipment. I have a 40+ year-old .270 Win that's much lighter than my 7MM Rem Mag. It will kill the biggest big game in North America just as dead as a .300 Win Mag, although I wouldn't want to hunt griz with a .270 Win. For that application, I'd want a stoutly loaded .45/70 Gov't. I've watched well-put-up studly dudes having difficulty shooting .300 mags from benches. Sporter weight rifles in magnum cartridges hurt when bench shooting. Weight of gun in a gun store is a whole lot lighter than weight of a rifle at Rocky Mountain altitude. Trust me. I've experienced it. A couple years ago on a rut trophy elk hunt, I felt every ounce of my 10 pound Sako while chasing a HUGE elk over I have no clue of how many ridges. After about 2 & 1/2 hours of hard, and I mean total exhaustion hard hunting, I caught my breath long enough to put one 160 grain Partition through his heart. The rub is I could have killed him just as dead with a much lighter .270 Win. I've learned far too late in life that accuracy trumps caliber every single time. Biology is always controlling. Nothing living remains in that condition without topside oxygenated blood supply. Elk have no clue of what cartridge launched a bullet that stopped its topside oxygenated blood flow. Heavy rifles will become heavier and more difficult to hold steady as barometric falls. Accuracy trumps caliber every single time. Under absolute perfect conditions, 400 yards is a long way to shoot at any big game animal at Rocky Mountain altitude. Magnum cartridges in sporter weight rifles hurt when bench shooting. Bench shooting builds confidence. Confidence kills big game. Flinching screws with confidence. For all big game in North America except the largest bears, I'd take a .270 Win over a bigger rifle. Remember, nothing living remains in that condition without its oxygenating blood making and pumping equipment. What destroys that equipment is immaterial. That they are destroyed is. The largest bull moose ever killed in North America was killed a couple years ago with a .303 British. Mr. Naef knew that accuracy trumps big calibers: [U][URL="http://www.boone-crockett.org/news/featured_story.asp?area=news&ID=186"]Boone and Crockett Club | Wildlife Conservation | Deer Hunting | Elk Hunting | Big Game Hunting | Wildlife Conservation | Deer Hunting | Elk Hunting | Big Game Hunting[/URL][/U] My advice is to go light. [/QUOTE]
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