DobermansDoItGoofy
New member
I have a few rifles ie. a 22. a 30/30 , a 243, two 308's, and a 375H&H...
I notice the 300Win. has become popular; it's not my favorite because personally if I need a lot of power in serious bear country...my 375H&H gets the job done. The 300 Win. - for me - seems to offer too little for the bear and too much for the other stuff. Also a 375H&H is not so bad in regard to recoil; if I'm to be battered by recoil I'd just as soon take it from the 375H&H as to get it from a 300Win. The 300 Win. is a fine round - but it's just not my cup of tea. Most of the time I use the 308. There seems to be a 'magnum fever' and I see a lot of debate about 'which caliber is more deadly' - but there are a lot of other hunting factors that don't get enough attention:
1) If you shoot a deer with a 257 Weatherby(100gr) at a distance of under 200yds...you might blow up the deer and cause a lot of unwanted meat damage. A 375 H&H would cause less meat damage! So if one's blind is set up overlooking a valley where your maximum shot is 150 yards...why on earth are you out there with a 257 Weatherby and a 3-9x scope...when a lever action 30/30 ...would be better? The 257 is fine - but for deer a 120gr. is a better choice...but with a 257 you have to also count on a lot of range,more recoil, more expensive ammo and shorter barrel life.
2) I always get a creepy feeling when I'm out in the woods...and I hear folks banging away with a big magnum... Invariably they are shooting at game that is less than 200 yards away...and they often don't think enough about what their bullet is going to do once it exits the deer and continues off into the woods beyond...
3) Is the 243 big enough for deer? Hmmm... I keep hearing the 243 described as a child's round - as if it's some sort of anemic weakling not to be used by real men. Invariably the same folks who talk about the 243 being weak...are the same folks who talk of the 44mag. and the 30/30 as being good ol boys... Yawning... The 243 is flat shooting and far more potent than the 44mag. or the 30/30. The 243 offers a pleasant shot with little recoil.
4) Hunting Guides are sometimes not impressed by 50yr.old boys with brand new $3000 300 Win Mags. that get aimed like bazookas... Hunting Guides are impressed by 50yr.old boys who can take an old rifle in a 243 or 308 or whatever - and hit where they aim!
5) Know what you're hunting and how to hunt... Be a good marksman. Practice safety. Invariably it's always hunting skill - not caliber - that determines success. A Bow is nice.
I notice the 300Win. has become popular; it's not my favorite because personally if I need a lot of power in serious bear country...my 375H&H gets the job done. The 300 Win. - for me - seems to offer too little for the bear and too much for the other stuff. Also a 375H&H is not so bad in regard to recoil; if I'm to be battered by recoil I'd just as soon take it from the 375H&H as to get it from a 300Win. The 300 Win. is a fine round - but it's just not my cup of tea. Most of the time I use the 308. There seems to be a 'magnum fever' and I see a lot of debate about 'which caliber is more deadly' - but there are a lot of other hunting factors that don't get enough attention:
1) If you shoot a deer with a 257 Weatherby(100gr) at a distance of under 200yds...you might blow up the deer and cause a lot of unwanted meat damage. A 375 H&H would cause less meat damage! So if one's blind is set up overlooking a valley where your maximum shot is 150 yards...why on earth are you out there with a 257 Weatherby and a 3-9x scope...when a lever action 30/30 ...would be better? The 257 is fine - but for deer a 120gr. is a better choice...but with a 257 you have to also count on a lot of range,more recoil, more expensive ammo and shorter barrel life.
2) I always get a creepy feeling when I'm out in the woods...and I hear folks banging away with a big magnum... Invariably they are shooting at game that is less than 200 yards away...and they often don't think enough about what their bullet is going to do once it exits the deer and continues off into the woods beyond...
3) Is the 243 big enough for deer? Hmmm... I keep hearing the 243 described as a child's round - as if it's some sort of anemic weakling not to be used by real men. Invariably the same folks who talk about the 243 being weak...are the same folks who talk of the 44mag. and the 30/30 as being good ol boys... Yawning... The 243 is flat shooting and far more potent than the 44mag. or the 30/30. The 243 offers a pleasant shot with little recoil.
4) Hunting Guides are sometimes not impressed by 50yr.old boys with brand new $3000 300 Win Mags. that get aimed like bazookas... Hunting Guides are impressed by 50yr.old boys who can take an old rifle in a 243 or 308 or whatever - and hit where they aim!
5) Know what you're hunting and how to hunt... Be a good marksman. Practice safety. Invariably it's always hunting skill - not caliber - that determines success. A Bow is nice.