I Can Never Decide Which Gun...

stinkeypete said:
I’ve gotten to that stage where I’ve almost thinned my collection to only my favorites.

For deer, it would be my Grandfather’s 30-06 Remington, a shotgun or a pistol.
For birds, it’s the modern semi-auto (really fits me well) or the Ithaca model 37, also firs me well but after 3 hours of walking, it really earns its name “featherweight.”
For squirrels… fancy Unscratched CZ or good enough pretty nice 10/22
For walking around pistol… throw the brass in the woods semi-auto or put the brass in my pocket revolver.

After trying many many firearms and enjoying the exploration, I’d like to simplify what my wife has to deal with if I kick the bucket.
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I too have slimmed my collection by a lot over the last year. With the availability of everything as far as ammunition and firearms, I have decided to consolidate what I have to cartridges that I either already use, or have some commonly interchangeable components.
 
Long answer…. No…. Hahah

Varmints and coyotes?? FrankenMauser in 6.5 PRC.

Big stuff like deer and above??? Winchester 70 in 300 WSM.

Handgun go to?? 1911 in 45 ACP.
 
For most of my life, deer hunting has been within forests and foothills where shots rarely exceed 125 yards or so. This is where the old 30-30 cartridge really shines. Velocity and energy figures on paper charts do not tell the whole story about lethality. In fact, 30-30 bullets are not intended for faster cartridges. The factories have perfected 30-30 bullets. They're are designed to mushroom quickly and penetrate deeply due to jacket thickness and other factors. In contrast, typical .308 bullets are loaded into a diversity of modern cartridges, from 300 Savage to 300 magnums. These bullets are what I refer to as "general purpose" whereas 30-30 bullets are specifically designed for this cartridge alone. 30-30 is a keeper!

Jack
 
I’ve shot enough deer to be in jail. Over 50% of them shot with 30/30 & 35 Rem with receiver sights. I believe it was Jack OConnor that said if you can’t take a 30/30 in the woods and come out with a deer, you got no business in the woods. Some areas I hunted I used scoped BAs. The 308 was my favorite a m70FW. My PB shot on deer is only about 250yds with the 308/ 6x glass. Makes me feel puny when guys are knocking off 400 yarders.
 
I ended up not seeing another deer the rest of the season. Either way, I killed two does with my Browning 6.5 Creedmoor and carried my Bergara 308 for the rest of the time. After Christmas I will go after a buck with a crossbow.
 
I understand your dilemma. I have similar conundrums. Basically I would rule out the 6.5 creedmore. Its a gun for long distance round for city slicker snooty shooters and would not bring you respect in deer camp. The 300PRC is a great cartridge but should be relegated to hunting eland and kudu in Africa. The 30-30 is a great American round that will surely bring you respect. But there is a chance that a deer might materialize past 30 yards and you would have to hold over. That leaves you with the .308, a great choice for an all-american Lets Go Brandon patriot!
 
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My dilemma is very similar. I hunt massive 85 lb Georgia whitetails and I, too, worry about knock-down power. My choices are between .264 win mag, 7mm rem mag, 300 win mag, 338 win mag or .350 rem mag. If I get charged by an adrenalized doe, which one would give me the best chance of surviving the charge?
 
Right to bear arms said:
My dilemma is very similar. I hunt massive 85 lb Georgia whitetails and I, too, worry about knock-down power. My choices are between .264 win mag, 7mm rem mag, 300 win mag, 338 win mag or .350 rem mag. If I get charged by an adrenalized doe, which one would give me the best chance of surviving the charge?
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I’d be more worried about any edible meat surviving. LOL.
 
jetinteriorguy said:
I’d be more worried about any edible meat surviving. LOL.
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Wouldn’t worry too much about that. I use that 300 WSM to great effect. Very ethical clean kills. Had one galloping at full steam. Stopped her in her tracks. If the bullet didn’t kill her, the snapped neck from tumbling over herself would have. For sure.

Only ever had ONE pill explode on impact (apparently that is a recurring theme with the WSM cartridges). It hit a buck square in the shoulder and the pill came to pieces, but spun the buck around to face 180 degrees and put him down. No damaged meat in either scenario.

Moral of my story…. Carry whatever the heck you want!! I know a few people (none of which are city slickers) who have used that 6.5CM to devastating good effect, even to the maximum range of 250 yards that you will see most deer in PA before harvesting.
 
I have killed four deer total with 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. Two this year and two last year. All within 150 yards, both does this year were within 30 yards. That cartridge performs admirably.
 
I would go with the 30-30 anyway!

It’s an excuse to hit the range for sight in and maybe the gun store for coffee/ammo.
 
Of course you are correct. Anything from a .223 to a 700 nitro express will adequately kill a whitetail. I sometimes just like to shoot magnums (ala Elmer Keith). I'm actually adding a pre 64 300 H&H to the family. I've actually done more meat damage with a 22-250 than a .338 win mag. The wonderful thing about America is that we can shoot anything we want and brag about it. OH yes . . the 270 winchester is the best!
 
I always choose based on weather, distance, and cover.

For the cartridges that I use:
Heavier cover and shorter distances lead me towards something like a 35 Rem...
Father distances in an open field would lead me towards the 6.5 PRC...
Bad weather (any chance of precipitation) means the stainless 308...
If I'm feeling extra fancy or nostalgic, it'll be the nice 270...

That's basically it. I bought my guns each with a purpose in mind and use them for such.
 
kilotanker22 said:
Any of you ever have trouble deciding which firearm you want to use for any given time?
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Simple answer for me is, no. Every firearm I own has a very specific purpose.

The only exceptions are a 1911, which is just for fun, and an AR, because doesn't everyone?
 
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