Magnums for deer...You say overkill I say so what

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'd never say anything bad about using the big magnums and I wish I had one but I can relate to meat damage, as this is my primary reason for hunting. Most all of my shots are less than 100 yards and I do know what happens when I've used a .308 versus a.30-30 at this range. For me, an 80 yard shot using a .308 into the front shoulder totally destroyed the front quarter of the deer. Similiar shots with a .30-30 at this range resulted in less meat damage and still dropped the deer in it's tracks. I guess better shot placement would have helped reduce damaged meat but I'll be sticking with the .30-30 for shots less than 100 yards for this reason.
 
You should see what my 300 WSM does to a coyote at 1000 yards. He doesn't even hear the report of the rifle till after he's already dead. :p
 
Anybody here use shotgun slugs for deer. those slugs are much bigger than a .30 cal bullet. ever see how much damage a slug does. this is why I like to Bow hunt, you get close and its more exciting and plus I shoot slick tricks so the whole isnt that bad as compared to the rage broad head. Lots of good meat if processed right.:cool: and plus deer are so delicious :D

I say hunt with what you like, just make sure its a quick and humane kill. If we are going to kill an animal we might as well make it quick so the animal doesnt suffer.
 
Chevelle 383 wrote: " And for what its worth I too agree that 30-30 is the all American deer round. I guarantee it has killed more deer than any other round."

Chevelle,

Maybe the 30-30 has killed a bunch of deer but I bet you one thing, I bet you that the 30-30 has crippled more than about all the rest of them put together too.

Take care, Parabuteo
 
Chevelle, I'd be willing to bet cold cash that my sub caliber 20 will out shoot your 300 mag all the way out to 1000 yds.

That's not the point of the post though. I understand your poiint and I don't hate magnums myself but I don't hunt with mine either. I've seen what a 460Wthby does to a whitetail deer and lets just say it is a whole lot more damage than anything I own.

It's all about the bullet, but the bullet can only be held responsible for the responsible shooter, if your shooting a bullet that isn't designed for high velocities and shoot it at high velocities your going to destroy the meat, versus one that passes through and stays intact for the most part.
 
I'm fortunate in that I own several hunting rifles. The only magnum I own is the .338 Win Mag. It wouldn't be used on your average deer, that's why I own a .308, or a .32 Winchester Special. Different tools for different jobs. Are magnums overkill for deer? In most cases I'd have to say yes. It's not that you can't kill a deer with a .300, it's just that unless it's your only rifle you could use a lesser round just as effectively.
 
My step brother who lives up in West Virginia has only one rifle other than a .22 (I think) and it's a .300 magnum. He was a little embarassed to admit that was what he hunted deer with but I suspect he was more than a little proud to be owning one. I haven't visited him for a few years and I don't recall whether or not it had a scope.

I don't hunt myself but I do see a fair number of deer. I'd say that 120 pounds sounds a little light for a deer, judging from the ones I see but there's no hunting in most of the places I see them. In any event, I've never seen one over a hundred yards away and I somehow doubt my stepbrother hunts anywhere you could even see one much further away than that.

But you know how it is. Someone had to have one and it stays in circulation, so to speak. Me, I'd love to have a 9.3x62.
 
Different strokes for different folks, use what works for you and forget anyone else. Some like to imagine that their caliber is supreme for the sole fact that THEY chose it, so in their little minds it has to be the best and anyone using anything other than what they use or suggest is naive and ill informed or compensating for something else. Disregard the ignorant and proceed forward.:D
 
I bet you that the 30-30 has crippled more than about all the rest of them put together too.
Click to expand...

Based on what? Just pure probability because of the sheer numbers? Or are you saying that the 30-30 is inherently predisposed to wounding deer because of its lack of power at 250 yards? Or, just maybe, because of the price of the gun in comparison to other deer rifles and its lack of recoil, that the 30-30 lever action often ends up in the hands of novice hunters. Please clarify.

There is, and has never been, a way to measure the number botched shots at game animals over the span of a hundred years. But the 30-06 has been in service now for quite a while, and I'd venture to say that it has been at the scene of many a miss, lost blood trail, and wounding of game in its storied history.
 
I'm not a hunter. I was trained as a sniper. Said that, most deers weight about the same as most adult humans so what works for one should work for the other one. It is true that deer have more density, however most humans don't walk around naked so taking into consideration clothing they are pretty compatible.

One-shot-one-kill. Shot placement is essential, deers or humans. If you don't care about preserving the head, then head shot is master, otherwise hit the heart. All other places won't get you a clean kill.

Practice, practice, practice till you can place a bullet between 3" at any distance you are to take the shot, otherwise practice more or pick up a different hobby!

When it comes to choosing a cartridge, there are aways two things to keep in mind: The weight of the target and the distance where the target is.

Up to 500 yards a .243 w 100 gr. will do the job just fine giving you superb ballistic thanks to its flat trajectory. The .243 will work equally well for the humans and deers.

The .223 r is a varmint caliber and should not be used for humans or deers. I had my share of arguments while in the service due to the 5.56 NATO and 9mm NATO (side arm) both wimpy choices for humans. I'd take .243 and .45ACP/.357 magnum thanks.

If you care to take a shot up to 800 yards, the almighty .308 w 168 gr. will serve you just fine. Bu realistically, how many hunters out there take shots that far? Again, I'm not a hunter.

As for the .300 w magnum 200 gr., that thing at 1000 yards has the same energy as a .44 magnum at point-blank! Unless your target is 500-1200 yards away NOBODY needs a .300 w magnum for humans or deers, if you think you do, you are kidding yourself!

So here is my 0.02, for deers and humans pick a .243 for short action or a .25-06 for long action, anything else is overkilled unless you constantly take shots over 500 yards.
 
A magnum will cripple deer as easy as any caliber when the wrong bullet is used or shot placement is poor due to flinching from excessive recoil. Having killed numerous deer with a 30-30, 2 over 200lbs field dressed I have dropped deer in their tracks with my 30-30 numerous times. The 30-30 was pretty much DESIGNED as a fast handling deer cartridge. A magnum with too stout of a bullet can go right through a deer and leave minimal damage, where as the majority of 30-30 ammunition is designed for DEER.

Anyone who thinks the 30-30 has crippled more deer than any other caliber doesn't know enough about ballistics, bullet design and probably hasn't shot many deer, especially with a 30-30. Living in New England the 30-30 has been and still might be the leading deer cartridge. Lets see, a 41 or 44 magnum is great for deer, but a 30-30 isn't!
 
@ slamfire...I shoot it because its the most accurate gun I own and or I shoot it the best out of my rifles. I love to reload and as jeeper pointed out I can tame them out for deer or pack it in there for elk or moose. One rifle for any north american game, I do love that versitility.
Click to expand...

Excellent reasons. :D:D:D
 
At one time in my career I was a forensic instructor for the IL DNR and harvested many deer for instructional purposes. I killed deer with everything from 22 LR to 300 win mag, 50 cal muzzle loaders, 12 ga slugs, and buckshot. Some of the quickest kills were with precision shots from a 22 LR. All of the calibers worked well with proper shot placement. Use whatever gun you can shoot well (as long it is legal in your area). Make precision shots and you will be fine. Large caliber or velocity is not a substitute for shot placement. Big magnums are fine if you can shoot them well.
Dave
 
Ive been using my 300WM for about 40 years now. Why? I found that when sighted in at 200yds, all the game are pretty much crosshair for placement from 100 to 300. After that you have to start thinking about drop. I am also confident that there is enough remaining energy at 500 to do the job so 300 is never a problem. For most of my life I hunted deer in the sierras and most of the shots were taken about 200 or so. The rifle has also taken me on hunts in Alaska, WYO, ID, UT, and CO. with game ranging from pronghorn to the big bruins.

As for lost meat, its never been a real problem as long as you put it in the boiler room and stay away from the sholders. Put the bullet through both lungs or split the heart and the game will drop in their tracks. I did have one exception, it went about 25 yds.

Since I reside in Alabama now, for the local deer, I use the 25-06. It is a bit lighter and easier to pack around. The average shot here is about 75yds.

I have a lot of rifles in quite a few different chamberings, but my favorite by far the the 300WM.
 
Anybody here use shotgun slugs for deer.
Click to expand...

Yep, all the time!

those slugs are much bigger than a .30 cal bullet.
Click to expand...

Yep!

ever see how much damage a slug does.
Click to expand...

Yep, minimal. It simply kills the animal and leaves the meat intact and yummy! There's nothing wrong with shotgun slugs or magnums. They don't really damage the meat. That's a myth.

Use whatever works for you.
 
One-shot-one-kill. Shot placement is essential, deers or humans. If you don't care about preserving the head, then head shot is master, otherwise hit the heart. All other places won't get you a clean kill.
Click to expand...

Exactly, I hunted deer for years with a 243 using 85HP reloads all were down with one round, I hunted with guys using cannons but their feeling was "well I can hit him anywhere and he will die in 200 yards", for me its not the way to hunt, but as others have said your choice depends on the game the area, distance, etc, the need to have a loud bang never interested me.
 
I still own a 7mmRM, which is the ballistic twin of the 300Win. I've just fallen in love with a Ruger Compact in 260. I confess that as I grown older and bulging disc crankier, I am shooting my 6.5-06, 260, and 280 much more.
 
Recoil

It's simple really.

No, I'm not afraid of recoil. I've hunted for my whole life with a 12ga but.... I wouldn't if I didn't have to.

300mag is in the same category. Why punish yourself when a 7mm08, or even a 243 or 223 will do the same job? I've never even SEEN a deer during the season outside the effective range of a 243.

Why not a magnum? Because it's a deer, not a rhinoceros.


nicknitro71 said:
One-shot-one-kill. Shot placement is essential, deers or humans. If you don't care about preserving the head, then head shot is master, otherwise hit the heart. All other places won't get you a clean kill.
Click to expand...

That's silly. Of all the deer that I've killed, I've never hit a single one in the head and only a couple/few in the heart. Every one of them died "cleanly".
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top