Do you really need a magnum

'Boo said:
Here is the deal. Do you really need ANY firearm in this day and age?

Start bashing someone else's choice now and there may not be anyone left to defend your choice in a very short time.
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+ one on this. Each to decide for himself what his best for him.
And yes..magnum are needed and a must in some situation.
If you don’t think so you have not visited and hunted in Canada enough..
 
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Thus, we have a perfect example of why the requirement to demonstrate “need” must be repealed from firearms law and regulation.

We can’t agree on what is “needed” for hunting.

Those who have expressed no personal “need” for magnum calibers seem to be seen as believing that others don’t “need” them.

Some appear to be saying that others don’t “need” magnums, because they have no confidence that the others can’t handle them.

Understand this - “need” is a personal decision.

While one may seek the opinions of another, that opinion should never be accorded the weight of law.

You decide what you “need,” based entirely upon the information you trust, while my decision will be based on whatever I wish to base it upon.

I don’t care, nor should I, what your decision is nor why you made it.
 
I own two rifles that are chambered for magnum cartridges: a 257 Wby and a 300 h&h. Yet, my longest kill shot has been with a good old 30-06: two shots in the boiler room at a measured 370 yards on a mule deer buck. One shot would have sufficed but I shot him a second time, just to be sure, as he only flinched after the first shot. No magnum was used and none was required. A magnum would have allowed for less holdover for bullet drop.
 
pacobillie said:
I own two rifles that are chambered for magnum cartridges: a 257 Wby and a 300 h&h. Yet, my longest kill shot has been with a good old 30-06: two shots in the boiler room at a measured 370 yards on a mule deer buck. One shot would have sufficed but I shot him a second time, just to be sure, as he only flinched after the first shot. No magnum was used and none was required. A magnum would have allowed for less holdover for bullet drop.
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My longest shot was with the 300 H&H, (Ruger #1) at a big mule deer buck, 489 paces. I held on the very top of the spine and then squeezed. One shot kill with the 150 grain Nosler Accubond. If I was hunting with the same cartridge a few years before, I probably would of had a 200 B&C typical whitetail buck, unfortunately I was under-gunned, holding a 30-06...........lesson learned!
 
Need and want are two different things, if you want a magnum and you want thing with it, it’s all good, but do you need it? No in most situations in North America you don’t need a magnum to get the job done! I know some guy up here that lost a moose a while ago he was shooting a 30-06, when he got back he sold it and bought a 300 win mag, thinking he wouldn’t loose an other one….
A lot of people think that way that bigger is better, well in fact you need to shoot more and if it cost less to shoot and you have less recoil you might end up shooting more and becoming better at placing your shot! If you can do it with a magnum it is awesome but lots can’t! And plus if you hunt for meat then a slower bullet has less meat damage/wastage! My brother in law uses a 300RUM on everything he hunts and I can tell you there is more meat loss on his game than there is on mine, and his isn’t more dead than mine! If he had to shoot a moose at 600 yards that would be different!!
 
track said:
My longest shot was with the 300 H&H, (Ruger #1) at a big mule deer buck, 489 paces. I held on the very top of the spine and then squeezed. One shot kill with the 150 grain Nosler Accubond. If I was hunting with the same cartridge a few years before, I probably would of had a 200 B&C typical whitetail buck, unfortunately I was under-gunned, holding a 30-06...........lesson learned!
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Here is demonstrated a most logical and efficient use of same bore size yet burns more powder for longer harvest, cleanly.
Well done.
 
The difference between a good mechanic and a bad mechanic is the size of the Hammer. A big hammer is great...but a good mechanic doesn't need as big of a hammer.
 
Shoot what you want, magnum or non, just shoot it well. Magnums are good if your in territory where your in the food chain, shooting long range, or likely to only get one chance. Having spent, thousands in fuel, taken two weeks holiday, when you get that chance at a big bull/thousands in meat.......use enough gun. Here, chasing tiny blacktail, I used a 44 mag Carbine in tight, and 7x57 when I thought I might need some reach. If I was to give a warningshot...I'm out 40-60lbs of meat.
 
bcsteve said:
How do you define a "magnum"? Case capacity over a certain volume? Over a certain velocity? Because it's in the name? My .375 Ruger is not a magnum, its not in the name. Would shooters scoff at the .30-06 if it had been named the .308 Winchester Magnum? Magnum is a marketing word, nothing more, nothing less.
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I have not seen this answered yet - what is a "magnum"? When is a cartridge considered to be "magnum"? .577 Nitro Express has 750 grain bullets at 2,050 fps, 45-70-500 at 1,100 fps, 55 grain 243 Win at 4,000 fps? Or has to have a belt? like a .450 Marlin? Or then my .22 Magnum rimfires? I use the term, I was just now thinking I am not really certain what it really means. My 9.3x62 apparently not a magnum, but tosses 250 grain bullets about same speed as factory loads of 250 grain in my 338 Win Magnum. Is a 416 Rigby a magnum? Most of it's descendants seem to named so??
 
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Magnum is traditionally a cartridge approaching the upper end of a bullet's energy capability, however the term has become dated as a sales gimmick.
 
I think "Magnum" should be defined as a cartridge possessing more than a certain level of recoil... because let's be honest, this is a conversation about those who are recoil tolerant and those who are either fearful of recoil or fearful of what they perceive to be a cartridge possessing (scary) recoil.

What that recoil number is determined to be, is open to debate... the .257 Weatherby "Magnum" would not make into the "True Magnum" category.

And... I do not think that the term "Magnum" should be defined as terminal (or @ muzzle) energy of the projectile... because it is the energy on the other end that always gets these discussions (debates) going.
 
If you can shoot it well, a magnum cartridge will almost always yield a trajectory advantage at long range. At short range, it is often unnecessarily powerful, resulting in more meat loss. There are pros and cons. You do not need it, but there are situations where I would rather have one.
 
OK. Here are 2 cartridges to consider.

A 7x61 S&H and a 7mm WSM. One is labelled a "magnum" and the other isn't. One case has a belt and the other doesn't. In this case it is the non-magnum with the belt and the magnum without one.

Both cases have virtually identical internal volume and produce virtually identical velocities. One cartridge is old and outdated while the other is one of the latest and greatest new "magnums".

So .................... shooting the 7x61 labels one as a Fudd while shooting the WSM means you are a small-dicked hunter compensating by shooting a magnum.


Clear as mud ?
 
I had a Savage 111 in .300 win mag manys years ago. Was a inexpensive but accurate rifle. I sold it to a friend who wanted a good rifle and he was and still is happy with it. I am more a milsurp guy so i enjoy caliber like the 303,7.62x54R,6.5x55 7.92x57. They are fine caliber and can hunt pretty much everything here. Recently i got a parker Hale in 458 win,not needed but i wanted! There's something cool with those big bore rifle. Not a long range caliber for the reason that was never intended for long range shooting.
 
I know gun shop owners love selling magnums to first time owners. There's a good chance it will be back on consignment in a couple of years.

It's a hunting tool for the experienced specialized hunter - not for the weekend hunter who still has the original box of ammo he bought with the rifle.
 
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