The law here actually rules out bullets below .30 for bison too which is sensible and limits hunters to basically a .30/06 with 180s changed from a .30/06 with 200s.
Lets look at this law. The law says nothign about bullet constructiuon, only weight. This is why i htink the law is flawed: You could legally use a 300 RUM loaded with 180 gr Ballistic Tip bullets on Bison, but you coudln't legally use the same cartridge with a 168gr TSX oe a 165 gr Nosler Partiton. Who here believes that the 180gr BT is goign to perform better on a big animal at high velocity than a stouter bullet like the TSX? The law is flawed in that respect.
Minimalism is a bad practice for hunting big game. You guys are assuming perfect shots and conditions which may work here or in your chair but it is plain foolishness in the field.
Just the opposite, actually. I use premium bullets for when everyhtig goes wrong. If I was going to assume perfect conditions, I'd use a 30-06 with 180gr cup and core bullets for everyhting.
Tell me just how many big moose(alaska/yukon) and bison and even elk you've shot with these or other rounds. There is no hint of experience in the things you say and please don't quote from magazines and other's hunts. Your experiences!
I have no expereince with Yukon game, as I have never been able to hunt in Yukon. However, i admit that you have surely shot more moose and bison than I have. I would be happy to try out a 168gr TSX on an Alaka/Yukon moose if you invite me along on hunting trip, though
I used to hunt quite a lot with a .300 Wby and all sort of bullets were tried. It worked like a hot damn until I moved to the north 12 years ago. Then I encountered really big animals. Two years into it, I gave up on the .300 Wby. It just doesn't do what I want, I don't like to chase big wounded animals for all sort of reasons. I went to bigger diameter bullets and never looked back. As I recall what I ended up using in that .300 for some years were Barnes, Nosler and GS bullets all in 200 grain weight.
If you are saying that a .308 caliber 200gr Nosler Partiton shot through the vitals will not cleanly kill the biggest moose in the world, I would suggest you have other problems than the bullet/cartridge choice.
There are lots of stories of small bullets used on big game usually with a guide to later stop the animal or horror stories of magazines full to stop them
And there are lots of stories about grizzlies and moose doing bang flops when hit with a 7mm-30 cal bullet. And all these form regular hunters with no guide fo rback up. Hmmm..
On deer and sheep sure, elk are getting big and most guys that know what they are doing start looking for a bigger gun.
I woudl not suggest that it woudl hurt to use a bigger gun on big animals.
I do want to hear of your kills with these bullets though or at least how you've gone out and tested them well before hunting. Otherwise you don't know what you're talking about. Magazines are paid to sell you Barnes TSX bullets.
The TSX hasn't been out very long, so I have only shot a black bear with it. I have seen lots of bears go down to X bullets, including one grizzly that did a bang flop wiht a 7mm160gr X bullet.
To be honest, I havent' shot alot of game in the last couple of years, since I have been a bit more selective, rather than meat hunting for moose, I spent much of last season chasing California Bighorns. SoI haven't got alot of real world experience using the TSX. However, I have tested in newspaper most bullets. 7mm160gr X bullets seemed to penetrate just as well as .375 300gr Cup and Core bullets.
I have shot several moose with the 7mm Rem Mag and 175gr Nosler Partitons, and one wiht a 338 WM. using Nosler Partitons. I also have witnessed 2 more shot with 338WM. All died pretty much the same, which is to say, if they were hit properly, they all died quickly. One moose was not hit very well and took a few more shots to finish it off. That was wiht the 338WM and (IIRC) factory Federal or WInchester ammo- Non Premium 225 or 250gr bullets. (it wans't my rilfe, so I can't say fo rsure)
I have never had a chance to hunt bison, as I have not drawn a tag, but if I did, I woudl use either my 300WSM with 180gr TSX bullets, or ,375 with 270gr TSX bullets. Mostly I woudl use the 375 because i coudl, not that it is 100% necessary, or that I woudl feel "outgunned" shooting a bison with a 180gr TSX.
However, my point was really about a stupid regulation, which makes no sense, given the comparison I made.
