Do you really need a magnum

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Isobar1999

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A follow on from a conversation I had with a friend recently , he’s firmly in the magnum camp and I’m happily in the standard cartridge camp….
Do you really need a magnum or is a standard length cartridge enough for an all-round Canadian hunting rifle?
Its really an open ended question left intentionally ambiguous. Please feel free to discuss your opinions , experiences and observations for or against.
 
30-06 is more than enough for most hunts & most hunters.

Cartridge selection is the least important factor in a successful hunt.

Remember that power is proportional to the velocity^3. This means it takes a lot of power (i.e. gunpowder) to get a relatively small increase in velocity.

Recoil is a problem because flinching is a problem.

Magnums do help keep you flatter & faster out to 400+ yards. A bullet traveling 2800 fps takes 0.43 seconds to go 400 yards. That's a lot of time for an animal to take a step. Ask yourself why you would consider going beyond 400 yards. Conventional wisdom is "don't".

Meat damage is a thing. If terminal velocity greater than 3000 fps, you are going to get wastage. That said, "deader" is better than "not quite dead" - so a counter-argument there.

Where do you hunt? Magnums are best suited for prairie or mountain terrain.

Some shooters are more than up to taking on magnum calibers and longer distances. More power to them.

But first, make sure you can out shoot the capabilities of a 6.5 or 7x57 or 30-06 before you look at a transition.
 
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Magnum is absolutely not needed for hunting in this country. It is a marketing tool more than anything else. That said, if somebody wants a magnum, they can have it if they want it.
 
Small cal magnuns are not big on recoil, no worse then a 30'06 for example...7mm Rem, 264 Win, 257 Wby.
I like them for shooting heavy for caliber bullets, you the get the extra velocity and energy. I don't really have much preference other then I try to match the cartridge to the game and distance. Standard cartridges work fine for just about anything as well, I'll grab a 30-30 lever carbine if I'm dragging my ass through swampy bush where shots are close, hell even carried shotguns for that stuff. But I will grab a magnum if I'm watching a 400 yard field bushline from a stand.
 
my first hunting rifle was the family no1mk111 Enfield in 303 that was the only rifle we owned and it was a good one that shot quite well.
When i turned seventeen i bought my own hunting rifle a new marlin 30-30 carbine which i still have but never gets used anymore.Dont get me wrong it did the job for many years and is a great gun inside two hundred yards with good ammo,quite capable of taking down a moose ,bear etc.
But always wanted something with more knock down power so my next rifle was a 300win mag savage 110,this is a rifle that as exceptional power.
You never have to go looking for the animal as they do not run fifty or one hundred yards after taking one trough the vitals as they do most times when hit in the lungs with the 30-30 round.
The 300 win mag is a great caliber but felt recoil is the down side for me so i sold the 300 win mag and now use a mid range caliber for hunting . I have now settled on the old reliable and proven 30-06 for the most part. Also like the .270 win the 6.5 swed and 7x64 Brennek which is a 7mm bullet in a 30-06 case.
So do you need a magnum ,the answer is no but it is a matter of preference to each is own.
 
It all depends on what and where one hunts, the recoil sensitivity ans whether one handloads or not.
From deer to moose, a 6.5 loaded with 140 bullet, a 270 win loaded with 150 bullet and a 30-06 loaded with 180 bullets qualify fully as all around loads and cartridges. For the big Yukon/Alaska moose or the brownie, most people prefer a 300 Magnum. The price to pay here, often, is a heavier rifle and heavier recoil unless it is equipped with a muzzlebreak. Finally, for a handloader, a 7 mm Rem Mag or a 300 win mag can be loaded down respectively to 280 Rem or 30-06 levels if needed but the opposite is not true.
I shoot 6.5x55, 270 win and a 30-06 and I am quite satisfied with these cartridges. I recently acquired a 300 win mag as it was recommended by a PH for a moose hunt in Newfoundland. I am working on a 200 NP for this hunt and I will load a 165 grains for hunting deer at around 2900 fps (this is 30-06 velocity).
Briefly, if big big game is at the table or is a possibility, a magnum can be actual. For deer, it is definitely not needed. 6.5x55, 270 win and 30-06 are ample for deer, many other cartridges too.
 
I have yet to need a magnum. I did order a CZ 600 in 8x57-- which I can load to near magnum velocities! It also has a switch barrel feature so I might pick-up a 300 WM barrel (when they're eventually available) so that I can say I'm in the magnum club. But again, it's not really been needed here in Ontario. If I ever buy a more powerful rifle than 30-06/8x57, it will likely be in the 416 Rigby flavour.
 
Want Vs need is the bane of every enthusiast regardless of the platform involved...

Having said that, I've had both 300Win & 300WSM here in Ont. for Moose hunts. They did their job as needed, but I eventually moved them on wanting to try different setups

Most shooters have a low tolerance for the recoil associated with them and in all honesty the typical boring .308, .270, 30-06 or 7mmRM or a host of mid-bores (25-06, 6.Swe, .260, 7mm-08 etc) will do their task in this Prov. if the shooter is capable of theirs.
 
Isobar1999 said:
Do you really need a magnum
Click to expand...
Maybe, maybe not.
But, I certainly can because :
A) afford to buy one and feed it too.
B) because I can .
That conversation has been around since the beginning of time and has built and destroyed more friendships.
Run what you brung and enjoy the outdoors and the fair chase of game.
Tight Groups and Better Hunting.
Rob
 
mimile said:
It all depends on what and where one hunts, the recoil sensitivity ans whether one handloads or not.
From deer to moose, a 6.5 loaded with 140 bullet, a 270 win loaded with 150 bullet and a 30-06 loaded with 180 bullets qualify fully as all around loads and cartridges. For the big Yukon/Alaska moose or the brownie, most people prefer a 300 Magnum. The price to pay here, often, is a heavier rifle and heavier recoil unless it is equipped with a muzzlebreak. Finally, for a handloader, a 7 mm Rem Mag or a 300 win mag can be loaded down respectively to 280 Rem or 30-06 levels if needed but the opposite is not true.
I shoot 6.5x55, 270 win and a 30-06 and I am quite satisfied with these cartridges. I recently acquired a 300 win mag as it was recommended by a PH for a moose hunt in Newfoundland. I am working on a 200 NP for this hunt and I will load a 165 grains for hunting deer at around 2900 fps (this is 30-06 velocity).
Briefly, if big big game is at the table or is a possibility, a magnum can be actual. For deer, it is definitely not needed. 6.5x55, 270 win and 30-06 are ample for deer, many other cartridges too.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. Use 6.5x55 and .308 for the most part, been thinking more about 7mm-08 and .270 as well.

I did pick up a 300wm in case i draw a moose tag, but other than that i don't have much of a desire to shoot it very often. Just don't see the need for all the weight and recoil when i am shooting deer inside 200 yards, maybe a bear in the spring and hoping for the NB moose draw to eventually pick my name.
 
Personally speaking I don't think a magnum or standard cartridge has anything todo with what a person hunts , but everything to do with what they WANT to hunt it with!
How many brakes do we see on hunting rifles chambered in stuff like 6.5Creedmoor and even smaller ?
It has everything to doo with guys wanting to tinker and find a better mouse trap or building their idea of a dream rifle. Nothing more.
3006 will take down a moose with no problem, but then so will a 300 mag, 7mmmag,308, 6.5Creedmoor, 243 Winchester, etc , etc .........
Hunt with what you want but be able to shoot what you want , I guess is the mantra of the day.:)
Cat
 
I think magnums are fine...as long as you can shoot them well. Lots think they can but just cant do it well. I think most any cartridge from 243 upwards can take 80-90% of the big game in Canada. I regularly rotate between 25-06, 7mm mag, 308 win, 30-06 and when in Grizz/big moose country I always take my 375 Ruger Alaskan. 30-06 is about my minimum to feel confident with Grizz and big black bears, especially if they know I am there. 375 makes me feel a hell of a lot better let me tell you. Not totally required but sure appreciated.
In the same breath, the 2 biggest moose I ever saw dropped were done quickly with a 25-06 and a 308win. They were gigantic. (Not mine, but it made me buy a .25-06 the next week. )
I rather hunt with a guy that does 1" groups at 200yds using a 243win than a guy with a 338winmag that gets 6" groups at 100.
 
I think the debate about magnum cartridges vs regular is kinda like cars/trucks and engines. A 4 cylinder car or 6 cylinder truck is actually enough for most people. But many people just want more power, whether or not it's needed, practical, or economical. Or they drive a big heavy noisy diesel 4x4 V8 all the time just because once a year they might benefit from that much capability. I shoot both regular and magnum cartridges, and have driven smallish cars and big honkin' trucks. Depends on my mood and situation.
 
If you take time to learn the ballistics and techniques of shooting a magnum cartridge they can offer you a significant advantage in some situations.

These days with better bullets, powders, rangefinders and ballistic reticles there is a good case for completely ignoring many older and larger magnums like the RUM and many Weatherby cartridges that burn lots of powder for limited gains. The shooting landscape is a completely different place than it was even a few years ago.

I hunt with everything from a .223 to 375 Ruger. Everything gets a turn with me. :)
 
FLHTCUI said:
Maybe, maybe not.
But, I certainly can because :
A) afford to buy one and feed it too.
B) because I can .
That conversation has been around since the beginning of time and has built and destroyed more friendships.
Run what you brung and enjoy the outdoors and the fair chase of game.
Tight Groups and Better Hunting.
Rob
Click to expand...

I think similarly. I got my first elk with my 308 Win deer rifle. Next two were with 338 Win Mag. Our son "absconded" with the 308 Win for his own - and got his first elk with it. I bought a 7x57 to replace the 308. And so on. My last "store made" gun is a Ruger Compact 243 Win - 16.5" barrel - about perfect "old guy" deer rifle, I think. My brother got a 300 Win Mag in mid 1980's - about first time shooting prone at elk - a "hurried" set-up - split his brow pretty good with a scope cut - takes some "nerve" and work to get over that - but I think he did - is about his main using big game rifle - although he also owns 303 British and 30-06, now. A "good shot" with a heavier magnum is likely also a "good shot" with lighter cartridge - not necessarily true the other way around ... A "magnum" does not make you shoot better or a more effective hunter - often, quite the opposite.

For the black bears that show up in the back yard, and want to harass dog or wife - my rifle for that is a Mauser 98 in 9.3x62 with 250 grain Accubonds - I am too old for "pi$$ing around" with "should be good enough", for those situations, although even a 303 British would be better than a rock and pointy stick - all that I had for the first "go 'round" that I had out there. Actually, the stick was not all that "pointy" - was a broken off broom handle that I grabbed. But that bear did leave - after standing up to me, and a couple false charges to get me to back off from him. A couple dozen suitable rifles at home - 100 kilometres away - so far, has not happened a second time!!
 
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As has been pointed out, you need to be able to shoot well and have a niche for a magnum. I've been moose hunting for 30+ years, and while I've owned magnums and hunted with them, I've never shot a moose with anything other than a 270 or 308. And yes, I still have a few.
 
The same “lack of need” virtual signalling applied to anything named Magnum, can be applied to those with more than 1 reliable hunting rifle. People hunt with bows; why does anyone need a rifle even? Just stalk closer, like a “real hunter”.... I’ve done most of my hunting with a 30-06. Now I often carry my wife’s T3 in 308. I shoot lots of 22LR, at least 50 to 1 more than centerfire. I also shoot a 375 and 300PRC. I enjoy seeing the same people that scorn my truck, being broken down because they are using their less capable vehicle for the same thing that mine is designed for. You know those green energy warriors in their 3000 sq ft house, talking about consumerism? Parts of this thread sound like church congregational meeting.

I know I could just ignore the lot, but myself and many other Canadians have been going with the flow for 25 years, and look where we are now.
 
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