The most efficient hunting cartridges
- Thread starter todbartell
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
The OP lists some powder burned rates in post #125 which show that powder burned is useless as the majority is burned up in 20” of barrel. In my previous post I show that a 300 Win mag gets roughly a 15% advantage in velocity @ 400 yards from roughly 75% more powder and 100% more recoil vs a 308 which in the context of this thread puts the efficiency into perspective quite well for most hunting applications. Now, if I was going to the Yukon to hunt moose I’d probably be taking my 300 Weatherby, they have their place but this thread is simply looking at the most bang for your buck so to speak.
Since this is all about recoil, why even have a .22 centerfire on the list at all?
"Oh, your hunting moose? Well the .22 Creedmoor is two spots higher on the recoil efficiency list than the .30-06, so you should probably go with that... especially with Creedmoor in it's name, as it will field dress, cut & wrap the meat and take your trophy photos before it hits the ground..."
Thanks for elaborating, Im actually confused more by the choice of terminology.. This seems like more of the same but I'll leave it alone, or maybe build my own statistics.
300WM would be a fine choice for yukon moose I'm sure, as would 30-06 arguably but the weatherby more fun.
Buy rifle with cartridge you can handle,,, get glass optic attached,,, pick-up boxes of ammo.
Grab your over the week hunting pack, food,,, and in the wilds tent,,, go to range to sight-in,,, then go hunting or general plinking on your 1 week ruck through the wilderness...
Buy something that a person can shoot well,,, then enjoy the rest of your days in the field,,, that's what really counts you know.
Ho Hummmmm,,, day 87 of walking around lost with my rusty worn out 308,,, no time for math and numbers in my world unless I'm counting Rabbits for food or Lynx hides to fund the adventures.
Grab your over the week hunting pack, food,,, and in the wilds tent,,, go to range to sight-in,,, then go hunting or general plinking on your 1 week ruck through the wilderness...
Buy something that a person can shoot well,,, then enjoy the rest of your days in the field,,, that's what really counts you know.
Ho Hummmmm,,, day 87 of walking around lost with my rusty worn out 308,,, no time for math and numbers in my world unless I'm counting Rabbits for food or Lynx hides to fund the adventures.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Well I think it was started to look at cartridges differently than most do, not to argue or prove one cartridge better than the other, every cartridge has it’s merits however I believe this shows that some of the ballistic “advantages” aren’t as great as some make out, but that’s a different topic and in all honesty, it doesn’t really matter what you shoot if you stay within your (and your rifles) capabilities and enjoy it.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Which would matter, I guess, if recoil in well stocked .30 caliber rifle mattered; it doesn't.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
That’s your choice and opinion, there’s no right or wrong it’s just a different way to look at cartridge performance so take from it what you will.
One last topic hijack,
Fellas, if I were to create a broader table for energy and efficient comparison, could anyone help with estimating powder grain weights for a chart? Just guess on the easy ones and fill in what you can.
If your interested and have a little free time PM me your email and I'll send you a list in whatever format works (email text, word, excel, etc). I'll make the excel file available to the forum after for anyone.
Fellas, if I were to create a broader table for energy and efficient comparison, could anyone help with estimating powder grain weights for a chart? Just guess on the easy ones and fill in what you can.
If your interested and have a little free time PM me your email and I'll send you a list in whatever format works (email text, word, excel, etc). I'll make the excel file available to the forum after for anyone.
There's plenty of on-line loading data that could give you charge weights. Nosler and Hodgdon are the ones I use the most, in that order.
I honestly don’t get this obsession with “efficiency” when it comes to hunting rifles. For military or even competitive shooting purposes saving a little powder with each shot adds up and saves lots of money in the long run. But for a hunting rifle this argument holds little value. It seems that some people rationalize it in terms of recoil. But so long as the recoil isn’t enough to significantly impact your ability to shoot the rifle well it makes no practical difference, and that’s a very individual decision. Some people are just ballistics nerds, which is absolutely fine, but I think some others are just buying advertising hype.
If it doesn’t save money or result in better shooting increased “efficiency” doesn’t make it any more efficient in practical terms. But who knows perhaps with the latest Liberal budget more efficient cartridges with a smaller “carbon footprint” qualify for some kind of tax credit.....
To me the biggest advantage of the 6.5 creedmore so far is that I was able to trade one for a really sweet custom 270.
If it doesn’t save money or result in better shooting increased “efficiency” doesn’t make it any more efficient in practical terms. But who knows perhaps with the latest Liberal budget more efficient cartridges with a smaller “carbon footprint” qualify for some kind of tax credit.....
To me the biggest advantage of the 6.5 creedmore so far is that I was able to trade one for a really sweet custom 270.
Hows this for efficency? Take a cartridge that kicks about like a .270 so kids can shoot it. Sighted for 3” high at 100 it’ll zero at 325; allow a center chest hold out to 400, and enable still holding on hair til 475 so basically out to 500 screw drop charts, subtention reticles or turrets. At 500 it still delivers 3/4 ton of energy, and its wind drift with hunting bullets is right in there with the good ones. It burns a bit of powder, but you can make it back on the bullets. 24 or 26” barrel doesnt seem to make much difference in the field. Yeah, someone should invent the .257 Weatherby.
Maybe if I need a nap. I'm getting old so need a lot of naps and quite a few sit-downs. Otherwise there's this other thing that screws on and over the barrel and turns a 7-300 with 180s into a .243 level nudger with a .222 bark. Can't remember what its called but I think it was the opposite of a loudener? I have visitation rights, but cant bring it home.
The used firearms room at Cabelas is full of barely-fired 300 win mags, makes me chuckle every time I walk through (and sad that I'll likely never see a nice, light 308 or 270 there). Too many of my friends, and more than a few people on this site, recommend more gun than many people need or can handle. When it comes to "ethical" hunting, the last thing one needs is a damned flinch.
Efficiency vs recoil is a great way to look at things, IMO, as long as one takes into account the animal they're after and the ranges they could be shooting. I'd be willing to bet a shiny nickle that people are alot more sensitive to recoil than want to admit it.
Efficiency vs recoil is a great way to look at things, IMO, as long as one takes into account the animal they're after and the ranges they could be shooting. I'd be willing to bet a shiny nickle that people are alot more sensitive to recoil than want to admit it.
