I was pondering a few things while sanding the insert I built, for the wife's walk in closet, the current 7mm RM thread, the 358 Win thread and more. And it occurred to me that every single cartridge designed and/or wildcatted is done so with many compromises/considerations involved.
So I was running through the inventory of cartridges available to all and said to myself, is there one cartridge that would do for any and every big game animal on this planet, no maybes and no exceptions.........and guess what there is !!! It can and does meet any requirement one might wish for, can be loaded to extreme velocities for lazer like trajectories for mountain hunting. Can be loaded with bullets acceptable, nay perfect, for elephant, rhino and Cape buffalo. It lacks nothing in any category of hunting big game, period. It performs well with relatively light bullets at high velocity and it performs well with heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocities and every thing in between. There are plenty of bullet choices for the reloader, and in my experience it can be super accurate. It could be used with proper bullets to minimize meat damage on smaller game at close range in the eastern hardwoods or Haida Gwaii, it is a true blue 500+ mtr cartridge which with a bullet change is just as comfortable at 5 mtrs, in hairy, up close and personal encounters. It is without argument, the ultimate cartridge for any and all game world wide with NO exceptions.
Now here comes the "BUT"............it is almost always in a 10 lb+ rifle with a 26" tube..........it's the 378 Wby. So now we explore the downside, RECOIL is obviously the single greatest obstacle, which most would never overcome. Platform is pretty much a bust with any serious mountain hunter, and although one could conceivably build it in a 6-6 1/2 lb rifle, who would shoot it? So now we start to make the compromises, smaller cartridges with lighter bullets for less recoil. We asses the areas and game we hunt and select a cartridge based on this criteria, instead of a "chamois to elephant" cartridge, another compromise. Even if we do hunt everything world wide, no one I know wants to do it with one rifle and cartridge, even though it is possible with the 378.
So if you look at your rack of guns and think about it, each and every one is a compromise in several ways, or specialized to a specific category of game, terrain or hunting style. All the "best cartridge for" arguments I peruse on this site are purely subjective and nothing more than the expression of the authors experience and opinion. They are all wrong and they are all correct depending on context, cartridge capabilities and the hunters capabilities. Lets face it, any device which propels a projectile can be used to hunt with and has been since the dawn of man. Size and velocity of projectile determines effective range and game size, which will vary significantly with the hunters abilities to either precisely place that projectile at extended distances or his ability to get to within close proximity to place his projectile accurately. Either skill will mean a successful hunter, but of course they will argue as to which is more skilled and which is the better hunter, such is the nature of the beast.
Game regulations and cartridge/caliber restrictions are based on the average hunter and modern ethics of theoretical quick, clean kills and some common sense surrounding this premise. However there seems to be a large disparity from province to province in regards to this bit of common sense. I think it is probably safe to say that every category of big game in NA has been successfully taken with a 22LR rimfire. A testament to the hunters ability to get up close and place his/her shot precisely. However in these modern times this is neither ethical nor terribly practical, but it has been done none the less. But one has to ask how many animals have been injured and lost in relation to those harvested with this diminutive cartridge. The same can be said of the extreme long range fad of today, those who do so effectively have developed a skill to a very high degree, however again how many animals have been injured and lost while developing this skill. These two examples are on the fringe of hunting cartridge compromises and are the extremes. I might also add that the super long range hunting fad that has developed, could conceivably bring to bear laws limiting the ethical range at which one could legally shoot at game. Although it would be nearly impossible to enforce, doesn't seem to mean much to law makers these days, and doesn't mean they won't make such a law. No different than cartridge and caliber minimums, really.
So to sum up this somewhat rambling dissertation, I have the utmost respect for all ethical hunters who do so within the laws and regulations of their respective areas. If they can successfully fulfill their hunting wishes with a 30-30, 223, 257, or 358 Win then I shall respect their ability to do so, and their opinion of the effectiveness of these cartridges on the game they hunt. However if they ever feel that maybe they are under gunned then allow me to recommend the............378 Weatherby!!!
So I was running through the inventory of cartridges available to all and said to myself, is there one cartridge that would do for any and every big game animal on this planet, no maybes and no exceptions.........and guess what there is !!! It can and does meet any requirement one might wish for, can be loaded to extreme velocities for lazer like trajectories for mountain hunting. Can be loaded with bullets acceptable, nay perfect, for elephant, rhino and Cape buffalo. It lacks nothing in any category of hunting big game, period. It performs well with relatively light bullets at high velocity and it performs well with heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocities and every thing in between. There are plenty of bullet choices for the reloader, and in my experience it can be super accurate. It could be used with proper bullets to minimize meat damage on smaller game at close range in the eastern hardwoods or Haida Gwaii, it is a true blue 500+ mtr cartridge which with a bullet change is just as comfortable at 5 mtrs, in hairy, up close and personal encounters. It is without argument, the ultimate cartridge for any and all game world wide with NO exceptions.
Now here comes the "BUT"............it is almost always in a 10 lb+ rifle with a 26" tube..........it's the 378 Wby. So now we explore the downside, RECOIL is obviously the single greatest obstacle, which most would never overcome. Platform is pretty much a bust with any serious mountain hunter, and although one could conceivably build it in a 6-6 1/2 lb rifle, who would shoot it? So now we start to make the compromises, smaller cartridges with lighter bullets for less recoil. We asses the areas and game we hunt and select a cartridge based on this criteria, instead of a "chamois to elephant" cartridge, another compromise. Even if we do hunt everything world wide, no one I know wants to do it with one rifle and cartridge, even though it is possible with the 378.
So if you look at your rack of guns and think about it, each and every one is a compromise in several ways, or specialized to a specific category of game, terrain or hunting style. All the "best cartridge for" arguments I peruse on this site are purely subjective and nothing more than the expression of the authors experience and opinion. They are all wrong and they are all correct depending on context, cartridge capabilities and the hunters capabilities. Lets face it, any device which propels a projectile can be used to hunt with and has been since the dawn of man. Size and velocity of projectile determines effective range and game size, which will vary significantly with the hunters abilities to either precisely place that projectile at extended distances or his ability to get to within close proximity to place his projectile accurately. Either skill will mean a successful hunter, but of course they will argue as to which is more skilled and which is the better hunter, such is the nature of the beast.
Game regulations and cartridge/caliber restrictions are based on the average hunter and modern ethics of theoretical quick, clean kills and some common sense surrounding this premise. However there seems to be a large disparity from province to province in regards to this bit of common sense. I think it is probably safe to say that every category of big game in NA has been successfully taken with a 22LR rimfire. A testament to the hunters ability to get up close and place his/her shot precisely. However in these modern times this is neither ethical nor terribly practical, but it has been done none the less. But one has to ask how many animals have been injured and lost in relation to those harvested with this diminutive cartridge. The same can be said of the extreme long range fad of today, those who do so effectively have developed a skill to a very high degree, however again how many animals have been injured and lost while developing this skill. These two examples are on the fringe of hunting cartridge compromises and are the extremes. I might also add that the super long range hunting fad that has developed, could conceivably bring to bear laws limiting the ethical range at which one could legally shoot at game. Although it would be nearly impossible to enforce, doesn't seem to mean much to law makers these days, and doesn't mean they won't make such a law. No different than cartridge and caliber minimums, really.
So to sum up this somewhat rambling dissertation, I have the utmost respect for all ethical hunters who do so within the laws and regulations of their respective areas. If they can successfully fulfill their hunting wishes with a 30-30, 223, 257, or 358 Win then I shall respect their ability to do so, and their opinion of the effectiveness of these cartridges on the game they hunt. However if they ever feel that maybe they are under gunned then allow me to recommend the............378 Weatherby!!!
