your rifles for different game - what do you use?

'Boo said:
You haven't shot too many animals have you??
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I've shot quite a few over the past 14 years; When I say say flat, I don't mean immediately dead, I mean their ability to do anything but drop to the ground in their death throes. I aim for heart or spine; if I can't be assured of the shot, I don't fire, period. Proper shot placement and confidence in your shot are my belief.
 
Well just to get this topic back on track I use:

.300 WM for Deer, Bear and coyotes
.300 RUM for Moose, engine blocks and longer range deer hunting
.12 gauge for grouse
.22 for shooting practice!
 
I feel totally comfortable using my 7mmstw on all big game from pronghorn to moose and elk.It does the job from 10 yards to 500 yards.That being said,I also like the 300ultramag on moose and elk.
If I did not handload,I could be perfectly content using a 7mmrem mag for all of my big game hunting.
 
'Boo said:
Energy does not kill an animal. Blood loss and/or shock to the central nervous system does.

If energy was required to kill animals archers with their typical arrows delivering ~ 75 fp of energy would never eat meat.


Also, as mentioned, it is the BULLET that does the killing not the CARTRIDGE. A 300 Weatherby shooting a 110 grain V-Max for hunting deer would be a much poorer choice than a 22-250 shooting a 60 grain Partition.
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you can't compare a broadhead and a bullet on the same playing field and throw their energies in and say see? that's silly...pushing a razor blade through a steak is much easier than trying to force a pencil through it....it obviously takes much less energy to push the razor through than the pencil....energy certainly does help push a blunter object ie. a bullet through an animals hide...and if it doesn't have enough energy to push that blunt object through at a further distance for example and not far enough to penetrate to the vitals than you don't get a clean kill. Don't go comparing two vastly different things and saying they are the same...and yes i've killed lots of things with both gun and bow just in case you were going to ask that again.
 
I've used 45-70, 30-30, 308, 303Br, 303 Epps, 6,5X55, 30-06, 270, 44-40 , 44 mag, 338WM, 12 gauge shotgun with 00 Buck, longbow, and crossbow on deer. All of the above work just fine, if used within their respective limitations, and the animal is hit properly.
I've used 30-30, 45-70, 303 Epps, 6.5X55, 308, 338WM and 303Br for moose.
Same as deer, hit them where you are supposed to, within the cartridges limits, and they fall down dead.
 
Since I first started hunting big game I've always used a 30-06. It never failed me on moose, elk, deer, bear, coyote or even grouse . Last year I used a very old 6.5 55 and didn't find the bullet in either buck I shot with it. An interesting point was made in this thread. I doubt any animal will know the difference if it's shot in the heart with a .223 or something bigger. I'll opt for a slightly larger hole. I'll be relying on the '06 to fill my cow elk tag. The 6.5 will definately get the nod for deer, unless I'm still packing the '06.
 
7mm and 30-06 are basically the same gun from a practical game-taking point of view. The differences with moder ammo in hitting power are minimal, and ranges are similar enough that it makes no difference.

My brother has shot a 7 for ages, and loves it. It kills everything dead. I use a 30-06. I love it - it kills everything dead. :)

30-06 is slightly cheaper to shoot, and if budget is an issue i'd likely lean towards that. Easy to reload for, and fairly inexpensive - you will want to practice with your new gun as much as possible. Practice will kill more animals than cartridge selection. You'll want to take your new gun into the woods (not just the range) regularly and run as many rounds thru it at different targets at different ranges and terrains as possible - it'll help you put the bullet where it belongs and that's what kills.
 
Keeping in mind that there is plenty of overlap in centerfire hunting chamberings, here's my lists:
Deer: 6mm Rem, 260 AI, 6.5x55, 6.5x55 AI, 270 Win, 7-08 AI, 300 Savage, 303 British, 303 Epps.
Moose: 303 Epps, 7mm Mag, 270 Win, 7-08 AI, 300 Savage, 30-06, 30 Gibbs, 8x57, 30-338 Mag, 308 Norma Mag.
Elk: 270 Win., 7mm Mag, 30-06, 30-338, 308 Norma Mag, 8x57.
Black Bear...anything that I hunt deer with will be fine, as well as the bigger chamberings...all work well.
Depends what I might be carrying at a given time. I shot a nice young bull moose with my 6mm and a 100 Partition. Was hunting deer at the time, but what the heck, a lungshot moose is a lungshot moose = meat in the freezer. The 6.5's and smaller 7's kill moose and elk just fine with precise bullet placement, too.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
.338WM - moose
30-06 - deer, bear
30/30 - deer, bear
.50 BP - deer, bear
.223 - varmint, target
.22LR - small game, target
.17HMR - varmint, target
12ga - small game
 
410........grouse/wabbits
12gauge double buck loads/slugs......camp defender when the moose is hangin and the grizzly are around very viable option.
30-06.......big game/home loads very accurate out to 400 yards
300 remington ultra mag/home loads for distances to reach out beyond 400 yards and also very accurate
 
Ground Hogs/Coyotes 222 Remington Bolt/Scope
Deer 270 Winchester Bolt/Scope
Close Cover Deer 32 Special Lever/Peep
Moose 338 win. Mag. Bolt/Scope
Upland 20ga sxs
Ducks 12ga auto
Turkey 3.5" Pump
 
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