Small Calibers for Big Game Hunting

[Colorado Cowboy]

I read other forums and some of the stuff going on is just crazy (IMO). Lots of big game hunters are saying they are going to .22/.24 caliber for big game. They tout low recoil and new bullet design as the reason. I just don't get it. If recoil bothers them, what's wrong with a muzzle break, I use one on my .300 Wby.

Does anyone use a small caliber on elk or moose? I have used my 25-06 for over 60 years for my go to caliber for antelope & deer and my 30-06 & .300 Wby for elk and moose. I shoot a .220 AI for varmints and I just can't see using it for deer or antelope. The 53 gr bullet just doesn't pack enough power to be a steady game killer on bigger animals.

 

[JimP]

Quite a number of states have no caliber restriction on big game rifles, except it has to be a center fire round. But you also need to figure that when most of these rules were written there were very few animals larger than deer east of the Mississippi River except for moose up north.

But I used a 223 and my 22-250 on a number of deer in Utah where there is no caliber restriction. One year here in Colorado I thought about having a friend pack my #1 in 22-250 on a late season cow hunt. I knew it's capabilities and hitting a cow elk at a extended range in the brain would not be a hard feat. If we were checked we were going to tell the officer that he was hunting rabbits. But we never followed through with the plan.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Miss the brain by just a little and you have an elk with its lower jaw shot off, with any caliber.

 

[tim]

some one has been reading rokslide.

 

[Maxhunter]

Yep Rokslide guys are posting like crazy on it. If recoil bothers them maybe they should take up fishing or golf

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I’m on the fence. For me it’s always been .270 or bigger.
We used to hunt with .243 as a kid for Whitetails and they did just fine but all shots were 100 yards or less.
Shots at longer ranges is where I would not go with all the new small calibers IMO. Maybe Antelope at 3-400? Not sure.

 

[dan maule]

I was worried about my daughter using a 7mm-08 on elk but it did just fine. Stepping down to a .22 is in my opinion irresponsible. Eventually if you hunt enough, you will make a poor shot and these small calibers do not create a large enough exit hole to produce a good blood trail. In my opinion the animal deserves better than that. But, everybody has their opinions.

 

[tim]

A tikka in 223 is the holy grail over there.
I must be a fudd. I replaced my 338 with a suppressed 338.

 

[idcwby]

I grew up hunting deer with a 243Win and never had an instance where I thought I was under gunned. After shooting a few elk with my 264WinMag, I would have no problem taking it on any hunt.
These smaller calibers have my attention with the age of being able to hunt being younger than when I was a kid. I’m looking at them for less recoil, so the kid can hunt without becoming recoil sensitive. So I’ve been testing the waters some. With my extra doe tag last I used a 223Rem with a 77gr TMK. Here are the results:
Entrance



Exit

Mule Deer doe about 90yds impact velocity would’ve been roughly 2340fps.

 

[Hilltop]

I stepped down to a 6.5 prc. It is serious elk medicine. The new bullets are extremely effective and ballistics are better than my 30-06. After seeing 9 elk shot with one, I'm a firm believer you aren't sacrificing anything. I fought against the trend for a long time but I have come to believe most of us have been victims of mass marketing.

A lot of moose are killed with a .243 every year...

 

[Ikeepitcold]

I think it’s all about yards. 200 yards or less I think a .243 could kill anything on the planet with good shot placement.
What makes me concerned about the smaller calibers is poor shots and people shooting to far. Big calibers IMO can make a poor shot a lethal one and I think guys seeing a big trophy animal at a longer range beyond a .22 cal would make the mistake and wound animals. Of course most would try to get close and not take a poor shot but it’s worth considering.

 

[Shane13]

I wouldn't use a .22 caliber on an elk, even though a good 62 grain soft tip hunting bullet into the heart, lungs, or neck at 100 yards would put one down. But I don't need to use a cannon either. A 7mag is plenty good. A .257 Weatherby or .270 would do the job as well. I'm confident that my .240 Weatherby with a 100 gr Nosler Partition or 95 gr Accubond would kill an elk with no problem out to 250 yards. I'm not a super long range shooter, but I've killed deer at 400+ a few times. I'd rather have the 7mag at that distance for an elk.

But I don't hunt with guns that need a muzzle brake. You don't always have time to put your ear protection on before a shot while hunting, and I've lost enough hearing already.

 

[ScottR]

Honestly, the issue is the long range popularity. I have no problem with a 6.5 PRC for elk, carried it this year. Will likely go dump a cow with it. However, the long range piece of the equation is what throws in so many variables that lead to bad shots.

Maybe we need to move to build a campaign to make close range shots popular again.

 

[tim]

What i find amusing is that a 223 with a 77grn tmk is the bomb, but on the same web site, guys are complaining about no boom flop with a 223 on coyotes.

the 6.5prc is not much different than a 270wsm to 500 yards. after that the new bullet design does have some merits. So unless you are long range shooting, the new stuff is not much different than existing stuff.

I guess i have always believed in shoot what you want and have confidence in it. i hunt solo, so i only see what my guns do. and i am probably a fudd, i like my stormy kromer and my 338wm.

 

[ScottR]

What i find amusing is that a 223 with a 77grn tmk is the bomb, but on the same web site, guys are complaining about no boom flop with a 223 on coyotes.

the 6.5prc is not much different than a 270wsm to 500 yards. after that the new bullet design does have some merits. So unless you are long range shooting, the new stuff is not much different than existing stuff.

I guess i have always believed in shoot what you want and have confidence in it. i hunt solo, so i only see what my guns do. and i am probably a fudd, i like my stormy kromer and my 338wm.

The 6.5 PRC and the 7 PRC really are just an evolution of the short mag series of cartridges from yesteryear. The biggest difference though is that the actions have improved in many of the guns and so have the powders. Some of the old short mags were built like wart hogs that hadn't missed a corn fed meal in years. The new powders don't require as much and shoot much nicer.

I will also say that the PRC line of cartridges do shoot very nice on guns with a can. I am not sure if that is on purpose buy my old reliable .300 Win is a bit more heavy recoil, even with a can than the PRC.

 

[tim]

Hornady definately has hit a home run with the prc line of cartridges.

and to scotts post, i do believe the prc line is a descendent of the short mag line. I guess the 6.5 creedmoor started the revolution.
I somewhat joined the modern age when i put a suppresor on a 20 inch barrel on a new .338wm. I just love the 338wm and now with the suppressor the gun is a pleasure to shoot.

I already have more guns than i can shoot. I want to join the modern age, i also just want to stock pile enough ammo for my 338wm and 270wsm and call it good for the rest of my life.

 

[tim]

I also say i want more time to ride my bike and snowmobile and keep rafting. I need to retire.

 

[ScottR]

You can never have too many guns...or so they say LOL @tim !

The 6.5 Creedmoor did really get people talking a lot about new cartridges. I will add though that the 6.5 PRC is what everyone wanted the 6.5 Creedmoor to be.

 

[Hilltop]

You can never have too many guns...or so they say LOL @tim !

The 6.5 Creedmoor did really get people talking a lot about new cartridges. I will add though that the 6.5 PRC is what everyone wanted the 6.5 Creedmoor to be.

Agreed... I wish I had video of the cow elk hunt this year. The cow i shot at just over 400 yards went down hard. It was impressive. That 156 grain berger did is job and then some.