How much is too much?

DL

Well-Known Member
Allthough there are the obvious mainstream calibres that we're all aware of, who has expirience of using the bigger stuff?
By big I mean 30-06+ like the 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag & Similar.
Is it fair to say there's a place for these calibres out of the need for hard hitting,humaine round? Something that can hit a stag in the rutt & transfer a lot of power accurately.
Is the meat damage unacceptable?
How big can you go with these rounds? The Federal/Sako ammo listings indicate Elk/Carribou.
I realise the .300win can go to higher bullet weights than the 7mmMag, but how about tuning a load to be more discreet,with less of a kick? Using less powder & lower bullet weights. What weight of pointed soft point is a good allrounder for uk deer?
 
Hi There,

I currently use a 7mm rem mag (although my everyday rifle is a .243) which I soft load with a 120 grain head at circa 3000 fps in conjunction with the moderator it is a very pleasant round to use. The resultant damage from this round is no different than many of the more popular calibres. I began to use this round as on one occasion I used a 154grain factory load on a Roe buck and the the result was an extreme case of hydro shock (a body cavity filled with a scotch broth type mixture). Interestingly both the 154 gr factory load and my 120 gr homeloads have a very similiar POI when used in my remmington 700 only 3/4 of an inch between the two at 100 yards. The 154gr load is extremely effective on the stags and provided that it is used in conjunction with a reasonably weighted rifle it should not be too unpleasant in use.

Remmy7
 
That is really useful. Being able to tune down a heavy calibre seems like the ideal solution to my needs,as It'd be good to have the capacity to shoot different quarry,or heavily built stags over distance.
Moderators are the way forward,they make rifles very user friendly.
Ideally I'll be the proud owner of a heavy barreled 7rem mag soon -provided my variation comes back correctly changed!
 
Larger cal's

I've always liked to use enough gun as they say but!!, I've just sold a Blaser 300wsm which I loved it shot tiny little groups with 180grn Swift "A" frames and Sirroco's doing about 3000fps but it knocked the S**t out of everything my game dealer wasn't a fan. I could have slowed it down a bit but what's the point when I own a 30.06 and a .308, I've also got a moderated .375 H&H which I use for the boar so it wasn't getting used.

WD
 
Although this is a generalisation (all way dangerous :rolleyes: ) it is recommended that with magnum cartridges you have to push them towards their maximum when reloading to get the best accuracy.

I use a 270 as my “big stag” rifle Red/Sika 130gn at 3100fps max’ and find this is more than enough even for rutting stags. Again like Remmy I use my 243 for every thing else roe/hinds ect.

Thar
 
big calibres

Hi
I use a .30-06 with 150 gr bullets i also use a .243 with lots of weights from 80-105 gr bullets.

In my opinion bigger bullet does not equate to more meat damage. my 06 with 150 gr is good for about 3000+/- fps. If i am using a soft point pointed bullet. ie a speer hot core i get full penetration. Almost instant knock down and less damage than i do with my 243 in any of the bullet wieghts i use. and the deer don't go over as well with the 243- i very often find them running 50yds with a well placed shot.

I have found that the nearer max i load the more accurate the round as well.

I am not not using the 6mm at the moment due to an outbreak of f***ing stupidity on my part and i don't miss it much either.

swampy
 
270 for Sika and Reds, especially Stags, 150g nosler, and my 375 HH for anything else I take whilst in Africa.

375 for plains game 275g nosler, dangerous game 375 300g federal solids.
Hasn't let me down yet!!
 
dangerous game

Guys I would love to shoot one of them cape buffalo.

has anyone shot one?

swampy
 
Hi Guys

I shoot fallow with my 375 H+H using monolithic copper bullet 155gn @ 3300 ft/s.Meat damage minimal. Knock down capability high. This makes the rifle very fast and flat shooting with the recoil of a 30-06. I have a 458 cal for humane dispatch of wounded of sick animals as well.
Image shows my 308, 7x64 Brenneke, 375 H+H, 458 Lott
3.jpg
.

Mark
 
Hi Swampy, I have shot a Cape Buff. I took it in 1998 with my 375 using 300 grain federal solids backed up with 300 grain noslers in every other round in the mag.

We shot two in a day, mine took three shots to put it on the floor and a 4th to finish it. Took us until dark to cut it in half and winch it into the pick up and the 5 mile drive back to camp. In all we took 3 Buff in 4 days near Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Plus I took a rogue Elephant which had been caught in a poachers snare at 20yds.

Cape Buff are one of the most exciting to hunt, it really is an adrenalin rush!!
 
Guys, I have posted a piccy of the Buff I shot in the Trophy room. He was an old "Dugga Boy" nice hard boss, but like all the Zim Buff they have short but wide horns, not like the Tanzanian Buff which tend to have the long drooping horns which kick back.

I wanted an old one that was mean and ugly, my Ph friend commented that a Buff always looks at you like you owe it money, quite a good way of describing the way they can look at you, especially when you hit them with a 300 grain bullet and they dont even flinch!!
 
HUMMANE DISPATCH

MARKH wrote
I shoot fallow with my 375 H+H using monolithic copper bullet 155gn @ 3300 ft/s.Meat damage minimal. Knock down capability high. This makes the rifle very fast and flat shooting with the recoil of a 30-06. I have a 458 cal for humane dispatch of wounded of sick animals as well.

Mark i like your style, I sometimes use my .375 H&H on fallow very effective :D
458 yep that would be a humane dispatch :lol:

Where do you get the copper bullets they would be sweet shooting through my moderated .375 and do you they do a heavier 250grn I could use for Boar??

Wayne

Wayne
 
Hi Wayne

Google KJG Lutz Moeller and click onto the English area. You dont need to go to 250 gn for wild boar. The 155 KJG will do the job and more. I have PM'd you ref the dogs we can talk ballistics then.

Mark
 
Any idea where in the UK I can get some of these heads??

Hi Wayne


Google KJG Lutz Moeller and click onto the English area. You dont need to go to 250 gn for wild boar. The 155 KJG will do the job and more. I have PM'd you ref the dogs we can talk ballistics then.

Mark
 
I can highly recommend Lutz Moller ammo. He has brought out a brass version, even
better than the copper version KJG. We use it
great affect on Reds and Fallow at home and Roe and Boar in Germany.
30.06 recoil is very low and you don't lead poison yourself/others when
you eat the meat.
 
"you don't lead poison yourself/others when
you eat the meat".

Is this evidence-based?

I ask because this is a very sensitive area at this point in time.
 
It could be very sensitive if those shards of copper scraped or cut something on their way through or out of you!:rofl::oops:LMFAO.
"you don't lead poison yourself/others when
you eat the meat".

Is this evidence-based?

I ask because this is a very sensitive area at this point in time.
 
I can highly recommend Lutz Moller ammo. He has brought out a brass version, even
better than the copper version KJG. We use it
great affect on Reds and Fallow at home and Roe and Boar in Germany.
30.06 recoil is very low and you don't lead poison yourself/others when
you eat the meat
.

Please don't perpetuate this crap, it has no basis in science.
It may find mileage among hippies and trolls it has no place in enlightened company :rolleyes:
 
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Please don't perpetuate this crap, it has no basis in science.
It may find mileage among hippies and trolls it has no place in enlightened company :rolleyes:


Lead is a well known neurotoxin which does not leave the body once ingested.

Copper can also be toxic....
 
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Lead is a well known neurotoxin which does not leave the body once ingested.

Copper can also be toxic....
Yes, lead is a neurotoxin but I think you'll find that a swallowing a lead pellet or bullet fragment is unlikely to get digested, it just ends up in the pan.

Inhaling lead fumes ala leaded petrol or casting bullets, cooking in lead pots or indeed drinking lead piped water all contribute to a higher level of lead load.
In fact you likely find that a city dwelling 40yr who has never eaten game has a higher lead load than a 40yr old gamekeeper who lives on lead shot game.

Anyway, back to the dirty great caliber debate :offtopic:
 
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