Can we please cut all the catridge crap

[nealglen37]

I know we all love our own individual guns and favorite calibers............but please lets get real..............anything from a 243 to a 375 HH magnum will kill a deer.

   what matters is .....can you put the shot in a six inch area...........offhand or using a rest in a real hunting situation (wind, heat, nervousness)...........if you can...........then any caliber will work.

the point is to have fun.............kill the deer quickly to lessen it's suffering.............put your pride in your hunting skills...........not the hunting shills.

You could give a bushman a 243 and he could kill a lion with it........why......he would be able to creep within 10 yards to take the shot....not impress his bushman buddies by saying "watch me peg that lion at 400 hards.

Ok guys...............let me have it. take your best shot.......pun intended.

[Dave in WV]

Man, you want to take all the fun out of things.     The firearm/cartridge discussion is as old as .... well cartridges and guns that shoot them.  :-D

[huntsman]

I must protest that you are leaving out the smaller centerfire calibers, like .17 and .223 on the small end, and loads of calibers up to and including nuclear weapons on the high end. Of course all of these calibers can kill a deer, but each one does it in a little different way. For instance, whitetail meat hunters might not want to carry a .375 H&H  in case a buck pops out of the brush at 15 yards, while a lion hunter might be wise to pack something heavier than the .243 just in case the lion decides Mr. Bushman is a threat when he unexpectedly steps on a dry twig at 15 yards.

Besides, like Dave says, you are taking all the fun out of having a favorite caliber! Seriously, I do think we sometimes get carried away on posts about the "right" caliber when many will get the job done. But I do think it is fun sometimes just to have a friendly chat about the pros and cons of different scenarios.

[nealglen37]

I stand corrected gentleman........you make good points about caliber selection...........then i will say of the rifles I own ( 308, 30-06, 270, 7 mm mauser, 30-30, 44 mag ). My favorite are my 2 sporterized military mausers. One for the fact that they have a good balance and weight, are accurate, have a long history, and lastly something used to hurt people......is now used for sport.

Everyone take care.....have fun....and be safe....

[George Foster]

nealglen37,

The most intelligent post I have seen in a long time.  I sometimes think deer must be wearing body armor according to some.

[crazyjjk]

I agree also. Shooting skill not caliber is the biggest factor in humane kills. If a hunter can't hit a deer where they are suppose to it isn't going to matter what caliber it is. Too many times in too many sports people try to compensate for lack of practice (skill) with technology.>John

PS: The question should be how many rounds do you shoot to practice before deer season to feel you can humanely kill a deer not what caliber are you using.

[Dave in WV]

nealglen37, I really do agree with the intent of your original post. There is a word that sums up what your are eluding to and that is SPORTSMANSHIP. Good sportsmanship never goes out of style in the hunting fields or on playing fields.  :wink:

[jhm]

Rifle caliber has never been a good replacement for plain old fashoned shill and respect for the sport of hunting.    JIM