A
Anonymous
Guest
Has anyone else noticed that among the hunting community folks are pressing smaller and smaller cartridges for hunting larger and larger game?
On another hunting forum I frequent, I've routinely noticed folks listing the 6.5s, the .25s and even the .243 as elk cartridges and even recommended such for moose. Much of this advice is coming with a "reasonable" range figure that is at least 200 yards further than I'll shoot at anything. The 6.5CM seems often touted in the role as a "600 yard elk slayer".
I get that bullets are better than ever, but it wasn't that many years ago that the .270 was held as barely elk medicine and many elk hunters went to the .338. Moose rifles have been "over .30" country for decades and many old timers give me the stink eye when they find out I'm hunting with a .300! I can't imagine what they'd say to a .260REM! I understand high SD and BC numbers...but they don't seem that magical.
What's driving this? People buying 5 pound rifles and suddenly becoming acquainted with Newtonian physics when they pull the trigger? People chasing high B.Cs for long range shooting? Pure "fashion"?
Maybe I'm slowly turning into a curmudgeon, but I know on animals as big and tough as elk and moose, I'd sure want a whole lot more gun on hand to clean up a mess.
On another hunting forum I frequent, I've routinely noticed folks listing the 6.5s, the .25s and even the .243 as elk cartridges and even recommended such for moose. Much of this advice is coming with a "reasonable" range figure that is at least 200 yards further than I'll shoot at anything. The 6.5CM seems often touted in the role as a "600 yard elk slayer".
I get that bullets are better than ever, but it wasn't that many years ago that the .270 was held as barely elk medicine and many elk hunters went to the .338. Moose rifles have been "over .30" country for decades and many old timers give me the stink eye when they find out I'm hunting with a .300! I can't imagine what they'd say to a .260REM! I understand high SD and BC numbers...but they don't seem that magical.
What's driving this? People buying 5 pound rifles and suddenly becoming acquainted with Newtonian physics when they pull the trigger? People chasing high B.Cs for long range shooting? Pure "fashion"?
Maybe I'm slowly turning into a curmudgeon, but I know on animals as big and tough as elk and moose, I'd sure want a whole lot more gun on hand to clean up a mess.