Just how much authority is needed to kill stuff

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Bret, it doesn't help that the gun rags have been promoting this stuff for decades. Advertising works...

They killed off the calibers that didn't fit the paradigm, i.e. .358 Winchester and others.

Not many mags worth reading anymore, either


Thats the truth Chris. All I get anymore is Fur Fish Game and Backwoodsman. I look at Rifle and Handloader on the news stand but always walk away and read Sports Afield and Outdoor Life types at the the barber shop. I'm still stuck around 1997 and am perfectly happy at that level of "sophistication"!
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Killed by my youngest son last week. Neck Shot x1 with Charter Bulldog and 245 gr Keith 429421 cast hard and 7.5 gr Unique. Broke the neck and off shoulder. He is in the stand 15 yds from the deer so the shot was roughly 20 yds.

Well done sir! I'm a Charter Bulldog fan too. 6.5 grs of Unique and the 429421 have worked fine on everything I've shot for me, but no game hunting. Works great on varmints, downed livestock and whatnot. A highly underrated gun IMO. Not as nice as my 44 Spec Smith, but definitely an under appreciated platform.
 

Edward R Southgate

Component Hoarder Extraordiniare
Well done sir! I'm a Charter Bulldog fan too. 6.5 grs of Unique and the 429421 have worked fine on everything I've shot for me, but no game hunting. Works great on varmints, downed livestock and whatnot. A highly underrated gun IMO. Not as nice as my 44 Spec Smith, but definitely an under appreciated platform.

I got a second mod HE in .44 and believe it or not the kid don't like it . He likes the adjustable sights on the Charter . Thanks.

Eddie
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
You must have the Target BD if it's got adjustable sights. A step up IMO.
 

shootnlead

Active Member
Well, this is just what I have determined or decided based on my experience...and it will probably differ from that of everyone else.

I have killed a lot of deer and seen even more killed. With that said, most of you may have more deer to your credit and you certainly have a wider variety of big game animals to your credit, than I have...so, your findings will probably differ greatly from mine.

For my deer use, bore diameter is not as critical as where that bullet is placed. I detest tracking deer or any animal...so, I want that animal down, at the shot, if at all possible. My experience has lead me to endeavor to ALWAYS place that bullet between the middle of the shoulder and the backbone...preferably inline with the leg bone...in other words...high shoulder shot. This shot does not have to necessarily be perfectly perpendicular ...as some angle in either direction has always worked well for me. Most times on this shot, the animal is dead quickly...if not, I always have the 44spec along for a finisher. This shot has worked well for me with all FP or expanding bullets, of all calibers, and of all bullet construction.

On hogs I have found that a bullet of .30 up, in the ear...expanding or FP will do the trick, 99.99% of the time and for bears, need large bore and horsepower sufficient to do chassis damage, in order to put them down quickly...remember...I don't like tracking.

I love cast bullets...shoot them almost exclusively, but, I have not found them to be more terminally effective than jacketed bullets.

The overriding thing that I have learned is that there is no substitute for bullet placement, for quick kills.

Last things to add, I eat what I hunt, but I don't hunt to eat...nor do I hunt a lot of really difficult terrain and we have a long hunting season, so my chances for success are a lot different than someone that is limited to a short season. So, there are many times that I choose to pass on shot that is not to my liking...because I may have another opportunity. For those that are hunting under different circumstances, I fully understand your using different criteria to choose your hunting rounds.
 
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KHornet

Well-Known Member
Pretty well written shootnlead! A gut shot deer or any thing else for that matter is always
less than desirable. Shot placement in kill zones should always be the goal of hunters.
Doesn't always work out that way, but regardless, it should be the goal.

Paul
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
As I eluded to earlier, shot placement outweighs just about everything else IMO. I find many people tend to shoot for the "big part" instead of trying to learn where to put the bullet at different angles. Of course on the run targets are different, but I've never been a fan of that idea at all.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
My preferred shot is is a line between the front of 1 shoulder and the rear of the other in the bottom third of the related cavity . That does nothing for CNS disruption but it generally removes all of the support functions . Too shallow an angle,more broad side, it wrecks a shoulder anyway . Full broad side I use the elbow farthest forward as a vertical line and wait for the onside leg to go forward .

I'm having to change that mind set because I'm no longer hunting 1 by lottery draw above the tree line . 200 yd will be a very long shot and under 50 a very real thing . Imagine changing your hunting style you've known for 40 yr from 6" out to 300 yd with the 06' clan and 6+ power glass to pick a hair line ,muscle bulge or bone lump center the bead in the peep and squeeze . I wouldn't hunt a projectile tool that wouldn't by my won't hold kill zone to the desired maximum range .
How much by whatever scale is really needed ?
The law here in Nevada states minimum cal as 22 for rifle and 1000 ftlb at 100yd with a minimum 2" loaded length , a full tilt 223 with a 55 gr BTSP will just make the cut the NOE 312-230 and Lee sister will make that a 1600 fps making a 300 BO in a short action bolt gun a possibility. The hand gun law leaves the barn door wide open and may as well just toss plucked chickens in the foxes den . It states 24 cal or larger with a minimum case length of the 44Rem magnum and a 4" bbl . An 1886 vintage 32-20 loaded with BP SAA is a big game legal hunting tool . The 256 Win mag also legal . 10mm , 45 mag , and several other similar designs are disqualified.