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I wasn't counting the cows, I've killed a few of them, too.

0C06DE01-450B-4C25-8E3F-891BE4FD7575.jpeg

Most of the bottom of the freezer is cow from last year.

Edit to add, antlers go up in the rafters in the barn.
 
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The 7mm-08 punches waaaay above its weight.

I've killed 14 elk and not one of them would have been killed less if I had used a 7mm-08 instead of a different cartridge. Easy to shoot means easier to shoot well, I believe.
7-08 is a fine cartridge and if I could turn back the hands of time, I'd take up my dad's offer to get a (then brand spanking new) Model 7 in 7-08.
However, did I read your post right?
You herald the talents of the 7-08 by citing 14 elk you've killed with (I'm assuming) a whole bunch of different rounds, not one of them being the 7-08? :confused:
 
7-08 is a fine cartridge and if I could turn back the hands of time, I'd take up my dad's offer to get a (then brand spanking new) Model 7 in 7-08.
However, did I read your post right?
You herald the talents of the 7-08 by citing 14 elk you've killed with (I'm assuming) a whole bunch of different rounds, not one of them being the 7-08? :confused:
Go back to post #31.
 
In terms of versatility you will not find a better cartridge than the 30-06 it literally is the do all of center fire rifle cartridges . if I was restricted to only two rifles one would be the 22 LR and the other would be the 30-06 . IF I had to keep my battery to three rifle calibers it would be the 22lr, 30-06 and the 375 H&H . There is literally nothing on the planet that can't be hunted and successfully taken with that battery of rifles.

Ron Spomer recently made the case quite well as to how versatile the 06 really is .


 
My bestie has always maintained that the 7mmag is the ultimate in versatility, and he not only has the record to back it, but makes a powerful case for it, even I cannot argue against it! Still, the .30/06 is my do all, go to for everything, and if I only had one, that would be it!

Here is why I have to disagree, the 7mm magnum doesn't lend itself to being downloaded where as the 30-06 does this quite nicely , very few magnums do in actuality. The magnums that do lend themselves readily to being loaded safely with reduced loads are the larger calibers like the medium bore 375 and then the large bore 458 Winchester and it's cousins which can be loaded down to 45/70 ish performance .

Over bore capacity magnums such as the 7mm, and others that breath some fire can actually be somewhat dangerous when loaded to lower pressures they work best when they are loaded to their normal operating pressures .

I've not hunted a 7 Mag much at all as I was always a 300 Win Mag shooter when I need a smaller caliber over bore capacity cartridge save a period of time where I was infatuated with the 264 Win Mag and the 240 Wby .
 
I use 7 Remington mag and .308 because I have rifles in those calibers. First for elk second for deer. Although most seasons I use arrows. If I had to pick one, it would be either 30-06 or .308. I think they are most versatile and available. 150 grain to 165 grain is more than adequate for anything but moose and will give you decent distance It also won't kill your shoulder. Good luck.
 
Lots of truth concerning recoil . Most folks don't usually say give me more of it as a rule . Even shooters who can handle heavy recoil don't go out and shoot 100 rounds of (insert your magnum caliber here ) at a range session.

Back when I shot magnums it was pretty typical for me to shoot 10 to no more than 20 rounds at the range during load development . A flinch is a hard thing to get rid of once acquired.



I use 7 Remington mag and .308 because I have rifles in those calibers. First for elk second for deer. Although most seasons I use arrows. If I had to pick one, it would be either 30-06 or .308. I think they are most versatile and available. 150 grain to 165 grain is more than adequate for anything but moose and will give you decent distance It also won't kill your shoulder. Good luck.
 
If you cant kill it with a 30-06 you probably shouldn't be hunting it. If it's big enough for an elephant it's big enough for an elk. Plus you can get ammo almost anywhere on earth.
Read the extracts from Chapter II and Chapter X. Keep in mind his favorite elephant cartridge was the 7mm Rigby Mauser (aka 7x57mm Mauser, ballistic twin to the 7mm-08).


Some call outs:

"Sometimes I used one and sometimes the other, and it began to dawn on me that when an elephant was hit in the right place with the .275 it died just as quickly as when hit with the .400, and, vice versa, when the bullet from either rifle was wrongly placed death did not ensue."

"I have never been able to appreciate "shock" as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot hope to kill an elephant weighing six tons by " shock " unless you hit him with a field gun. And yet nearly all writers advocate the use of large bores as they "shock" the animal so much more than the small bores. They undoubtedly "shock" the firer more, but I fail to see the difference they are going to make to the recipient of the bullet."

Remember, placement is everything and knockdown power is a myth.
 
My $.02 (and worth every penny!)

Several years ago my sister was looking to buy a new rifle for elk hunting because she'd been drawn for a bull tag. Her hunting friends all used and suggested she buy a .300 Win. Mag., but she didn't care for that much recoil. I suggested the .300 WSM, basically the same ballistics in a shorter/fatter case which is supposed to have less felt recoil. She bought a Browning A-Bolt in that caliber and loves it.

She ran into this guy at what she estimated to be about 280 yards (but paced it at 310). One shot, dropped without taking a step.

o9i4LMr.jpg


Pegged the butcher's scale here @ 800lbs.

xOOrLSM.jpg


Made for a really nice mount! We called him Bob.

Raexk6I.jpg
 
To be fair , WDM Bell also used FMJ or solid bullets in his rifles , and shot them in the brain. He was very careful about shot placement, and he also dispatched a great number of Elephants with a 308 late in his career.

He was quoted as saying soft tip bullets never fouled the bore of his rifle during his hunting career .

It is also worth nothing that no small number of other hunters died trying to replicate his methods using a small bore rifle . He had nerves of steel , a steady hand and knew how to hunt not just pull a trigger.


Read the extracts from Chapter II and Chapter X. Keep in mind his favorite elephant cartridge was the 7mm Rigby Mauser (aka 7x57mm Mauser, ballistic twin to the 7mm-08).


Some call outs:

"Sometimes I used one and sometimes the other, and it began to dawn on me that when an elephant was hit in the right place with the .275 it died just as quickly as when hit with the .400, and, vice versa, when the bullet from either rifle was wrongly placed death did not ensue."

"I have never been able to appreciate "shock" as applied to killing big game. It seems to me that you cannot hope to kill an elephant weighing six tons by " shock " unless you hit him with a field gun. And yet nearly all writers advocate the use of large bores as they "shock" the animal so much more than the small bores. They undoubtedly "shock" the firer more, but I fail to see the difference they are going to make to the recipient of the bullet."

Remember, placement is everything and knockdown power is a myth.
 
To be fair , WDM Bell also used FMJ or solid bullets in his rifles , and shot them in the brain. He was very careful about shot placement, and he also dispatched a great number of Elephants with a 308 late in his career.

He was quoted as saying soft tip bullets never fouled the bore of his rifle during his hunting career .

It is also worth nothing that no small number of other hunters died trying to replicate his methods using a small bore rifle . He had nerves of steel , a steady hand and knew how to hunt not just pull a trigger.
So you're saying in the right hands the 7mm Mauser is sufficient?
 
So you're saying in the right hands the 7mm Mauser is sufficient?
Nope

I am saying with the right load and in the hands of a very knowledgeable man a 7x57mm can be enough . No one here (despite their fantasies ) is WDM Bell and we aren't likely to see another one of his like in the next several generations . He had a deft skill for the task.

I know that will probably hurt a lot of folks feelings who think they are rather accomplished hunters but the truth of the matter is WDM Bell and some of his peers were men who stood alone compared to the rest of the crowd.


Again lots of skilled hunters died attempting what WDM Bell did
 

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