Big Bullets for Big Animals?

[RevJim]

I shot my first batch of "Big Animals" in 1996. I shot a handful of deer sized, but shot 1 or each: Kudu, Red Hartebeast, South African Oryxz ( not super big) Blue Wildebeast and a big Zebra stallion. Used a 35 Whelen Ackley Improved/250X going 2600fps. It was like a hot knife in butter! Only caught 2 bullets, lengthwise shots in Kudu and Zebra. It "ruined me"! ha I have since then took same animals, on two other hunts, plus 5 cow elk plus one huge Muley with a 45 Colt Carbine. I've shot 4 of the big Spike elk size Gemsbuck of Namibia. Biggest on many big hogs is 30.06/200 NPT and 44 Mag Carbine. Used 300WM/180 XBT, 340Wby/210XBT and 375 H&H/270 Failsafe. Any angle, didn't matter! I "love" a 338 anything on elk, what about you? If you like it, what do you "love" as a "heavy hitter"? (I consider a 300WM/180 a heavy hitter!)

 

[nrpate05]

My heavy hitter is a 25-06 with a 100 grain TTSX. Full pass through on my elk this year. Why go bigger?!

 

[RevJim]

I know a few guys here in Utah that use their 25-06s for everything!

 

[Bonasababy]

Size isn't everything--as they say...

Bullet construction and how fast it is sent along matters as much as size.

 

[RevJim]

That is true, and a given, but I'm asking how many of you guys likes to shoot big animals with big guns?

 

[Southern Elk]

I have a Marlin .444 that shoots 240 gr bullets. Killed several deer with it.

 

[Bonasababy]

That is true, and a given, but I'm asking how many of you guys likes to shoot big animals with big guns?

Bought my 356 for bear and Moose. Haven't taken anything with it yet but hope to. 200 grain shoots better than 250 but I have both. We can't hunt moose anymore in my state--brother and brother in law took one when we last had a permit--I did all the work to find the spots but still had a good time and great story out of it. A 270 proved the best for that bull but that's only because my brother was a bit shook up and sent his 06 ammo a bit awry.

 

[Guy]

I've shot three black bear with my Ruger Number One in 375 H&H, all spot and stalk hunts. Two more with the 30-06, one of those was over bait, the other spot and stalk.

Intended to hunt elk and African big game with the 375, but that hasn't happened. May not.

Previous owner of my 375 used it on several African big game animals including a cape buff.

Bigger guns are great, but for what I hunt, the 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 25-06 have all done very well. I hang onto the 375 mostly because I just really like it. Fun to shoot it now and again too.

Regards, Guy

 

[D4570]

My "Heavy hitter" is my Normal big-game rifle. I use it for little white tail does to elk and bear, And a bison if I ever get a tag.
It's a rem 700 24" barrel 8MM RM, 200 gr Barnes hammer going 3229 FPS.

 

[Bonasababy]

My "Heavy hitter" is my Normal big-game rifle. I use it for little white tail does to elk and bear, And a bison if I ever get a tag.
It's a rem 700 24" barrel 8MM RM, 200 gr Barnes hammer going 3229 FPS.

Nice! Is that a one of their classic series guns? Always liked their looks.

 

[shannerdrake]

I grew up in a shotgun/muzzleloader (no centerfire rifle) state for deer. My first 20 animals were all with 300+gr 50cal or 1oz slugs.

I have never been able to understand why, but big slower slugs seem to really kill.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Always had a hard on for those big heavies.

 

[samuel_284Win]

So far, I have been impressed and have no reason to change from my 300 win mag loaded with 175 gr Barnes LRX going about 3090 fps. Among myself, my wife, and my mom, my 300 win mag setup has taken 3 pronghorn and 3 elk in the 2024 season. Will continue to use as is until I am convinced otherwise.

 

[accubond]

Bought my first rifle when I was 19 (late to the game and my Dad didn't hunt), a 338 RUM (I was and still am 5' 8" and 190 lbs) and some 250 grain Nosler Partitions to go with it. My buddy's uncle was a guide and helped us sight in before that fall's trip and I remember squeezing off that first round, I thought every tooth in my head fell out. That was the last round I squeezed off (I adopted the yank method) on that rifle for 2 or 3 years and I ended up putting a muzzle brake on it. That gun took deer off their feet like nothing I've ever seen, before or since, and only one bull took an unnecessary 2nd shot. Fast forward a decade or two and I started using smaller rounds for deer and I couldn't believe how fun shooting could be, so much so that I now use a 6.5 PRC almost exclusively. For me, the confidence I have in my PRC with 156 grain Berger handloads far outweighs the extra room for error I get in my RUM. I'll never part with my 338 RUM but I've just drifted away from it as time has gone on I guess.

 

[Keep on]

Hunting woodlots here in the East where 100+ yard shots are rare, I like my lever guns.
444 Marlin, 356 Win and 300 Sav. I keep looking for a bolt gun in 35 Whelen, but they are going for more than I'm willing to pay these days.

 

[BigHornRam]

I have a 358 Winchester barrel for my 7-08 mountain rifle. Haven't shot that round for sometime. Getting back to hunting thick grizzly country, I'm thinking about going back to the 358 Win.

 

[Steiny77]

I grew up in a shotgun/muzzleloader (no centerfire rifle) state for deer. My first 20 animals were all with 300+gr 50cal or 1oz slugs.

I have never been able to understand why, but big slower slugs seem to really kill.

Me too.
Those 12ga slugs flat tip em over !

 

[Sask hunter]

338 win mag with 225 ttsx is my go to for bear, moose and elk. Shot 6 elk and five moose with that gun and not even sure how many bears. Hunt with it more then any other rifle

 

[jimss]

According to posts by the 6.5 fanatics they can lethally kill elephant size game at 500 yards with pin-point accuracy! Elk-sized game drop like a jackrabbit!

 

[Bonasababy]

Totally missed this in my response earlier, but the area where I live is restricted to shotgun only by local ordinance. I bought a Deerslayer 12 and a rifled barrel for my 20 gauge turkey gun and have them all ready to go for anyone that wants to hunt on our property. I go to public land first and haven't been able to find much time to hunt at home or see something to shoot when I do yet, but if I retire soon might do more and finally be able to see how they work on deer. I know the deerslayer (fixed rifled barrel) is surprisingly accurate! Not a lot of fun to shoot off the bench though.