My dad was a reloaded and I tried to follow in his footsteps. He had 2 classic hunting rounds, a 30-06 and a 270 Winchester. His theory was accuracy and flat shooting rounds. My first data was his 270 Winchester using 760 ball powder and a 130 Hornady bullet, and I still use the same data today. Why it just works fine and honoring him in a small way. I have moved on to other calibers but I still strive for accuracy first and then flat shooting rounds. I had fun developing hunting rounds for my wife and her fist gun a 243win. I settled on 105 grain nosler partition and IMR 4350. It worked great and I used her gun to kill 3 elk, all under 100 yards. One of them was a cow hit in the back of the head and exited just above an eye socket. You would think that was dead in her tracks but she started walking in a circle and just laid down and then died. I decide to move up in the world and ok to improve over a 270 win was a big question to me. I decided to go with a 300 win mag. When you move to 30 caliber life becomes fun and challenging because of all the incredible choices presented to you. As always I looked at accuracy was first on my mind so I tried 168 international match bullets. If you want devastating expansion and flat shooting wow, but it was also provided devastation to meat and tissue. It was use on elk, moose, deer and one antelope and I never lost one animal ever. The antelope had and exit hole the size of a grape fruit. I am a meat hunter first and never aim at the shoulder, but stuff happens and having hit some to close made me rethink my reloading ideas. I tested 165 bullets and made the move and never looked back. Due to a shoulder injury I became more aware of recoil and started developing more rounds for my 25-06 and a newly acquired 7mm mag. In my way of thinking the
25-06 is one of best ever rounds for killing ability to recoil equivalence. Using 117 grain Hornady bullets we have taken everything we wanted to hunt and never lost and animal. My new love has become the 7mm mag. I do not believe there is any animal in North America that cannot be killed effectively and humanely with one well-placed shot. Because of recoil I have been using 139 grain bullets and they and the gun will out preform me every day.
Bigger is better if that’s what you like and you can handle the recoil and shoot with accuracy. I once watched man at the range trying to get his 375 hh AI sighted in. He was flinching so much he burned up powder with no luck. The moral to this long winded BS is practice and learn to handle a weapon that is effective and one you truly trust.
25-06 is one of best ever rounds for killing ability to recoil equivalence. Using 117 grain Hornady bullets we have taken everything we wanted to hunt and never lost and animal. My new love has become the 7mm mag. I do not believe there is any animal in North America that cannot be killed effectively and humanely with one well-placed shot. Because of recoil I have been using 139 grain bullets and they and the gun will out preform me every day.
Bigger is better if that’s what you like and you can handle the recoil and shoot with accuracy. I once watched man at the range trying to get his 375 hh AI sighted in. He was flinching so much he burned up powder with no luck. The moral to this long winded BS is practice and learn to handle a weapon that is effective and one you truly trust.
