Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Are we gravitating toward smaller calibers/cartridges?

Funny how woman and children seem to kill critters with 243's,quite successfully.

I hope I'm wrong.

It sounds to me that you don't like the consensus of the answers to your OP??

I would guess they also wound a good many with the .243 also.. As some one pointed out, the.243 is for the expert, not the beginner.

One guy at our deer camp uses a 30-30 and a Savage M99 in 250 cause he likes lever actions. Rest are 270, 7mm, 308, 30-06s.

I don't see'em moving to the lighter calipers around here.

Yep

The smaller calibers are not for those whose hands sweat and shake when they see an animal.

I agree, but I still would use it for elk. But there are a lot who do. Ill bet theres just as many wounded from people shooting more gun than they can handle.

Youre wrong

I miss is a fuggin miss, regardless.......

And a schlep that can't shoot a 243 sure as hell won't do better with a 300WM

No kidding. If you can shoot you can kill a deer quite nicely with a 243, if you can't shoot a 375 ain't gonna help.

I got 99 problems and a caliber aint one.....

Sometimes I think the mind set on the fire is larger caliber compensates for poor marksmanship

If I had a kid, wife, etc., that wanted to get into shooting/hunting a 223-243-257 would be an excellent choice.

And after much practice shooting I still would not let them shoot at an animal further than 250-300 yards. The animal would also have to be stationary and a good rest available. That's pretty much how I was introduced into big-game hunting.

Speaking for myself if I was out hunting for deer horns I would prefer to have something like a 270 Winchester rather than a 223.
But that's just me and what I am comfortable with.

Use whatever you can shoot and makes you happy.

I like to think the mind set is more advanced than that.

But, would I take a 243 on an elk hunt?

Nope. No good reason to do so....I see little point in it.

Kinda like taking a 300 Mag deer for whitetails, eh...

Bob, I agree, I wouldn't choose the 243 either but many have done it successfully.
As to the mine set thing, you might be giving some too much credit

The mags are NOT needed for WTs, agreed.

However deer hunting w/300s or similar is GOOD practice before hunting Elk or other BIG game.

Yeah....or a Roberts, 25/06,270,280,7/08,7 mag,30/06,etc etc.....on and on it goes....it's all part of the educational process.

Assuming you are shooting 20 deer a day, I agree. Not sure how shooting one deer is GOOD practice.

Never said one!

We have a bag limit of 6 per year! More opportunities to carry and familiarize yourself with the particular rifle.

Let's not forget we have the FREEDOM & LIBERTY to hunt with what we CHOOSE!