Let me clarify. This is occurring in southern MO. Low elevation, wooded hills and pastures. Shots over 300 yards are rare, 1-200 is most common, 500 is hard to find. Most of my deer have been killed at under 50 yards, many under half that. I use a 308 for the rare occasion I see a deer across a pasture. Farthest shot I have ever had presented here was at 400. The deer died right there. I do use a .223 for coyotes and other vermin. What I am talking about is guys hunting WT deer with small bore rifles and wanting high BC bullets, and trading 308’s and 270’s off at a loss to:do it.
Others hunt differently, and I understand people have their own reasons for choosing a rifle and cartridge. What I am trying to ask is if I am missing some factor in the decision to move to smaller caliber rifles with a stated desire to use high BC bullets in this environment. Seeing impacts in the scope has been mentioned, as well as sectional density. Both those make sense, although I feel the SD argument is somewhat moot when using monos like the TTSX.
To me, the attraction of high BC bullets is purely for long range use, target shooting and hunting past 400 yards or so. Out west and in the croplands, this makes sense if one plans to shoot that far. Where I am, it works fine, but the utility of it is not realized. I usually opt for a load that allows me to point and shoot to 300 and hold over to 400, and this covers every shot I can possibly see in my area. Wondering what I am missing, if anything. I am leaning toward the idea that it’s just guys wanting something different, but the frequency of it got me to wondering if there was something I had missed,
