Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game practical caliber and cartridge differences

How is it that these things get to this level of complication?

This thread clearly involves centerfire rifles and not handguns. If you choose to shoot a handgun bullet from a rifle then you open pandoras box with another whole series of issues.

It's the diameter my friend ****DIAMETER***** is the key here when an animal runs away in thick bush from a double lung hit or even a centered heart shot they will run a hella long way. Sub 30 caliber bullets allow zip for blood trails nearly every time. Even the .308 diameter is marginal but will at least offer some insight to the direction and damage done.

Without blood finding game becomes a "challange". Many things start to happen mentally to the shooter. Like; did I miss? was it just superficial? ........" I guess if he went this far he must be OK" All the second guessing within the first several minutes of looking tends to morally release you from the contract you just signed when you pulled the trigger. Sorry but that is a binding agreement. You pull the trigger you find the game.

What a great law it would be (if enforcement was possible) to allow a single shot each season at big game. One shot done! You don't notch your tag with a dead animal but rather with the pull of the trigger. ........Now what gun are you gonna use? Imagine the reduction in dead game that goes missing.

Copious amounts of blood dripping, spraying on bush or pooling up where he lays is a darn good idea when you go looking for game that has been shot. If your well hit animal runs 150 yards in a half circle(very common) will you make that sweeping turn without blood or just begin to wander aimlessly hoping you stumble across the body? While wandering will you then step on the only tiny specs that are there? When tracking with the fall colors will you easily see the blood mixed with the red fall leaves? Will those puny little specs soak into the sand and vanish?

Your mileage may vary I guess.