Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What Is It About 300 Pound Deer?

Sam,
I get about 70 rounds of 300RUM loaded per pound of powder.

And I'm just guessing that you and the Bob hit and kill what you are shooting at....
Ingwe

Bob,now, if you ever want to know how things go at work for me...youv'e got my answer
Ingwe

Bet it lets a guy know when it goes off Bob!


I get about 105 rounds for the WSM Tim. Finally wised up and bought a keg just for it....(grin)


Killed a few rocks with Bob yesterday Ingwe. No critters yet although Hot Pants and I are gonna take drive in the hills this afternoon, maybe we'll find a gopher for Bob to launch.

ingwe, I agree. I had a couple of the younger guys that work for me ask what I use or recommend for deer and elk hunting. When I told them something like a .270, 30-06, .308. 7-08 etc., they looked at me like I didn't know what the hell I was talking about. So one of them purchased a .325 WSM with a 6.5 X something scope and the other 7mm STW with a 4 X 12. Now they talk about how their rifles have increased "knock down energy", flatter trajectories, more bullet penetration, etc., etc., etc. That's all fine.

How much do you think those two young guys practice with those rifles? They don't reload and the ammo for those calibers is expensive. I would guess they shoot less than a box of shells each year.

When I was 18 and guiding elk hunters, I decided what I really needed for my own hunting was one of those new 8mm Rem Mags (I date myself here). I probably "bragged" that rifle up quite a bit myself at the time. Took a couple of elk with it then sold it. Couldn't think of one thing that rifle could do that my old '06 wouldn't. Plus, I didn't get the crap kicked out of me when I practiced with it. Anyway, I believe I became a little more humble, and recoil shy, after that experience. So, I'll let the young guy's (or any hunter) learn what they like for themselves and won't hold it against them when they brag-up their "super-duper, long range, at any angle, dead right there ultimate elk and deer rifle". Whatever. Do you shoot it a lot?

Ingwe: We're both in the business of giving advise when it's asked for....when people don't take it,they've already made up their minds and there is no sense pressing the issue.They'll ignore it anyway


Sam: It seems to me a solid cut in recoil over even a 300 Weatherby,and required a very firm hold to control.Since I could not figure out what it did that the Weatherby did not,I sold it.I know the RUM is faster,for sure.But differences that can't be resolved with a 300 Weatherby and 180 at 3150 escape me.I am not good enough to exploit whatever advantage the RUM offers.


Who is Hot Pants?

Precisely, and I'll bet my next paycheck that their "practice" is limited to sitting down and shooting from the bench....
What we need is more guys like Sam O. who take their rifles to the hill and shoot rocks and gophs etc. year round.
And yeah...you did date yourself with that 8mm mag
But, I guess I dated myself knowing what you were talking about!
Ingwe

Count me in the .280 club! I have killed two Saskatchewan bucks that weighed over 300 lbs. with a Steyr .280. Both times I shot 150 grain Nosler Partitions. One deer ran about 30 yards before expiring and the other never took a step. On both trips, I had the smallest gun in camp.

When I go to Canada again, I will be taking my .280.

Hot Pants is my wife....(grin)

We went out for a little trip late this morning and she shot her first centerfire(257 Rob). Big ol' smile as she nailed a plastic jug offhand at maybe 25 yards. "That was more jumpy than I thought it would be!" she said.
Funny.

One shot and she wanted to go back to the 22lr...
(and yes, she shoots like a girl....grin)





Believe me Ingwe, there was a time when all I wanted to do was shoot from the 'bench'. Boring!


Alaskan was on sale so no IPA's today......

Sam: Too funny! She looks like a sweety and looks like she shoots just fine! Let her have the 22 if she wants it back!

Bob, the old Mossberg 22 is her favorite. Not a bad thing at all!

I'm one of the wierdest guys that frequent my home range. While I do shoot from the bench just to see if I'm still where I need to be, I often do some pretty strange things, usually when it's not so crowded. I like to sprint 50-75 yards up to the bench, pick up my rifle and fire 3 quick shots offhand @ 100-200 yards, trying my best to be accurate when slightly fatigued. If I can hit a pie plate sized target I'm pleased. I've found this helps me as much as shooting off a bipod, etc. I've sure gotten some strange looks over the years.

I know exactly what you mean,gotten some weird looks while shooting tiny snowmen at 100 yds offhand with a .375...and plenty of times while leaning on a support pole and shooting someone will kindly offer the use of their rifle rest and bench...
Was even training a kid one day and he had achieved a good sitting position on top of the bench... " he can use my rest and bench..." says one Samaratin, and I had to ultimately rather emphatically let him know that there are no benches and rests where we hunt....
Good on 'ya for real "practice"... that would explain that Muley in your avatar in part, I'll bet...
Ingwe

Sam, cool pics... Give Maygun back her .22! Hope she had fun, it was a nice day today... Don't use up all the IPA in Bozo, I'm gonna be down there for a few days next week....( Actually you can use up the IPA, but leave the Beltian White!)
Ingwe

JGRaider,

something seems wrong getting strange looks for real world practise. Good on you for doing it anymay.
Overhere we have standart range practise ruleseffectively ruling out any useful practical shooting exercises.

You may not even practise kneeling. No use of the magazine-single loading only. I could go on.

So, what do we do? Range officers learn to trust us and drink a lot of coffee...

Such goings on.

JG-
Something tells me you're not the wierdest guy at the range - far from it, more like "the most the prepared".......Tip of the hat to you bud. Perhaps take your hunting photo album with you and the next time they look at you funny, bust that sucker out.

I know BobinNH does similar practice, though I'm not sure about the sprinting....Robert, what say you? <grin>

Scott: Yes, I've done similar drills to what JG does,but I'm older now than I was 10-20 years ago,so don't do the sprinting anymore,but used to jog down and back from the butts to the 200-300 yard lines to check targets,instead of using a spotting scope,and shot groups when winded.I killed my biggest mule deer in Colorado by running after him,uphill,through scrubb oak for about 150 yards,just to get a crack at him.I got lucky that day.

But I do shoot offhand a good deal just to reinforce in my mind how bad I am at it.I do this with a 22,a 223,and then up to everything including the 375.

If I'm alone at the range and waiting for barrels to cool,(with an empty rifle)I wll practice snapping the rifle to my shoulder and picking up flying birds,swinging with them,etc.

Like JG,after I'm zeroed at 100,the sand bags go in the trunk and the majority of my shooting at 300,400,and 500 yards is done either from a tight sling, prone,or from a "field prone" like you'd shoot over a log,or pack, in the field. I never use a bipod because I consider them a hindrance and excess baggage,fine for varmint hunting but nuisance on a big game rifle.

I also shoot a lot off hand and from the sit,with and without a tight sling.A lot of the off-hand is done with 3 rounds down and the rifle is operated as fast as I can and still get back on target.Once in a great while, for chuckles, I'll shoot off-hand at 300 yards,which is pretty futile,but entertaining

For me, the most effort is expended trying to get accurate shots off quickly from field positions at 300 and under, rather than worry about tiny groups at long range,simply because I know I am far more likely to encounter a big buck,and most other game, at under 300 yards,and he is NOT going to give me a lot of time.

Besides,shooting at stationary targets from solid locked-in positions off benches and bipods is pretty easy once you know the rifle and load.The tough stuff is mastering the various field positions(off-hand,sitting, kneeling,field positions)etc.People avoid this type shooting today because it is harder to be good at than shooting itsy groups off a bench,which many consider to be "practice". It is.....for the rifle.

It never seems to amaze me what folks use to hunt deer. I use several magnum rifles and stds as well to hunt deer, I only use the mags for the added ballistic qualities for certain hunts where longer ranges are the norm. It's all about where you hit em. There's probably more game wounded with mags than stds.

I remember years ago when Dad showed up to elk camp with a 25-06 and Rem CLs. The other guys thought that was funny until he smoked a nice 5x5 at 150yds that only made it about 20yds after the shot(heart shot). Now, I personally wouldn't elk hunt with that combo, but it certainly proved the importance of shot placement.

loder

Deer with std's...I'm stayin' out of that area.

Nothing wrong with folks using mags if they can shoot them. Most of the folks I see shooting them suffer from fright or are just plain inexperienced with shooting them. I purchased a 300 Win Mag back in the mid 90's from Remington's Custom Shop for one reason. I loved the look and feel of the rifle. It is a 700 APR (African Plains Rifle). Had no intention of going to the Dark Continent and certainly didn't need a 300 WM to kill a frickin whitetail. It is however one of my favorite rifles cause it shoots very small groups, has a wonderful feeling stock and to me is one of the nicest looking/shooting rifles ever to come out of Ilion. I'm not sure where the trend started for magnum rounds and whitetails north of the border. In my experience it didn't start with folks who live and hunt north of the border either.