Big gun

[Barlow]

I'm bored as he** so I thought I would ask a dumb question. I know the answers will vary from one region to another. What do call a big gun, (cartridge) ? To me a 30-06 is big enough, what say you. Barlow

 

[357Mag]

Barlow -

Howdy !

FWIW:
Calibre along w/ powder capacity.....

.338 Lapua Mag, the CheTacs, .50 Browning, the larger calibre ( obscure ) " Nitro " stuff
in .600+ calibre.

Gun design and wt play a role'...... a .50 S & W can be fairly exciting to shoot from an H & R single shot


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Barlow]

I should refine it by adding, "for the game in your area". Biggest critter in my location are Bear, but most hunt Whitetail. Barlow

 

[SierraCJ5]

I think the .338 WM qualifies as a "big gun" for most hunting situations in North America. It should be interesting to see what others feel qualifies as a big gun.

 

[DogBuster]

308 Win is big enough for anything in Utah...

with the right shooter...bullet....condition...... ;D

 

[thekriebles]

With some elk in our northern part of our state (PA) and black bear spreading to southern sections of PA, the 30-06 is a really good all-around cartridge for us.

That being said, my 308 Win. has been plenty enough for whitetail and black bear.

And I agree that the .338 Win. Mag. qualifies as a "big gun" for most hunting situations in North America, but it's not too big.

 

[people]

In my hunting anything bigger than the 338LM is big.

 

[grovey]

From a eastern woods whitetail hunting point of view; I consider the belted magnums based on the H&H case as the beginning of overkill. After awhile it's just a powder burning contest.

 

[MClark]

You look silly standing there holding an elephant gun.

Until the elephant shows up.

I like a 338 win for elk, but I have a bunch of bigger calipers because I like them.

Mark

 

[machineman98]

.223 - .243 will kill everything here in central SC. .270 and 30-06 is real popular also, but then there is always one that has to pull out the 300 Jarrett to shoot the monster 150 lb. buck.

Any magnum cartridge here, I would consider "big" ( for hunting purposes ). But there is no gun to "big".

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

Growing up in the 70's....the 30-06 was the big dog. (never actually shot one...still haven't)

Then in about 1980, my dad goes and buys a 300 Win Mag. I could NEVER shoot it without flinching.

Dad's now 91 year old. If he shot it, it would break his collar bone! (we sold it to a friend of mine a few years ago)

 

[alf]

What do call a big gun, (cartridge) ?

I progressed up the "big gun" ladder, and came back down.....

From the 30-06 - 338WM - 338 Ultra - 358 STA - 375 H&H - 375 H&H Imp - 416RM.

I sold them all off and now I'm down to a 338-06 Ackley as my big gun.

Not counting my 338/300 Ultra......that's just for plinkin'.......

 

[spencerhenry]

if it starts with a 4 and is over 2" long.

 

[CJ6]

An old fart I shoot with says this...up to .323 small bore....338-416 medium bore.......423 and up large bore.

 

[wapiti25]

any 338. 338-06 was my first then bought a 375 H&H now a 338 win mag.

 

[oldblinddog]

An old fart I shoot with says this...up to .323 small bore....338-416 medium bore.......423 and up large bore.

Yeah, that.

 

[Chappy]

I'd say once you start getting up into the really big .338 Mags (Lapua, RUM, Edge, Allen, WBY etc. etc.), that's when you could consider that a big gun around here. But then again a lot of those bigger guns are built for knocking an elk on his butt the next mountain over. ;D

 

[CSM19Z5M]

That's a tough question without a correct answer. I have had just about every bore size from .17 through .338 at one time or another. Still have a bunch of them. I found over the years that I went bigger and bigger and then came back down to a happy norm, at least for me. I hunt deer and elk out west and settled on the 7mm Rem Mag. I really like my 300 Win Mag a lot too but it is a little harder on the body. But that's what I use when hunting locations where the shots will be at extended ranges. I have a nice 300 Weatherby too but it is just over kill in my judgment and haven't shot it in years. The hard recoiling guns affect your accuracy, even with a brake. And I don't care for brakes. So I guess if you consider it to have excessive recoil or perhaps energy in excess of what is needed for your particular quarry then it is a big gun. Darn, I over-thought that question I guess.

 

[people]

If your rifle recoils too much with a brake you need a better brake.

That's a tough question without a correct answer. I have had just about every bore size from .17 through .338 at one time or another. Still have a bunch of them. I found over the years that I went bigger and bigger and then came back down to a happy norm, at least for me. I hunt deer and elk out west and settled on the 7mm Rem Mag. I really like my 300 Win Mag a lot too but it is a little harder on the body. But that's what I use when hunting locations where the shots will be at extended ranges. I have a nice 300 Weatherby too but it is just over kill in my judgment and haven't shot it in years. The hard recoiling guns affect your accuracy, even with a brake. And I don't care for brakes. So I guess if you consider it to have excessive recoil or perhaps energy in excess of what is needed for your particular quarry then it is a big gun. Darn, I over-thought that question I guess.

 

[Chanse301]

I should refine it by adding, "for the game in your area". Biggest critter in my location are Bear, but most hunt Whitetail. Barlow

30-06 and .308 seem to be what I was raised as "big cartridges", but my father tells me he once had a 300 win mag that he absolutely loved tho. He said that thing was a like shooting a laser lol.

i was raised in eastern washington, where brown bear/elk bout the biggest round here. That being said, I was always into varmint shooting, so I never really looked into bigger rounds than my .223. Just now startin to look for something I can plink with long range, and the old man can take hunting. Prob gonna go with either a 308 or a 300 wsm. We'll see! lol