Cartridges that killed the most game list

[GSPV]

If the shooter can put the right bullet in the right place, there will be a good result.

If either shot placement or terminal performance is inadequate, there will not be a good result.

So, the rifle needs to be sighted in. Lots of people don't know they need to, don't know how to or don't bother to.

The shooter needs to practice. I'd like to see more practice on life-size targets at unknown ranges, but that's not very practical.

Shot selection is important. Lots of people either don't know in the first place where to shoot their game or they lose their heads on the moment. I have a friend that falls in the latter category. He shot through brush at a big deer this past weekend. Said that he missed clean. Maybe...maybe not and that big deer is gut shot. I had another friend, an experienced hunter, shoot an elk with a 7 Rem Mag at 30 yards. Quartering on. Tracked it four miles and lost it. I think that he hit one lung.

The bullet needs to be selected for the game. How many goombahs are there out there shooting FMJ ammo through an SKS or AK? A bunch.

Yadda, yadda. Put the right pill where the pain is, gentlemen. That's the the issue. Sounds easy. In the heat of the moment, it often isn't.

 

[people]

The bullet needs to be selected for the game. How many goombahs are there out there shooting FMJ ammo through an SKS or AK? A bunch.

Yes a bunch do. Heck even more shoot the HP wolf or what ever they are called this week and think it is a real working HP bullet.

Now the FMJ that comes from gov 5.45 ammo is top notch deer killing ammo. Works great on coyotes also.

I would also like to see a shooting test for big game up here in ND.

 

[dvraa]

The 45/70, think of the old buffalo herds alone.

 

[DShortt]

Personally, it's been a .22lr for small game and a .308WIN for large game. It's what I had when I hunted a lot.

 

[Adam in WI]

This thread is old enough to have killed a few head

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Definitely the 12 gauge. More game birds have fallen to this cartridge than all of the others combined.

 

[ogre1911]

This thread is old enough to have killed a few head

Yeah, without paying attention I thumbs upped a 30-30 post from 11 yrs ago. Better late than never?

 

[john 800]

Definitely the 12 gauge. More game birds have fallen to this cartridge than all of the others combined.

I cant believe it took 11 years for someone to say that! Especially after you factor in deer taken with slugs

 

[charlie b]

Decent question with no answer.

No one can even guess at the number of game taken. How many are poached every year vs legal? Many countries there was little control on hunting, especially before 1950. Buffalo (Bison) hunting was an issue in the US for a few years, but if you look at total numbers it pales in comparison to legal deer hunting in the US over the last hundred years. The numbers are huge and cartridge is highly dependent on region and era.

 

[K22]

Here in the East, it was the 30-30 followed by the 30-06, but things may have changed since this survey was done years ago by PA Sportsman's News.

 

[DogBuster]

America

I’d say 30-30

45 Colt

45-70

30-06 of course

 

[Davers]

.44-40 WCF
.30-30 Win.
.30-06 Springfield
.308 Win.

 

[JFrank]

Google Search

 

[Oso]

I was just about to reread the OP to see if it specified rifle because…12Ga ?!

C.E.Smith read my mind

 

[AWS]

Me the 303, at one time the sun never set on the British empire. It fed armies and empire builder around the world.

 

[Jack O'Connor]

Seems like the most popular rifle within my part of rural northern Florida for hunting deer and wild hogs is a 30-30 carbine. Jack

 

[kochie]

I would say the 30-30.

NYH1.

30 30

 

[mike mccormick]

I just don't see the 30-30 being number 1 on that list. Not with how old the 30-06 is and given the fact that in many areas, the 30-30 came out when many game populations were relatively low.

30-30 predates the 30-06

 

[Rockchuck]

22 long rifle by far

 

[Mr. Ten-X]

30-30 is number one and 30/06 is number two as far as big game kills are concerned. Remember, the 30-30 had a big head start because the 30/06 didn't exist until 1906, but wasn't commercially available to hunters until after WWI (about 1920).

The 30-30 was available commecially in 1895. Would I use it for deer, black bear or elk? Withing reasonable distances. Moose, no....

When I was a Winchester/USRAC sales rep in the early 90s, the top selling rifles, in order, were: #1-30/06, #2-270Win and #3-300WM.