Size

[JimT]

2.JPG

1.JPG

Imagine how many arguments, discussions, magazine articles and internet fights have occurred over the few thousands of an inch between all these.

[Bill in Oregon]

We must have our requisite doses of silliness, Jim, lest we sour out.
I am well-placed to enter one of these arguments having just acquired a 1917 in 6.5-06. I know this cartridge to be superior to the .25-06 and the .270 in every way. Just don't ask me how I know!

[piller]

How much deader is the deer, pig, or whatever, with those few thousandths and a little more or less weight and velocity?

The only one I don't have is a .41 Mag. Just never got around to getting one.
.480 also muddies the water. Is a deer less dead after getting killed with a .480 Achilles versus a .44 Mag? Maybe one of our members can explain dead versus deader and deadest.

[3leggedturtle]

A few i heard:

170gr has way more knock down power than the 150gr in 30/30.

32 Win Special is way more powerful than 30/30..

150 gr in .270 Win bucks brush better than the 130gr.

YMMV, todd/3leg

[piller]

Todd, that pretty much goes along with what I sometimes hear.

[Ray Newman]

I've heard it said the 30 WCF is barely adequate for deer at 100 yds, but a 30 Herrett will easily kill a moose....

[AJMD429]

Yeah, I love the folks who say that the 0.312" is superior to the 0.308" due to a larger bleed-hole, or even a 0.452" versus a 0.430"... Ever try to take a deer hide and measure a hole with 0.02" precision, much less 0.004" precision...??? Laughable.

But it gives us something to talk about...

If there is a difference, it is likely that some of the bullet designs have wider meplats, but that isn't due to the tiny difference in overall bullet diameter, more likely conventions in bullet design for the more common cartridges in the various calibers.

[piller]

While velocity has an effect, in handgun calibers I don't see that there is enough difference in most hunting loads to make a big difference. Besides, large, heavy for caliber, moderate velocity loads still work. A 158 grain .357 still kills deer dead without ruining meat. How dead do you need?

[Grizz]

depends on where you hunt. if you share the woods with an apex predator that can bite your head off, or sit on you and eat your guts while you are screaming in agony, and you are tip toeing past a fresh bear den, and you look at the little tiny hole in the end of the barrel, and remember the size and shape and structural info about the sleeper in the den, you might reconsider the purpose of the gun. otherwise i could just kill deer with 22lr and stop wasting powder and lead on the little critters we eat.

[piller]

The apex predators around here are coyotes. Big difference in them and coastal grizzlies. Big, big difference.

[Grizz]

yup. it's a context thing. for coyotes people want something that can reach way way out there. I don't care what happens outside of a hundred yards. I've maybe never shot a deer that far away. I just want to own everything out to 50 yards and I'm happy with that.

when I tip-toed past the fresh bear den I was carrying a 338 win mag.. it could ruin venison with the wrong angle shot, but was not a great bear stopper either. bullets were too frangible back in those days... OTOH the 525gr BTB going 1400 fps from the guide gun should penetrate any size bear from any angle and reach vitals from any direction through any bone structure. mind you, no bears have volunteered to cooperate with my research on the subject.

[shasta_steve]

We must have our requisite doses of silliness, Jim, lest we sour out.
I am well-placed to enter one of these arguments having just acquired a 1917 in 6.5-06. I know this cartridge to be superior to the .25-06 and the .270 in every way. Just don't ask me how I know!

I recently acquired a 1917 in 25-06 and can assure you that the 25-06 is the greatest deer rifle on the planet.

[Blaine]

I'll have you know that it's the camo pants/jacket that does the killing.

[Catshooter]

Guys! If it says Super Dooper Whiz Bang Magnum in the caliber, then it's all good. If not it's obsolete junk. Y'all are gunnies, you should know that. Sheesh!


Cat

[Scott Tschirhart]

I've been told that size doesn't really matter, but I am suspicious that it was more about not hurting my feelings.

I may have to get a lift kit for the Jeep and really big tires!

[Bill in Oregon]

We must have our requisite doses of silliness, Jim, lest we sour out.
I am well-placed to enter one of these arguments having just acquired a 1917 in 6.5-06. I know this cartridge to be superior to the .25-06 and the .270 in every way. Just don't ask me how I know!

I recently acquired a 1917 in 25-06 and can assure you that the 25-06 is the greatest deer rifle on the planet.

My friend, I must gently inform you that you are full of prunes, as the 6.5-06 carries so much more freight than your little .25.

[piller]

Now, now! We all know that that new whiz-bang 6.5 Creedmore is the best cartridge ever. I heard that it knocks elephant over and skins them, quarters them, and even separates the meat into equal size piles with 1 shot at 5 million feet.

[black river smith]

Yeah, I love the folks who say that the 0.312" is superior to the 0.308" due to a larger bleed-hole, or even a 0.452" versus a 0.430"... Ever try to take a deer hide and measure a hole with 0.02" precision, much less 0.004" precision...??? Laughable.

I am an analytical person by nature and education. I REALLY like your analogy and argument. It fits my mindset.

I have different calibers for different uses and desires. All will basically do the same thing under the right conditions.

[mickbr]

Jim, curse photos like that, , I start thinking about a 44 mag lever gun again. I have talked myself out of it several times being a minimalist. But my 357 does look awful small next to those big ole bullets on the other end. Maybe I do need a 44 after all. Now if someone could tell me definitively a 44 mag soft cast or expanding JHP kills a lot better subsonic than a 357 bullet I would take the plunge..

[Scott Tschirhart]

Having shot a lot of critters with both. I think a heavier bigger bullet kills better at a given velocity. For example, a .357 at 900 feet per second is not the same as a .454 at 900 feet per second. Bullet shape and composition matters too.

However, a .357 is pretty deadly when you push it hard. Most of what I shoot are pistols and revolvers. I can handle a full house .357 in almost any circumstance.

I have some difficulty shooting a full house .44 magnum well unless I am really in practice. These days I don't really want to work that hard. So, I shoot a lot of .44 Special through my .44 magnum revolvers.

[Scott Tschirhart]

But I am almost always armed with a .357 revolver. So I do get to shoot a lot of targets of opportunity with it.

I probably could have killed this pig with a .22 but the .357 makes a very impressive entry wound.

[Catshooter]

Nice pistol & pig Scott.


Cat