@CCH-R .243 slug, .264 slug and .308 slug. Sounds closer to the 243 and due to limitations on weight I would hesitate to say it is in the 308 class on bigger game. On deer, 308 is a bit overkill inside 400 yards while the others are not. I do understand this is all opinion, and no one is obligated to agree.
I’ve recently switched to a 16” 6.5 Grendel AR platform I put together to be as light as affordably possible. Ended up with about a 6.5-7lbs bare rifle, shooting Hornady SST’s. 1000 ft lbs out to 400 yards, and with a simple BCM compensator it’s as soft shooting as a 223 AR, incredibly versatile deer and other medium game gun!
My go to deer rifle for the last 10 years is a 6.5 Grendel with 120 grain federal fusion, 115 grain Barnes t-tsx and 100gn nosler bt. I used a 270win all my life until I came across the Grendel. But I’m no dummy and know the limits and if I were hunting something bigger are longer than 200-300yds I’d probably grab the old 270 or 30.06
You just keep improving Guy. What a smorgasboard of information for the viewers. You are right, so many choices for deer hunters.....Short, long, brush, open....there's a solution for that mid-size game of deer and antelope, etc. Please keep up the fine content.
I chose the 308 Winchester for my one do it all go anywhere cartridge. I like the ballistics plus the long barrel life that I get. Just replaced the barrel after over 10K rounds through it-it would still hold a minute of angle but the throat was getting so long that I couldn't fit my handloaded rounds into the magazine. Bought a Krieger barrel and had the smith blueprint the action. It's now a quarter minute rifle with match ammo and well under 1 MOA with hunting ammunition. 165 grain boat tailed Sierra Game Kings do a great job. Can't ask for more.
Great video Guy. This past season I used my 25-06 while here at home for deer and my 270 WSM when down in CO. I did pack my 7 mag for an elk hunt here at home for a couple of days but switched to my 8x57 with a 185 gr when I went into the black timber where I knew my shots would be close and fast. Lucky for the elk none were seen.
In doing my research, I chose a .243 due to the wide factory ammo selection (not reloading yet, but there's a reason why I've watched a number of your videos and read content on the website) and the flat shooting characteristics of the cartridge as it would relate to shot placement. Plus it can also be used for varmint control if need be.
Hey Guy, I’m using: 1) 270WIN with 129gr LRX for deer hunting in the field with a long flat MPBR 2) 7mm-08 with 150gr ELDX for my youngest son high volume target training rifle and deer hunting. 3) 308WIN Browning BLR with 150gr TTSX for tree stand and bush hunting deer. I am very fond of hunting with a flat trajectory and long MPBR… but without excessive recoil… for this I chose the 270WIN but I think the 6.5PRC is equally excellent for this purpose.
Guy, .Sierra 165 gr sbt .308, around 2700 fps. And you'll probably disown me, but also a handy sks with wolf hollow points. Within 50 yards. A good s- kicker rifle..
I've owned many firearms in my life time and reloaded about all of them .my all time 3 favorites are 22mag, 22- 250 and my scoped 6 5× 55 Swedish Mauser . in my experience before all the new 6.5 calibers came out I knew the 6.5 dia bullets were the ultimate deer hunting bullets. mine with sierra 140 gr psp at 2537 fps will do all I need from deer to black bear. a gun writer probably over 30 years ago at that time had taken 13 Alaskan brown bears with a 6.5× 55 Mauser carbine. I would want something bigger. my rifle was cronygraphed with 5 shot 2537fps with only 37fps difference in my reloads. Papa wishing you well 😊
300 Blackout does the job for me. All my shots are typically less than 200 yards. Virtually no recoil in an AR platform. 125 gr Hornady SST or Sierra TGK is extremely effective.
I’ve been wondering how many people are currently using 300blk for deer. It has become really popular, but I never hear anyone mention it when talking about hunting.
@@kyos2000 to be honest, it works but I have trouble with pass through. Never lost a deer. But I've been fortunate to have good shot placement. Probably going to be building a 350 Legend upper for next season and developing a load for it. I think it will have better expansion than the 300BO in deer.
@@kyos2000 People knock it down because the lack of expansion on the larger grain loads (i.e. 150 grain and higher), but truth be told, with a 16" barrel the bullet is moving north of 2000 feet/sec more than enough to cavitate a lung and completely disable any game animal. I have an 8.5" pistol that will send 110 grain loads at about 2100 feet/sec. Who cares if they expand in the chest of the deer? Those lungs will be liquified, trust me. Now add a suppressor and it's as pleasant as hunting with black powder. Where is gets dicey is if you shoot 200grain loads. Now you're hunting with a silent 45 acp so you better place the shot.
Word of warning about 6 Dasher for anyone looking into it. Throat erosion is a big downside to this otherwise awesome cartridge. You'll usually start noticing it after 4-500rds. I know some guys wont put that many through their game rifle, but I practice with the rifle I hunt with, so new barrels are necessary after a couple years.
Nice video. In the lower recoil list you brought up .223, sweet cartridge. What about 6.5 Grendel? Carries further with more energy without much recoil. Just wondering.
If you'll do a search, I've done a couple of loading projects here on Ultimate Reloader for the 25-06. Haven't yet done anything for the 270 Winchester. Great cartridges!
I think of John Krause when I watch this video. He loved his Swede and his 257 Roberts, “Bob” He loaded Bob with a 120 grain bullet going barely 2500 FPS I believe. Worked just fine for his Whitetails in Chewelah. I still miss that guy…
About the 30-06 and recoil, I know you can compensate with lighter bullets but I'm finding the newer soft cell butt pads are also more than enough to dampen the punch of a 30--06. I have a budget, entry level Savage Axis in 30-06 and I can shoot 180gr bullets out of it all day long, and I'm over the age of 55, so the opinion is not coming from a young man's shoulder. My favorite factory load is Sako Super Hammerhead in 180gr, which has a MV of 2690fps. Excellent for short to medium range shots, which is what I hunt most often.
I have 2 pre 64 winchester model 70 jack O CONNER SIGNATURE RIFLE’s in 270 wincher I inherited from my dad who was friends with jack and did some gun smithing for him. One I hunt with and the other one has never been fired and is a safe queen. My rifle shoots sub moa with just about any ammo. I hand load nosler 140 grain partition bullets for woods and hornady sst 140 grain for when I go out west antelope hunting.
Wife uses 6.5 creedmoor, 4 rounds 4 deer. I’m a 270 guy, taken tons of game literally! Great video!! I truly appreciate shot placement…that’s where it’s at!!!
Great video for deer I use cross bow or compound bow,50 cal muzzle loader,308 win,300 win mag,7mm-08 as of now.I use to use 30-06,300 wsm and 270 win. I did notice y’all didnt mention a few .264 caliber cartridge that I know is a great deer and pronghorn cartridge and that’s the 6.5x47 and 6.5x284 and 26 nosler also what about the 27 nosler or any of the nosler cartridges. I like all the cartridges in .284 and 308 caliber cartridges y’all talked about.thanks again for the great video God bless
After watching this I really enjoy Guy and the videos he’s been putting out. I feel like the older cartridges get pushed away anymore. I went into a big box chain gun store and they didn’t have one 30-06. 3/4 of the rifles on the shelf were 6.5 creeds and the rest were 350 legend and 450 bushmasters. 25-06 is also a favorite of mine and my 257 weatherby.
Agreed, I just bought a 30.06 from a dealer 1963 savage 110 excellent rifle shot very little gave new cheap savage price for controlled rifle feed with walnut stock like new. My choice.
I can't get enough of the information on this channel, Gavin is overwhelmed myself with thoughts. I can absolutely connect with Guy and his procedures and thinking. I still use my 25-06, if I loan a rifle to a friend to use its this one, the response is always, is this rifle for sale. That being said I'm currently assembling a 22 GT for varminting and culling whitetails here in South Texas. Excellent videos and topics. Thank You
Thank you! Ya, I really like my 25-06... Light recoil, flat trajectory, lethal. Your 22 GT project seems worthwhile and fun. Umm, stand by for a Ultimate Reloader video with the 22 GT sometime fairly soon.
I’ve started using the 300 Hamr. No recoil of note, a better 30-30 with accuracy that you could never get out of a lever action. But a reloaders cartridge for sure.
I live in eastern NC and have taken countless deer, a few hogs in SC, and the only black bear ive ever killed (300lbs) with a Rem 700 243 WIN with various 100gr bullets mostly 100gr hornady interlock over IMR4350. Ive never felt under gunned.
You weren’t undergunned. There’s an old eskimo who does proxy moose hunts out of Eureka and he knocks them down at extended ranges with a .243 Not on my list of choices in grizzly country but I’m quite impressed with his results.
My wife shoots a heavy 30-'06 rifle (03A3) with 180gr bullets, but driven to only around 2,500fps with H4895 handloads. Reasonable recoil and suitable bullet for anything from whitetail to elk. I'm really surprised you didn't list the Nosler Partition for folks handloading reduced velocity, lower-recoil loads. It's absolutely one of the best for this purpose, because of how well it still expands at lower velocities, without coming apart. It's at the top of my list, anyway! :) I use a 270 Winchester with 140gr AB's driven to around 2,800fps. I've also used a 6.5JDJ, which uses 120gr bullets at about 2,300fps. Both work well, at the right distances.
Have been using a 7mm br, loaded to 2550 fps and a 139 grain interlock. Works great out to about 300 yards. Using an 8.5 twist in a rifle. Almost no recoil, 4 shots at 100 yds & you can cover it with a dime.
Deer don't take a lot of killing, my favorite cartridge is the 270 but I tore my rotator cuff and it was more than uncomfortable to shoot. I borrowed my sons Tikka T3 in 6.5 Creedmoor and couldn't believe the accuracy and performance. I went out and bought a Savage AXIS XP in 6.5 Creed and it's my main rifle now. I did notice the ballistics between the 270 with 140's and the 6.5 Creed with 143's are very close. I have hunted with a 7mm/08 and not only is it light recoiling but it was very accurate also, IMHO it might be the perfect deer cartridge. If you live out West a 270 or 25/06 might serve you better, I've owned both and they are excellent performers at extended ranges but you do have to deal with more recoil. Any of the former cartridges will work fine for deer and black bear, larger calibers IMHO aren't needed and you'll have less meat damage.
Those torn rotator cuff’s are not pleasant. I had muzzle brakes installed on two rifles afterwards, and they are pleasant to shoot now. The down side is the additional noise.
I tore my rotator cuff in August, had surgery in October and going through PT now only 2 weeks in. How many months would you say before you can comfortably shoot again? I have a 12 gauge for trap shooting and bird hunting, but also have a .243 Win and .30-30 both easier on the shoulder.
I’ve hunted in Hawaii with a 300 WM for the last 25 years. The recoil and noise of the 300 WM is not as cool as it used to be. I have transitioned to the 6.5 CM and love it! The only regret I have is that I should’ve switched a long time ago. My 300 WM is now relegated to back of my gun safe. All hail the 6.5 CM! 🙌🏼
Pastor Harold Kilborn has said the hogs get big on Kauai Island. I understand that he hunts them on the regular with his sons. Hang loose brah, we snorkel po’ipu ya?
In Illinois you can only use shotgun slug or revolver over 30 caliber pistol, single shot pistol. No rifle tapered case cartridge allowed. Of course muzzle loader in that specific season as well at bow in that season.
I know a guy that used a .41 mag for black tail, back in the day of center fire pistol (OR) he sold me his aim point when he stopped using it. .270 for me, 130 gr for deer, 150 elk. Granddad used to say, if you can’t kill it with a 06’ you’ve got no business hunting’ it.
He made a good point. Dad told me that the 30-06 was all the rifle I'd ever need. I've used a lot of different hunting cartridges, but the 30-06 does just fine.
I started out as an 11 year old kid with a Marlin 336 in .30-30. After 47 seasons of hunting, I'm back to using that same Marlin 336 that I've had since 1976. I use the Hornady FTX 160 grain bullet, I get an average muzzle velocity of 2,380 fps and muzzle energy of 2,013 ft/lbs. At 100 yards, velocity is 2176 and energy is 1683 ft/lns Ar 200 yards, velocity is 1983 and energy is 1397 ft/lbs At 300 yards, velocity is 1801 and energy is 1152 ft/lbs. In calibrated 10% ballistics gel, the bullets expand to 2X shank diamter and penetrate in the 24" to 26" range at that distance. 300 yards is as far as I care to try to shoot game, no matter what I'm armed with. In 47 seasons of hunting the wide open spaces of the wide open west, the longest shot I've ever made on game was 278 yards. I made the longest shot on an elk that I've ever taken thus far with this load. One shot was all that was required. I wouldn't have been able to get away with using just the .30-30 prior to 2006, but since LVR powder and the "gummy tip" bullets becamse available, I can. The 400 yard numbers demonstrate how different a modern .30-30 load can be versus a traditional one. At 400 yards, my current load still has 1631 fps, which is right on its velocity threshold for reliable expansion, and it is hitting with 945 ft/lbs of energy. That's about what my old 170 grain Speer Hot Core load did at 200 yards.
@@biblejohn4681 I have used the Nosler Partition bullet in the .30-30 in the past but it didn't seem to do anything in terms of terminal ballistics that standard "cup and core" bullets don't do at .30-30 velocities. I primarily used once-fired Dominion brass back then, CCI primers, and probably worked up to a max load of IMR-3031 when I did it. If I were to do it now, the only powder I'd personally use is Hodgdon LeverEvolution. But in all honesty, I wouldn't do it. The Hornady 160 grain FTX bullet has worked very well for me on game and its .330 BC allows it to retain more velocity and thus more energy downrange. Last year, I took the longest shot on an elk that I've ever taken in my life using the 160 grain FTX at 178 yards. Back in 2006, I used the factory LeverEvolution load to shoot a pronghorn at 148 yards. I can't count the number of feral pigs I've killed with that bullet but it would be in the hundreds by now. Sorry I can't be more help, but if I felt I needed to use Partition bullets in a .30-30, I'd look for data using "LVR" powder to push them. P.S. to add: In stock form, my 336 was a solid 2.5 MOA gun with pretty much any jacketed-bullet load I shot out of it. The Partitons were no better or worse. In 2006, I did a half-magazine conversion to my 336 and that got it grouping 1.25 MOA or better. Formerly, groups were characterized by significant vertical stringing. Going to the "button style" half-length magazine totally cured that problem. A .30-30, even when shooting at 2,380 fps, like my 160 grain FTX load does out of my rifle, doesn't have enough impact velocity to have serious weight retention problems with standard "cup and core" bullets and realizing that is why I stopped using them. I thought they were essential in my .270 until Barnes monometal bullets came out. But in a .30-30? I don't think so.
My brother and I always take 2 rifles each with a couple different loads for each rifle because we find ourselves in different types of terrain. Here are the details of the deer loads... 243win. 85 gr BTHP Sierra Gameking @ 3,290 fps out to 400 yards and 100 gr Sierra Semi-spitzer @ 3,030 fps.for close range (22"bbl) 7mm08. 140 VLD Hunting for longer range and 139 Interlock @ 2,770 fps. (22"bbl). 6.72x39 (SKS rifle) 123 gr Interlock @ 2,420 fps. (20"bbl) for close range. 300 winmag. 130 TTSX @ 3,550 fps (24"bbl) for stupid flat trajectory.
6.5 grendel has started becoming popular in my area (middle of NC). its close to .243. recoil is a little more than 5.56 but not by a large amount. while still being plenty of lethal with ELD match 123gr @ 2500ish out of my 20inch build. shoots flat and hits hard at about 1400ftlbs at 140ish yards (my common hunting range). The price isn't bad when reloading and getting a build is fairly cheap besides you pick of glass. Got a high end fluted barrel for a good price and some ar-15 parts for cheap and you can get yourself a good rifle that doesn't break the bank.
Depends on were your hunting.. I hunt wide open country with extreme winds and very large body deer and potentially elk. Very hard to get closer than 500-600 yards some days. 30-378 Weatherby 220gr eldx for me. 3100fps
450 bushmaster, 30-378 weatherby 28 nosler and my lite weight 7mm-08 rem or 220 swift 257 weatherby and 240 weatherby for big heavier hitters a 338-378 weatherby for bull elk and I’ve grown fond of the 300 wsm
I’ve been using 7-08 sine 2011. Never had a deer walk away from it. I will mention though that I used some match bullets this year and that is a bad idea, the hornady Amax explodes on contact. The hydrostatic shock is unreal, and uneccasary. I watched a recent video from this channel suggesting that match could be a good choice after testing on ballistic gel. I would reconsider that unless you like bits of bullet in the meat, no blood trail and a soupy mess to dump out of the carcass during field dressing. I won’t be using them on game again.
Seems like you and I both prefer to use hunting bullets for hunting. It's been a while since we shot a match bullet into gel blocks. Which one did you see?
The test was between eld match and eld x. It may have been an older video, I scrolled through your videos a little ways and didn’t see it. I’m new to watching this channel. I’ve enjoyed what I e seen so far.
Ah yes. Couple of years ago. I do know guys who've had great success with the ELD-M's and hunting, but... For me - if the ELD-X shoots so well, and performs a little better on game, it seems like a good choice.
I had read in multiple forums that the amax worked well on deer. It stones them for sure but if you had to track them you would need a dog. I haven’t used the eld-m, sounds like it is built to not separate. The amax is 1/2 Moa with h4350, I’ll be trying the eld-x soon and I hope it is as accurate.
308 165 gr. Sierra GameKing or Speer HotCore. Reduce load at 2520 fps from a 22” barrel. One hole 3 shot 100-yds mild recoil great followup on a bolt action and watching impact. Southeastern PA heavy hardwood and brush, 25-90 yds.
Probably has a lot to do with the US fighting 2 world wars with it. The men who served with the 30-06 came home to a ton of surplus 30-06 rifles and ammo. I think after that huge boost, it's just kinda been what Dad used so everyone knew of it and it's performance. So it became the gold standard.
As stated below a lot of servicemen returning form WWII had been trained on and extensively fired the cartridge. My great grandfather was a mortarman in ww2 and after returning back home after the war he took great interest in reloading his own ammo and bought a Remington Model 721 sometimes in the early 50s. I assume he enjoyed using the caliber just out of familiarity with the cartridge and he knew how to dial in his hand loads for that round and gun. Im hunting with that rifle to this day shooting some of his last hand loads he made for that rifle back in 96. The gun is a tack driver with a 150 grain nosler ballistic tip, it hadnt been sighted in in over 25 years until this past week when I took it to the range and shot a decent grouping at 100 yards with it, it was shooting an inch high just like he had wrote on the reload notes.
@@austinhall5933 I didn’t really think about that when I posted. It makes sense. It’s so common that I don’t think the average hunter or newbie realizes just how big of a round it is. Overkill for most deer hunting situations.
Nice video...gave me reason to consider. I started, as a kid, with a .30-06 as my all-around single rifle. For deer and pronghorns I used a 150 grain bullet, whereas for elk I would use 180-200 grain bullets. When I got married, and my wife wanted to join me in hunting, I bought her a .243 for deer and pronghorns. She eventually joined me in elk hunting and used a .30-06. About 20 years ago, I started using a .243 for deer and pronghorns, for the simple fact it was lighter for my old body to carry. These days, I need to rethink my elk rifle as that old .30-06 felt really heavy this past season. Maybe go back to the single, all-around gun with something like a .308. Thanks for the great video!
The 243 will work.. My grandpa used to hunt elk with a 25 35 winchester he always killed them withe 1 shot. But he never took a shot over 150 yards.. then he switched to a 25-06 which extended the range. I can attest speed kills.
Awesome 👏 breakdown and overview of the topic there Guy. One can really appreciate this information. The only ones that I might add to the 277 lineup is the .270 WSM and possibly the 27 Nosler (I will have to check out the recoil for the Nosler cartridges, because I know they are HOT). My cousin loved his 270 WSM. As for me my two rifle battery is a 270 Win with 130 Grain Nosler BTs and my 300 WSM that I bought in 2019 as my elk and mule deer 🦌 western hunting gun. Plus it gave me another good cartridge to tinker with.
@TheWVgoodguy I bought my .270 WSM back in 2008 ish. I love that gun it is my go to white tail hunting gun. I have shot both the .270 and the .270 WSM and thee WSM's have a slower less sharp recoil. I currently load my own ammo as you can no longer get pre loaded ammo for the WSM line. I load 150 gr Sierra Game kings and with good shot placment I have never had to walk far to find my game.
@@digitalvalhalla5898 that’s good to hear about your 270 WSM. I like my 300 WSM and definitely have to now start reloading. I haven’t seen factory ammo for it in 2-3 years
As I got started in the metallic cartridge reloading. I contacted Sierra Match Kings are not for game. Paper punching only. Not to say you can't kill something with it.
Ya, Sierra doesn't recommend their MatchKings for hunting. I know some people who have used them, with mixed results. I've had such great results from Sierra's Game King soft point hunting bullets that I was never tempted to try their Match bullets on game. Some other match bullets work out real well for hunting. The whole Berger VLD story, of how it became a hunting bullet is pretty interesting. I've shot three mule deer with it at about 170, 230 and 400 yards. All were instant drops, excellent bullet performance.
Really appreciate all that you guys do. I would like to see some videos on safely downloading the harder recoiling rifles, such as from 7mm magnum to 7/08 or 300 win to 308. Ive heard that this can be done, but heard more about not doing it because it could be dangerous. There are so many stories out there that it is hard to tell the difference between wisdom and old wive's tales.
I'm remember a gun writer with guns and ammo over 25 years ago doing a article on the 6.6x55 Swedish Mauser went to a European country on a hunt.his guide put a range finder on a nice red elk 275yds.shot and elk took five steps and dropped. his guide said you yanks are a bit overkill. the writer ask why. the guide said I just killed that elk 275yds one shot and you yanks think you have to have a magnum rifle to kill a 150 lb deer.a lot of truth in that statement. papa wishing you well. 😊
On Hornady bullets, why would one choose a SST vs an Interlock soft point ? Is it due to bc or cost ? Maybe one shoots better in your rifle vs the other? I know the CX is all copper, legal in Comifornia. ELDX is for the maximum bc and long range I presume.
SST used to be very soft, maybe too soft. It's been improved. Folks like it for the higher BC. Honestly, the "old fashioned" interlock soft point is a great hunting bullet...
On a pronghorn hunt with my son we both shot lighter rifles, my son was shooting his 7-08 with a 140 Berger and took his buck at about 250 yds and I was shooting my 6.5CM with a 130 Berger and shot my buck at 430. Both were very effective and I didn't hear any complaints from the animal about not using enough gun.😂😂
interesting that you failed to mention straight wall cartridges popular in straight wall only states...thousands of hunters every year take to the woods with cartridges such as .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster. We even have .400 Legend out this past year.
@@guyminer3168 sure, but .350 legend and .450 Bushmaster dominate the conversation in straight wall states. Failing to mention them is a bit of an odd choice.
You 'pushed' the 30-06 to elk? You can't get a better cartridge for elk, it will do anything a 7mm mag will do and better for a handloader and 7mm mag was designed around the parameter of being able to cleanly take the biggest bull elk out to 700 yards... The 30-06 is still the most common round for moose hunters in Alaska...and probably elk hunters in the rockies where i live and hunt. I've taken elk with both the 7mm and 30-06 and use them interchangeably every year for many years. Bullet selection is the most important consideration when considering elk... I've seen elk dropped right there with 243's and elk get away after good hits from 300 win mags...all because of proper or poor bullet selection. Anyway, i see people underestimate the 30-06 all the time and youtube gun experts downtalk it, which just shows total ignorance on the subject matter... There are a lot of ''experts'' with a video camera and youtube channel, but you cannot argue with the millions of elk, moose, african antelope, elephants, cape buffalo, water buffalo, american bison, deer, red stags, etc the world over that it has taken for almost 120 years...
I shot a fork WT last week at 75 yds with a single shot 300 WM using barnes 165 gr. Through both lungs but not heart or spine. Ran 100 yds into thick trees and took some time to find. Likely would been the same with a 6.5 or 270 or whatever. I think a hole is a hole and the difference is when you hit a big bone which is not the goal of a good shot.
Don't deer hunt anymore, but the old 30-30 with factory ammo always got the job done...a long shot was 75-80 yards, many taken within 30-40 yards...it is all about your location, and on the eastern side of the country close range is the norm...now if I lived out west I'd have to find more range, but I would try to avoid turning the whole discussion into rocket science...the arguments will continue forever...
Ya, I surely do enjoy hunting with my 30-30 or even the 45-70, but I don't do so very often. Tend to hunt pretty open country where a 200 - 400 yard shot is pretty normal.
@@guyminer3168 good deal...I've gotten so old I can't see that far, lol...but I completely understand the need for flat shooting out west, as opposed to the brushy east where I am...
I don't mean for this to sound disrespectful but in my experience as a Saskatchewan resident, Americans that come to shoot our giant whitetails tend to use cannons. I'm not sure if they're just horrible shots and need a rifle that will kill even with a bad shot or is the cannon making them into a bad shot. Either way I haven't seen many Americans that are good shots. Don't get me wrong. I know lots of Canadians that can't shoot for shit either haha. But any of those smaller calibers drop our huge deer effortlessly. Shot placement is king. Great video!
I may try 300 blk this year. Another channel has tested a few 300 blk loads and believe it or not, terminally, it compares favorably to 243 win. Maybe you and Gavin should make an “AR Hunting Cartridges Shootout” video 🤐
If you want to compare those two, I personally think it’s a wrong comparison. Now .300blk vs 30-30, would definitely agree. Especially when you consider the amount of drop. The .243win has minimal drop when compared to a .300blk.
@@bertpulaski2492 yeah as far as retained velocity at distance it’s no comparison but this test was done at 100 yards and the permanent cavities and the “shock” on the block if you will looked indistinguishable. Not so at 200 I’m sure but at 100 and in I was very surprised.
@@K-bob_45 the video title is deer rifles. So down to distance. the best distance is going to be 6mm arc for trajectory but the Grendel with the heavier bullet edges it out with the heavier bullets for deer size game. If you start splitting hairs with different bullets then the Grendel can compete with the option of lighter factory bullet weight options also.
My friends' brother in law always used a Weatherby in .300 Ackley Improved with tamped loads and the heaviest bullets he could stuff in it. Where he hunted it was a miracle to get a shot past 50 yds. That gun wasted a lot of meat and itself. At 4400 fps the barrel was good for maybe 100 rounds before it was shot out. I always used my Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 mag and never wasted any meat. The deer always dropped where they stood. Cool video, thanks much!
@@johnkertzman3223 Don't just call BS on something, look it up. P.O.. Ackley was all about fps and his holy grail was 5000 fps and this was back in the 20s and 30s. Most doubt he hit 5000 but many have pushed his wildcats close. The .300 Ackley improved is the .340 Weatherby magnum case necked down to .30 and the neck fireformed out to that of a 30-06 to get more case capacity. BTW the Polish army had a .30 cal anti tank rifle that shot a copper jacketed steel bolt at 6500 fps that could pierce a Panzer II from front to back at 100 meters but was only good for 15 rounds before throat erosion killed it. Fps is expensive and unless you're trying to knock out a tank isn't really all that necessary.
@@poowg2657 okay I've been handloading for almost 35 years and I can tell you right now you're full of BS! I've shot every 300 Magnum that there is and have chronograph every load that I've handloaded for the last 20 years and no 300 Magnum of any kind will hit 4400 ft per second with any weight of bullet that is suitable for hunting period! And yes I have read P.O. Ackley's books and shoot several Ackley improved cartridges! Don't talk about things you know nothing about!
You are full of it. What is the load he is using? No way the heaviest bullet is going in excess of 4400fps. I am a reloader and I just looked over data before writing this comment and no heavy bullets come close to 4400fps. I do have guns that shoot over 4000 fps 100 rounds before the barrel is shot out is also BS.
In all reality and honesty, a muzzle brake if a good one can tame magnums to less recoil than a 308. The worst thing about a magnum or any cartridge that is more than you need is the damage to the meat. Good shot placement is needed whether shooting the smaller calibers as well as the larger ones because the smaller ones you need a good clean kill in the vitals. With the heavier calibers one needs good shot placement as not to ruin too much meat. Not all muzzle brakes are equal. If one gets one, they need to look for a proven design that reduces recoil to the maximum. They are much more effective with the higher velocity and larger caliber rifles. If used low recoil rifles you can often see the bullet hit the target rather than the rifle jump and lose the view.
There are so many excellent choices for deer rifles and calibers; and I believe there are two primary factors to identify a great rifle and caliber. First: what does one have with them at the time? Second: Is the sighting system up to the task? I love carrying a Winchester Model 1894 in .30 WCF; and a deer has never shown up while I was hunting with it. It has a peep sight that shoots great groups at 100 yards; but in the evenings I want a scope for optimizing my chances in fading light. I harvest most of my deer with a Barnes 300 grain .458 SOCOM TTSX in a .50 caliber muzzleloader. The Trijicon Accupoint that is mounted to the muzzleloader gives me real advantages in clarity and target acquisition. I have too many options for the general firearms season; and it seems more deer are harvested with one .308 Winchester. There is nothing particularly special about the rifle. The Nikon Monarch Gold 30 mm 1.5x6 with a German #4 reticle is special. The large field of view and the excellent reticle help in thick cover and low light. That .308 pushes a 168 grain Barnes TSX hand-load that is quite effective.
These days folks that use factory ammunition are using ammunition that are being downloaded for reliability in semi automatic rifles. Bolt action rifles can be handloaded up to speed that the speeds listed on the box. This is exactly why I never hunt with factory ammunition, cause they don't tell you the jist of it. My preferred bullet is the Sierra pro Hunter bullets. I never shoot past 300 yards anyway and they just plain old work, regardless of caliber.
Hey Guy: So I watched the episode where you loaded up 130 gr ttsx using varget in the 3006. That got the wheels turning for me thankful for you and that content. I tried the 130 ttsx first with imr 8208 br but got erratic velocities I have a lot of it on hand was hoping it would work. I only had about 1/2 pound of varget left so gave it a try. 56.5 grains with 130 ttsx gave me 3265 fps out of a my 24" Kimber. Seating length with the base of the bullet right at the kneck and shoulder with .075 jump to the rifling. Case filled to around 95-98 %. For this load for 5 shots the Es was18 and SD 6.9 I was amazed with these results. This is where it gets weird, accuracy at 100 yrds for 5 shots around 1 1/2", being a little bummed about that I shot 3 shot groups at 200 and 300 yards and was amazed to see the same 1 1/2 groups. ??? A fluke? More testing is needed. This load out of my rifle is 1"high at 50 2 1/2" high at 100 3" high at 200 and 3" low at 300. Recoil is downright pleasant compared to the 180 gr load I used to use. Performance on game this year a coyote at 41 yards simply lights out. 178 lb 8 point whitetail at 140 yards shot through both lungs went 50 yrds, not instant lites out I was hoping for but very pleased with the results. So thank you Guy. Stocking up on 130gr Barnes ttsx and Varget. This is my new deer load.
7mm-08 ridiculously underrated and soft recoiling
And better down range ballistics then a 308
A truly do it all cartridge for everything
They are all underrated.
Great deer round
One of the few standard cartridges I’ve never shot. But it definitely looks like a good choice.
Just took a doe at 108 yards, standing shot with a 16" 6.5 Grendel.
100 gr TTSX @ 2650FPS
Congrats!
Grendel is a great little round.
@@diggernash1 sub 350 yards it's a excellent deer round. Shoots like a 223
Sorry Gavin , this Guy talks to us “regular” guys like your favorite uncle. Keep Uncle Guy around y’all make a great combo. Best channel ever.
Thank you!
I’m a new fan for sure.
@@biblejohn4681 - thanks, Guy.
The .243 and 30-30 can cover anything short of dangerous game. Thanks for an excellent video.
The 6.5CM seems like a 243 with less wind drift.
@@Calaveras32Spcl 6.5 CM has a 140 grain bullet which is much more than the 243/100 grain. It is a different class altogether.
@@Calaveras32Spcl6.5 is in the bigger class then 243. 6.5 is in the 308 class.
@CCH-R .243 slug, .264 slug and .308 slug. Sounds closer to the 243 and due to limitations on weight I would hesitate to say it is in the 308 class on bigger game. On deer, 308 is a bit overkill inside 400 yards while the others are not. I do understand this is all opinion, and no one is obligated to agree.
@@Calaveras32Spcl 6mm Creedmoor is the same diameter as the 243, the 6.5 fires a bigger heavier bullet.
I’ve recently switched to a 16” 6.5 Grendel AR platform I put together to be as light as affordably possible. Ended up with about a 6.5-7lbs bare rifle, shooting Hornady SST’s. 1000 ft lbs out to 400 yards, and with a simple BCM compensator it’s as soft shooting as a 223 AR, incredibly versatile deer and other medium game gun!
Very cool.
What projectile and speeds you getting? I can only get 1000ft/lb at 400 with 20" barrel
You can def trim a lot of weight off of that.
My go to deer rifle for the last 10 years is a 6.5 Grendel with 120 grain federal fusion, 115 grain Barnes t-tsx and 100gn nosler bt. I used a 270win all my life until I came across the Grendel. But I’m no dummy and know the limits and if I were hunting something bigger are longer than 200-300yds I’d probably grab the old 270 or 30.06
B
I don’t see grendal ammo I could probably make it ? I saw a mini howa in the grendal neat rig
@@kencleg7721sportsmansguide has the steel case and Hornady in stock right now matter a fact.
It is .308, .30-.30 and .284 for me, but what a stellar walk through of each of these individual cartridges! BRAVO Guy!
Thanks!
You just keep improving Guy. What a smorgasboard of information for the viewers. You are right, so many choices for deer hunters.....Short, long, brush, open....there's a solution for that mid-size game of deer and antelope, etc. Please keep up the fine content.
I chose the 308 Winchester for my one do it all go anywhere cartridge. I like the ballistics plus the long barrel life that I get. Just replaced the barrel after over 10K rounds through it-it would still hold a minute of angle but the throat was getting so long that I couldn't fit my handloaded rounds into the magazine. Bought a Krieger barrel and had the smith blueprint the action. It's now a quarter minute rifle with match ammo and well under 1 MOA with hunting ammunition. 165 grain boat tailed Sierra Game Kings do a great job. Can't ask for more.
Oh that 308 cal. Pristine Medicine.
Great video Guy. This past season I used my 25-06 while here at home for deer and my 270 WSM when down in CO. I did pack my 7 mag for an elk hunt here at home for a couple of days but switched to my 8x57 with a 185 gr when I went into the black timber where I knew my shots would be close and fast. Lucky for the elk none were seen.
Better luck next elk season!
In doing my research, I chose a .243 due to the wide factory ammo selection (not reloading yet, but there's a reason why I've watched a number of your videos and read content on the website) and the flat shooting characteristics of the cartridge as it would relate to shot placement. Plus it can also be used for varmint control if need be.
A great choice!
243 out of a 26 inch barrel 100 gr at 3100 ft /sec that is a lot of mockcy
Hey Guy,
I’m using:
1) 270WIN with 129gr LRX for deer hunting in the field with a long flat MPBR
2) 7mm-08 with 150gr ELDX for my youngest son high volume target training rifle and deer hunting.
3) 308WIN Browning BLR with 150gr TTSX for tree stand and bush hunting deer.
I am very fond of hunting with a flat trajectory and long MPBR… but without excessive recoil… for this I chose the 270WIN but I think the 6.5PRC is equally excellent for this purpose.
Hey Guy, you should check out the 8.5x63 Reb (8.5x63r) and do a show on it. It's kinda like a 338-06AI with the shoulder pushed forward.
Cool! Hadn't heard of that one yet. Thanks.
Guy, .Sierra 165 gr sbt .308, around 2700 fps.
And you'll probably disown me, but also a handy sks with wolf hollow points. Within 50 yards. A good s- kicker rifle..
Really depends. Last two rifles I’ve used is a 444 for brush short range work and a 260 for longer range work
I've owned many firearms in my life time and reloaded about all of them .my all time 3 favorites are 22mag, 22- 250 and my scoped 6
5× 55 Swedish Mauser . in my experience before all the new 6.5 calibers came out I knew the 6.5 dia bullets were the ultimate deer hunting bullets. mine with sierra 140 gr psp at 2537 fps will do all I need from deer to black bear. a gun writer probably over 30 years ago at that time had taken 13 Alaskan brown bears with a 6.5× 55 Mauser carbine. I would want something bigger. my rifle was cronygraphed with 5 shot 2537fps with only 37fps difference in my reloads. Papa wishing you well 😊
300 savage is a great option too! Love my Remington 760 gamemaster in 300 savage
7-08 also
300 Blackout does the job for me. All my shots are typically less than 200 yards. Virtually no recoil in an AR platform. 125 gr Hornady SST or Sierra TGK is extremely effective.
100% agreed. Suppressed is icing on the cake.
I’ve been wondering how many people are currently using 300blk for deer. It has become really popular, but I never hear anyone mention it when talking about hunting.
@@kyos2000 to be honest, it works but I have trouble with pass through. Never lost a deer. But I've been fortunate to have good shot placement. Probably going to be building a 350 Legend upper for next season and developing a load for it. I think it will have better expansion than the 300BO in deer.
@@kyos2000 People knock it down because the lack of expansion on the larger grain loads (i.e. 150 grain and higher), but truth be told, with a 16" barrel the bullet is moving north of 2000 feet/sec more than enough to cavitate a lung and completely disable any game animal. I have an 8.5" pistol that will send 110 grain loads at about 2100 feet/sec. Who cares if they expand in the chest of the deer? Those lungs will be liquified, trust me. Now add a suppressor and it's as pleasant as hunting with black powder. Where is gets dicey is if you shoot 200grain loads. Now you're hunting with a silent 45 acp so you better place the shot.
I really enjoyed your video. I use a ruger mini 30, with a 123 grain hollow point. You're right, it's all about good shot placement.
Word of warning about 6 Dasher for anyone looking into it. Throat erosion is a big downside to this otherwise awesome cartridge. You'll usually start noticing it after 4-500rds.
I know some guys wont put that many through their game rifle, but I practice with the rifle I hunt with, so new barrels are necessary after a couple years.
I have a Browning X-Bolt in 7mm 08 and it's a great deer and antelope rifle. This was really good content and video. Good job Guy.
Nice video. In the lower recoil list you brought up .223, sweet cartridge. What about 6.5 Grendel?
Carries further with more energy without much recoil.
Just wondering.
Excellent coverage thanks 👍😊 keep it up thanks again. Would love to learn more on the 25 06 and the 270win.
If you'll do a search, I've done a couple of loading projects here on Ultimate Reloader for the 25-06. Haven't yet done anything for the 270 Winchester. Great cartridges!
I think of John Krause when I watch this video.
He loved his Swede and his 257 Roberts, “Bob”
He loaded Bob with a 120 grain bullet going barely 2500 FPS I believe. Worked just fine for his Whitetails in Chewelah.
I still miss that guy…
About the 30-06 and recoil, I know you can compensate with lighter bullets but I'm finding the newer soft cell butt pads are also more than enough to dampen the punch of a 30--06. I have a budget, entry level Savage Axis in 30-06 and I can shoot 180gr bullets out of it all day long, and I'm over the age of 55, so the opinion is not coming from a young man's shoulder. My favorite factory load is Sako Super Hammerhead in 180gr, which has a MV of 2690fps. Excellent for short to medium range shots, which is what I hunt most often.
I have 2 pre 64 winchester model 70 jack O CONNER SIGNATURE RIFLE’s in 270 wincher I inherited from my dad who was friends with jack and did some gun smithing for him. One I hunt with and the other one has never been fired and is a safe queen. My rifle shoots sub moa with just about any ammo. I hand load nosler 140 grain partition bullets for woods and hornady sst 140 grain for when I go out west antelope hunting.
Winchester's Model 70 in 270 Win is such a classic deer & antelope rifle! Enjoy.
6.8 SPC II with handloaded 130 gr speer hot cor at 2600 fps : 22" AR. 35 Whelen bolt gun with hand loaded 225 nosler accubond @ 2700 fps.
Wife uses 6.5 creedmoor, 4 rounds 4 deer. I’m a 270 guy, taken tons of game literally! Great video!! I truly appreciate shot placement…that’s where it’s at!!!
Both of those are great cartridges, and you're 100% correct. Shot placement above all else.
Great video and information. Super satisfied with my .270 Win and 130gr. REM core looks. Does a great job.
Classic deer combo!
Great video for deer I use cross bow or compound bow,50 cal muzzle loader,308 win,300 win mag,7mm-08 as of now.I use to use 30-06,300 wsm and 270 win. I did notice y’all didnt mention a few .264 caliber cartridge that I know is a great deer and pronghorn cartridge and that’s the 6.5x47 and 6.5x284 and 26 nosler also what about the 27 nosler or any of the nosler cartridges. I like all the cartridges in .284 and 308 caliber cartridges y’all talked about.thanks again for the great video God bless
I loved the 338 Federal! I can’t even find ammunition for it. Looking on ammo seek, I see two loadings and both about $6 a shot.
Ya, I haven't seen any ammo on the shelf for it in a long time. I'd think it would be simple to handload though.
After watching this I really enjoy Guy and the videos he’s been putting out. I feel like the older cartridges get pushed away anymore. I went into a big box chain gun store and they didn’t have one 30-06. 3/4 of the rifles on the shelf were 6.5 creeds and the rest were 350 legend and 450 bushmasters. 25-06 is also a favorite of mine and my 257 weatherby.
Things are changing in the rifle world, that's for sure. Our local shops are real good about carrying the old standards still.
Agreed, I just bought a 30.06 from a dealer 1963 savage 110 excellent rifle shot very little gave new cheap savage price for controlled rifle feed with walnut stock like new. My choice.
350 legend for me soft recoiling only 150ish yard max in my area. I used the 450 bushmaster also but it’s not soft recoiling
I can't get enough of the information on this channel, Gavin is overwhelmed myself with thoughts. I can absolutely connect with Guy and his procedures and thinking. I still use my 25-06, if I loan a rifle to a friend to use its this one, the response is always, is this rifle for sale. That being said I'm currently assembling a 22 GT for varminting and culling whitetails here in South Texas. Excellent videos and topics. Thank You
Thank you! Ya, I really like my 25-06... Light recoil, flat trajectory, lethal. Your 22 GT project seems worthwhile and fun. Umm, stand by for a Ultimate Reloader video with the 22 GT sometime fairly soon.
We all have met that one idiot that says "why, you need a belted magnum bare minimum for whitetail, son! Anything less is just wounding the animal"
I’ve started using the 300 Hamr. No recoil of note, a better 30-30 with accuracy that you could never get out of a lever action. But a reloaders cartridge for sure.
Like a few others, I’ve used a 6.5 Grendel AR for years. Inside 300 yards, it has plenty of knockdown power.
I live in eastern NC and have taken countless deer, a few hogs in SC, and the only black bear ive ever killed (300lbs) with a Rem 700 243 WIN with various 100gr bullets mostly 100gr hornady interlock over IMR4350. Ive never felt under gunned.
You weren’t undergunned. There’s an old eskimo who does proxy moose hunts out of Eureka and he knocks them down at extended ranges with a .243
Not on my list of choices in grizzly country but I’m quite impressed with his results.
So you are saying I don't need my 340 Weatherby when hunting Whitetail.
Well "need" is a funny word... What a great cartridge though... My goodness.
350 legend for the thick woods of Arkansas. Cheer's
If you shoot relatively close distances 350 legend is a wonderful light recoiling cartrage
I’m know I’m late to this comment section but what do you think about the 240 wby magnum? I’ve been looking into one
My wife shoots a heavy 30-'06 rifle (03A3) with 180gr bullets, but driven to only around 2,500fps with H4895 handloads. Reasonable recoil and suitable bullet for anything from whitetail to elk. I'm really surprised you didn't list the Nosler Partition for folks handloading reduced velocity, lower-recoil loads. It's absolutely one of the best for this purpose, because of how well it still expands at lower velocities, without coming apart. It's at the top of my list, anyway! :)
I use a 270 Winchester with 140gr AB's driven to around 2,800fps. I've also used a 6.5JDJ, which uses 120gr bullets at about 2,300fps. Both work well, at the right distances.
Have been using a 7mm br, loaded to 2550 fps and a 139 grain interlock. Works great out to about 300 yards. Using an 8.5 twist in a rifle. Almost no recoil, 4 shots at 100 yds & you can cover it with a dime.
Interesting choice! Seems like a mighty fine choice as well.
I thought about the 7 b r decent ballistics
Deer don't take a lot of killing, my favorite cartridge is the 270 but I tore my rotator cuff and it was more than uncomfortable to shoot. I borrowed my sons Tikka T3 in 6.5 Creedmoor and couldn't believe the accuracy and performance. I went out and bought a Savage AXIS XP in 6.5 Creed and it's my main rifle now. I did notice the ballistics between the 270 with 140's and the 6.5 Creed with 143's are very close. I have hunted with a 7mm/08 and not only is it light recoiling but it was very accurate also, IMHO it might be the perfect deer cartridge. If you live out West a 270 or 25/06 might serve you better, I've owned both and they are excellent performers at extended ranges but you do have to deal with more recoil. Any of the former cartridges will work fine for deer and black bear, larger calibers IMHO aren't needed and you'll have less meat damage.
Those torn rotator cuff’s are not pleasant. I had muzzle brakes installed on two rifles afterwards, and they are pleasant to shoot now. The down side is the additional noise.
I tore my rotator cuff in August, had surgery in October and going through PT now only 2 weeks in. How many months would you say before you can comfortably shoot again? I have a 12 gauge for trap shooting and bird hunting, but also have a .243 Win and .30-30 both easier on the shoulder.
I’ve hunted in Hawaii with a 300 WM for the last 25 years. The recoil and noise of the 300 WM is not as cool as it used to be. I have transitioned to the 6.5 CM and love it! The only regret I have is that I should’ve switched a long time ago. My 300 WM is now relegated to back of my gun safe. All hail the 6.5 CM! 🙌🏼
Pastor Harold Kilborn has said the hogs get big on Kauai Island. I understand that he hunts them on the regular with his sons.
Hang loose brah, we snorkel po’ipu ya?
In Illinois you can only use shotgun slug or revolver over 30 caliber pistol, single shot pistol. No rifle tapered case cartridge allowed. Of course muzzle loader in that specific season as well at bow in that season.
I know a guy that used a .41 mag for black tail, back in the day of center fire pistol (OR) he sold me his aim point when he stopped using it.
.270 for me, 130 gr for deer, 150 elk. Granddad used to say, if you can’t kill it with a 06’ you’ve got no business hunting’ it.
He made a good point. Dad told me that the 30-06 was all the rifle I'd ever need. I've used a lot of different hunting cartridges, but the 30-06 does just fine.
I agree with granddad, as I am now one a (grandddad) is still stand by it. Age 60.
I started using the 350 legend with Hornady FTX bullets 165 grain low recoil. I live in Louisiana don’t shoot much further than 100 yards
Cool. I must admit, I've never shot the 350 Legend. I like your answer to the deer hunting question. Low recoil, and deer down. Excellent!
I started out as an 11 year old kid with a Marlin 336 in .30-30.
After 47 seasons of hunting, I'm back to using that same Marlin 336 that I've had since 1976.
I use the Hornady FTX 160 grain bullet, I get an average muzzle velocity of 2,380 fps and muzzle energy of 2,013 ft/lbs.
At 100 yards, velocity is 2176 and energy is 1683 ft/lns
Ar 200 yards, velocity is 1983 and energy is 1397 ft/lbs
At 300 yards, velocity is 1801 and energy is 1152 ft/lbs. In calibrated 10% ballistics gel, the bullets expand to 2X shank diamter and penetrate in the 24" to 26" range at that distance. 300 yards is as far as I care to try to shoot game, no matter what I'm armed with. In 47 seasons of hunting the wide open spaces of the wide open west, the longest shot I've ever made on game was 278 yards.
I made the longest shot on an elk that I've ever taken thus far with this load. One shot was all that was required.
I wouldn't have been able to get away with using just the .30-30 prior to 2006, but since LVR powder and the "gummy tip" bullets becamse available, I can.
The 400 yard numbers demonstrate how different a modern .30-30 load can be versus a traditional one.
At 400 yards, my current load still has 1631 fps, which is right on its velocity threshold for reliable expansion, and it is hitting with 945 ft/lbs of energy.
That's about what my old 170 grain Speer Hot Core load did at 200 yards.
Do you happen to have a good load worked up for a Nosler Partition? I can’t nail the right combination of powder and primer down. Same rifle.
@@biblejohn4681 I have used the Nosler Partition bullet in the .30-30 in the past but it didn't seem to do anything in terms of terminal ballistics that standard "cup and core" bullets don't do at .30-30 velocities.
I primarily used once-fired Dominion brass back then, CCI primers, and probably worked up to a max load of IMR-3031 when I did it.
If I were to do it now, the only powder I'd personally use is Hodgdon LeverEvolution.
But in all honesty, I wouldn't do it. The Hornady 160 grain FTX bullet has worked very well for me on game and its .330 BC allows it to retain more velocity and thus more energy downrange.
Last year, I took the longest shot on an elk that I've ever taken in my life using the 160 grain FTX at 178 yards.
Back in 2006, I used the factory LeverEvolution load to shoot a pronghorn at 148 yards.
I can't count the number of feral pigs I've killed with that bullet but it would be in the hundreds by now.
Sorry I can't be more help, but if I felt I needed to use Partition bullets in a .30-30, I'd look for data using "LVR" powder to push them.
P.S. to add:
In stock form, my 336 was a solid 2.5 MOA gun with pretty much any jacketed-bullet load I shot out of it. The Partitons were no better or worse.
In 2006, I did a half-magazine conversion to my 336 and that got it grouping 1.25 MOA or better. Formerly, groups were characterized by significant vertical stringing. Going to the "button style" half-length magazine totally cured that problem.
A .30-30, even when shooting at 2,380 fps, like my 160 grain FTX load does out of my rifle, doesn't have enough impact velocity to have serious weight retention problems with standard "cup and core" bullets and realizing that is why I stopped using them.
I thought they were essential in my .270 until Barnes monometal bullets came out.
But in a .30-30?
I don't think so.
My deer rifles are 6.5 creedmoor,303 british, 30-06, and 300 win mag
But Guy, the cannon preps the meat , readies it to be wrapped, and pre sears it, to a nice grey-ish crust.
My brother and I always take 2 rifles each with a couple different loads for each rifle because we find ourselves in different types of terrain. Here are the details of the deer loads...
243win. 85 gr BTHP Sierra Gameking @ 3,290 fps out to 400 yards and 100 gr Sierra Semi-spitzer @ 3,030 fps.for close range (22"bbl)
7mm08. 140 VLD Hunting for longer range and 139 Interlock @ 2,770 fps. (22"bbl).
6.72x39 (SKS rifle) 123 gr Interlock @ 2,420 fps. (20"bbl) for close range.
300 winmag. 130 TTSX @ 3,550 fps (24"bbl) for stupid flat trajectory.
6.5 grendel has started becoming popular in my area (middle of NC). its close to .243. recoil is a little more than 5.56 but not by a large amount. while still being plenty of lethal with ELD match 123gr @ 2500ish out of my 20inch build. shoots flat and hits hard at about 1400ftlbs at 140ish yards (my common hunting range). The price isn't bad when reloading and getting a build is fairly cheap besides you pick of glass. Got a high end fluted barrel for a good price and some ar-15 parts for cheap and you can get yourself a good rifle that doesn't break the bank.
Sounds great! Thanks.
Depends on were your hunting.. I hunt wide open country with extreme winds and very large body deer and potentially elk. Very hard to get closer than 500-600 yards some days. 30-378 Weatherby 220gr eldx for me. 3100fps
It makes sense to me. Especially as access and opportunity decrease.
450 bushmaster, 30-378 weatherby 28 nosler and my lite weight 7mm-08 rem or 220 swift 257 weatherby and 240 weatherby for big heavier hitters a 338-378 weatherby for bull elk and I’ve grown fond of the 300 wsm
I use milsurp rifles to deer hunt with. I use a hakim rifle that shoots 8mm. That rifle has a 3 inch muzzlebrake and the recoil of a 5.56 rifle.
I’ve been using 7-08 sine 2011. Never had a deer walk away from it. I will mention though that I used some match bullets this year and that is a bad idea, the hornady Amax explodes on contact. The hydrostatic shock is unreal, and uneccasary. I watched a recent video from this channel suggesting that match could be a good choice after testing on ballistic gel. I would reconsider that unless you like bits of bullet in the meat, no blood trail and a soupy mess to dump out of the carcass during field dressing. I won’t be using them on game again.
Seems like you and I both prefer to use hunting bullets for hunting. It's been a while since we shot a match bullet into gel blocks. Which one did you see?
The test was between eld match and eld x. It may have been an older video, I scrolled through your videos a little ways and didn’t see it. I’m new to watching this channel. I’ve enjoyed what I e seen so far.
@@guyminer3168 ruclips.net/video/Xm8wAXkVaxU/видео.htmlsi=VlhWUkrg3xqbjipb
Ah yes. Couple of years ago. I do know guys who've had great success with the ELD-M's and hunting, but... For me - if the ELD-X shoots so well, and performs a little better on game, it seems like a good choice.
I had read in multiple forums that the amax worked well on deer. It stones them for sure but if you had to track them you would need a dog. I haven’t used the eld-m, sounds like it is built to not separate. The amax is 1/2 Moa with h4350, I’ll be trying the eld-x soon and I hope it is as accurate.
308 165 gr. Sierra GameKing or Speer HotCore. Reduce load at 2520 fps from a 22” barrel. One hole 3 shot 100-yds mild recoil great followup on a bolt action and watching impact. Southeastern PA heavy hardwood and brush, 25-90 yds.
Nosler partition all day long. Works great at lower velocities and that means less recoil
I’ll never understand how 30-06 became the deer rifle of choice. It’s really an elk round. The sucker is huge.
Probably has a lot to do with the US fighting 2 world wars with it. The men who served with the 30-06 came home to a ton of surplus 30-06 rifles and ammo. I think after that huge boost, it's just kinda been what Dad used so everyone knew of it and it's performance. So it became the gold standard.
As stated below a lot of servicemen returning form WWII had been trained on and extensively fired the cartridge. My great grandfather was a mortarman in ww2 and after returning back home after the war he took great interest in reloading his own ammo and bought a Remington Model 721 sometimes in the early 50s. I assume he enjoyed using the caliber just out of familiarity with the cartridge and he knew how to dial in his hand loads for that round and gun. Im hunting with that rifle to this day shooting some of his last hand loads he made for that rifle back in 96. The gun is a tack driver with a 150 grain nosler ballistic tip, it hadnt been sighted in in over 25 years until this past week when I took it to the range and shot a decent grouping at 100 yards with it, it was shooting an inch high just like he had wrote on the reload notes.
@@austinhall5933 I didn’t really think about that when I posted. It makes sense. It’s so common that I don’t think the average hunter or newbie realizes just how big of a round it is. Overkill for most deer hunting situations.
@jmebig3044 I wouldn't say overkill, short bloodtrails and a quick death is the name of the game.
Nice video...gave me reason to consider. I started, as a kid, with a .30-06 as my all-around single rifle. For deer and pronghorns I used a 150 grain bullet, whereas for elk I would use 180-200 grain bullets. When I got married, and my wife wanted to join me in hunting, I bought her a .243 for deer and pronghorns. She eventually joined me in elk hunting and used a .30-06. About 20 years ago, I started using a .243 for deer and pronghorns, for the simple fact it was lighter for my old body to carry. These days, I need to rethink my elk rifle as that old .30-06 felt really heavy this past season. Maybe go back to the single, all-around gun with something like a .308. Thanks for the great video!
Seems like you've done a lot of hunting sir. Excellent!
The 243 will work.. My grandpa used to hunt elk with a 25 35 winchester he always killed them withe 1 shot. But he never took a shot over 150 yards.. then he switched to a 25-06 which extended the range. I can attest speed kills.
I’ve always wondered why here in Alabama, the typical shot is under 150 yards, but most folks either use a 300 win mag or a 7 mag.
Yup, I've often wondered about that sort of thing...
Who cares.
As always, nice job Guy! Excellent video!
Thanks!
Awesome 👏 breakdown and overview of the topic there Guy. One can really appreciate this information. The only ones that I might add to the 277 lineup is the .270 WSM and possibly the 27 Nosler (I will have to check out the recoil for the Nosler cartridges, because I know they are HOT). My cousin loved his 270 WSM.
As for me my two rifle battery is a 270 Win with 130 Grain Nosler BTs and my 300 WSM that I bought in 2019 as my elk and mule deer 🦌 western hunting gun. Plus it gave me another good cartridge to tinker with.
@TheWVgoodguy I bought my .270 WSM back in 2008 ish. I love that gun it is my go to white tail hunting gun. I have shot both the .270 and the .270 WSM and thee WSM's have a slower less sharp recoil. I currently load my own ammo as you can no longer get pre loaded ammo for the WSM line. I load 150 gr Sierra Game kings and with good shot placment I have never had to walk far to find my game.
@@digitalvalhalla5898 that’s good to hear about your 270 WSM. I like my 300 WSM and definitely have to now start reloading. I haven’t seen factory ammo for it in 2-3 years
7x64 Brenneke is popular here in South Africa and Europe.
As I got started in the metallic cartridge reloading. I contacted Sierra Match Kings are not for game. Paper punching only. Not to say you can't kill something with it.
Ya, Sierra doesn't recommend their MatchKings for hunting. I know some people who have used them, with mixed results. I've had such great results from Sierra's Game King soft point hunting bullets that I was never tempted to try their Match bullets on game. Some other match bullets work out real well for hunting. The whole Berger VLD story, of how it became a hunting bullet is pretty interesting. I've shot three mule deer with it at about 170, 230 and 400 yards. All were instant drops, excellent bullet performance.
Really appreciate all that you guys do. I would like to see some videos on safely downloading the harder recoiling rifles, such as from 7mm magnum to 7/08 or 300 win to 308. Ive heard that this can be done, but heard more about not doing it because it could be dangerous. There are so many stories out there that it is hard to tell the difference between wisdom and old wive's tales.
243, 6.5 etc
270 or 3006 for the dense woods I live near in the PNW.
7-30 waters in a 14" thompson center, 140 grain ,my go to
Ahhh, interesting. Don't hear much about the 7-30 Waters anymore.
That’s the first cartridge that my grandfather used to help me learn reloading and wild catting. Wish I knew what ever happened to that gun.
My rifle is a savage 110 6arc
Interesting!
Great video, thanks for posting
Thanks!
I’m curious why didn’t you mention to 350 legend
I'm remember a gun writer with guns and ammo over 25 years ago doing a article on the 6.6x55 Swedish Mauser went to a European country on a hunt.his guide put a range finder on a nice red elk 275yds.shot and elk took five steps and dropped. his guide said you yanks are a bit overkill. the writer ask why. the guide said I just killed that elk 275yds one shot and you yanks think you have to have a magnum rifle to kill a 150 lb deer.a lot of truth in that statement. papa wishing you well. 😊
On Hornady bullets, why would one choose a SST vs an Interlock soft point ? Is it due to bc or cost ? Maybe one shoots better in your rifle vs the other? I know the CX is all copper, legal in Comifornia. ELDX is for the maximum bc and long range I presume.
SST used to be very soft, maybe too soft. It's been improved. Folks like it for the higher BC. Honestly, the "old fashioned" interlock soft point is a great hunting bullet...
6XC,. 270win, 6.5-284 norma, 9.3x62.
9.3x62 damages the least meat.
Been hunting with my 6mm Rem since '93.
Nice. Sweet cartridge.
No love for the 284 Win
Another fine cartridge that we don't hear much about anymore.
i live in a straight wall state so use the 350 legend.
Does anyone besides me use pistol caliber carbines. They seem to work for me under 100 yds.
Down here in Florida the ol 243 gets it done
A fine deer cartridge.
On a pronghorn hunt with my son we both shot lighter rifles, my son was shooting his 7-08 with a 140 Berger and took his buck at about 250 yds and I was shooting my 6.5CM with a 130 Berger and shot my buck at 430. Both were very effective and I didn't hear any complaints from the animal about not using enough gun.😂😂
interesting that you failed to mention straight wall cartridges popular in straight wall only states...thousands of hunters every year take to the woods with cartridges such as .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster. We even have .400 Legend out this past year.
Actually I brought up the 360 Buckhammer, 375 Win and 38-55...
@@guyminer3168 sure, but .350 legend and .450 Bushmaster dominate the conversation in straight wall states. Failing to mention them is a bit of an odd choice.
You 'pushed' the 30-06 to elk? You can't get a better cartridge for elk, it will do anything a 7mm mag will do and better for a handloader and 7mm mag was designed around the parameter of being able to cleanly take the biggest bull elk out to 700 yards... The 30-06 is still the most common round for moose hunters in Alaska...and probably elk hunters in the rockies where i live and hunt. I've taken elk with both the 7mm and 30-06 and use them interchangeably every year for many years. Bullet selection is the most important consideration when considering elk... I've seen elk dropped right there with 243's and elk get away after good hits from 300 win mags...all because of proper or poor bullet selection. Anyway, i see people underestimate the 30-06 all the time and youtube gun experts downtalk it, which just shows total ignorance on the subject matter... There are a lot of ''experts'' with a video camera and youtube channel, but you cannot argue with the millions of elk, moose, african antelope, elephants, cape buffalo, water buffalo, american bison, deer, red stags, etc the world over that it has taken for almost 120 years...
Great job on this. Still fun to watch even though I can only hunt with primitive.
Thanks!
no 6mm ARC ?
You shunned my caliber, but I was still " LIKE" number 350 LOL
I shot a fork WT last week at 75 yds with a single shot 300 WM using barnes 165 gr. Through both lungs but not heart or spine. Ran 100 yds into thick trees and took some time to find. Likely would been the same with a 6.5 or 270 or whatever. I think a hole is a hole and the difference is when you hit a big bone which is not the goal of a good shot.
Don't deer hunt anymore, but the old 30-30 with factory ammo always got the job done...a long shot was 75-80 yards, many taken within 30-40 yards...it is all about your location, and on the eastern side of the country close range is the norm...now if I lived out west I'd have to find more range, but I would try to avoid turning the whole discussion into rocket science...the arguments will continue forever...
Ya, I surely do enjoy hunting with my 30-30 or even the 45-70, but I don't do so very often. Tend to hunt pretty open country where a 200 - 400 yard shot is pretty normal.
@@guyminer3168 good deal...I've gotten so old I can't see that far, lol...but I completely understand the need for flat shooting out west, as opposed to the brushy east where I am...
I don't mean for this to sound disrespectful but in my experience as a Saskatchewan resident, Americans that come to shoot our giant whitetails tend to use cannons. I'm not sure if they're just horrible shots and need a rifle that will kill even with a bad shot or is the cannon making them into a bad shot. Either way I haven't seen many Americans that are good shots. Don't get me wrong. I know lots of Canadians that can't shoot for shit either haha. But any of those smaller calibers drop our huge deer effortlessly. Shot placement is king. Great video!
What caliber do you use to hunt whitetails?
I may try 300 blk this year. Another channel has tested a few 300 blk loads and believe it or not, terminally, it compares favorably to 243 win. Maybe you and Gavin should make an “AR Hunting Cartridges Shootout” video 🤐
If you want to compare those two, I personally think it’s a wrong comparison. Now .300blk vs 30-30, would definitely agree. Especially when you consider the amount of drop. The .243win has minimal drop when compared to a .300blk.
@@bertpulaski2492 yeah as far as retained velocity at distance it’s no comparison but this test was done at 100 yards and the permanent cavities and the “shock” on the block if you will looked indistinguishable. Not so at 200 I’m sure but at 100 and in I was very surprised.
Grendel wins.
@@swamprat9018 I doubt there would be a clear winner and honestly it would probably change depending on distance and game
@@K-bob_45 the video title is deer rifles. So down to distance. the best distance is going to be 6mm arc for trajectory but the Grendel with the heavier bullet edges it out with the heavier bullets for deer size game. If you start splitting hairs with different bullets then the Grendel can compete with the option of lighter factory bullet weight options also.
My friends' brother in law always used a Weatherby in .300 Ackley Improved with tamped loads and the heaviest bullets he could stuff in it. Where he hunted it was a miracle to get a shot past 50 yds. That gun wasted a lot of meat and itself. At 4400 fps the barrel was good for maybe 100 rounds before it was shot out. I always used my Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 mag and never wasted any meat. The deer always dropped where they stood. Cool video, thanks much!
4400fps BS!
@@johnkertzman3223 Don't just call BS on something, look it up. P.O.. Ackley was all about fps and his holy grail was 5000 fps and this was back in the 20s and 30s. Most doubt he hit 5000 but many have pushed his wildcats close. The .300 Ackley improved is the .340 Weatherby magnum case necked down to .30 and the neck fireformed out to that of a 30-06 to get more case capacity. BTW the Polish army had a .30 cal anti tank rifle that shot a copper jacketed steel bolt at 6500 fps that could pierce a Panzer II from front to back at 100 meters but was only good for 15 rounds before throat erosion killed it. Fps is expensive and unless you're trying to knock out a tank isn't really all that necessary.
@@poowg2657 okay I've been handloading for almost 35 years and I can tell you right now you're full of BS! I've shot every 300 Magnum that there is and have chronograph every load that I've handloaded for the last 20 years and no 300 Magnum of any kind will hit 4400 ft per second with any weight of bullet that is suitable for hunting period! And yes I have read P.O. Ackley's books and shoot several Ackley improved cartridges! Don't talk about things you know nothing about!
You are full of it. What is the load he is using? No way the heaviest bullet is going in excess of 4400fps. I am a reloader and I just looked over data before writing this comment and no heavy bullets come close to 4400fps. I do have guns that shoot over 4000 fps 100 rounds before the barrel is shot out is also BS.
what about the 303
I like this guy. This is a really good guy.
In all reality and honesty, a muzzle brake if a good one can tame magnums to less recoil than a 308. The worst thing about a magnum or any cartridge that is more than you need is the damage to the meat. Good shot placement is needed whether shooting the smaller calibers as well as the larger ones because the smaller ones you need a good clean kill in the vitals. With the heavier calibers one needs good shot placement as not to ruin too much meat. Not all muzzle brakes are equal. If one gets one, they need to look for a proven design that reduces recoil to the maximum. They are much more effective with the higher velocity and larger caliber rifles. If used low recoil rifles you can often see the bullet hit the target rather than the rifle jump and lose the view.
There are so many excellent choices for deer rifles and calibers; and I believe there are two primary factors to identify a great rifle and caliber. First: what does one have with them at the time? Second: Is the sighting system up to the task? I love carrying a Winchester Model 1894 in .30 WCF; and a deer has never shown up while I was hunting with it. It has a peep sight that shoots great groups at 100 yards; but in the evenings I want a scope for optimizing my chances in fading light. I harvest most of my deer with a Barnes 300 grain .458 SOCOM TTSX in a .50 caliber muzzleloader. The Trijicon Accupoint that is mounted to the muzzleloader gives me real advantages in clarity and target acquisition. I have too many options for the general firearms season; and it seems more deer are harvested with one .308 Winchester. There is nothing particularly special about the rifle. The Nikon Monarch Gold 30 mm 1.5x6 with a German #4 reticle is special. The large field of view and the excellent reticle help in thick cover and low light. That .308 pushes a 168 grain Barnes TSX hand-load that is quite effective.
These days folks that use factory ammunition are using ammunition that are being downloaded for reliability in semi automatic rifles. Bolt action rifles can be handloaded up to speed that the speeds listed on the box.
This is exactly why I never hunt with factory ammunition, cause they don't tell you the jist of it. My preferred bullet is the Sierra pro Hunter bullets. I never shoot past 300 yards anyway and they just plain old work, regardless of caliber.
I have a 14" 300 savage on a Remington xp100 receiver that I built over 35 years ago in a pistol stock that has killed more deer than I can count 😂
Hey Guy: So I watched the episode where you loaded up 130 gr ttsx using varget in the 3006. That got the wheels turning for me thankful for you and that content. I tried the 130 ttsx first with imr 8208 br but got erratic velocities I have a lot of it on hand was hoping it would work. I only had about 1/2 pound of varget left so gave it a try. 56.5 grains with 130 ttsx gave me 3265 fps out of a my 24" Kimber. Seating length with the base of the bullet right at the kneck and shoulder with .075 jump to the rifling. Case filled to around 95-98 %. For this load for 5 shots the Es was18 and SD 6.9 I was amazed with these results. This is where it gets weird, accuracy at 100 yrds for 5 shots around 1 1/2", being a little bummed about that I shot 3 shot groups at 200 and 300 yards and was amazed to see the same 1 1/2 groups. ??? A fluke? More testing is needed. This load out of my rifle is 1"high at 50 2 1/2" high at 100 3" high at 200 and 3" low at 300. Recoil is downright pleasant compared to the 180 gr load I used to use. Performance on game this year a coyote at 41 yards simply lights out. 178 lb 8 point whitetail at 140 yards shot through both lungs went 50 yrds, not instant lites out I was hoping for but very pleased with the results. So thank you Guy. Stocking up on 130gr Barnes ttsx and Varget. This is my new deer load.