king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated - October/November 2007 - Index

30
squeeze off the .338 Win Mag.
topped with a 250-grain slug, you
know, for real, that you have just
felt the price of power. However,
with these new lighter bullets, and
the hand loader's ability to reduce
the power a bit, recoil becomes no
more than the other large caliber
magnums. The .338 Win Mag is
also a great choice for taking elk and
many of the African game animals.
Notice that I have chosen
cartridges that have been around
the block. No wham bam super
magnums. Not even the popular
short magnums. Don't try to
reinvent the wheel. Stick with what
works and has been given the test of
time.
If you still insist on having
just one gun to do it all, it is always
better to be over-gunned than undergunned.
The 300 Win Mag would fit
the bill as a multi-purpose rifle better
than any other cartridge. Being a
.30 caliber, it gives the shooter a
huge selection of bullet types and
weights. And, since it is a magnum,
it is perfectly capable of taking any
North American game animal.
There's a lot to think about
and to prepare for when venturing
out on a big game hunt, especially
when it's out of your home state.
Things like scouting, acquiring
maps, talking with other hunters,
etc. are the no-brainers. Rather
than reiterate this, I'm going to
give a checklist of some things that
are often overlooked or seem less
important.
same weight
bullet, from there on the similarity
changes. Let's compare the most
common bullet weights for factory
hunting ammo. I believe that
HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
WILD BILL'S BALLISTICS
What is the difference between a .308
Winchester and a .300 Winchester
Magnum?
They are similar in the fact that both
are 30 caliber and can both shoot the
Cartridges (left to right) .25-06, .270,
.300 Win Mag, and the .338 Win Mag
Consider scope quality. I've
said it before and I'll say it again, the
most common mistake I see hunters
make is putting all their money into their
rifle and then justifying a cheap scope.
A $39.99 Tasco shouldn't be insurance
for the fifteen years and substantial
funding it took to acquire a coveted tag.
Just recently I justified putting a cheap,
1X scope on my muzzleloader thinking
that a manufacturer couldn't screw up
a 1X scope. Well, last year while on
the muzzleloader deer hunt, the entire
eyepiece fell off for no reason other
than poor quality. Fortunately, this was
a general season hunt within ten miles
of my home. Imagine if this was on
an Arizona strip hunt several hundred
miles from civilization.
Make certain that you use a
bullet type that is appropriate for the
game you are hunting. For example,
Nosler ballistic tips are available in
fragmenting varmint-type construction
5GUNS/OPTICS5
as well as a traditional hunting type
bullet. Each has a specific purpose.
Verify that all scope
mounts, rings, and action screws are
tight. This may sound elementary,
but I have heard of many hunts being
ruined from this very oversight. I
also recommend some sort of lens
cover or at least packing a lens pen.
Trigger pull weight. If you
break a sweat getting the trigger to
go off like many factory rifles of late
require, consider having a gunsmith
either adjust yours down (some can
be adjusted) or install an aftermarket
version. This will make you a better
shooter. I have my hunting guns set
at a safe, yet light, three pounds.
Carry a rest with you.
Shooting sticks, a bipod, treepod,
etc. can help create a solid shooting
platform. Don't take offhand shots
that you can't make. One shot is
often all you get.
A rangefinder is critical.
I thought I was pretty good at
estimating ranges until I got a
rangefinder. I stunk. The further
the shot, the more crucial the
accurate range is as bullet drop
becomes steeper beyond 250 yards.
This makes your window of error
smaller.
Know where your rifle is
going to hit. Don't just shoot at 100
yards, know what your rifle will do
all the way out to 400-500 yards.
This can be done and it is ethical
if you become a seasoned shooter.
Then, of course, practice! Practice!
Practice!
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would be 150 grain for the
.308 and 180 grain for the
.300 Win Mag.
Both the .308 and the .300 are very accurate and
will get the job done. After comparison you will have to
be the judge on your needs and which will work best for
you.
Gun M.V. M.E. 300 yd 300 yd 400 yd Powder Recoil
Caliber (approx) (approx) energy tragectory tragectory Grains lbs
.308 Win 2900 2800 1700 -7.4 inches -21.7 inches 46 16
.300 Mag 3000 3600 2465 -6.4 inches -18.4 inches 75 26