How much is too much?

[Bigmo58]

I have recently encountered a large number of hunters going out shooting deer with 338 Lapua’s as well as lots going to shoot elk with 22-250’s. The options are endless between those extremes? Many will say well shot placement is key or a bigger bullet is better and while both can be true where is the line for over/under kill?

 

[GlockZ]

While I don't believe in overkill, there is only dead, it's not a game where there's multiple levels to achieve. However, I do believe there is a personal responsibility of each of us to choose a caliber that is more than sufficient for the task. Can you harvest large game with an anemic caliber? Of course you can, but you also increase the chances of wounding and causing unnecessary pain and suffering, and that's completely unethical and unacceptable, especially since we are lucky enough to have an incredible amount of choices today.

 

[elkhnter]

You could buy a .375 H&H and hunt every thing on the planet, but why. It would have more room in my safe, but who cares. I’d spend less time at the shooting bench, but then the wife would find something for me to do.
Multiple rifles just seems like a win win to me. Plus they all have different personalities.

 

[std7mag]

To me it would depend upon species hunted, and terrain.
A 338 LM wouldn't be suitable for squirrels. But again i wouldn't use a 22LR to hunt bears with either.

Lots of cartridges can be used successfully for most big game in North America, and elsewhere.

 

[Bigjav]

It depends on the critter and the terrain you’re hunting them in. I wouldn’t think twice about hunting deer with say a 30-30 in the thicker timber but it wouldn’t be my go to in the sage flats.

 

[VikingsGuy]

From simply a killing power standpoint I agree there isn't really overkill, as dead is dead. But I do believe there is "overkill" in rifle/cartridge selection due to recoil. Whether you consider yourself "recoil shy" or not, 98% of shooters have their accuracy affected by recoil. Most posters on HT agree that accurate placement is far more important that cartridge selection - and I do too. Since larger cartridges typically involve more recoil, 98% of shooters will be more accurate shooting a lower recoiling round, and therefore more inherently accurate. So, if a 7mm08 and a 338WinMag are both sufficient for an antelope at 275 yards, the 7mm08 would be the better choice as you do not need the greater power of the 338 that comes with the 338 recoil to get the job done. To me this is the issue real issue when considering a high recoil round to shoot an animal where it isn't required. Of course recoil is not solely determined by cartridge selection - rifle weight, stock fit, recoil mitigations like butt pads, muzzle breaks, suppressors, etc. are also in the mix. FWIW, I typically hunt a given species with a cartridge/rifle sufficient to humanely kill, but at the lower end of the recoil range of other viable options -- I am not particularly recoil shy, I just don't see the advantage to give up accuracy and get pounded, when we all seem to agree, dead is dead.

 

[VikingsGuy]

You could buy a .375 H&H and hunt every thing on the planet, but why. It would have more room in my safe, but who cares. I’d spend less time at the shooting bench, but then the wife would find something for me to do.
Multiple rifles just seems like a win win to me. Plus they all have different personalities.

I have always said, I could complete a round of golf with only a 7 iron, but why? Each club is there for a reason, each has a situational advantage. I like taking my 25-06 out for antelope, my 30-30 for woodland deer, .308 for elk and my 300wsm for kudu. Sure, the .308 or 300wsm could do it all, but where's the fun in that.

 

[Don Fischer]

John Jobson once wrote that the definition of over kill is when you pull the trigger and the earth is burned for miles around!

 

[VikingsGuy]

John Jobson once wrote that the definition of over kill is when you pull the trigger and the earth is burned for miles around!

Not sure that napalm is legal for MN deer season

 

[88man]

IF its legal and they are successful who are we to tell them what to shoot.

 

[VikingsGuy]

IF its legal and they are successful who are we to tell them what to shoot.

Not telling anyone what to shoot, just offering opinions in response to a question.

 

[memtb]

I have recently encountered a large number of hunters going out shooting deer with 338 Lapua’s as well as lots going to shoot elk with 22-250’s. The options are endless between those extremes? Many will say well shot placement is key or a bigger bullet is better and while both can be true where is the line for over/under kill?

I would suggest that overkill is, excessive destruction of meat. Which is virtually impossible to define. I believe that eatable game animals, should be just that.....eatable! When you start pushing high velocities with very “fragile” Bullets or carry the bullet diameter and velocity to the point that a large percentage of the animal is lost to bloodshot meat/destroyed tissue.....you have achieved “overkill”! That’s my definition of overkill! memtb

 

[Miller8812]

Whatever the question is, 30/06 is the answer

 

[mtmuley]

Whatever the question is, 30/06 is the answer

Funny how overlooked the ol .06 is. New bullets and powders make it shine. Cool kids won't shoot one. Shows what they know. mtmuley

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I mean there are some less than useful questions to ask the internet hunting community, and then...

 

[std7mag]

John Jobson once wrote that the definition of over kill is when you pull the trigger and the earth is burned for miles around!

He must hunt with Mtmuley...
Lol j/k...

That 300 RUM probably seems like an 8" Paladin to a deer.

 

[Firedude]

Just my 2 cents. If you have to wait for a perfect angle, make a perfect shot, and your bullet never hits the hide on the opposite side then you are using to small of gun even if it's killed elk before. I've heard my whole life, "You just have to hit them right." Which is true-ish. You could kill an elk with a 22 lr if you hit them right. But shooting a .308 increases your odds of hitting them right and the bullet doing its job when it gets there.

Overkill to me is excessive meat waste or serious unintended consequences after the bullet exits. What I mean by that it like a 50 BMG. You could kill an elk with it but your going to ruin half of it and even with a kind of decent backstop your bullet is still likely pass through your game, skip, hit a tree, another critter, pass through, and still have enough energy to whiz past Peter Pan in Never Never land... to much gun.

I guess in short, bring enough gun but don't feel like you need a cannon. There's nothing wrong with adequate 270, 308, 06, or the like.

 

[Bambistew]

You can't kill something too dead. The idea that you can have too large of a rifle to shoot big game is silly. Shoot what you're confidant with.