Have you ever wondered how gun writers got their jobs, or how they keep them?
The other day I was paging through �Metallic Cartridge Reloading � 3rd edition� by M.L.McPherson, looking up the various 7mm handgun cartridges. There I came across some thing that made me laugh and angry at the same time.

First we have the 7mm Rem.BR, which is capable of moving a 150gr bullet at a max. velocity of 2193fps (this is the average of the top three listed maximum loads � 15� barrel), the authors note on this cartridge were � ��in competent hands, it would be a good choice up to the size of Elk.�
Next up is the 7x30 Waters, a 150gr bullet at 2228fps (average of top three loads), of this he said � ��..the 7x30 is a good hunting choice for the smaller species of big game.�
And finally ladies and gentlemen we have the 7-08 Rem., wearing a 150gr bullet at 2409fps, again average maximum velocity. Now our esteemed author thought that this load ��..when loaded with the proper bullet and with careful shot placement, the 7mm-08 is capable as a handgun Elk cartridge at closer ranges�.

So what we have is a 150gr bullet, and when driven at 2400fps is an �CAPABLE� Elk load � but only with 3 provisions (bullet choice, placement and range). However when you reduce the velocity to 2230fps, it is now only suitable for �smaller species of big game�. Now here is the trick, reduce this same load by another 35fps, down to 2195fps and it now magically transforms itself, providing you can shoot straight, into a �GOOD CHOICE� Elk load � how�d they do that?
Amazing, I never knew that ���.did any of you guys know that??

Also did you know that the .44 special, when firing 250gr bullets at 1016fps is a ��.FORMIDABLE hunting round� ?
However the .45ACP shooting a 230gr bullet at 975fps ��..CANNOT be considered as a big game cartridge�. Now that�s another one I never knew about � maybe I should send this post to Ripley�s believe it or not.
Now I know there is a lot of you out there who SAY you have successfully killed large game with a .45 ACP, well you couldn�t have, if you did, better go put them back!!!

The problem is many young shooters and not so young beginners, think these guys must know what they are talking about or surely nobody would be printing it, I know this is true because I was one of them, I believed all their drivel until I knew enough to work things out for myself.
As time goes on you learn to work out which authors to believe and which to �bin�. For the new boys however��..?

Bush baby

They just have to keep stiring the pot so they something to write about.

I think my favorite gun writer absurdities are the ones where certain handgun loads are deemed ideal for big game and yet if those exact same ballistics were delivered from a rifle,it would be disdainfully regarded as being too anemic to even bother with.The examples are too numerous to mention and some of the most"respected"of the gunrag writers are guilty of it.

When I became a handgun only hunter in 1991 I more or less stopped reading the gun rags. I was very concerned about being "under gunned" when I first started. I know now after these many years of hunting and shooting handguns that I can take on, with full confidence, any animal that walks this planet. I no longer think about having "enough gun" only which gun and caliber I want to use today. I have never killed a large (elk, moose) game animal with a handgun but I have on more than one occasion killed very large feral range cattle(1500+lbs). When you get FULL BODY penetration from any angle on these big tough beasts with my .41s'I know that my guns will work the same way on elk, moose, bear.

------------------
Handgun Hunter
LOVE THOSE .41s'

As with most things that go to press , be it
politics or anything else , always (and I
really mean ALWAYS)question what you read and
ask yourself who benefits from what you read?
Nothing in this world happens without a
certain reason , believe me !When it comes to
profit , some people will do almost anything!

MacD37,
Yeah good point, I didn�t mention which one I thought was most suitable. Of course you know this was completely by accident !
So now you want me to �put my money where my mouth is� hey? This could get me some serious hate mail.
Well lets see, I figure an Elk weighs in at about 500-600lbs � about the same as a Kudu bull, and assuming a well placed shot, I�m sure one is no tougher than the other.
I would have to answer that in my mind, none are ideal or even suitable for a Kudu bull (Elk). I would say that for these animals, the minimum 7mm requirement would be 160gr at about 2600fps, 175grs at 2400-2500fps would be better � assuming shots do not exceed 200yards.
To me, penetration and not energy is the key to large animals. Which is why 300gr hard cast bullets in the .44 Mag work well on big game.
Personally, I use a rifle chambered for the .338 SABI (similar to the .338-06 Imp.), shooting a 250gr bullet at 2400fps.
In handguns I shoot a .44 mag (14� T/C) and also a 7x30 Waters (140grs at 2250fps in a 14� T/C), but use the 7x30 only for animals up to around 100kgs (220lbs), and no further than 120 meters.
I have no doubt these smaller 7mm�s in a handgun will kill an Elk, but so will a 22 Hornet � that doesn�t make it suitable.
Please note, all hate mail to be sent to MacD37, he made me say it !!

Sorry guys this should have been posted in 'African Big Game Hunting' - I'll leave it now seeing as that it's here already.

Bush baby

[This message has been edited by Bush baby (edited 09-20-2001).]

I to had concerns back in the late'80's taking to the woods with a .41 mag !!!! When the first buck fell (at a 102 paces), the first turkey died (@ 134 paces) and numerous varmints (including one @ 200 yards) all dropped to a single 210gr bullet, I gave up listening to those clowns! (all bullets exited)

The only one that really applies any "real world commonsense" to his writing is Ross Seyfreid.

Long Live the 41mag!

------------------
NRA Life Member

There seem to be quite a few inconsistencies in Cartridges of the World. I think the problem is that there are two writers at work here -- the late Frank Barnes, the original author of the work, and "Mic" McPherson who is editing and updating the various descriptions. I think the whole book needs a major update at this point. Personally, I don't base my cartridge and rifle decisions on what I read in books or magazines.

I think the problem is most writers, and hunters for that matter, get hung up on the cartridge, and ignore the most important thing, the thing that does work, the bullet!

Look at the examples of the 7mm's, the 7-08 just has to be a sure killer in a handgun, feel the recoil. And the 7-br, wow, a benchrest case, shortened 7-08, yeah its soooo accurate it doesn't matter that its slower then the 7-30. Now the 7-30, since this is based on the ancient 30/30 case, it must be near useless, yeah, use it on a whitetail, but don't think to use it on anything bigger.

I guess what it really boils down to is, firearms have been slowly evolving in the past few decades, and that evolution doesn't provide for much to write about.