Curious if anyone else is in agreement on this one.

I know there are lots of big bore, magnum guys on this board, but I'm beginning to think myself and many others go way overgunned for the game at hand.

My buddy and I both shot muleys last week with .300 Weatherby's and were both pretty disgusted at the amount of damage inflicted by these cartridges. Just too much gun for the game. A .243 or .257 would have done the job nicely and probably not have done near the meat damage.

Unless going after the "big mean stuff", I'm starting to lean towards the smaller cartridges, and am convinced a .270 or 30-06 is quite adequate for most everything (including moose and elk) but the big bears.

Thoughts ?

I agree, to a point.

I use a 7mm Rem Mag cause I have to hunt elk with the same rig and distances can get long. I use a 160 gr bullet to get the most penetration I can--I am under the understanding that it is mostly the light/fast bullets that tend to destroy alot of meat.

Also, some people prefer magnums simply because it gives them more confidence. This is usually a good thing, assuming they have the marksmenship to match and the patience to get as close as possible. Some people just feel better having magnums cause they feel it is better to have the power and not need it than to need the power and not have it. Besides, what's a little ruined meat for the hunt of a life time?

If all I hunted was deer, yeah, I'd have a .270 or an 06...probably. I really like my 7mm Mag and I don't fear alot of meat waste with my current load.

Steiny- I'm in agreement with you- I shoot a 30.06- 150s for the little stuff- 165s for stuff around 200# and 180s for feral hogs and big stuff.

One of the worst meat damaged animals I have ever seen was shot from a .308 win. with 165 gr sierra gamekings. I peronaly use a couple of larger rifles for hunting and have always found with any bullet you use if you hit major bone there will be quite a bit of damage.Velocity combined with standard bullets account for alot of meat damage. I have found that with bullets like the Barns X and Swift scirrocco's or Aframe there seems to be about a 2 inch exit wound from most animals I have shot. With very little meat damage from a bullet shedding its core. I have great luck from my 7 stw & 300 mag.

Happy Hunting

Actually I agree to a point. Light projectiles in a 30 Mag make a terrible mess! The culprit is velocity!

I'd rather up the mass, and drop the velocity to a reasonable level. In 30 Mag I use 200's at 2800 fps on deer. In 308 I've been using 150 Nosler BTs, but at about 2500 fps ... they seem to work about right there. I've had more than one bow hit that damages more meat.

BTW, by the above theory ... a 375 using 230s at 2500 should also work just fine and not make a mess either. Actually going to try this to see if it works.

With what I've actually seen in the field ... I simply can't imagine that the 30-378 or 30 RUM is even vaguely desirable no less necessary!

Use heavier bullets, at a lower velocity, and your rifles will do fine. Not as much expansion. In an '-06, i always used 180 gr bullets for deer and antelope, and 250 gr. in .338 for the same critters. Eat up to the hole, and still have a great elk or griz round.

Your 300 Wby isnt too much gun for a Mulie, you just need to get farther away..

Wstrnhntr has it right. Mags are for reach. If you're not expecting long shots, you don't need a magnum at all. - Dan

It's not the speed, it's not the bullet weight.

For example, I've shot mulies at 30-60 yards with x-bullets that were cooking along at 3300 fps from my 7mag. Eat up to the hole. I shot an elk at 30 yards with one of Gerards copper bullets at 3425 fps (130 gr. from the same 7mag), and I don't think I lost a half pound of meat.

It's a matter of matching the bullet construction to the task at hand. Bullets are designed to operate at certain speeds, and if you go beyond the design parameters you should not be surprised it fails. JMO, Dutch.