gentleman,,please tell me of the smallest calibre that you have used on redstag or have seen used to take reds with,,in a sporting manner,,no lost game,, but ethically, satisfactorily used to take reds. THANK YOU

Hey,
not that a red stag could be begged with a 7 mm Mauser...but if u have a choice i would say go for a min. of .30 Diameter (.30-06) !
I�m not quiete sure why you have asked, just of interest or if u want to go on a red stag hunt.
From the "technical point of view" you can kill a red with a .22 Hornet with a spine shot...but there are to many things that could go wrong out in the woods....so that�s why take a cartridge that will l give u enough power to bag your game even if some circumstances ( stag in the rut!!high adrenaline level!!, weather, shot placement...etc.) are not optimal.

Maybe u can tell us a bit more about the background of your questions!

Cheers for now
Konstantin

[ 10-14-2003, 20:36: Message edited by: konst#1 ]

Gentlemen

I got a friend who is a hardcore beliver in 6mm rem. He uses this pea shooter for almost everything... Redstag in Scottland etc. It seems like most animals will die with a well placed bullet of good construction. I have used a 8X64 on redstag and the result was spectacular, I have also used 270 win and it seemed to work just fine. I guess placeing the shot and have a good bullet is more important than anything.

/ JOHAN

I ask about calibre on reds because I have inherited a 6x57 on a small ring mauser and would like to know if it will work WELL on elk here in the states,,it is new to me and as I tend to do with new rifle,,want to do all my hunting with this new one for the first year or two that I own it..Johan,,that 8x64 sounds nice,,am thinking about building a 8x68S as my next project.THANXX to all that answer.........PROST!!!!!!!!!

Your in Elk country and probably know people who have wacked Elk with a 243, but that would not be most peoples first choice. I think this round would be in the same area. I have taken hill stag with a 243 and last month took a fallow with the 243, but this animial took more killing than the Hill Stag.

I have seen cartridges all the way down to .223 Rem used on Reds, not that I think it is a good choice, but it is possible (probably as long as you quickly forget the animal you lost yesterday...).

Other than that, as the other participants have pointed out, 6mms of some kind are used regularly, but again utmost care must be taken with bullet placement and shooting distance (not to speak of bullet construction and weight).

Legal Red calibers in Germany start with the 6.5 mms, and that is probably a sensible minimum.

I have used a .270 Win a lot with great results, just like I have successfully used a .280 Rem Imp, .30-06 or a .300 Win Mag.

There is a LOT of difference between Reds and Reds. Stags are a lot bigger than hinds and calves, and there is a lot of difference in size depending on where you hunt the Reds. Smaller Reds are found in Scotland, Spain and in mountainous areas of Western Europe. In general, the further east you go, the bigger the animals you may find. A large Bulgarian stag is a whole different proposition to a Scottish stag, say. I shot one stag in Caucasus, and the skull of that animal is larger than the skulls of my Wapiti bulls!

For heavy Reds, in particular for stags in the rut, consider the .30-06 a good choice and other good choices to include .300 Mags, big 8mms or cartridges equivalent to a 9.3x62, say. What would work the best also depends on the distance you can expect to shoot.

It is probably safe to say: if it works well for Wapiti, it will work well for Reds.

- mike

[ 10-15-2003, 01:04: Message edited by: mho ]

thanxx for the imput guys,,I had no thought to use the 6x57 on elk on purpose,,just wondered if it would work in a pinch,,as in,,in the timber after blacktails and have a chance at an elk ,,something like that,,I know my shooting is up to the test,,for on purpose ELKING I would use my 8x57,,9x57,,9.3x57,,10.75x57 or my 300 winmag,,depending on the terrain and or ranges encountered

My cousin taught me a trick that I'll pass on to you. He used an "air rifle" to kill a moose so I'm sure it could also be used to handle a red stag. What you have to do is stalk up as close as you can get, then a little closer and get yourself in perfect position. This only works at the end of the day, when the light is just right and the animals are starting to stir as evening is approaching. You need to get yourself on a game trail, near their watering hole and when they kneel to get a drink of water, you let them have it in the nuts! The shock causes them to draw in a deep breath and they drown... Ha ha ha, got ya!!!

MONTANAHILLBILLY

There must be some sort of misstake , I have also plans on getting a 8x68S on an Brno mauser action, actually I got a BRNO ZG-47 in 8X57 JS that might be re-camberd

Cheers
/ JOHAN

[ 10-15-2003, 21:02: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

Hey Rich - thanks for that - I choked on my coffee! I guess with good stalking skills and two bricks you could achieve the same results!

Ian

[ 10-19-2003, 13:48: Message edited by: IanF ]

I hunted a red deer with a 7x64 rifle, but if I'll ever hunt again red deer during the rutI'll use a 9.3x62.
It has been a combination of facts and emotions that made me shoot too early.
I hit the bull, but it was adrenaline full. I thought that I was shooting with a water rifle.
I had time to hit it three times, two good, but it didn't gave any sign.
my penny
bye