Big slow heavy and hard hitting or fast small light and hard hitting?

Question

which calibers do you prefer bigger slower heavier ones like the 35 rem,44 mag,45-70,444 marlin,450 marlin etc. or fast smaller lighter calibers like the 7mm magnums 270 280 rem 30-06 300 magnums etc.?

Answer 1

I like both and both have there place . each get there energy in different ways but at less then 150 yards I see not much difference , but at longer distances the light fast rounds are much easier to hit what you are aiming at but over all the (killing power) is the same if you can hit the target and put the bullet in the right place . good luck

Answer 2

That would all depend on the animals that you would be harvesting.* It all depends on the game your hunting.* Both will be used, but its the animal that your hunting which determines which one to use for that purpose.*

Answer 3

Both have their uses.  I lean more toward big and moderately fast for the most part.

My favorite hunting cartridges are the .358 Winchester, using a 200 gr. Hornady SP @ +/- 2500 fps, and .45-70 Gov't, using 406 grain hard cast bullets at @1800 fps.

From expensive experience, I learned that I have no real need of a rifle that throws a 165 gr. bullet faster than 3000 fps.

My favorite handgun cartridges are .357 Magnum, .44 S&W Spl, and .45ACP (I guess you could say I like both extremes in handguns.)

Doc

Answer 4

Q: Big slow heavy and hard hitting or fast small light and hard hitting?

A: Well sir, that depends... Always match your gun/caliber to the game you are hunting.  Nothing wrong with those slow ones so long as you're within range. Fast ones work too, provided you're not trying to bear hunt with a high speed, lightweight bullet.  Example:  I wouldn't shoot deer with a .223/5.56x45 NATO but I sure would shoot varmint with it.  If I needed to shoot a coyote and all I had was a .35 Remington then I wouldn't hesitate to use that.  I'd boar hunt with the .35 but never with the .223, so you see, it depends.  Match your rifle and caliber to the game you are hunting.

H

Answer 5

if you want to shoot flat go with the 7mm ultra mag, in the U.S. i can hunt all game, with no problem

Answer 6

YES on both. But different species.

Slow: 35 Remington 200 grain Round Nose- Marlin 336: crushes it's way through the vitals on deer and feral hogs with great success. The range is kept short.

Fast: 243 Winchester, 58 grain Hornady VMax- Varget powder-Custom rifle, Mauser action...Bobcat and Fox rifle and sometimes Coyote.

Fast: 308 Winchester, 110 grain Hornady Vmax- Norma 201 powder, Custom rifle, Ruger action: Dedicated Coyote Rifle.

Answer 7

Big and slow -

12 gauge Shotgun : 20" - 24" Interchangeable chokes (bead sited), 24" rifled barrel (scoped) & 18.5" (ghost rings)

Small and fast -

.308 Win (scoped)

Answer 8

Both will get the job done.  The fast small light is a flatter shooting round and depends to a greater degree on velocity for its hitting power.  The large slow bullet is not as flat shooting and depends on mass for its hitting power.  The hitting powe,r or kinetic energy, is a function of both mass and velocity.  To calculate the kinetic energy of a bullet, you divide the velocity of the bullet by 2 and multiply that number by the weight of the bullet in grains.  Then you divide that number by 450,400.  The number that you get will be the foot pounds of kinetic energy of that bullet.  Do this for each of the cartridges in question and you can see how hard each one hits the target.  If you were to want to be very accurate in your calculations, you would need to take into consideration the wind resistance of each bullet but for your purposes, just calculating the kinetic energy will be sufficient.  If you ever do waht to go into it more deeply, you can pick up a book entitled "Understanding Firearm Ballistics" by Robert A. Rinker.  It will show you how to do all of the various ballistic calculations.  It's a really great book.