I should own a magnum. Or not?

For me, magnums are overrated, especially big belted magnums. My bias probably started in my teens, when as a Jack O'Connor disciple, I found no real need for big bore cartridges. The excessive recoil and powder burn never seemed to garner much advantage over non-magnum cartridges and many don't shoot magnums as well either.
I have owned several "magnums" and for two decades my go to rifle was a 300 WSM. That said, I never shot anything with my WSM that couldn't have easily been dispatched with something less potent.
In all reality 99% of us never hunt (and maybe never will hunt) "magnum animals" like Northern moose and Grizzlies/dangerous game. Therefore, FOR ME, most magnums are overkill.
I still shoot my 300 WSM but I just don't see anything bigger in my future.
 
Schmo said:
Nice! I’m wanting to do a 7mm-08 for a predator build and a back-up rifle. Someone has a T3 in 30-06 right now for stupid cheap, but I’m currently out of cash unless I sell my scope lol. The 30-06 I can rebarrel to a 7mm-08.
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Your getting close and I love the 7mm-08.



@KING358 after smacking a lot of pests with the 7mm-08 I was enlightened to the .280ackley improved. Based on a .30-06 case using a 7mm projectiles it is said to run close to 7mmRem mag performance.

Factory brass and does are available and realistically priced. The case looks sweet and I'm generally impressed with it.
Built on a Tikka of course.

I did Hammer a couple of Fallow with Hammer Projectiles and hope to hunt with it a lot more.
 
Muddyboots said:
My ONLY recommendation for a 300WSM is DO NOT BUY 700SA as platform. The magazine maximum COAL is ridiculously short and will RESTRICT the 300WSM maximum performance.
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Academic situation, as I haven’t fooled around yet, but would you reckon the 130 class bullets (130SH & 135PH in particular) fit into a SA well enough?
The WSM build is getting pushed down the dream sheet because I need to be responsible and all vis a vis family responsibilities. Can either do a Rem SA clone or a Tikka when the times comes.
 
aratliff said:
Academic situation, as I haven’t fooled around yet, but would you reckon the 130 class bullets (130SH & 135PH in particular) fit into a SA well enough?
The WSM build is getting pushed down the dream sheet because I need to be responsible and all vis a vis family responsibilities. Can either do a Rem SA clone or a Tikka when the times comes.
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Do you feel "forum stalked" yet? LOL
I was able to load 180 Hornady SST into a Browning A-bolt 300WSM no problems. The length of SH and PH crimped into the first groove should be well under allowable length. Even box magazine length.
 
littlebighorn said:
For me, magnums are overrated, especially big belted magnums. My bias probably started in my teens, when as a Jack O'Connor disciple, I found no real need for big bore cartridges. The excessive recoil and powder burn never seemed to garner much advantage over non-magnum cartridges and many don't shoot magnums as well either.
I have owned several "magnums" and for two decades my go to rifle was a 300 WSM. That said, I never shot anything with my WSM that couldn't have easily been dispatched with something less potent.
In all reality 99% of us never hunt (and maybe never will hunt) "magnum animals" like Northern moose and Grizzlies/dangerous game. Therefore, FOR ME, most magnums are overkill.
I still shoot my 300 WSM but I just don't see anything bigger in my future.
Click to expand...
I read everything Jack O'Connor wrote and really really wanted a 270 Winchester. I combined my want for a Weatherby and a want for a 270 and bought a 270 Weatherby Mag. I moved away from the 270 Winchester as my hunting partner for several years had one. We always had to track his elk a long ways! Maybe Hammers have changed that. I don't remember him ever having poor placement of his shots either. I shot several nice mule deer with the 270 Weatherby Mag. That was one gun I regret selling.

In my thinking there is no such thing as overkill. Dead is dead! When I was 29 years old, I was hunting with a guy who used a 243. He shot a nice rag horn bull. It was a 5 mile tracking ordeal.

In my late 30's and most of my 40's, I hunted primarily with a 45/70. Almost all of the time I grabbed the Ruger #1 loaded balls to the walls with a 400 grain custom LaPoint spire point. I shot a nice 6x6 elk at just over 200 yards with it and it was a "bang-flop." Talk about kick! I slowly gravitated to using the Marlin Guide Gun, and have taken 5 elk, 7 bears and 3 deer with it. My point here is "there is no replacement for displacement." The goal of almost all the cup and core bullet manufacters is to make a bullet that mushrooms to about the size of a 45! That is what I love about Hammers. Brian and Steve have taken the route proved by Elmer Kieth, and that is a blunt bullet kills. Thus the shedding of pedals leaving a flat faced shank that kills more effecively than a round mushroom. My 5 years of hunting deer with a 44 Mag. and a 45 Colt I found the Kieth style bullets to be most effective.

Why a Magnum? I'll give you three reasons. 1. They are much more flat shooting. 2. Flight time is shortened. 3. (I assume almost all of us on this forum are reloaders.) Versatility. You don't always have to load to the max! You have much more flexiblity in bullet weight. In my 300 RUM, I am only limited by my barrel twist. I bought a sample pack of the 199 gr. 308 Shock Hammers. They are so long, I just couldn't imagine shooting them in the 308 Winchester or even the 300 WSM. It is a RUM round. I can load the RUM down to 308 numbers, but I can't do a visa-versa! So that is why it is often a magnum for me.
 
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aratliff said:
Academic situation, as I haven’t fooled around yet, but would you reckon the 130 class bullets (130SH & 135PH in particular) fit into a SA well enough?
The WSM build is getting pushed down the dream sheet because I need to be responsible and all vis a vis family responsibilities. Can either do a Rem SA clone or a Tikka when the times comes.
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Yes, will be fine. Even the 154HHT works great. BUT the 300WSM can shoot the 180+ IF the magazine COAL is sufficient to do so. I just don't like throttling down with a "restrictor plate" on a cartridge that has greater potential.
 
les said:
I read everything Jack O'Connor wrote and really really wanted a 270 Winchester. I combined my want for a Weatherby and a want for a 270 and bought a 270 Weatherby Mag. I moved away from the 270 Winchester as my hunting partner for several years had one. We always had to track his elk a long ways! Maybe Hammers have changed that. I don't remember him ever having poor placement of his shots either. I shot several nice mule deer with the 270 Weatherby Mag. That was one gun I regret selling.

In my thinking there is no such thing as overkill. Dead is dead! When I was 29 years old, I was hunting with a guy who used a 243. He shot a nice rag horn bull. It was a 5 mile tracking ordeal.

In my late 30's and most of my 40's, I hunted primarily with a 45/70. Almost all of the time I grabbed the Ruger #1 loaded balls to the walls with a 400 grain custom LaPoint spire point. I shot a nice 6x6 elk at just over 200 yards with it and it was a "bang-flop." Talk about kick! I slowly gravitated to using the Marlin Guide Gun, and have taken 5 elk, 7 bears and 3 deer with it. My point here is "there is no replacement for displacement." The goal of almost all the cup and core bullet manufacters is to make a bullet that mushrooms to about the size of a 45! That is what I love about Hammers. Brian and Steve have taken the route proved by Elmer Kieth, and that is a blunt bullet kills. Thus the shedding of pedals leaving a flat faced shank that kills more effecively than a round mushroom. My 5 years of hunting deer with a 44 Mag. and a 45 Colt I found the Kieth style bullets to be most effective.

Why a Magnum? I'll give you three reasons. 1. They are much more flat shooting. 2. Flight time is shortened. 3. (I assume almost all of us on this forum are reloaders.) Versatility. You don't always have to load to the max! You have much more flexiblity in bullet weight. In my 300 RUM, I am only limited by my barrel twist. I bought a sample pack of the 199 gr. 308 Shock Hammers. They are so long, I just couldn't imagine shooting them in the 308 Winchester or even the 300 WSM. It is a RUM round. I can load the RUM down to 308 numbers, but I can't do a visa-versa! So that is why it is often a magnum for me.
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Gday Les
I like that 👍👍😎😎

Overkill ha it’s called authority 😜😇😍
Cheers
 
For your stated max range of 400 yards, I don’t think you need a magnum any longer.

Magnums used to be used to send bigger lead core bullets down range to achieve the penetration necessary to take bigger animals. But bullet technology improved. Hammer bullets and similar produce the same terminal penetration and effectiveness from smaller, lighter bullets. So magnums are no longer needed to take big game.

The only thing magnums get you today is longer range. Out to 400 yards, you don’t need a magnum.
 
Time of flight and drag factor is why I shoot a magnum. I want it to get there fast and I want the animal to be there when I get there.

💥🚀🔨☠️

Edit to add

Shot angle is of little concern, given the correct bullet choice. Most angles are open, just find the far leg 😯 and let it fly. 4 shot with 4 bang flops this year☠️
 
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BigGame said:
For your stated max range of 400 yards, I don’t think you need a magnum any longer.

Magnums used to be used to send bigger lead core bullets down range to achieve the penetration necessary to take bigger animals. But bullet technology improved. Hammer bullets and similar produce the same terminal penetration and effectiveness from smaller, lighter bullets. So magnums are no longer needed to take big game.

The only thing magnums get you today is longer range. Out to 400 yards, you don’t need a magnum.
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Never saw a hog hit with a 300WM that got away. I've seen them run after being hit with non-magnum. I'd say Hammers scream for magnums to get the Pop & Bang Flop within 500yds.
 
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