Old & Stupid

I have killed deer and hogs with my AR-223 with no issues. I treat it just like archery hunting, precisely placing a good bullet in the animal at the right angle, and that means a good broadside shot. But an elk is a whole bunch bigger, and I see no reason to use the little rifle when I have bigger ones more suitable.
 
William Suter said:
Nothing beats horse power!
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I disagree . Been proving people wrong since I was a young boy. I'll take smaller calibers that I can shoot more accurately than a big boomer that a shooter can't handle or is afraid of. I've been around more people than I can count that a 30-06 is too much recoil. Throw in a 300 WM , dang those flinches come out.

I ran 243 win for deer a whole lot of years. If I threw down on a critter, it was in trouble !

I came from the minute of paper plate, metal /plastic butt pads and cheap scopes era.

That said, I'm not opposed to "horse power" in the proper hands.
 
What kind of person would own a rifle they’re afraid of? I know I’m not, if it kicks like a mule it’s sent on down the road. The only rifle I’ve shot that I would never buy was a Savage .270 and I was sighting it in for a guy. Think I would rather someone take a home run swing with a bat to my right shoulder than pull the trigger on that gun ever again.
With that said, I’ve never felt a recoil of any kind when shooting an animal. It’s an entirely different mindset.
 
Spurchaser said:
What kind of person would own a rifle they’re afraid of? I know I’m not, if it kicks like a mule it’s sent on down the road. The only rifle I’ve shot that I would never buy was a Savage .270 and I was sighting it in for a guy. Think I would rather someone take a home run swing with a bat to my right shoulder than pull the trigger on that gun ever again.
With that said, I’ve never felt a recoil of any kind when shooting an animal. It’s an entirely different mindset.
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I'd be willing to bet it's well over half here in Michigan. There's plenty that will tell you they are not. All one has to do is sit back and watch when it's time to check zero for deer season. Closed eyes, jerked triggers and patterns on targets don't lie.

Yes , felt recoil when hunting isn't the same. However, one has to sight their rifle in before hand.
 
cropdamage said:
I'd be willing to bet it's well over half here in Michigan. There's plenty that will tell you they are not. All one has to do is sit back and watch when it's time to check zero for deer season. Closed eyes, jerked triggers and patterns on targets don't lie.

Yes , felt recoil when hunting isn't the same. However, one has to sight their rifle in before hand.
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Sounds to me like you have a buncha once-a-year shooters that don’t even look at their rifles except right before hunting season. I’ve owned or shot most of the big calibers and I can honestly say that recoil does not affect my accuracy. But then, I shoot year-round.
 
Wind River said:
Sounds to me like you have a buncha once-a-year shooters that don’t even look at their rifles except right before hunting season. I’ve owned or shot most of the big calibers and I can honestly say that recoil does not affect my accuracy. But then, I shoot year-round.
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Yep, It's not just Michigan either.

Too many stories of guys that missed their deer opening day because they didn't shoot it prior. I mean they had it mounted and bore sighted at the LGS, should be close enough right ? :LOL:
 
Spurchaser said:
What kind of person would own a rifle they’re afraid of? I know I’m not, if it kicks like a mule it’s sent on down the road. The only rifle I’ve shot that I would never buy was a Savage .270 and I was sighting it in for a guy. Think I would rather someone take a home run swing with a bat to my right shoulder than pull the trigger on that gun ever again.
With that said, I’ve never felt a recoil of any kind when shooting an animal. It’s an entirely different mindset.
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Worst kicker I ever shouldered personally was a Savage 110 in 30-06 back in the early to mid 1980’s. It had a hardwood stock that may as well had been a 2x4! That thing was brutal. I slapped a Bell & Carlson synthetic stock on it and it was a whole nother gun. Very easy shooter after the stock swap.

I’m in the camp of use as much gun as you can shoot well. There’s merit on both ends of this subject. Yes, smaller and accurate is better than bigger and uncontrollable. However, if all you can handle is a 556…. Well???… 🤨 :rolleyes:
 
I've killed a truck load of deer with a 243. My "go-to" the last 5-6 years is a 7mm08 for deer but we are talking elk. My hardest kicker that I remember was a Savage 99 in 300 Savage. I don't know why but that rifle would water your eyes when you shot it. My favorite large caliber was a 7 mag and I've had 300WM and 300 WSM but that 99 was a beast for some reason. Deer is the largest thing I hunt and a 7mm08 takes care of that nicely. IF IF IF I were to go after elk, my 308 would probably be the rifle I took with me or ask a buddy if I could borrow one of his larger rifles, but at my age chances of going after elk are slim and none.
 
William Suter said:
I've killed a truck load of deer with a 243. My "go-to" the last 5-6 years is a 7mm08 for deer but we are talking elk. My hardest kicker that I remember was a Savage 99 in 300 Savage. I don't know why but that rifle would water your eyes when you shot it. My favorite large caliber was a 7 mag and I've had 300WM and 300 WSM but that 99 was a beast for some reason. Deer is the largest thing I hunt and a 7mm08 takes care of that nicely. IF IF IF I were to go after elk, my 308 would probably be the rifle I took with me or ask a buddy if I could borrow one of his larger rifles, but at my age chances of going after elk are slim and none.
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Most 99s have a steel butt and a low comb………great recipe for biting recoil.😉
 
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