We've all heard the story about the tyro that shot a 12 point buck with his 223 Remington with a 55 gr bullet. As the story goes, the buck "went down like he was hit by lightning".  Trouble is, this gave the hunter a false sense of bullet performance.  Sure it has happened, but for every buck that was killed ten got away wounded to die a cruel death.

We've also seen the 150 pound buck that was shot with a 7MM Magnum using a 140 bullet at 75 yards; what was left of him anyway. No need to make him into hamburger... the 7MM Mag did it for you.

How about the guy that shot the grizzly with the 270 Winchester.  Later that week, the game warden found grizzly skat with hunter orange cloth and chewed up 270 Winchester cases in it.(Well, that's a lie, but probably some truth in it!).

Here's the best advise we can give the new hunter (or the seasoned one for that matter):

Rule 1:

Use a rifle that you are comfortable with and can shoot extremely well. You must put the bullet right where you want it. No amount of increased power or bullet weight makes up for poor shot placement.  If you just had to have a 338 Winchester to make sure you will bring home the venison, but you have to shut your eyes and grit your teeth every time you pull the trigger, its time to reconsider the gun.

Rule 2:

Always use the right type bullet for the job in that gun.  A varmint bullet is never right for use on big game even if you can put it in the right spot.  On the other hand, a bullet of proper weight and construction will get the job done.  The new bonded and monolithic bullets give added performance to the standard calibers.  Also, make sure you use the right weight.  If you are moose hunting with the 30-06 Springfield, a 180 or 200 gr standard construction bullet will do an excellent job.  If you are going after big tough game, the premium bullets like the Nosler Partition, Swift A Frame, Barnes X are excellent choices as are any of the new bonded or monolithic plastic tipped bullets.  Match your bullet to the game animal.

If you are hunting medium sized big game like mule deer, whitetails or pronghorns, the

Sierra Gamekings, Speer Hot Cores, Hornady Interlocks, Remington CoreLokts and Winchester PowerPoints have killed truckloads of them.  These bullets also have taken truckloads of heavy game.  However, if you have the choice and want the extra insurance for deep penetration to shoot through the game and bullets that will hold together when they hit bones on heavy game, why not use a premium bullet? They will raise the cost of a box of ammo a few bucks but it is insignificant when you might have spent thousands on a big game hunt.  Considering that an out of state license will cost a couple of hundred bucks alone plus special tags, one doesn't want to save a few bucks on the ammo.

Rule 3:

Consider the gun you will use for the hunt.  Just because you are expert with that 243 Winchester or 257 Roberts doesn't mean you should go moose hunting with it.  If you want to go after the big stuff, get a bigger gun and practice, practice and practice some more until you can shoot it as well as the smaller one.  Once you can master the gun, decide on the bullet weight appropriate for the game animal to be hunted and decide on whether you want the added insurance for a premium bullet.  That last bit is a cheap piece of insurance.

What kind of calibers do we recommend?

Deer sized game:  Any of the standard calibers from 243 Winchester to 30-06 work well with heavier bullets in the 243 (90-100 gr) and the medium weights in the 30-06 (150-165 gr).

Elk and Moose: Although we will get hate mail for saying this, we recommend at least a 30-06 with 180-200 gr bullets. Alot of guys have killed them with a 270 Winchester or even 300 Savage.  If you're one of them, God bless you IF it is getting the job done.   I personally know guys in South Africa who kill Kudu bulls each year with 270 Winchesters using 150 grain bullets.  A Kudu is the size of an elk but they are usually shot at closer range.  Some elk hunting is done at rather long ranges due to hunting pressure and terrain nowadays so a magnum is in order.  The various 7MM, 300 and 338 magnums are just the ticket for longer range elk hunting or moose hunting, BUT, you better know how to handle them.  If you can't shoot them well, use a 30-06 with a premium 180 gr bullet and be able to put it into the boiler room at the moment of truth.

Great Bears: As the saying goes, "Bigger is more gooder". A lot of Alaskans use the 35 Whelen because it packs a big punch with a 250 grain bullet and doesn't kick you senseless.  Most guides will recommend a 338 Winchester as a minimum and if you can shoot a 375 Magnum well, then use it.  Remember bullet placement on the first shot is what counts.  Bad shot on the first shot always means a big mess to clean up for someone and that job really sucks!

Cast Bullets in Big Game Rifles:  What? Are you freakin' nuts?  It's 2010, Grandpa! Yeah, I can hear all the young bucks howl with disbelief that anyone would consider anything but the latest super dooper magnum buck buster that uses 100 grains of powder, a bonded or monolithic plastic tipped boat tail bullet and a caliber between 25 and 30. BUT, let's look back at some of the old timers who really knew their stuff.  They knew that a large caliber (38 to 45) heavy, hard cast gas checked bullet going 1600 to 1900 fps could drill through anything that walks and put them down hard.  The generation X'ers and even most of us baby boomers will say, "Yeah, that's true but you better shoot it like a howlitzer (45 degree elevation) if you want to hit anything".  Of course, you need to know a little about external ballistics and how much the bullet will drop at extended range. The guns designed for these types of bullets hit hard and are extremely accurate at long distances. You need to know the capabilities of your gun.  People are astounded when they see someone with a single shot rolling block rifle in 45-70 Govt shoot at 1000 yards and hit the bulleye.  But this isn't for most people. 

A big lead hard cast bullet at moderate velocity will shoot through anything.  And contrary to most people's opinion, you want to shoot through them.  The idea that the bullet should expend its energy within the target and not exit the off side is baloney.

Excellent guns and calibers that work well with these kind of bullets are the Marlin 444 and Marlin 45-70, the Winchester Big Bore 94 in 375 Winchester, the Winchester and Browning 1886 45-70,  the Ruger #1 and Browning single shots.  Marlin is even making the 38-55 again which is a great deer rifle with the Cast Performance LBT lead gascheck bullet.

Well, before you go nuts and begin sending us nasty email on our comments remember, these are only our comments.  Before you go on the hunt, research as much as you can, ask people who have been there and done that and most of all, be able to shoot well whatever you take on the hunt.  Good luck on the hunt and above all, be safe!