by Rod_outbak » 26 Apr 2018, 11:46 am
For me; I've never understood the worry people have about being "over-gunned".
[I dont shoot in close to other people, so worrying about neighbours doesnt come up much.]
Also; the type of projectile used will have a huge effect on how far it goes after impact.
Not many varmint projectiles (which I use for 90% of my shooting these days) will fly very far after even a slight impact.
Likely a very different story for FMJ..
For most of my shooting, I dont walk out of the house with the intention of hunting one particular type of animal. As a result, I am inclined to take a firearm that will nail anything I am likely to encounter.
If I could only take one firearm, and had to choose between the .223 and a 30-06, and I thought I might see goats or pigs, I'd be taking the '06 with some 130-150gn projectiles. If I knew for certain I'm only going to see cats, rabbits and maybe a fox, I might take the .223, but the possibility is always there that I might see a pig or goat, so I'd prefer some a little heavier, with slightly longer legs on it.
(And YES; we do shoot a LOT of pigs with a .223, but I'd prefer a .243 or larger if I have the choice)
As an owner/manager of a large grazing property, I can say I dont vet what calibre firearm people bring onto the place for hunting.
As long as they arent leaving animals injured and suffering needlessly, I'm fine with it.
Most of the roos we've shot on this place have been nailed with either a .260 or a .308, even though we have a .223 and use it most days.
I'm more concerned about people embarking on a pig/fox/cat/goat/dingo hunt with a .22LR, than I am if they have a .416 Taylor.
ANY projectile can travel further than the intended target; safe practices require that shooters dont shoot in directions that have a high likelihood of a). hitting valuable infastructure (tanks, sheds, machinery etc), or b). shooting in the direction of occupied dwellings, or c). in a direction where there is likely to be people or livestock within effective range of the weapon.
Something of an irony, that under normal shooting conditions, gravity dictates that a .416 will likely come to a stop long before a .223...
Elder brother shot a cane toad with a .303 Brit running 180Hp projectiles one night; certainly did the job as far as nailing a feral! Front end of the toad made it about 60 feet into the air, before landing!
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Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD