do you own a overkill rifle?

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My great aunt thinks anything over a .22LR is just plain lazy and wasteful, and she has a 10pt to prove her point, shot once in the throat/spine. Much less meat wasted that way, also reminds you not to piss her off inside of 300m.
 
I think we all own "overkill" rifles when you get right down to. In fact most of us own and use as much "overkill" as we can stand to tolerate on our shoulders, and still shoot well.

Overkill is not a bad thing as long as you shoot your "overkill" rifle well, and are not afraid of it.
 
I think my 220gr 30-06's are too much for North American hunting. I really don't think anything we have couldn't be dropped by it.

I went by Academy and didn't know they didn't stock any 30-06 rounds bigger than 180gr. I asked if they carried 220gr and the guy asked if I had an elephant problem on my land.
 
Marlin 1895STP 45-70 Govt. Its got a 16" barrel, and its most certainly overkill.
 
I'm not sure there is such a thing as over-kill, because we hunters believe we have an ethical responsibility to make a quick, clean kill. More power, flatter trajectory both contribute to that. It's like asking is your rifle too accurate?
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I agree.
I shot a coyote yesterday with a .50 muzzleloader. That was probably overkill
I want a magnum. I know I don't need one, but I will eventually have a 7-mag or .300 mag of some variety. Just cause they're fun.
 
As i mentioned in another thread today i have a .300 win mag. I take it out white tail hunting, but as for the over kill question...yeah i also use it on groundhogs during the summer!
 
.300wm on Groundhogs?????? Thats an expensive pink mist there!

Paul, I have yet to meet a "fun" .300wm (I have 2) and they are both pretty much shoulder wreckers at the bench. Not to bad sitting up or off hand, but bench and prone they are simply just not fun at all.
 
I own rifles in .223, .243, 7.62X39 .308, .30-06, .44 mag, .45-70, and a couple of .50 cal muzzle loaders.Except for critter control on the farm, the only thing I shoot is paper. I guess all my rifles except my .22 lr's are over kill. They are all a blast to shoot, though.
 
Im a good ways from catching up with my father in law in terms of out-gunning my target. He deer hunts with a 7mm ultra mag. If he is stalking whitetail and dosen't want to have his hands full he carries a Smith 460 XVR in a bandolier type holster.

I used a Mossberg ATR 100 in tried and true .270 back when I used to deer hunt.

My little bro went squirrel 'hunting' with a Mosin once. He brought home a squirrels tail.
 
I don't hunt so I guess all my rifles are overkill.

Maybe someday so until someone decides to take me under their wing I will continue to enjoy hunting paper.
 
Not yet. My 30-30 and 2, 30-06s keep me busy. Maybe when I can hit at 1000 yards consistently, I'll get myself something more powerful to get further.
 
"Use Enough Gun"
Is there such as thing as "too much gun"?
Is the guy hunting deer with a .300 WBY really a "nut".
I wouldn't use the WBY. You maybe wouldn't but is he wrong in some way because he does? As long as he can handle the gun and place his shots....OK by me.
I hunt birds mostly. I can take grouse and pheasant handily with a 28 gauge (if I wait for the shot, with a .410). Does that mean that 12 gauge is too much?
Big guns: I own a .375 H&H (Win. M70) and a .416 Rigby (Ruger #1).....I have them just because. I have not used either to hunt. Since I load all of my CF cartridges though, I have developed reduced loads for both that would be entirely satisfactory for deer and kinder to my shoulder than the full power stuff.
Pete
 
Yes I’ve had what a reasonable person would consider over kill rifles for North America.

Because of growing up reading Keith I had to have a 338-Win Mag. Dreams of Africa a 375-H&H and a 416-Rem Mag. I sustained physical injuries that would not allow the rigors of such game hunting that those calibers were best suited for. I’ve overcame the injuries but it was a long process. At this point I’m no longer interested in going to Africa or Alaska.

When one considers that deer are taken with .22-Rimfire then the 30-06 would appear to be over kill. (I’m not advocating the .22 rimfire) For the majority of hunter’s big game are deer and occasionally black bear. I’m not excluding Elk or Moose but that’s more of a regional thing.

Within reason caliber is less important than the ability to place the shot effectively.
 
I wanted to get a Rem. 700 Varmint .308 to shoot paper at our 600 yard range, but I ended up winning a Rem 700 300 Win Mag instead. Takes a quite a bit more powder and kicks quite a bit more but for free I am not complaining :)
 
Yeah, I don't think you can 'overkill' a critter, but certainly a good sportsman chooses the appropriate tools. I have settled on the 30-06 for my game rifle a long time ago. I shoot 165 grains for the most part, and never had anything take those pills and laugh at me. Now I know a dairy farmer in upstate NY, who just loves the '06, but only with 220 grain RN. He hunts deer and that's it lol. I said, "220 RN for whitetail deer, you must really want to kill something" People and their shooting choices can be pretty funny at times. I guess that's why they call us 'gun nuts'
 
Here is a thread that has pictures of (one of) my varmint rigs. Sure, a .308 Win is "a bit more" than needed for coyote or woodchucks to 500 yards, but there would be no doubting a hit or a miss. My only regret in setting up such a rig is that I can only blame myself for misses. :eek:

(See post #26) http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=6806852#post6806852

Geno
 
not quite a rifle not quite a shotgun

I am taking a "12 gauge from hell" whitetail hunting this year just because I can. I have a few 715 grain jacketed hollow points loaded up. I don't think I need the expansion but it can only help.
 
CZ 550 in 416 Rigby
Browning safari in 375 H&H
Browning safari in 458 Win Mag
Mannlicher Schoenauer 1956 in 458 Win Mag

Just because I can.
 
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