Is this too much gun for white tails

[Rpod86]

So I went hunting yesterday evening with a family friend he saw the rifle I had was my 300 RUM he gave me a lot of crap how it was way to much gun what do you all think. Side note I normally head or neck shoot whenever possible to avoid meat damage. And never lost a deer with it lol

 

[brewer12345]

You do you. It is more than enough for an ethical kill, but dead is dead. I worry about meat damage and don't like head/neck shots so it would not be for me, but 300 RUM will kill em dead and would work for elk or big bears should you ever hunt them.

You able to find ammo for that cartridge?

 

[WestKentucky]

I just don’t like the noise of anything “magnum” in the rifle category. That’s the only thing I would take issue with. Shoot ‘em right and you don’t lose much meat anyway.

 

[Rpod86]

You do you. It is more than enough for an ethical kill, but dead is dead. I worry about meat damage and don't like head/neck shots so it would not be for me, but 300 RUM will kill em dead and would work for elk or big bears should you ever hunt them.

You able to find ammo for that cartridge?

I reload for it thank I have about 120 or so rounds made at the moment

 

[Thomasss]

I guess it depends on what you are loading. I did a quick check in Hornady's 11th Powder Manual and found you might load a 165 grain soft point with 4831 and get 2980 fps. That sounds pretty good for a deer round.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I've used 7mm rum up to 338 Lapua. Usually use my 300 but sometimes I've grabbed others. Whitetail are not a tough animal. 308/243/270/257 R and the like are probably ideal. But if you don't mind the noise or recoil then overkill is imaginary. The range matters too. 243 is probably perfect for whitetail deer....unless your 1000 yards away. Then the 338 Lapua isn't such overkill.

In my experience and in my area id say the average shot at a deer are under 200 yards. Probably 100. So technically a 44 is plenty.

 

[CraigC]

I wouldn't say, "too much" but "more than necessary". Are you beating yourself up more than necessary? Yes. You can get the job done with a lot less recoil, muzzle blast and destruction. That said, the choice is obviously yours. I'd rather see someone use too much than stunt hunters that don't use enough.

I also think head/neck shots are a terrible gamble. The only part of a deer that moves more than the head is the tail. Margin for error is small.

 

[Chuck R.]

I wouldn't say, "too much" but "more than necessary". Are you beating yourself up more than necessary? Yes. You can get the job done with a lot less recoil, muzzle blast and destruction. That said, the choice is obviously yours. I'd rather see someone use too much than stunt hunters that don't use enough.

I also think head/neck shots are a terrible gamble. The only part of a deer that moves more than the head is the tail. Margin for error is small.

Agree. I've taken 1 head shot and that was at under 30yds on a bedded buck with his back to me.

As for the 300 RUM being over kill, it depend on the conditions. Western KS I've used .300WM for open country. I don't look at it so much as "overkill" as it is using a rifle that's not set up for the conditions I'm hunting.

My open country rifles; .300WM and .270Win have 24" barrels and higher magnification scopes. They also have ARCA plates mounted to their stocks for clamping in a tripod. Shots out west can be longish. Both of these rifles kind of suck in a stand and blind, too cumbersome and too much MV for the distances I'm hunting at. I've also got a 26" barreled 8mm Mag, another "open country" rifle that really sees limited to zero use.

My "normal" deer rifles, used for blinds, stands, still hunting, and drives use intermediate cartridges, short actions, 20" barrels and 1.25- 8X scopes. Most of the places I hunt on the east side a 300yd shot is a long ways, and that's only overwatching row crop fields. This season, other than the MT mule deer hunt, I've been focused on hunting wooded terrain. So the "long shooters" are remaining racked and my M7s in .260Rem and .350RM are getting used.

The "I only take X shots briefs well", but sometimes all I get is a quartering shots. During drives and still hunts, I take some shots that most guys on the internet would pass on. Putting a 3100+ FPS cartridge through a shoulder at the closer ranges leaves a mess of dog food.

 

[CraigC]

Agree. I've taken 1 head shot and that was at under 30yds on a bedded buck with his back to me.

As for the 300 RUM being over kill, it depend on the conditions. Western KS I've used .300WM for open country. I don't look at it so much as "overkill" as it is using a rifle that's not set up for the conditions I'm hunting.

My open country rifles; .300WM and .270Win have 24" barrels and higher magnification scopes. They also have ARCA plates mounted to their stocks for clamping in a tripod. Shots out west can be longish. Both of these rifles kind of suck in a stand and blind, too cumbersome and too much MV for the distances I'm hunting at. I've also got a 26" barreled 8mm Mag, another "open country" rifle that really sees limited to zero use.

My "normal" deer rifles, used for blinds, stands, still hunting, and drives use intermediate cartridges, short actions, 20" barrels and 1.25- 8X scopes. Most of the places I hunt on the east side a 300yd shot is a long ways, and that's only overwatching row crop fields. This season, other than the MT mule deer hunt, I've been focused on hunting wooded terrain. So the "long shooters" are remaining racked and my M7s in .260Rem and .350RM are getting used.

The "I only take X shots briefs well", but sometimes all I get is a quartering shots. During drives and still hunts, I take some shots that most guys on the internet would pass on. Putting a 3100+ FPS cartridge through a shoulder at the closer ranges leaves a mess of dog food.

All true. I just ass-u-me-d that the OP was hunting in his home area. Which is listed as East Tennessee. I also assume that the folks who hunt out west and routinely take shots measuring several hundred yards don't normally ask these sorts of questions.

I've brained two deer, both does. One was because it was a thick, brushy clearcut and the head was all I could see. Probably about 60yds and her unforeseen little friend caught one through the shoulders shortly thereafter. The second was after the 300gr Hornady .405WCF bullet came completely unglued upon entry and the doe was trying to exit the scene. Not something I would do under normal circumstances.

 

[Chuck R.]

All true. I just ass-u-me-d that the OP was hunting in his home area. Which is listed as East Tennessee. I also assume that the folks who hunt out west and routinely take shots measuring several hundred yards don't normally ask these sorts of questions.

I've brained two deer, both does. One was because it was a thick, brushy clearcut and the head was all I could see. Probably about 60yds and her unforeseen little friend caught one through the shoulders shortly thereafter. The second was after the 300gr Hornady .405WCF bullet came completely unglued upon entry and the doe was trying to exit the scene. Not something I would do under normal circumstances.

Again, agree.

I just figured it's some sort of "beanfield set up", cause there's no way I'd drag a 300RUU around here unless I had no other rifle. Even if that was the case I'd load it down. I think just about every poll I've seen that covers "average shot distance on whitetail deer" the average is somewhere around 100-200 yds. Even in western KS my longish shots average just over 300yds. Perfectly doable with a non-magnum.

 

[jmr40]

Dead is dead. If the cartridge is capable of getting the job done, I'm good with it. A 300 RUM is way more gun than you need, but if you like it and want to use it, then use it. I've moved away from more powerful guns opting to use 308 class cartridges for anything I'll ever hunt. But that is personal preference.

 

[crestoncowboy]

All true. I just ass-u-me-d that the OP was hunting in his home area. Which is listed as East Tennessee. I also assume that the folks who hunt out west and routinely take shots measuring several hundred yards don't normally ask these sorts of questions.

I've brained two deer, both does. One was because it was a thick, brushy clearcut and the head was all I could see. Probably about 60yds and her unforeseen little friend caught one through the shoulders shortly thereafter. The second was after the 300gr Hornady .405WCF bullet came completely unglued upon entry and the doe was trying to exit the scene. Not something I would do under normal circumstances.

All our land is in east TN/ west NC and lower VA. My father in laws only deer was shot from his porch at 400 yards. As I said, most of the shots here are 100-200 yards max. But ive shot 500 and out plenty too. Especially at coyote and groundhogs. It's rare, but if I want to look in the right direction I can safely shoot 700 yards here pretty easy without leaving my driveway or shooting off my land. If I wanted to shoot ridge to ridge like some do, I could shoot much farther.

That said, if your having to ask if 300 rum is a bit much for whitetail deer then you may not be familiar enough with ballistics to be lobbing bullets that far either. I don't recommend it, but small varmint bullets are more than enough for whitetail around here.

 

[Rpod86]

Yea some of the places I hunt has potential for 600 plus yard shots and I have several other rifle I take but this was the first time I got a lot of grieve for carrying such a large rifle, just was wondering what others thought about it

 

[Rpod86]

All our land is in east TN/ west NC and lower VA. My father in laws only deer was shot from his porch at 400 yards. As I said, most of the shots here are 100-200 yards max. But ive shot 500 and out plenty too. Especially at coyote and groundhogs. It's rare, but if I want to look in the right direction I can safely shoot 700 yards here pretty easy without leaving my driveway or shooting off my land. If I wanted to shoot ridge to ridge like some do, I could shoot much farther.

That said, if your having to ask if 300 rum is a bit much for whitetail deer then you may not be familiar enough with ballistics to be lobbing bullets that far either. I don't recommend it, but small varmint bullets are more than enough for whitetail around here.

just getting everyone opinions on it. As far as my ballistic knowledge I’m not an expert but I think I can develop a load as good as most. In that gun I’m lobbing 210 grain Berger. Hunting vld

 

[Random 8]

You do you, but the .30 caliber rifles I use all top out with a 150 SP at 2600fps. This is for woods ranges. I have a .280 Rem in a strong, modern action that I push 145 grain bullets in as fast as they'll go for open country hunting. I would not use such a rifle, but that's me. I too favor head and neck shots, but in tight cover they're not always an option, so I go with the milder .30's.

 

[crestoncowboy]

just getting everyone opinions on it. As far as my ballistic knowledge I’m not an expert but I think I can develop a load as good as most. In that gun I’m lobbing 210 grain Berger. Hunting vld

I meant ballistics energy. Not load development. Ive never used the berger in that load. Ive used the nosler ballistic tip hunting bullet for 300 mag though. Any weight and charge will flatten a whitetail deer at that 600 yards from the rum or mag. I used a 7mm rum (700 cdl) quite a bit. I just got tired of carying that long barrel and catching on everything. My 22 inch light weight 300 mag is plenty now.

And yes I've also caught crap over my "overkill" rifles. Lol. Especially the 338/378 wby, 257 wby, 7mm rum, and 450 Marlin. Lol. Honestly though, once they fall over and you get them hung up, nobody can tell you used a Canon unless you botched the shot and hit the shoulder and blew it off.

I hunted with a 223 for years. Never lost a deer I shot with it. 55 and 50 gr vmax. And several of those were nice 8-12 point bucks. Nothing record book worthy... but bucks most people would love to see. If you hit the vitals and miss the shoulder they fall with a 22 hornet. If you gut shot it with a 416 they run off.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

"You might say that was over kill...I say it's just enough kill."

- Ash, Evil Dead: A Fist Full of Boomstick


I say you do you. If you like it and you hunt well with it, what's the big deal?

 

[brewer12345]

just getting everyone opinions on it. As far as my ballistic knowledge I’m not an expert but I think I can develop a load as good as most. In that gun I’m lobbing 210 grain Berger. Hunting vld

How far is your typical shot?

 

[AK Hunter]

If you are wanting to kill & start processing at the same time, the no it's not too much gun.
A buddy of mine has one & shot a doe that blew both front shoulders off the animal. We tried to drag it out & found the front legs were not connected any more, it was just the skin holding it on.
So if you only want the hind quarters go for it but it's a good meat wasting gun.

 

[Bwana John]

Everybody knows the 300 RUM is marginal for those bullet proof white tails unless you use tungsten carbide core AP projectiles.

 

[crestoncowboy]

If you are wanting to kill & start processing at the same time, the no it's not too much gun.
A buddy of mine has one & shot a doe that blew both front shoulders off the animal. We tried to drag it out & found the front legs were not connected any more, it was just the skin holding it on.
So if you only want the hind quarters go for it but it's a good meat wasting gun.

If he hit both front shoulders with a 270 or 257 it would still damage the meat. The goal is to not blow through a shoulder. Much less both.

 

[Ranger99]

Just me- I've about quit trying to advise
people about firearms and archery equipment for deer if they already have
something in hand. They usually already
have their mind made up about everything,
and some other somebody somewhere
has already advised them about their own
preferences. Anyway, in the end it's
probably better to let each person find
their own path for what they do. I know
I've had to do that myself for several things
and my choices don't always jive with
what others prefer. Knives, wives, trucks,
guns, dogs, food, etc.

 

[Bazoo]

I’ve been told 44 special in standard pressure isn’t enough. So it goes both ways. If it were me, id hunt the gun if I liked it regardless of caliber, long as it was legal. In Ky, anything center fire is legal for deer.

 

[Ranger99]

I’ve been told 44 special in standard pressure isn’t enough. . .

Yessir
Some years ago before the antler fever
got so bad in this region, I used to have
access to several places to go hunt
"cull" deer and does for no cost. The
regular clients didn't want to bother
with does and spikes and tweekers.
Before one trip, a coworker was talking
to me about it, and had mentioned that
the 30/30 I was carrying was inadequate
for the job, and I needed to carry
something different. That particular trip
I filled my tags with one shot each and
a friend and his young son got all they
wanted. The car I was driving was
packed full of venison on the trip
back taken with 2 inadequate rifles

 

[Bazoo]

Yessir
Some years ago before the antler fever
got so bad in this region, I used to have
access to several places to go hunt
"cull" deer and does for no cost. The
regular clients didn't want to bother
with does and spikes and tweekers.
Before one trip, a coworker was talking
to me about it, and had mentioned that
the 30/30 I was carrying was inadequate
for the job, and I needed to carry
something different. That particular trip
I filled my tags with one shot each and
a friend and his young son got all they
wanted. The car I was driving was
packed full of venison on the trip
back taken with 2 inadequate rifles

Thanks for sharing. 30-30 sure seemed to lay them down when I’ve used it. I’ve only taken one with the caliber but it was more than enough. Complete pass through on a raking shot. Not my preferred shot placement ya know.