The object of a hunt is to make a clean, humane kill without destroying excess meat.
Hunting applications are fairly easy to fulfill, when it comes to the selection of weapon you are going to use. Bird and waterfowl hunting typically involves a shotgun. The 20-gauge is appropriate for smaller game, while the 12-gauge is more adapted to larger birds, and waterfowl taken from long distances, such as geese.
Choice of action is based upon personal preference.
Semi-automatic shotguns have been around for many years now, and have become favored by many shooters, though some think that they are not as reliable as pump or slide-action shotguns.
The reduced recoil of semi-automatic scatterguns can help smaller folks handle a shotgun’s recoil better than other actions. The semi-automatic shotgun is able to fire a cartridge after every trigger squeeze, without any manual reloading typical in most shotgun designs. The weapon uses the force of the gas (created by the accelerated burning of the propellant) to both propel the wadding, which pushes the shot down the barrel, and to cycle the action and eject the previous shell and load the next round.
More simply put the semi-automatic shotgun fires, ejects the hull, and loads fresh shot shells from the magazine each time the trigger is pulled. The trigger must be pulled for every shot. The action usually remains open after the last round of ammunition is fired and there are no more shot shells in the magazine.
Pump action shotguns are extremely popular because of their reliability and the fact that they may be carried in a safe condition, yet brought to bear very quickly.
Autoloaders also have a large following. These guns find a niche when extremely fast follow up shots are required.
Both types of actions are popular for use in trap shooting, skeet shooting, and sporting clay pigeons.
When selecting a rifle, find the type of game animal you wish to hunt, and determine which calibers are acceptable.
One consideration is the type of action. It used to be said that bolt-action rifles were significantly more accurate than pumps, autoloaders, and lever actions. Unless one is a military sniper, this probably isn’t a real consideration any longer. The inherent accuracy built into the production of firearms today likely exceeds the ability of most people to shoot them. Therefore, choose a type of action that you feel comfortable with.
Because each firearm and caliber or gauge tends to fulfill a specific role or function, don’t be surprised if, like most of the members of the American gun community, you end up owning more than several!
According to a ballistics chart, a bullet from a .30-06 with 180 grains is going 2850 feet per second (fps). A bullet from a 30-30 with 170 grains is traveling at 2170 fps. Clearly the 30-06 is the more powerful weapon; not necessarily the most effective though.
First look at the simple part, both calibers are .30 meaning the diameter of the bullet is ..30 of an inch. Next you have the bullet weight measured in grains the 30-06 180 grains the 30-30 170 grains. Both weapons are almost equal. Speed is the next factor, this is the big change because the 06 carries a larger case which holds more powder for greater speed. The 06 clearly should knock a deer down by looking at foot energy pounds.
The catch is the 30-30 is a slower moving bullet, with a big flat nose, this helps the bullet mushroom better once it hits the target and more fps are transferred from the bullet into the animal. The 06 being faster with a small point nose can shoot through the deer and most of the energy is wasted on the ground after leaving the deer.
This is based on the fact that most big game is shot within 100 yards.
It is important to understand the characteristics in a bullet for any given game animal or hunting scenario for a sure kill.
A bullet takes down game by disrupting one or more of the animal’s vital processes, specifically the circulatory, nervous, respiratory and digestive systems. Under most conditions, the chest shot is ideal because it damages the lungs, heart and spinal cord. Some hunters believe that a bullet that passes through the animal and leaves an entrance and an exit wound is preferable because it leaves a better blood trail.
A well-placed shot will more often than not preclude the need for a blood trail. In the case of a broadside chest shot, complete penetration can be acceptable; that way if you do have a less than ideal shot the bullet must pass through significant amounts of bone and muscle and stands a better chance of penetrating the vitals.
It is not wise to “hunt down” when selecting a caliber of bullet. Sure, you can blast a squirrel with a rifle intended for grizzly bear. Will the kill be humane? Yes, as the squirrel won’t suffer. Will the meat be destroyed? Yes, there won’t be anything left but a pink mist. Granny won’t be pleased cooking up a squirrel stew, minus the squirrel. Was the hunt successful? No.
In a like manner, it is cruel to “hunt up.” The goal of the sportsmen is to dispatch his prey in a manner that is quick and relatively painless. Shooting game with an under power cartridge invites multiple shots, resulting in extended suffering for the animal and wasteful meat loss for the table. Does this constitute a successful hunt? No.
While bullet construction makes a difference, there is no substitute for responsible, ethical, and practiced marksmanship. Remember that heavy-for-caliber bullets will always penetrate better than lighter bullets; the larger the grain the more feet per second. Consider your caliber, species of game and the types of shots you may encounter and then select your bullet accordingly.
