Killing shots with rifles?

Question

I am going to Montana and Wyoming to hunt big game this coming winter. What is the best rifle to use, and where on their bodies make the best kill shots without ruining the best meat portions?

Answer 1

Learn the anatomy of the animals you're hunting. If you can visualize in your mind where the heart is, no matter the angle, you'll be OK. Don't worry about saving meat with your shot. Go for the best shot, and the ruined meat is part of the cost of ethical hunting. On the other hand, you can minimize meat damage with your choice of rifle and the load you shoot in it. These days it's popular to choose "magnums" and use a hatful of powder to push a bullet to very high velocities, in order to compensate for the rifleman's inability to estimate range. That, especially if the bullet is one like the Nosler Ballistic tip, ensures maximum meat damage on a shoulder shot. A heavy-for-caliber bullet, especially one like Nosler's Partition or the Swift A-frame, pushed at moderate velocities, will do a better job and ruin less meat. A 30-06 with 180 or 200 grain Partitions has become the standard example of what's good in the world. Of your rifle battery, pick out all those in the appropriate range of calibers for the game you're hunting, pick the one you shoot best and are most familiar with, work up a load of the type mentioned, zero for that particular load's point-blank range, and start shooting at various distances as soon as you can, so you don't have to think about the ballistics. If you've done enough practice, you'll know where your bullet's going without having conciously to think about it. In strange country, you'll probably not be good with range estimation, but that's not likely to be a major problem.

Answer 2

I would guess your going in the fall before the snow?. In any event you didn't say what you will be hunting. Assuming you will be after elk or perhaps pronghorn in Wyoming, a 30-06 is perfectly adequate with the bullet making the most difference. Something like the new Barnes bullet has really gotten some good reviews. Above all take a rifle that you are comfortable with and can shoot well with now or with some brush up on. Larger calibers unless you are looking to shoot a grizzly bear are not that much an advantage and if new to a rifle like a 338, you are more likely to develop a flinch than hit something when you shoot, unless you are familiar with that caliber and have been shooting it for a while.There are numerous game charts that illustrate where to shoot the game animal your after and since your likely to be on a guided hunt of some type ask your guide, that's one thing your paying him for, i.e. advise.

Answer 3

You have great advice already on shot placement. I won't argue that.

In Wyoming you could have some pretty long shots. So, you need to practice, practice, practice. In good weather and bad.

.30 calibers are the norms. You have to be able to control recoil. the big magnums are too much for me personally. I recently aquired a left handed Browning BAR. Chambered in the new .300 WSM (short mag). I am already a big fan of it. the recoil is not nearly as punishing as its long action brothers. It is very accurate out to 300 yards. (I am the weakness there, not the rifle). If I get the opportunity to go out West for a big hunt, this would be my primary rifle.

My back up would be my tried and true .30-06.

Now, the big question....what shells to use on the hunt of a lifetime..........

Good luck in Wyoming. Shoot safely and responsibly.

best regards.

Answer 4

Shot placement. Study the anatomy of the species you are going to hunt. Know where the vital areas of the animal are (heart, lungs.) Imagine that you can see through the animal's skin and see the vital areas. I say this because you will be presented with many different aspects and angles of the animal. If you know where the animals vitals are directly, you will know where to aim on the outside of the animal. Granted this is not always the best shot to take, i.e. if the animal is facing away from you you would not want to shoot it in the rear-end.

As far as what rifle, I recommend anywhere in the range of a 7mm mag to .338 win mag. You can go lower if you have a particular rifle you are comfortable with. I give this advice as if you are going to buy a rifle. I killed my first elk with a .270, but in my opinion the perfect elk gun is the .300 win mag, wsm or regular.

Good luck and happy hunting !!!

Answer 5

The shoulder area is your best bet. Viewed from broadside, the kill spot is roughly centered on the rear of the front shoulder. Behind that is the heart and lungs. A shot in the heart and lungs will kill without damaging much meat. Popular calibers for elk hunting are the.30-06, 7mm mag , .300 mag, and the .338 magnum. I don't think you will gone wrong with the venerable old .30-06.

Answer 6

Remington 700 series is a good hunting rifle. Can't go wrong with a .30-06 Springfield caliber or even a .308 Winchester.

Shot placement for deer type animals are the heart/lung (just behind the shoulder) or the neck shot.

Good luck.

H

Answer 7

Best Choice is 30-06 > Heart and Lung area behind the front shoulder. That gives you an area or circle of 12 inches for a deadly hit. Use 180 grain Boat-Tail Match bullets for Ammo. Happy Trails and Great Hunting.....

Answer 8

Well, big game out there is like Elk, so any 30 cal will work. a .308 or a 30-06 are ideal. Go for right behind the shoulder, like most other animals because that is where the heart and lungs are.

Answer 9

For deer 30-06 or win308 Elk 300 mag
And like answer 1 right behind the shoulder

Answer 10

Something with a lower muzzle velocity, if I remember correctly. Shoot them behind the shoulder, it's usually a good kill shot. Also, the reason you want to use a lower muzzle velocity, is if you blow half the deer away with a rifle that definately shouldn't be used for hunting, whole new problem... lol