{"id":7930,"date":"2014-01-03T18:44:29","date_gmt":"2014-01-03T18:44:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ramworks.net\/blog\/?p=7930"},"modified":"2014-11-14T14:08:58","modified_gmt":"2014-11-14T14:08:58","slug":"enough-gun-or-something-like-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/enough-gun-or-something-like-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Enough Gun or Something Like It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Select<\/a>
Select a cartridge you can shoot comfortably and then learn how to shoot your rifle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A couple years back I ordered a full-custom<\/i> rifle. I had many decisions to make concerning the rifle and one of the hardest was what cartridge to have the rifle chambered for. The rifle was to be used mostly for whitetails were I spend the most time hunting them: Here in the hills of WV. I did not need some long range wonder cartridge but I did want to be able to push a big bullet fast enough so I could take an \u201cany angle\u201d shot in thick cover, because, that seems to be where the big uns\u2019 like to hide out.<\/p>\n

Deer don\u2019t care what you shoot them with. If we could survey whitetails across the country you would find, 10 out of 10 say they don\u2019t like getting shot with anything. Hunters expend allot of effort trying to match the cartridge and rifle to the game they hunt. When we harvest a deer our only connection to that animal is the bullet. The cartridge case, the rifle, and scope never come into contact with the animal. The bullet is what matters most, at least as far as the deer is concerned.<\/p>\n

\"30<\/a>Everything else stays with the hunter. The rifle and attached accessories that make up the launching pad for the bullet all work together to allow the hunter to place, that all important bullet, where it should be. If any of these are mismatched to the hunter, accurate bullet placement becomes questionable.<\/p>\n

The rifle\u2019s stock should fit the hunter just as the scope should be adjusted and of a style that will foster quick target acquisition. (Yes, just like shotgun shooters will tell you, fit matters most.) The trigger should be crisp and of a pull weight the hunter is comfortable with.\u00a0 We could write a book on these topics but what we are primarily concerned with here is cartridge selection.<\/p>\n

\"30<\/a>It\u2019s long been good advice to use enough gun. Some mistakenly think that if enough gun<\/i><\/b> is good, more gun<\/i><\/b> is better.\u00a0 (That same logic is often mistakenly applied to money, women and alcohol.) Whitetail deer can be cleanly taken with the 223 Remington. I\u2019ve done that allot. A 35 Whelen will also work wonderfully well. I\u2019ve done that too. With 60 and 250-grain bullets these cartridges are on opposite ends of the power spectrum, which may lead a reasonable man to assume somewhere in the middle is just right. Remember, the bullet is the only part of the hunting equation that the animal has to cope with. The hunter has to deal with everything else.<\/p>\n

\"30<\/a>It\u2019s been my experience that next to poor basic shooting skills, recoil<\/i> is the biggest contributor to targets and or animals being missed. Recoil is the product of hunters trying to push bigger bullets flatter and faster. Hunters, in an effort to get more than enough gun<\/i><\/b>, end up getting more than enough gun<\/i><\/b> for themselves. I think the old saying \u201cuse enough gun\u201d needs revamped to say, \u201cDon\u2019t use too much gun<\/i><\/b>.\u201d meaning too much<\/i><\/b> gun<\/i><\/b> for you.<\/p>\n

Throw all the macho bologna out the window.\u00a0 If it hurts when you shoot it, admit it!\u00a0 Well, you don\u2019t have to admit it in public, but you should accept it and find something else to shoot that won\u2019t knock the slobbers out of you every time you pull the trigger. Lying to yourself about how hard your rifle kicks will only help you miss because of flinching or lack of dreaded denture-rattling and much needed practice.<\/p>\n

In the end I settled on the .30 Remington AR.\u00a0 No, it won\u2019t impress any magnum fanatics at the local gun shop.\u00a0 It wins no ballistic awards when compared to any other modern, deer-capable cartridges. And, when another hunter looks at my expensive custom rifle chambered for the new but almost forgotten .30 Rem AR, they often ask what drug I was on when I placed the order.<\/p>\n

\"Shooting<\/a>
Shooting the moving moose at Gunsite.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Deer have no way of calculating exterior ballistics so convincing them to fall over with numbers or wicked sounding cartridge names is not an option. But, last year that .30 Remington AR impressed a mountain reedbuck, a blesbok and a kudu so much so they just died!\u00a0 No, these were not whitetails but you know what, African animals don\u2019t do ballistic calculations either. The .30 Remington AR worked, mostly because the bullet landed in the right spot. Just like I told it to.<\/p>\n

Maybe, just maybe, the four days I spent at Gunsite<\/a> and the 700 rounds I fired with that rifle while I was there had something to do with it.<\/p>\n

By the way, the rifle was a model 20 short built by my good friend Melvin Forbes<\/a> at New Ultra Light Arms<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple years back I ordered a full-custom rifle. I had many decisions to make concerning the rifle and one of the hardest was what cartridge to have the rifle chambered for. The rifle was to be used mostly for whitetails were I spend the most time hunting them: Here in the hills of WV. I did not need some long range …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[118,45,410,411,412],"class_list":["post-7930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-223-remington","tag-30-remington-ar","tag-35-whelen","tag-custom-hunting-rifles","tag-enough-gun"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-23U","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7837,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/only-one-rifle\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":0},"title":"Only One Rifle","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Choosing one rifle cartridge might seem to be a difficult decision. The key to making the choice easy is to remove all emotional attachment to the cartridges you love to shoot, roll between your fingers and pontificate about. I really enjoy the .30 Remington AR, like the .250 Savage and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jack Ellis with his first buck. Taken with Remington's 62 grain Core Lokt Ultra Bonded load.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/DO-1-184x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15812,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/picking-your-expert-cartridge\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":1},"title":"Picking Your Expert\/Cartridge","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m not a rifle hunting cartridge expert. In fact, I\u2019m not sure how that qualification could even be obtained. I am however often asked for advice when it comes to cartridge selection. Because of its nonpartisan stance, my answer\u2014my standard answer\u2014never satisfies.","rel":"","context":"In "Empty Cases Exclusive"","block_context":{"text":"Empty Cases Exclusive","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/empty-cases-exclusive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/BB-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C591&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/BB-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C591&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/BB-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C591&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/BB-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C591&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8047,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/favorite-loads-factory-handloads\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":2},"title":"Favorite Loads (Factory & Handloads)","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m often asked what my favorite load for a cartridge is. I test a lot of different cartridges and I handload for just as many. However, the list of cartridges I use on a regular basis are not that extensive. And, I don\u2019t routinely handload for every cartridge I commonly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \".22 LR\"","block_context":{"text":".22 LR","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/tag\/22-lr\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CCI Stinger","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CCI-Stinger-200x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14996,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wilson-combats-300-hamr-the-most-scout-like-ar-ever\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":3},"title":"Wilson Combat’s 300 HAM’R – The Most Scout-Like AR Ever","author":"gunwriter","date":"September 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=htKA8B6bve4&t=1s My grandfather\u2019s favorite tool was a hammer, and he had several. For finish carpentry he had a small one, for framing he had another, and for tearing $#!@ up he had a big one. Wilson Combat has a new hammer and AR 15 aficionados should be excited. It\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/3H-8.jpg?fit=1000%2C745&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13451,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/one-cartridge-for-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":4},"title":"One Cartridge for the World","author":"gunwriter","date":"June 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you were going to create one big game cartridge for the world\u00a0how would you codify the creation? Well, how about this? The cartridge should be able to push a bullet fast and flat enough to limit trajectory as much as possible. The bullet should provide enough penetration to pass\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"308-5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/308-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/308-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/308-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/308-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17247,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/scout-rifle-weights-measures\/","url_meta":{"origin":7930,"position":5},"title":"Scout Rifle Weights & Measures","author":"gunwriter","date":"April 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I often get questions about the weight of the Scout Rifle as defined by Jeff Cooper. This varied from 3.0 to 3.5 kilos, depending on the written reference. Originally Cooper specified a weight of 3.0 kilos (6.61 pounds) that included the sling and the scope. Later he also specified 3.5\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/SR-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C312&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/SR-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C312&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/SR-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C312&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/SR-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C312&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/SR-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C312&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7930\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}