The Magnums are Coming
Until recently
when we thought about magnum cartridges, we thought of a long-action round with
a belted case, Commonly in a 7mm (Remington Magnum) or 30 cal (300 Winchester/Weatherby
Magnum), giving the hunter a boost in velocity and higher retained energy than
the “standard” cartridge of the same caliber. Things have changed. Now days in
the hunting and shooting world the term “magnum” gets thrown around like a dirty
rag. Modern magnum cartridges come in all shapes and sizes. Long, short, and
super short actions, some have belted cases some do not, and chambered in just
about every caliber under the sun. Odds are if your favorite caliber is not
currently being produced in a magnum configuration, just wait...it soon will.
With Remington and Winchester introducing and re-introducing a score of magnum
cartridges in recent years being suited to hunt anything from prairie dogs to
elephants. The “magnum” craze is definitely in full swing. There are a few
aspects to consider when upgrading to a magnum cartridge. Such as setting up
the rifle with a scope, dealing with the added recoil and muzzle blast, and
matching this set up to your particular hunting situation.
When I was in the sporting goods business selling guns and hunting equipment. I witnessed (numerous times) guy’s come in and buy a magnum rifle capable of being extremely accurate and shooting long distances. Only to invoke the “I’ll save a little money on the scope” concept buy a cheap scope and slap any old base and rings on to hold it place. Magnum cartridges such as the 7mm STW and the big 30’s along with larger caliber rounds have a tendency to turn these lesser scopes into even more worthless piles of glass and metal than they were begin with. You want a scope that is rugged and can stand up to heavy recoil and rough treatment for years to come. Other points to consider in your scope purchase are clarity and light transmission. Put your money into a scope with a quality manufacturing process and state of the art coatings on the lenses. Scopes are one area where you truly “get what you pay for”. Personally I like Leupold scopes with the 4.5x14x 40mm and 3.5x10x 40mm Vari-X III’s being my favorites for all around use on magnum rifles.
The scope/rifle combination is really no better than the base and rings that
hold it all together. Even if you have a good rifle mated with a quality scope,
if its not put together right, all is for not. Fortunately there are several
good mounting systems available. I have a set of Leupold Dual Dove-tail’s on my
300 Winchester Magnum and this is defiantly one set that will handle any recoil
a magnum cartridge can dish out. They are a clean looking no non-sense mounting
system. The Mark IV series from Leupold is also a nice set up. These may
appear to be “over built” but over built is better than under built. Talley
Manufacturing Inc. produces sturdy, nice looking rings and bases and I would
recommend these for the hunter looking for the versatility of a detachable
mounting system. When mounting the scope I use Gun Scrubber to clean all the
grease and oil from all the metal surfaces, screws, and screw holes. Then apply
a drop of Gun-tite to each screw both the bases and the rings, this insures the
screws will not back-out and will remain tight.
Any time
you pack more powder into a larger case behind a given bullet the result is more
muzzle
blast and recoil. Those pretty numbers on the ballistic charts aren’t
free! We have to pay for them, but there are ways to keep it tolerable if not
enjoyable. The increased muzzle blast and noise is easily solved with a good
set of earplugs and/or muffs. I even take a set of plugs to the stand and, if
there is time, put them in before the shot. Each shooter perceives recoil
differently, but recoil is still heavier from a magnum round than a standard
one. There are a number of ways to offset this factor. The simplest ways are
to avoid “light weight” rifles, make sure the stock fits you and has a good
recoil pad. Many companies are producing magnum rifles with heavy barrels such
as the Sendero from Remington. These heavy barreled rifles are accurate and
with the extra weight being forward in the barrel it helps to cut down
considerably on felt recoil. Adding weight into the stock is another common and
effective way to reduce the recoil of almost any rifle. Heavy weight rifles are
nice to shoot from a stand or the bench, but not much fun for carrying all day.
Muzzle breaks are a very effective way to reduce felt recoil. Some companies
offer brakes from the factory or you can have one installed as an after market
option. There are plenty to choose from and they usually add only about an inch
or a little more to the overall length of the rifle. Breaks work basically by
dispersing the gases through a series of holes or chambers cut into them
therefore reducing the amount of reward force. In some cases over half. The
trade off is a considerable increase in noise and at times flying debris. If
you have a break on your rifle, always wear hearing protection and be aware of
what is around the muzzle!
Several people told me, when I was getting ready to by my 300 Winchester Magnum, that I didn’t need that “big gun”. Well looking back I would have to say they were right. Bullet placement and the construction of that bullet are much more important than the increase in velocity and energy. Some hunters seem to think when hunting with a magnum round bullet placement is less critical. If any thing bullet placement and a properly constructed bullet become more critical with a magnum than with standard rounds, higher impact velocities can cause the average bullet to react more like a varmint bullet instead of a game bullet. However, once these issues are addressed a magnum cartridge is a very effective and versatile hunting tool. I would not take for either one of my 300’s the Winchester or the Remington Ultra-Magnum. Both are Remington 700’s. The 300 Winchester is a Sendero and I really like this rifle for hunting from a stand. The extra weight in the barrel makes taking a solid rest from a stand window second nature. I use Nosler’s 180-garin Ballistic Tip and it works great for hunting open food plots for deer and wild hogs where shots can be long. The area where I hunt in East Texas has thick woods and brush surrounding the plots. Tracking game is this type of cover can be difficult and even dangerous. This one situation I like having the power of 300 Winchester on my side. The 300 Ultra Magnum is a BDL SS. When the weather is just plain nasty, this is the rifle I carry with me. Whether I’m hunting from a stand or still hunting I do not have to worry about this one. It’s a workhorse of a combination and I feel confident using it on any game in North America.