2aHawaii
Tools and Uses => Hunting => Topic started by: aieahound on January 15, 2014, 02:45:48 PM
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What's your opinion on the optimum caliber for Hawaii Game ?
Pig, Goat, Sheep, Axis Deer.
30-06/308
270
7mm-08
260 Rem
243 Win.
30/30
Other
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.338 LM?
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270 seems to be popular here, one of the most popular around. Everyone got a rifle in this caliber
The old timers like to shoot 30-06
30/30 is a bit slow to shoot at running game here but makes a great bush gun, small and very compact.
A few guys here use bolt action .223, but they say you need to track the animal afterwards.
A few shoot 308 as well, but its not the most popular.
I would personally go with a 30-06 or .270 or whatever you can find thats the cheapest and ammo is the cheapest.
This is just based on my experience here and talking/meeting new people daily.
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7.62x39
Inexpensive and very accurate out to 250 yards.
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What's your opinion on the optimum caliber for Hawaii Game ?
Pig, Goat, Sheep, Axis Deer.
30-06/308
270
7mm-08
260 Rem
243 Win.
30/30
Other
i voted "other"
you know the answer jeff, it's "just gongho!"
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Yeah I like my 338lm it stops anything at any distance. It really depends on my hunting location. 308 is my better all around rifle tho
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.308
Probably your most practical caliber to use for hunting in the state. Tho hunting areas are becoming more scarce.
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How dare you lump .308 and .30-06 as the same choice!
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6.8 spc or 7.62x39 both out of semi action
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Love my hunting with my .308. for "Da Wild Boar". Maybe because I have only hunted with a .30-30 & .308. But I also seen (on T.V) hunting hogs with a .223 MSR and having to track them 150-200 yards later seems to be senseless. I can see if you are a accurate "head-shot" shooter, then use the .223. We all know that caliber, bullet-type & shot placement is important. I don't reload so I rely on factory ammo. I'd spend the money on good hunting rounds... after all you may just have that one shot and that one shot is all that matters. Just my opinion... :shaka:
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Yup my 308 bolt with some federal 175gr gold . Very accurate with enough stopping power . From 700 yards out you still stop a deer in it's track with good placment . I know it could probably do farther but I'm not in it to wound an animal and let it waste .
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How dare you lump .308 and .30-06 as the same choice!
My bad Tom G, you classicist.
I just figured ballistics and bullet size are similar.
Forgot to add 7.62x39 cause I thought only communists, terrorists, and third world guerillas used that caliber. :D
(Just joking for those monitoring the site )
338LM seems excessive for Hawaii game ( with the exception being 338kid who actually takes succesful 700 yard shots )
I thought 223 might be a little small.
Anyone tried or hunted with someone who used 243 Win. ? Results ?
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Other Category is a close second. I would think the following are common choices.
.280
.7mm
.300 Win mag
and all the other short mags
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The classic 30-30 should drop most game in Hawaii and even north America. Mine has taken deer, bear, sheep and pig. I didn't shoot the game its a family gun
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I rock a bolt action .270 and it does the job just fine. Only hit pigs and cattle with it so far though..... went hunting for some sheep up mauna kea today but got skunked
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I've talked to surprising number of guys who shoot 7mm mag out here and swear by it. Anyone have experience? Seems like overkill
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Curious what are all the Other votes ?
Guessing the magnums.
Oh, and Q's 7.62x54R mosin caliber. :rofl: :rofl:
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bro come down one day and we can go hunt!!!
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Curious what are all the Other votes ?
Guessing the magnums.
Oh, and Q's 7.62x54R mosin caliber. :rofl: :rofl:
7.62x39
300 yards and in, I guarantee a kill shot.
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I've talked to surprising number of guys who shoot 7mm mag out here and swear by it. Anyone have experience? Seems like overkill
My first choice in a hunting caliber was 7mm Remington Magnum. Shoots flat, hits hard and dead is dead--no such thing as overkill unless you're blowing apart gophers with a .300 (when a .223 will do).
A Nosler Partition blew a grapefruit-sized hole in my first deer--with a foot or two of intestines hanging out of the wound (the shot angled in from the front left shoulder out the right midsection). Knocked her down to the ground where she stood. The second shot missed and the third in the neck did the job. I lost a fair amount of meat from bullet damage but the hams and backstraps were fine eating!
Now my other rifle is a .270 and it's way easier on the shoulder than the 7mm and from my friends' experiences, just as effective. If I were to go hunting again, I'd probably take the .270.
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BMG!
lol
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My bad Tom G, you classicist.
I just figured ballistics and bullet size are similar.
Forgot to add 7.62x39 cause I thought only communists, terrorists, and third world guerillas used that caliber. :D
(Just joking for those monitoring the site )
338LM seems excessive for Hawaii game ( with the exception being 338kid who actually takes succesful 700 yard shots )
I thought 223 might be a little small.
Anyone tried or hunted with someone who used 243 Win. ? Results ?
NoScade tried a 243, the animals all died, eventually.... :D
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all caibers listed will work main thing is to be proficient and know the limits of what you are using.........................
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338lm @600yds . One shot one kill no need to be chasing a wounded deer. :shaka:
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338lm @600yds . One shot one kill no need to be chasing a wounded deer. :shaka:
Lose money.
1/2 the meat is gone . :rofl:
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Lose money.
1/2 the meat is gone . :rofl:
Lol good half is still there
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338lm @600yds . One shot one kill no need to be chasing a wounded deer. :shaka:
Damn 338 !
I didn't know hunting with a bazooka was legal.
Nice shot placement though. :thumbsup:
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NoScade tried a 243, the animals all died, eventually.... :D
Yup after running 100 plus yards each time
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338lm @600yds . One shot one kill no need to be chasing a wounded deer. :shaka:
Nice kill! :shaka: I not going hunt with anything less then 338 LP from now on tired of tracking deer..lol
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I think the optimum caliber would be the 7mm-08. Great ballistics, great grain weight, reloading components are easy to find and it just comes down to a great balance between bullet weight for knock down power and having the legs for some of the longer shots. I don't personally have one ha-ha I have admired from a afar. I use a 30-06 in a Remington 700 mountain LSS. Anything for this island short of the Mad Wild ASS Cows on Maui, 120-160 grain is plenty. Hell they have a 195 grain Barnes hunting round with a bc of .570 not to shabby, I have seen as high as .750 bc. Light weight rifle platform, very good MPBR and I am hoping if I talk it up enough I’ll talk myself into buying one ha-ha. Look in the end between most of those calibers we are just splitting hairs.
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.270 winchester short mag. Been a perfect round for sheep and pigs up Mauna Kea. Haven't taken any wild cattle yet but I am confident it would put them down easy
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.270 winchester short mag. Been a perfect round for sheep and pigs up Mauna Kea. Haven't taken any wild cattle yet but I am confident it would put them down easy
Haven't seen many/any sheep or pigs up Mauna Kea since they buzzing the mountain with helicopters shooting at them. Last cattle hunt we went on a large bull ~800lbs, took 3 shots at under 20 yards from a 270 and still was trying to get up was pretty unreal.
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I harvested 2 axis deer with my 25-06 rem power shock 117gr and it works fine with good shot placement. One shot , one kill.
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What's your opinion on the optimum caliber for Hawaii Game ?
Pig, Goat, Sheep, Axis Deer.
30-06/308
270
7mm-08
260 Rem
243 Win.
30/30
Other
I'm picking up a .270 this weekend. When you coming to hunt?
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Cool BassM.
I wanted a 270 but got the 243 for the kids.
End of summer ? Got my 30-06 ready to go. :shaka:
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Made the flights for Molokai labor day weekend .
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Made the flights for Molokai labor day weekend .
How many deer will you harvest this weekend? Memorial day bro :shaka:
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How many deer will you harvest this weekend? Memorial day bro :shaka:
None :( dam grad parties.
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None :( dam grad parties.
There's always time to go. If not go shine light.
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Cool BassM.
I wanted a 270 but got the 243 for the kids.
End of summer ? Got my 30-06 ready to go. :shaka:
Sounds good bro.
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There's always time to go. If not go shine light.
Why shine light when I radther go in dark (knight vision )
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last time i went range in Lana'i, I checked out the plastic container thats left on the tree for scrap brass. I separated the brass as I was board waiting for the wife to sight in her rifle.
What I found was more than half of the brass of approximately 500 was 30-06. 1/3 of half that was 300 and 7mm. Then the rest was a mix of 7mm-08, 270, 243, 264?, 25-06, 30-30 and some others,
In our hunting group of 8, 3 use 30-06, 1- 270, 1- 243, 1-308, and me (no loyalty) played with 270, then 300 win mag, and now 7mm. after this season, I'm probably going back to my 300 wm. The others, what ever they can get their hands on.
From my perspective: I'd go- 30-06, 300wm, 7mm, 308. For the wives in our group, 308 and 243 win the shot.
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my hunting rifle is 30-06. not really sure why i picked that. i guess because its the classic hunting caliber? think i heard somewhere "30-06 can take down any big game animal in north america". sounded cool enough to me lol. pretty popular caliber so easier to find ammo for
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I hunt with 25-06 and 270. WIll start kids with a 243.
What grain of bullet should we use?????
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I'm recoil dysfunctional, hunt with everything from 223 to 50BMG.
Believe most hunting style we do here is spot & stalk. Best to use the most gun you can shoot well. I'm old school like heavy for caliber bullets, believe two holes are better than one. Like hunting bullets with high SD ensuring big blood trails to recover game or DBG (dead before ground).
Think classic 270 win and 30-06 are great because of availability of various factory hunting ammo.
For brush guns like short carbines in 44 mag, 7.62x39 & 308win.
Young shooters using 243 & smaller calibers best to use ammo with premium bullets i.e. Barnes TTX, bonded, Nosler BT or partitions.
My personal favorites are 6.5x55, 270 win, 300WBY, 338 win mag, 375 H&H. Bush gun 7.62x39, 308 win, 358 win, 454/45LC & 45-70.
Long range 338 Lapua & 50BMG.
Never can have too many guns or calibers. Reason gotta reload.
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I hunt with 25-06 and 270. WIll start kids with a 243.
What grain of bullet should we use?????
From my training knowledge and experience ??? I'd go with no less then 100gr for the 243. For the 270 stick with 150gr.
While you'll get other great ideas from other shoots and hunters, these grains work for me.
Aloha
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Of course, 308/30-06 very popular with hunters here and with those on the mainland; as far as deer and similar size critters are concerned. Don't know what would be optimum. Some of the cartridges listed in the poll are ideal. Others are appropriate. While some are adequate.
Bullet placement is key provided it can get to the vitals. The larger calibers are popular for the game listed since they tend to tilt the odds in the hunter's favor when game is marginally hit. But again, it's bullet placement that matters the most for the game mentioned.
For me, I generally use a 270 Win., 257 Roberts and a 308 Win for the animals here. When hunted Moose and Black Bear in Canada and US mainland used a 35 Whelen and a 300 Win Mag respectively. Interesting and fun thread. Thanks!
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As mentioned the cartridges listed all are capable of killing the game listed. This type of question is an individual type of thing for each hunter. I feel that the optimum cartridge for anyone is the one that they are most familiar with and comfortable shooting. The one that they know the best and as in tune with as possible. Because that is the one that they will have the most confidence in shooting because they know what it can do and they are confident in what they can do with it. For me personally I like to get to get to the point that I can grab any one and be totally confident and proficient with it. So that if I find myself in a situation where a shot presents itself I am confident I can make the shot.
Now if we are talking about Calibers then its hard to beat the .284/7mm Caliber for sheer bullet ballistics and SD. With the .264/6.5mm right there as well and with the heavy for caliber bullets the .243/6mm right in there too.
Cartridges that can push the bullets at optimum speed are hard to beat until you get into the upper echelon calibers. But we are talking about ranges at which most have no business shooting at game. For some 100 yards is a far shot and for some its much, much farther which brings up distance every individual should know his/her limit. Some cartridges like the 30-30, .44 shine up close in the thick and for quick close range pop up shots. And others like the 243-30-06 class shine up to medium range and beyond depending on certain factors. Then You have the larger cartridges that are best med-long range etc.
A lot of people are also recoil sensitive which goes back to what you shoot best and are most comfortable with. For example the 338 Lapua is a great cartridge but a lot of people cant handle the recoil or muzzle blast.
Of course if you reload you have the benefit of tuning your load to your rifle and to the game you hunt. If not then you are limited to factory fare which can hamper ammo availability (depending on cartridge) and accuracy
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Couldn't agree any more than what you said! I heard from someone "rifle fit, comfortable chambering and confidence in shooting equals one's perfect rifle/caliber combo". Good one 808 Hunta! :shaka: