Big Magnums - Marketing genius?

[big_bucks]

Ok - after hunting deer for a long time with standard calibers like .243, .270, and .06 and then taking a couple with my magnum I've decided that the hype around the magnums is a pile of crap for most of us.

I've really only shot one deer in the last 15 years over 400 yards, and had a dead rest off of my sticks.  99% of the time my regular calibers have done the job nicely with one well-placed shot.

It seems like the gun and ammo makers have convinced many of us that we need a big new magnum to kill a buck.  Seems like all it does is cost us more money for ammo with more powder, bigger scopes and heavy new rifles.  I personally got tired of packing the cannon and went back to my bread and butter guns.  I don't have a desire to shoot animals at 700 yards so I've decided that the fancy mags are a waste of time and money for me.  Might be good for that once in a lifetime moose or big bear, but for deer and antelope and most elk situations it's not necessary so it seems dumb to waste my money for that 1% of the time that a magnum would be handy.

Anyone else feel like there's waaaayy too much hype about a bunch of calibers that really aren't necessary?  I think they just had to find a way to sell all of us more crap to fill up our cabinets.

Thoughts?

[270Shooter]

Yep I agree. My grandpa made me get a .270 instead of a .270WSM because it is only 200 fps faster, bullets are more expensive, and if you happen to run out of ammo and you need some bullets, There is a lot better chance of finding a place to buy .270 win ammo especially if your in  a small town.

Mags only help IMO on really long shots like over 600 yards, which is too far for 95% of hunters to be shooting, me included.

They are only made because people buy new things and they are fun to read about in magazines. Its all hype to me

[bobcat]

I like the standard, boring, non-magnum cartridges too. I have a 243 Win, a 270 Win, and a 30-06. Don't imagine I'll ever need anything else.

[wilsongideon]

yep its unnecessary hype. I am not shooting over 400 yards with a .308 6mm or .270 and I have never needed to. about the only place I have seen the terrain for it is on the wheat country when they have a shoot down on running deer at thousand yards plus LOL. should be able to get within 500 yards of a deer I belive

[robodad]

There is a lot better chance of finding a place to buy .270 win ammo especially if your in  a small town.

I agree it's all hype, besides I cannot afford one anyway, I just stick with the 30.06, I have never been anywhere I cannot buy ammo for them especially in small towns, every store has it and its cheap !! 

[gasman]

My kids and I all shoot .270 cal. and the wife a .257  Roberts. there is not much of a need to go much bigger.

A buddy of mine shoots a 300 ultra Mag, "A Penis Extention". 

[addicted]

yup. dont need magnums. hell, dont need rifles when you've got shot guns, hell dont need shotguns when youve got compound bows, hell dont need compound bows when trad gear does the trick just fine, hell dont need a bow at all when you can chase the animals off a cliff.  

through the last few centuries there has always been a need to upgrade because efficiancy is the difference between life and death and many people probably felt that way somewhere along the line with magnums even though it may seem like life and death when you can only get time out of the office and the family for 3 days a year but really it's not and hopefully there will always be a next year.  there will always be that time when you thought yeah i could have flung a bullet at that buck if i had a magnum...... but not killing every buck you see is part of the passion.

I like shooting magnums. i think its cool  that i can fling a bullet way out there, but as soon as i got a magnum the only deer i saw to shoot was at 60 yards.  

with big bucks but i will still probably buy and use magnums as personal preferance witch is really one of the great things about hunting. 99% of it is opinion. how else would we be able to talk about it so long on the forums lol

[mossback91]

I'm with addicted on this one!

[bobcat]

I'm glad there are people who like all the new magnum cartriges. Somebody's gotta keep the gun and ammo companies in business.   

[addicted]

i just bought a 223 and hopefully soon i will get a 7x57 or 8x57.  the new ones will be a pig gun, and do the trick. but i have no problem using a magnum on a boar or a bear.

[big_bucks]

Good stuff.  I'm laughing about a guy behind the gun counter a few weeks ago telling my buddy who has never owned a rifle and wants to get into hunting that he needed a big magnum.  I considered reaching over the counter and smacking his dumb ass.  What a stupid idea for a new shooter to buy a cannon that's gonna wallop him. I suggested he back off and get a .270 - a great caliber that has mild recoil, has a ton of ammo available and won't knock him cross eyed.  That gun would do everythng a beginning shooter could ever need it to do.  Actually it would do anything about 95% of us would ever need it to do!  I thought it funny that he kept going on about how he couldn't kill deer with his regular .270 and if my friend wanted to kill a deer dead, he'd better step up to the short mags or an ultra mag b/c it had the knock down power he needed.  Like no one ever killed a deer before the new magnums came on the mkt.

Anyway, I talked him out of the magnum.  Next thing you know the guy at the gun shop is gonna start trying to sell us those extenze pills or viagra.  A total joke.  

Gotta wonder how many idiots he's duped into buying a cannon that don't have the ability to shoot them.

[rasbo]

I got a 22mag.50 cal muzzy..308,.270,30-06,300win mag  Ive used the 300 once in Idaho sat on a little knoll and shot jackrabbits till my arm was purple.all the others do well on everything Ive shot with them,the 308 carbine is all I use on bears.

[jdb]

I have been considering buying a new rifle to hunt deer with. I have a .270 and it really does everything Ive ever asked it to but I am bored. I have been seriously looking at the 6.5x55 swedish mauser. easy on the shoulder, good bullet selection, and high ranking cool factor. to me a guy who slips in to within a couple hundred yards and kills a buck is way cooler than the guy who perches on a ridge top and ranges a buck, calculates the wind, and placement of the moon then shoots him with a canon that wieghs as much as a small pony.

[stumprat]

No magnums for me. I keep rifles that are fun to shoot. I also have sold a few rifles over the years due to availability and price of shells.

[addicted]

my wife shot my 300win a couple times and said "that gun gives me a headache" I thought it shot nice.  it was then that i realised that it would be easier to talk my wife into buying new guns if she actually enjoyed shooting them too.