Are Sportsmen Migrating away from Magnum Cartridges?

[C-Money]

I have noticed more and more talk about standard cartridges. Are the magnums slipping in popularity? I am seeing outdoor articles, other forums, and even more rifle options at the sporting goods store, focusing on standard cartridges, and less about magnums. This shift has been getting my attention for a few years now, but has really spiked as of late for me. Anyone else notice a surge in standard cartridge popularity? In no way am I picking on the magnum shooters, as there will always be a market for the big cartridges. The .243, 7mm-08 & .280 seem to be leading the surge in popularity.

[h20hunter]

I'd say yes but.

Yes, very much so BUT also some migration to heavies and long range. Bullet quality as well as affordable guns and off the rack accuracy are making both more avaialable and more viable options.

[Taco280AI]

There's a lot of guys on here using 300 and 338 ultra mags. If it works for them, cool. I use a 280AI, will be using a 257 Wby starting this year as well. No desire for anything bigger personally. I think my favorite is my 223 

[blackveltbowhunter]

I suppose it could be. Although I don't know how the data would actually play out. Its possible improvement in bullet construction combined with increased use of lesser weapons for elk have contributed to less need for the historical heavy hitters. On the flip side it seems there is a new hot cartridge constantly hitting the market in the long range world and most are magnums or built off magnum platforms.

I have never killed an elk with a rifle, but I picked a gun back up for some deer hunts, I am a recoil weeny so I got a 270 and handload it with 140 NAB. I keep my shots to 400 or under and it has been a great little shooter, with almost all bang flops. I don't see a need to change, but I would certainly consider it if going to stretch that distance, especially for elk.

[bigmacc]

I have a 300 HandH, a 300 Weatherby and another Belgium made HandH chambered in 300 Weatherby mag, have had them for over 30years, never killed an animal with any of them, heck, never took em hunting. My dad when he was alive used the Belgium/Weatherby for years, would only shoot 1 round at the range prior to hunting season because of the cost per round , if he hit the paper plate at 300 yards he was good, he killed a lot of animals from deer to elk and moose to a lot of Alaskan bears with that rifle but I have never been into the whole Magnum deal, just me I guess, all I have ever used was a 270 and that was starting at the age of 9, best caliber going IMHO, Jack O,Conner used to think so also

[C-Money]

I'm a pretty big .270 win fan myself. Been carrying the .243 during deer season since the kids started hunting. My family mainly uses 30-06, 270 win, 7mm-08 & .243. Dad killed a couple of bull elk with his 300 win mag, but admits he probably didn't need it. I have an Uncle who used a 7mm Rem Mag quite a bit, though he killed his biggest bull elk with a .270 win.

[bigmacc]

I'm a pretty big .270 win fan myself. Been carrying the .243 during deer season since the kids started hunting. My family mainly uses 30-06, 270 win, 7mm-08 & .243. Dad killed a couple of bull elk with his 300 win mag, but admits he probably didn't need it. I have an Uncle who used a 7mm Rem Mag quite a bit, though he killed his biggest bull elk with a .270 win.

 ...   There you go, I think O,Connor killed every big game animal on the North American continent using his 270 if I remember right. I used a pre 64 model 721 that was owned and operated by my great grandpa, he killed a ton of mulies, elk, bear and moose with that 270, passed it on to me and I used it for 34 years and I killed 34 bucks with it now it is being used by my son and I think he has killed 15 or so with it, it still drives tacks at 200 yards to this day. I use a Weatherby 270 now days but that old pre 64 still groups better than the Weatherby, just an amazingly built rifle.

[ghosthunter]

Never got into the big bores. Hunted with a 06 for 60 years.
Just bought my last rifle to carry the last time up the trail. 7 mm 08.

Any place selling used guns has a lot of big bores for sale. Some of it is older hunters tired of the beating going to something lighter. Lot of guys coming out military are more interested in the 6.5 and similar rounds.

[Alchase]

I have a few magnums, a three 300 WMs, two 7 MMs, and 243 WSSM.
But I also love .243, .223, 300 blk.
Definitely cheaper to shoot the non-magnums, especially on an all day shoot. Shooting a couple hundred rounds of 300 WM, on a saturday would get real expensive fast, LOL.

[Magnum_Willys]

I see the move towards smaller not necessarily away from magnums. 

The 300 wm with berger/eld bullets now plays where Lapua/Edge used to rule and 6.5 creedmoor/prc play where 7mag/270 used to rule. 

[MADMAX]

257 Weatherby
270 WSM
7mag
300 RUM
Love the old 270 and 308 for blacktail though

[brew]

the buck I shot last year was right at 98 yards. 358 BLR shooting 200 gr Hornady at around 2450 FPS.  bullet hit just to the right of where I was aiming and it broke the fore leg, jellied both lungs and busted the far leg and ended up just under the hide on the far leg.  no bloodshot meat...just a little bit of lung blood that drained into the far leg wound channel where he laid.  If I would have made that same shot with my 7mm mag 160 gr nosler partitions going about 3200 fps most of the front end would have been blood shot.  But if I would have been using that gun I would have shot that buck in the neck just behind where the jawline met so I guess sometimes its 50/50.  going forward I will be using that 358 just because I love that gun but will really miss Silverado--she has been very, very good to me over the last 28 years

[actionshooter]

I don't think the popularity of the magnums had decreased as much as the target shooting of the smaller calibers has taken off.   

[Alchase]

I don't think the popularity of the magnums had decreased as much as the target shooting of the smaller calibers has taken off.   

 

[Stein]

Yeah, I can't go to the range without a ported magnum firing off on both sides of me.

I'm actually thinking about a second rifle as the 30-06 is way more than necessary for deer and antelope.  My daughter's .243 youth is so easy to carry it's tempting other than I don't like how .243 bullets react when hitting game.