.338 Ultra Mag (vs.) .350 Rem Mag (vs.) 30:06

We all know that everything that is available to be hunted in North America has been taken cleanly with the 30:06. My high school FFA teacher always used to say, "Variety Is The Spice Of Life". He never elaborated on that and unfortunately he has passed away since, however that phrase also applies to guns and optics.

If it is true that, everything that 99% of us can hunt or will ever hunt has been cleanly taken with the 30:06 and let's say, 180 grain bullets, then why all the variety of calibers? It is because we all like choices. Some of us only own one rifle and in the real world make do very nicely, with one rifle and one load. There is an old adage, "Beware Of The Man With Only One Gun,, As He Likely Knows How To Use It". I am sure the economics plays a part in that decision, and very possibly the only big game a lot of us hunt on a semi-regular basis are whitetails.

That being said, I have always been facinated by ballistics and cartridge comparisons, however slight the real world difference may be. Here are three of them:



30:06           180 grain SP    2700 MV        2250fps 200 yds                
                                           2913 ME         2250

.338 Ultra M 225 grain SP    2680MV        2443    200 yds        
                                             4540 ME        3314

.350 Rem M 200 grain SP     2775 MV       2186  200 yds                    
                                             3419 ME                 2122

What does this prove?  Does one kill more spectacularly than the other?  Each one has their advocates and their critics, which can be said about any caliber. This is based on interpretation, eye witness accounts of spectacular kills etc.

Bottom line I try to remember is that since I hunt with both the bow and the gun, is that we have two separate scenarios here. The broadhead kills by slicing through the heart, lungs, blood vessels and arteries and by collapsing the lungs, or doing damage to the heart and cutting important arteries. The bullet kills, NOT by the foot pounds of energy it releases but by damaging the same organs (heart, lungs, or spine etc. Both systems are highly efficient, and both cause rapid, incapacitation and death with a well placed shot, and both wound and cripple with a poor placed shot.

Relating it to bear hunting, especially the grizzly, Alaskan brown bear and the Polar bear, I have often seen in print, these animals are NOT impressed with foot pounds of energy. Hit the vitals with a well placed bullet of the proper construction and enough penetration to destroy major organs and disrupt the body's electrical or breathing apparatus and you have your trophy.

I have often seen this prioritized as:

1. Shot Placement
2. Bullet Construction
3. Caliber

Dan