Arms legislation of the Russian Federation provides more smooth-bore weapons. It is safer, the range of the projectile is smaller, applicable for the shooting of any beast.
But along with the smooth-bore, popularity and rifled weapons for hunting. This topic is quite extensive, so let's try to cover at least the main issues.
Rifled weapons for hunting are selected primarily with regard to the main types of hunting: for wild boar and elk paddock, for deer and elk on a roar or from the approach, from towers, in the sun (on a bear), etc.
В сравнении с калибрами гладкоствольного оружия (from 10 to 20, with the solution of similar tasks and with different, of course, effectiveness), the calibers of rifled weapons have the qualification of a narrower one. It is in the caliber of the highlight of rifled weapons for shooting, for example, gophers and elephants. The main, albeit crude, definition of the suitability of an ammunition of the chosen caliber is the energy of the bullet at a certain distance of attack. It should be either equal to the mass of the animal's body (kGs / m²), or to exceed it by a factor of ten (the energy value in J). Fulfillment of this condition will avoid unnecessary podrankov (of course, if you hit the killer point). However, keep in mind: your bullet will give up your energy, only after remaining in the body of the animal (without going through the blink). In addition, the larger the size, the higher the bullet energy, and the shooting is less accurate. Therefore, soft bullets (rapidly deforming) with a blunt (or flat) spout are preferable. Suppose a Silver bullet with a caliber of 308Win and a mass of 9.7 g is quite suitable for shooting a deer to 200 kg at a distance of up to 220 m, since its energy is about 2000 Joules.
Нельзя не напомнить и об останавливающей the ability of the ammunition (the stopping action is proportional to the square of the radius). Killing a bear with a bullet 7x64, you run the risk of remaining without a trophy, if, for example, you get to the lungs, because he will die a few kilometers from the shot.
And now briefly on the principles of distribution of calibers with regard to hunting objects.
For small game (goose, black grouse, capercaillie,ptarmigan, fox, etc.) is more preferable rifled arms for hunting the following calibers: 243 Win and 5.6x57R, 5.6 × 57, 5.6x39, 5.6x52R, 5.6x50Rmag, 222Rem, 22 Hornet. The energy, of course, is different (just like the indices of flatness), but you can hunt more successfully and without large damage to the pelts. Note: rifled weapons for hunting birds in many regions are not used (prohibited).
For medium game (wolf, roe deer, deer, wild boar, elk (up to 160 kg)) it is better to use:
- calibers 5,6x57R; 5.6 × 57; 5.6x50R; 223Rem (weight 55-80 kg);
- ammunition 8x57, 8x64, 8x68 (up to 160 kg and at a maximum distance of 200m).
For large game (from 160 kg), taking into account the accuracydefeat and the possibility of its stopping in place, calibers 9.3 × 64 are preferred; 9.3 × 62; 35Wheelen (with a maximum distance of 200 m); 338WinMag; 375 H & H Mag. But the 30th caliber of rifled weapons here is not suitable.
Assortment of cartridges, as well as the choice of weapons, inrecent years are wide. And the quality has improved. There appeared cartridges not only with bimetallic but also with a thermopack shell, which makes it possible to reduce the wear of the rifling. They began to produce analogues of foreign patrons. But it's too early to talk about a complete solution to the problems with the quality of ammunition.
I would like to mention shooting at the game of the mountain,because here, too, has its own characteristics, and therefore uses a separate group of cartridges. A mountain beast rarely has a large mass, which means that one should think about the level of ammunition used in shooting in mountainous terrain. Usually for chamois it's 243 Win, and for goats and rams it's 8x68S, 00WinMag, 7mmRemMag, 30R Blaser. With bullets of these calibers it is quite possible to hit any mountain animal at any possible shooting distance, which, again, is due to exceptional decking.
And finally:Almost all foreign rifled barrels, unlike domestic, are not chrome plated. Consider this when choosing a rifled weapon for hunting. Chrome plating, if not prevent, significantly slows down the wear of the barrel cuts when using domestic ammunition with a bimetallic sheath and, as a rule, steel cores. Non-chromated carbine "ends" faster. However, without chrome, better accuracy and better accuracy of shooting.
