Hauling Gravel in my Camero or Real Rifles vs. Mathematical Rifles

I need to buy and place 11 cubic yards of gravel in the south side yard of my house.  The grass died there because the sprinklers went afoul in summer of 2015 when I was surviving radiation and chemo-therapy cancer treatments daily and was not physically able to repair the irrigation system.  Gradually the area has become sort of a parking zone for extra cars.  Gravel would be nice.  I won't have to mow it, I won't have to water it.  Parking will be easy.

The BIG QUESTION is ?
A.)  Should I haul and place the gravel out of my Camero two door coupe that is nimble and easy to maneuver into the side yard.  I would have to make several dozen, if not a hundred trips, to the gravel sales yard to haul the gravel necessary in the Camero.  {What about the wear and tear on the Camero interior?}
 OR
B.)  Should I use my Chevy 4X4 pickup truck to haul and place the gravel? I could haul the gravel in about 7 trips and not beat up my truck.

Easy answer -- USE THE PICKUP TRUCK.

So what does this have to do with hunting and shooting?  The burr under my saddle is the current news and popular sentiment riding on the wind with all the shooting sports writers touting the 6.5 Creedmoor as the "perfect" rifle cartridge for all centerfire aspects of hunting and target shooting.

In a phrase -- I don't think so.

I grant the populace, who are wind-surfing, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a a light recoiling, accurate, and ballistically advantaged cartridge.  It is chambered and sold in a variety of platforms and performs well at the long distance target shooting matches.  I grant all the target shooters and small varmint hunters humble agreement about their rifle the 6.5 Creedmoor.  However, I can't give up my "REAL" rifles for shooting distance and shooting at big game at distance.  The Creedmoor fans always want to look at the numbers -- so let's look:

6.5 Creedmoor 129 gr. Barnes Triple shock bullet b.c. .468 at 5,000 elevation 69º and 15% humidity started at 2,700 fps at the muzzle results in the following ballistics performance:
           100 yards     200 yards     300 yards     400 yards     500 yards     800 yards     1,000 yards
f.p.s    2643            2486             2335             2335            2189             1589             1377
ft. lbs  1969            1743             1537             1351            1183             723               543
M*        48                45                 42                 40                37                29                25

300 Rem Ultra Mag.  180 gr. Barnes Triple shock bullet b.c. .453 at 5,000 elevation 69º and 15% humidity started at 3,330 fps at the muzzle results in the following ballistics performance:   
           100 yards     200 yards     300 yards     400 yards     500 yards     877 yards     1,000 yards
f.p.s    3147            2966             2793             2625            2464             2015            1745
ft. lbs. 3958            3516             3117             2775            2428             1630            1217
M*        81                76                 72                 67                62                 49.5            44.8

*M = a relative term for "momentum" calculated by Kevin Robertson, Doctari, in his life as a P.H. and veterinarian in Africa.  His book "The Perfect Shot" is enlightening to say the least.  He covers what makes an animal die and how the bullet accomplishes this task.  He has personally witnessed 1,000's of animals taken by various firearms and calibers.  He knows his business.  Dr./P.H. Robertson calculated the momentum of a caliber to be a relative penetration and killing coefficient.  He firmly believes a M factor of 125 is required for dangerous game especially elephant and buffalo.  M = (velocity x bullet weight in grains)/7000  {Note:  the .300 RUM has the same M value at 877 yards as the 6.5 Creedmoor does at muzzle.}

I have two dear friends that guide for black and brown bears in Alaska on the coast and on the islands near Juno -- they require clients to use a .375 H and H magnum or bigger caliber for their bear hunts.  They, and their clients, have survived all theses years by sticking to their experience and the minimum caliber requirements.  The old sage Elmer Keith said use enough gun.  A wise man told me years ago "You can't kill 'em too dead."

I just want the world to know I respect a good shooting rifle as much as the next guy.  As was recently stated by Wayne Van Zwoll in a national publication, "There are a lot more .25" accuracy capable rifles out there than there are .25" accuracy capable marksmen."  I like to punch holes in targets.  I like to take varmints out at obscene distances.  {When telling the tale I usually add 10% to the yardage just to be on the safe side.}  I also believe when it is time to be a real sportsman and shoot the elk or moose or other large critter at distance a sincere real rifle should be used.  An 800 lbs. elk with a 129 gr. 6.5mm bullet putting along at 2048 f.p.s. shot through his lungs at 500 yards will eventually die.  The shooter may or may not find his game and complete the harvest in an ethical manner.  The same elk with a 180 gr. .308 " bullet traveling at 2428 f.p.s shot the same place will expire within 200-300 yards.  The hunter will find and ethically take his trophy home.  Quartering shots are a whole lot worse for the little 6.5 Creedmoor.  The .300 RUM will traverse the elk body and take him down.

If your heart is set on a 6.5 Creedmoor -- get one.  If you can punch tight groups on paper at 500 - 1,000 yards with it that is sooooo cool.  Please don't try and take a big nice respect worthy game animal at the target distances you shoot with your low impact rifle round.  Move in closer and take the big beast at 100 to 150 yards when you can make sure of power and shot placement.  The game deserves the respect of an ethical kill not a blood letting wounding and slow death with lost game and wasted meat.

My favorite calibers?  Sure:  {let me know yours -- I am interested}
A.  small game and targets  .22LR  .36gr HP
B.  medium varmints and long range varmints  .22-250 w/ 55 gr. Nosler ballistic tips
C.  smaller big game (coyotes)  .308 Win. 130 gr. Hornady spire point bullets
D.  deer/ pronghorn/ springbok, warthog 300 yards and less  .30-06 165 gr. mono-metal bullets
E.  elk, zebra, hartebeest, kudu, oryx, bison etc. 300 yards and less .338 Win Mag. 225 gr.mono-metal bullets
F.  elk and above list E. at distance 400 yards and more .300 RUM with 180 gr. mono-metal bullets
G. bears and mean things 150 yards or less .458 Win Mag (over 150 yards get closer or run away)












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MID-JULY AND STILL HUNTING VERMIN

WOW!  Can you believe it? It is mid-July and I am still able to hunt the little profit stealing vermin in Iron County, Utah .  This is unheard of for me and many of the locals.  It is a dry year and the weather is warm already, like 95º F in the late morning.

Bounty Hunter 6 and I went to the Beryl area of Iron County, Utah this morning.  We drove up there arriving at the decided upon shooting spot around 9:10 a.m.  We set up the squirrel-o-matics in the back of the White Wagon of Death pickup truck owned by Bounty Hunter 6 and readied for hopefully a good shoot.  By 9:30 a.m. the little profit thieves were through with their "chizzler coffee" and out looking for friendship and easy food in the farmer's alfalfa fields.

We did our duty with zeal.  Bounty Hunter 6 was using his Savage heavy barrel .17 Mach II rifle and I my trusty Savage heavy barrel .22 lr.  We shot for over two hours and only slowed down to load magazines.  BH 6 went through 3 boxes of ammo and I used 4.  We harvested about 150 chizzlers.  I was not shooting so well as the rascals were hanging out at about 100 to 125 yards most of the time.  I did get eight or nine close shots (35 yards) and I missed on half of the tries.  BH 6 was getting a real laugh out of my performance.  I could hit the old chizzlers at 100 - 125 yards yet up close I was missing.  He shot extra well today.  He nailed them close and far  That little .17 Mach II cartridge is a real fine shooter and is so dang accurate when handled by Bounty Hunter 6.

About 11:45 a.m. some critter blew the 'nap time' whistle and the chizzlers just went down and stayed down.  We walked out into the combat zone and took a few pictures while lazering back towards the White Wagon of Death to see just how far we were shooting.  It seems that once you get the range and hold over dialed in on your scope you kind of forget the distance and just go to work on helping the farmers.

I was a super fun day and really an extra treat to hunt chizzlers so late in the year.  

                                             {My pals in San Diego -- eat your hearts out.}