The season is fast approaching, opening day for archery is 10-18 in NY I believe. I use an older bow, but I can hit repeat bulls eyes at 20 yds until my arms get wobbly, so I am good there, very confident in the shot I take, I practice from my stand too.
On that note, I like my .308, though it's in a Springfield M1A, 4-12x56mm variable scope on a 3rd generation mount, weaver rings, can still use the peep sight, a little heavy to lug around sometimes, makes you appreciate a lighter rifle, but I shoot it well, and have gotten used to the weight.
I think the most important thing when hunting is knowing where your shot is, from whatever it is you shoot, everyone has a caliber and rifle preference, but you need to shoot that rifle well and get tight groups at the ranges you hunt, it's that simple. This M1A, is to me, what the .30-.30/.32 special, lever actions like Win. model 94 or Marlin etc. were or are to the old timers, more of a tool, that was inexpensive and found in most homes back then. Though an M1A is not cheap to buy, it sure is one reliable and accurate rifle that has served me well.
I like the .308 and or .30 caliber range for it's versatility, I have used an IMR powder ( forget which one ) and I think a 130 grain hollow point in the M1A quite successfully, it gave good groups, good velocity and when placed in the heart on a whitetail, is very effective. I have friends who use larger calibers, .338, 300 win mag, and those can be a bit overkill at close quarters, the .338 guy put that one back in the case for whitetails and the 300 win mag guy lightened up the loads, great for long ranges, but when they come here, it's overkill, poorly placed or hastily taken shot sure can ruin a lot of meat. We had a few army snipers at the range with those .300 win mags in heavy barrel rifles, they were dialed in to ttack drive at 300 yds, ( 600 simulated ), some of the best shooting I have ever seen, checked the targets myself, I'd not want to be in their crosshairs !
I'd like to get a heavy barrel tactical or full length heavy barrel, in a .308 similar to the Savage model I shot recently, those dial in nice and at the 200-300 yd ranges no problem to hit the target, though most of my shots are taken at 100 yds, the tight groups these shoot from factory loads are impressive. I shoot federal 150 grain .308's from my M1A and they hold 1" groups, like the military ball ammo which the rifle is designed for.
Most of the other calibers mentioned, I'd enjoy using any of them, as long as I was comfortable with the rifle, dialed in at ranges I hunt and know the groups it is getting, for me it's more about your shooting etiquette than anything else, you need make that 1 shot count. I think everyone botches one on occasion, it can happen easily, so your shooting habits, etiquette and discipline when it comes to hunting are paramount, more than anything, well besides safety.
I can recall 2 botched shots in 25 years of hunting, one I recovered and the other I did not, though the new neighbor who distracted me by yelling from her new home adjacent to the hedgerow in the midst of the shot I was taking certainly did not help, she helped me flinch and I grazed the chest, I did not get that 8pt buck, but he was not wounded either, got a good look at him before he ran and could have taken another shot, but this lady was screaming from her new porch, a few hundred yards away. People build houses next to your land in what was ag fields and then expect you to change, like not hunting, well that is another discussion altogether.
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