“Choose enough gun” makes sense to most hunters. But when and where does “choosing too much gun” make the best sense? Hang around, because that’s our topic in the following articles.
Some hunters seem to have a yen for using small bores for big game. Why do they do that? Others have the philosophy that “enough is enough”. Why waste power and money that’s not needed? Then, a minority fit the bracket of “Too much is just right”. Somehow, I seem to be most at home in that latter community of fellow hunters. Why? Well, to be honest, it has little to do with any sense of compensation for an inferiority complex! Or, on the other had, a superiority complex! Most of the guys I know, or have met, who choose “too much rifle” have a strong pragmatic bent. What do I mean?
Pragmatism is a practical sense that takes into consideration all possible variables… not just the ideal situation. It always seeks to answer the question: “What if?”
“What if” what? What if the range is much longer than expected? What if the big-game animal isn’t cooperative, or doesn’t respond as anticipated? What if it’s a dangerous animal that charges or “hunts the hunter”? What if geological or other physical conditions demand that the animal drops permanently on the spot? What if there are several dangerous-game animals that seem to be “ganging up”? What if the situation allows for only one shot? What if, while hunting a typical medium-size, non-dangerous species, a large aggressive type moves unexpectedly onto the scene?
And there may be other “What ifs”. That’s not to suggest that we should be checked for paranoia if we entertain such questions, as in reality the possibility and actuality of such occurrences are more than a rarity. They DO happen! Take for instance the moose hunter who runs afoul of a grizzly that thinks the meat belongs to him!
Let’s take a practical look at some or these “What ifs”. In rethinking these potential scenarios, and adding any personal “encounters” of the fearsome sort, let’s venture into the field of the “risky” to help us determine appropriate cartridges and bullets, as well as the rifles that might be employed to fire them.
What if the range turns out to be much longer than expected on a bull moose that’s 350 lbs above average, and you’ve brought along your .270 Winchester shooting your favorite load of 130gr “zappers”?
I happen to know at least one hunter who toted his favorite .270 Win into those exact same conditions, for several years, until he discovered how inadequate his cherished rifle was in the face of reality. He then switched to a 7mm Rem Mag. Now he uses a .338 Winchester Magnum.
The conditions presented above can be a very real thing in much of the range where moose are hunted across the northern and northwest regions of Canada. And I’d expect the same to be true in parts of the western provinces, the territories, like the Yukon, and much of Alaska. Then there’s Newfoundland, where shots can be on the long side of far.
I know it to be true in the vast regions of Northern Ontario where woodlands have been clear-cut and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of lakes and streams. In other words, it’s indeed very likely that you will NOT find the moose of your dreams standing broadside, in the open, at 50 yards away! Not in that terrain at least… It’s possible, but very unlikely! A 1400 lb moose is above average in Ontario, for instance, but they do exist! And one moving along the border between a marsh and treeline at 450 yards out will not be an easy shot to begin with, but with the right cartridge, bullet and rifle in “good hands”, with a solid rest, it’s doable! Yet, I know of hunters who have “launched” 150 grainers from their .270 Winchesters under similar circumstances, on a “wing and a prayer”, and the results were not pretty.
My preference under such conditions would be something like a .340 Weatherby, and I’ve used one in “The Northland” of Ontario when in such surroundings. Such a rifle and cartridge give confidence that ANY condition will not be “too far”, or any moose “too big” at up to 500 yards with the right load and a solid rest while the moose is quartering away or toward the hunter. That ALSO assumes that the hunter is up to the task of properly handling his rifle, which is another topic for another time.
The .340 Weatherby is a great cartridge, of course. It’s better than the .338 Winchester by about 100 yards. What the .338 Winchester can do on a 1400 lb moose at 400 yards, the .340 Wby. can do at 500! And the .338 RUM is about the same and a little more. Someone asks: “What about the .300 RUM under those conditions?” Well, to be honest, and factual… the .300 RUM will NEVER equal a .340 Weatherby in potential because the .340 has a 22% advantage in cross-sectional area, a 25% advantage in bullet weight and 17% in momentum… Plus, the 300 RUM burns 16% MORE powder while inflicting more recoil!!! (with same weight rifle).
A .375 H&H or .375 Ruger would also get the job done, but the .340 Weatherby would still beat them both at 450 yards due to a flatter trajectory and more retained energy and momentum. And that’s because of bullets with much better ballistic coefficients. The premium bullets for the .340 are equally as good as those in .375″, except they are sleeker with a better ballistic profile and sectional density, assuming a 270 or 300gr in .375″ and a 250gr in .338″. The 250gr Nosler Partition would leave the muzzle of my .340 Wby., with a 26″ tube, at a real-life 3000 fps! And it has an S.D. of .313 and a BC of .473. The 300gr NP in .375 has an SD of .305 and a BC of .398. Those numbers make a significant difference, especially as the range lengthens.
The .340 Wby and the .338 RUM could equally handle just about any scenario presented in moose or bear country, or the world of any thin-skinned game where legal. That also holds true for the .375 H&H, .375 Ruger, the .338 Winchester and the 9.3 X 62. The .375 Ruger and 9.3 X 62 are handier in the thick stuff because of size and weight, yet adequate in their down-sized formats for reaching out to 450 yards for dealing with that oversize moose (There’s more on the 9.3 X 62 in recent blogs).
Premium bullets, like the Nosler Partitions, are favored in all cartridges mentioned for any situation that makes demands beyond the ordinary.
“…any scenario presented” are the key words. Which includes hunting on your own without a guide or outfitter. Most hunters in Ontario don’t employ guides or outfitters who find the game and get them as close as possible. There are over 100,000 moose hunters in Ontario, and I’m among them. And, that would be also true of residents of Alaska, Australia and parts of Europe, like Finnland. Yet, I know little about European hunting. So this blog is not particularly aimed at the paying hunter, though he/she might profit from some of our views nonetheless.
All that brings us back to the main theme of this series of essays: “What if… the range is much longer than expected, and the animal is much larger than average?” We’ve looked at a scenario involving moose to help clarify implications that could equally apply to large game wherever hunted. 
What are those implications?
1)Go prepared for extreme situations, not “normal” ones. A .270 Winchester shooting a handloaded premium 150-grain at 2850 fps might be ideal for an 850 lb moose standing broadside at 200 yards with a shot through the heart/lung area. At least my formula used as a guideline tells me so. But, when I have to travel 1000 miles (1600 kms) to track down a bull on license in WMU 15B, in Northern Ontario, where success rate is 25%… I’ll tell you this: I’LL NOT BE TOTING A .270 WINCHESTER, OR ANY OF IT’S ILK!!!
What some consider “way too much gun”, is just about perfect for most of my hunting. I’ll explain… on another day.
More next time on WHEN TOO MUCH IS JUST RIGHT.
Shalom
BOB MITCHELL
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