Can a Modern Hunter use Modern Technology as a Shortcut to Experience? – P2

As in our last in P1: Modern technology by itself is based on particular developments of a scientific nature in the use of elements not formerly understood, available, too costly or unsuitable. With greater knowledge, experience (historic development), effort and application through financial investment, “tools” (machines) were created -CNCs for example – to make gun barrels with tighter tolorances and fit for actions, plus straighter with concentric bores that were repeatable. It has been said that no two bores for the same cartridge are identical even from the same manufacturer on the same machine on the same day, so don’t expect identical results! That’s historically correct . . . . until today! With digital modern machinery making gun barrels from the best steel, all tolerances are reduced and can be closer to perfection for each of them.

< A Hill Country .340 Wby Mag

But does that mean that a “high tech” inexperienced hunter of Africa’s deadliest suddenly becomes a terror from hell to all African DG beasties compared to a “regular” safari man with only a Rem 700, assuming suitable cartridges in each? Whom would you put your money on?

The fundamental point of this question: “Can a modern hunter use modern technology as a shortcut to experience?” The main hurdle to be overcome is that the two: modern technology and experience are not necessarily related. They stand alone and are independant in their relationships. Of course, we could have lots of hunting experience using whatever rifle cartridge from modern-tech rifles, like the gentleman of last week’s blog, but was he a better hunter because of it? Or a better shooter? He may have had more confidence in firing that special rifle he’d designed and put the various parts together, but that’s a psychological thing, not necessarily a physical thing! The truth was he, like most others who were first-timers to Africa, was a junior and not a senior in experience, both with that rifle and as a hunter in that context. There were no magic shortcuts that made him superior to someone with ten safari trips under his belt using a much more common Remington 700 in .416 Rem, as only one example among a possible hundred or more.

< A SAKO 85 Brown Bear in .375 H&H

As I pointed out: He was ultimately successful on his mission, due mostly to the presence and coaching of the PH, as the same for any hunter on safari to Africa, and the fact that he could shoot that powerful weapon based on modern technology. But he personally was not superior or even on par with a hunter due to any advanced technology over an old man who’d made many safaris based on his beat-up .375 H&H “whatever”!

That’s the point! And it applies to any and all hunting! As many PH’s, and the famed Alaskan Master Guide and Outfitter , Phil Shoemaker, sainly advises: “Bring the rifle you shoot best, and within reason is powerful enough to meet all laws”, or what gives you most confidence – or if you don’t have it, then get it! But shoot it a couple-hundred times at least at appropriate targets (some legal wildlife included) til you reach the confidence level needed!

Based on personal testimonies, some safari hunters were less confident and less accurate with their “new” more powerful African safari rifle due to unfamilarity with it and its recoil! Hence, Phil Shoemaker’s dictum when facing-off with an Alaskan Brown Bear: Bring the rifle you shoot best and are most familiar with – not to understand that advise as any unsuitable rifle such as a .223. Some, to make a smart remark might say: If you brain ’em, that will work. However, that’s very poor judgement to make a rediculous point that 100% of experienced safari hunters would reject unless they’d gone there to only hunt specific small game – which is very doubtful. Who from the western world would pay the bill for an African safari to limit themselves basically to smaller game? Some with experience have taken a .243 Win as a second rifle for PG in the class of whitetails but not for these:

Yet, Phil’s dictum might also be verging toward insanity if his intention is misunderstood as: “Anything will work; Phil just said so!” And I’ve reminded those who quote him, that they are not Shoemaker – who was a sniper in Vietnam and has won many handgun awards! He’s an instinctive shooter with thousands of chances and with multiple firearms! The average man will never fit in his shoes in experience, and possibly with it! But when he has to go into the pucker brush after a wounded brownie, he prefers “Old Ugly” his “high teck” .458 Win Mag – it has lots of tecks, like the short barrel, camo paint scheme, pieces of wood nicked, cut and missing to accomodate a flashlight, and the light fixed-power scope; in all a well suited rig with lots of experience that perfectly fits the experience of its creator!

< Old Ugly consistently doing its job in Africa as well as Alaska in the hands of its creator and master!

And the bullet was a 500gr Hornady DGXB, despised by the elitists! Yeah, he did make a statement that was probably missed by the elites: Experience counts way more than high tech or a $25,000 rifle!

If we can afford it, high tech can be bought, but not experience.

Simply stated: Modern technology can be used by those with experience, but never substitute for it. There are no shortcuts! We have to get out there with whatever we choose:

Ten years experience with my Ruger 96-44: A great scouting rifle for deer and bear in that environment – even crows!

Til the next . . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Can a Modern Hunter use the Latest Technology as a Short-Cut to Experience? – P1

Since this topic is both wide and long, I’ll not pretend to disect and answer every particular nuance in a couple thousand words. That’s the best thing to say about it, but . . . . . I could save a lot of my time and work by an abrupt answer that sounds like a parent or Law Officer. A simple and direct: NO! or “No way!”

But of course, I’m not going to do that for conscience sake, or to spare myself of some hard and tedious work!

It varies, but I may spend a few hours per week reading hunting stories and/or watching hunting videos. Like some of you, I get a certain amount of that uninvited into my email box, and some of the results of using the “search” button. And then I search my memory and personal experience – which has a rather long history. Added to all that, I may do some research into my own past blogs that extend back to Jan 10, 2009.

< Nice looking rifle, eh? But the price was well above what I could afford. Plus I had no experience with its chambering in .358 Norma Magnum. So the asking price would put me in debt, plus dies for reloads and cartridge cases. So it was not something I could grab quickly without too much thought and take on a moose hunt! Into my plans I’d have to schedule payments, buy components, develop at least one good load for the hunt and practice with it until it became natural for me to tote in rough terrain and potentially shoot a big bull moose under difficult conditions. It wouldn’t have been a wise move, even though it’s potential ballistics were ideal. But how many think rationally before buying such a rifle simply based on its beauty and potential ballistics whithout ever handling of firing such an iconic rifle? It was a Mark X Custom offered at $4500. After several years of no takers, it was recently sold for ~$3000.

But, like I said, the amount of time invested varies from week to week, and particularly now with my wife’s physical and emotional state. But, obviously, the number of themes I could follow and write about are almost limitless, especially due to new technology and those dedicated to it. But does it give some kind of advantage to hunters – both old and new – that can replace field experience?

As one of a potential thousand or more real live African experiences as viewed recently on an African safari video, I present my brief analysis: I’m guessing the age here, but the American male hunter appeared to be somewhere between 40 and 50 yrs, yet possibly older as he was in excellent physical condition. His primary target was a mature dugga/dagga boy. (both spellings are in use in Africa, but its original appears to be dugga boy, and so it is pronounced by most clients.)

Anyway, he seemed to be well schooled by literature, film and personal conversations with experienced personnel on the purposes of the safari. In addition, he was also well educated on ballistic requirements, so he built (most parts of his rifle were made by several companies or gunsmiths) a .458 Lapua Magnum Imp. It’s that “Improved” part that sets it apart from a “.458 Lapua Magnum”. As far as he knew, it was the only one ever assembled, and he spent some time on the video explaining everything in detail.

His load was a 450gr “premium” at 2450 fps/5997 ft-lbs (call it 6000 ft-lbs, reduced from 2500 fps/6244 ft-lbs) because of potential problems from African heat. That’s a very short statement that tells us a lot about his experience, or lack thereof! The rifle’s appearance was in the typical mode of today’s high-teck rifles. It weighed 12 lbs ready to shoot, including a specially fabricated magazine box that hung well below the action. . . . . Not your everyday Winchester M70 in .458 or Weatherby .460 for sure. Working recoil, with all matters included, including a huge brake, would have been ~55 ft-lbs with the rifle at 12 lbs.

To give credit where it’s due, it was an accurate rifle and he seemed well able to shoot it accurately from a rest. It had a huge brake and he was a legitimate “stud” of a man – over 6′ and I’d guess about a very healthy 220 to 240 lbs. In some ways he was modest and honest about himself, and to his credit he asked the PH many questions in a serious but good-natured manner (the PH famous from McCallum Safaris), and all of it on his video.

When it came time for the rifle to be introduced to Mr Dugga Boy, he, the client, couldn’t see it well enough to shoot through thick jesse, to the dismay of the PH. They all, including the whole team were stunned in silence for what seemed forever until PH Wall broke the silence by suggesting they move on as there were other mature bulls out there. The score so far: 1 – 0 in favour of the Cape Buff.

But, maybe the score should be 0 – 0, because from the angle of the camera, no Cape Buff was in sight. . . . . I wouldn’t have taken that shot either! Different experiences in North American hunting: Not only from teachers, but also hard experiences have trained us to think and react not just differently but in the opposite manner – “Stop! Don’t take a shot on an animal (esp. DG) that you can’t clearly see, and especially at the south end of a north bound costly trophy that may very well be an expensive mistake – because if there’s blood you pay for it even if it’s a first and final look at a piece of it!

Near the beginning of that video, I was somewhat critical of the client and his seeming bravado, but after that experience, he had guts enough to back down from a rather strong suggestion from the well respected PH that Mr Client should take!

In that particular case, tech knowledge didn’t rule the day, but the client’s North American experience did! So they are not necessarily adversaries!

Where technology has given us better gun powders and hunting bullets, we’re all better off in my view, but also better platforms from which they are fired. However those chassis and platforms must NOT primarily be for target shooters, but hunters who shoot at game from various physical positions and not from solid bench rest styles. In other words: A hunter who is moving about from one place to another (other than in rather fixed positions in stands, tree stands or blinds with “built-in” rests) during a day’s hunt must be flexible enought, including his/her gear, to quickly adapt to conditions: offhand, kneeling, prone, sitting, leaning against tree or boulder, etc. I’ve done all of it over the years – and I may be in a stand during morning hours, then walking about during afternoon hours, and finishing the last hour back in the stand! I don’t want a bench-rest style rifle for that, but one that’s adaptable for most conditions:

• medium weight: 8 – 8.5 lbs

• medium or large bore (4000 ft-lbs min.)

• effective range to at least 400 yds

• overall length of rifle 40 – 42 inches

• 2 – 7 x 33 rifle scope

• trigger pull: 3 – 3.5 lbs

• 22″ barrel (max)

• stock: wood or synthetic compound

• a bolt-action repeater or single-shot

• tang safety

My first .458 Winchester Magnum in the Ruger 77 would have come very close, except for its weight at 9.5 lbs ready to hunt. And that could have been reduced somewhat by a lighter scope and some minor mods to the stock.

But so did my beloved Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT – my favorite for nearly two decades at about 8.25 lbs ready to roll with 4 cartridges, 2 – 7 x 32 Nikon, tang safety and 1″ nylon sling. Often used in tree stand or blind . . . . but not always. It was also a great walkabout rifle. Power? Up to 5400 ft-lbs, but mostly loaded to ~4000 ft-lbs from 400s, 350s and 300s when on a hunt.

<This was primarily a bear blind, but also for deer, wolf ,coyote and calf moose. That’s the Ruger No.1 LT in .45-70.

Bear Bait 5 identifies this pic. The rifle in the foreground was my favourite Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. The bait barrel is under and to the left of that tree standing alone at which the rifle is pointed. The load was a 300gr TSX/ .458-cal at 2630 fps./4607 ft-lbs. There were several bears in the area, mostly coming from the Queen Elizabeth 2 Conservation Area directly to the north (which was the direction the muzzle was pointing), including a dominant one that killed one of the four horses on this private property ( a no longer in service farm). I’d killed 3 bears here at different locations, and my young friend, Ben, had shot two, but the second he’d wounded in the right front leg. In going away from us he shot it again in the left rear leg. I caught up with it close enough to kill it with a quartering-away shot from my 9.3 x 62. So I actually killed four on this property, the first using my NEF single-shot .45-70. All my kills were from the first and only shots fired at individual bears.

Was my Ruger No.1 “high tech?”, dating from a Farquharson Falling Block design of 1890, and my friend’s Savage 111 in .300 Win Mag? His was identical to one of mine with their “plastic” stocks.

Regarding the African Safari hunter: He did kill one buffalo, plus some other PG using the same rifle and load. But he also got a bloody forehead from shooting a baboon! It was the new fangled, “hi tech” sticks that gave him some problems! And with practice, he could have killed the dugga boy with the same shot from a .375 H&H or .458 Win Mag. From the .375 he may have had to pay the insurance, but not as a conventional thing, and likely the follow-up would have taken a few more steps. Like “handsom is as it does”, so new technology in rifles is what it does in the hands of experienced hunters or inexperienced hunters. Their inexperience doesn’t make them mature hunters merely in the purchase of a high tech “modern” rifle, no matter how many trendy scopes with multiple knobs come with it!

More to come . . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The Advantages of Medium Cartridge Rifles over Standard Rifle Cartridges using best Hunting Bullets in each.

For example: the .358 Winchester vs the .308 Winchester. The .358 Winchester is based on the parent .308 Winchester with an expanded neck to hold heavier and wider bullets. This was done by Winchester in 1955 and introduced in their M70s and lever-action 88s. It was ballistically superior to the older and larger .348 Winchester, and far more powerful than the .35 Remington, yet failed in the market place.

It was simply a matter of using a parent case and expanding the neck to a larger bore diameter following, in a sense, the example of the common .30-06 to .35 Whelen.

So from those two very popular .30-caliber cartridges, burning approximately the same amount of powder in the originals as for each improved cartridge based on the originals, we can get an approximate 33% increase in ballistics at the muzzle for the .35 Whelen over the .30-06, and for the .358 Win about 3000 ft-lbs vs 2750 ft-lbs for the .308 Win, or about 9% advantage in kinetic energy. But in each of those examples, more is involved than energy at the muzzle alone.There is also bullet weight and diameter. In each situation I am suggesting 180grs for the .30-calibers and 250 grs for the .35-calibers. So the 250s not only produce greater energy but also greater momentum at impact, plus creating a larger wound channel, other matters more or less equal, like psi .

Of course, there are many other examples of using a parent case as a sub-medium that becomes a Medium cartridge intended for larger and dangerous game. Another illustration of that would be a .300 Weatherby Magnum opened-up to the .340 Wby or the .375 Wby. As the bore size is increased so is its potential efficiency and effectiveness from heavier and wider projectiles if they are constructed for larger and tougher game. But mediums – .338 to .375 calibers – also have ideally constructed bullets – like Nosler ABs and Barnes TTSX’s for smaller game at longer ranges. For example a 225 AB in .358 that makes over 2800 fps from my .35 Whelen with a 22″ barrel. A 220gr from its parent, the .30-06 employing a 22″ barrel, would be doing excellently if it attained 2550 fps. The best bullet from a 22″ .30-06 for a mature bull elk at 450 yds would be the 200gr AB with a high .588 BC at 2650 fps. At 450 yds it still would impact at:

• .30-06/ 200 AB/ BC = .588/ MV = 2650 fps/ at 450yds = 2039 fps/ 1846 ft-lbs/ TE = 41.1(85% shot = ~873 lbs).

• .35 Whelen/ 250gr Partition/ BC = .446/MV = 2700 fps/ at 450 yds = 1904 fps/ 2012 ft-lbs/ TE = 56.7 (85% shot = ~1205 lbs)

• Despite the .35 Whelen’s obvious handicap of an older design bullet with only 76% of the efficiency of the 200gr AB, at 450 yds it wins this contest over its parent by 38%!

• And there’s not enough difference in trajectory to fuss over!

And apart from America’s continued support for the .30-06 based on its military development and sporting use, American entrepreneurs and companies have developed better ones as pragmatically measured, including the .35 WHELEN.

<All MEDIUMS – at +4000 ft- lbs muzzle energy – are capable for these animals, where legal and using their best handloads. Of course, the hunter-shooter must also be capable.

Then the series by WINCHESTER and WEATHERBY have significantly improved various “standard” bore rifles by giving them larger capacity cases not only in Big Bores but Mediums as well – such as in .338 and .375. Why those two companies in particular didn’t do anything in .358, like NORMA, is a mystery. Yeah, I know ’twas too close to the others in .338 and .375. . . or so it was claimed! But the .35 WHELEN has done very well and is only increasing in popularity after 104 years! Nonetheless, it does better than ever from new powders and projectiles in the hands of savvy handloaders. Furthermore, as wildcats in .375 and .40 there is still better ballistic potential available from the original .30-06 case. All to proove that any cartridge case that’s improved by opening up the neck and given a near straight-sided wall and abrupt shoulder to accomodate larger bore bullets can be transformed into very worthy MEDIUMS and even LARGE BORES! In Mediums they should readily attain 4000 ft-lbs, and in Big Bores +4500 ft-lbs.

I’ve been happy with my .35 Whelen with it’s freebore in a 22″ barrel that commonly exceeds 4000 ft-lbs from several bullets. But the 20% greater capacity of a .375 H&H case over the .35 Whelen only yielded 5.5% better ballistics from my Zastava M70, each firing 250s – the Whelen and 250 Partition at 2709 fps and the Zastava the 250 TTSX at 2850 fps. That’s close enough to the Barsness 1/4 formula, each from 22″ barrels employing the same CFE-223 powder – 77-78 in the .375 and 65 in the .35 Whelen. 4073 ft-lbs from the Whelen, and 4508 ft-lbs from the .375 H&H. But I could drive the 250gr Sierra to about 2900 fps from the .375 because it’s a shorter bullet than the 250 TTSX and allows more of the same powder to be used.

The main advantage of the Mediums over their standard counterparts is much better efficiency in the use of heavier bullets and generally faster powders. The various 4350s to RL-22 are generally the best powders in .30-06’s for 180s and 200s; in the .35 Whelen, the best powders are usually faster, like CFE-223 for middle weights and RL-17 for the heavies.

< 300gr Barnes Originals for my .35 Whelen make 2355 fps MV. They shoot into the same group as the 225gr ABs at 100 that are making 2840 fps. Why? Follow-up of a wounded bear, or any perceived close action of potential danger! Yep, only 57 grs of RL-17 under those hammers!

But the best ever MEDIUM-BORE rifle cartridge I’ve ever used long-term was my TIKKA T3 in 9.3 x 62. That is all-things considered, as in the most important aspects of overall ballistics, accuracy and handling. After a decade of use in both handloading and hunting, personally, it was number one as a Medium-bore rifle.

I’d owned, handloaded and used in hunting these middle bores prior to my first and only 9.3 x 62: .338 Win Mags, a.340 WBY, . 35 Whelens, .350 Rem Mags and .375 H&H’s. All of it followed by my only ever 9.3 x 62 Mauser. Now as a gift it belongs to our oldest son Brent. “It’s my moose gun”, Brent says for New Brunswick moose!

With the brake that was added during the last 18 months of ownership, then as a gift to our eldest son Brent. This was a photo op. No ammo in the clip or chamber. I hate pics of rifles with the bolt open to reveal that the chamber is empty. It spoils the beauty of the rifle, and what does that prove . . . . that the owner is smart and safe? Gimmie a brake! Pun intended: of course, I had to shoot it from my left side.

Why such accolades from myself? Well, after all’s said and done it could do anything those others could do, or has done, and then some!

“Ballistics please?” Coming up! But before that, it was chosen as a replacement for my .340 WBY, which was a very high bar due to the .340’s ballistics, and ownership for a decade, plus being my creation and having killed a good bull moose in the far north of our Province of Ontario!

The 9.3 x 62’s ballistics were a bit better overall than a .338 Win Mag and on par with a .375 H&H, each with 22″ barrels employing their best bullets for intended game!

Some will want to challenge that. . . . And I say “Go right ahead and then you will have to swallow your pride!”

As reported several times, the 340 made ~5000 ft-lbs from the 250 NP at 3000 fps. That from 90.5 grs of RL-22 and a 26″ stainless Browning barrel. That was a dedicated moose rifle that made about 1928 fps/2063 ft-lbs at 600 yds.

The 9.3 x 62 was making ~2632 fps ~4400 ft-lbs from the 286 Partition from 70 grs of RL-17. At 500 yds it was doing about 1805 fps/ 2070 ft-lbs. As to a real heavy bullet? How about the 320gr WOODLEIGH? 2464 fps max that I slowed to 2424 for better accuracy? In momentum that’s equal to a 300gr in .375 at 2586 fps.

So they are more or less tied with the 286gr at 500 yds from the 9.3 x 62 and the 250 Partition at 600 yds from the .340 Wby. So the 340 has a 100 yd advantage at extreme ranges. But what the 340 Wby can do at 600, the 9.3 x 62 can also do at 500 yds; more or less. But how often on a mature bull moose hunt would I have needed that extra 100 yds since the vast majority are shot well under 400 yds, and most less than 300. In other words, I’d have felt no handicape using the 286gr from the 9.3 x 62. That’s of course counter to the thinking of the average literature from so-called “gun writers” and reloading books that ask “gun writers” to write the intros for the various cartridges and their bullets. For example: Nosler’s No.9 data for their 286gr from a 9.3 x 62 gives a high of 2424 fps/3731 ft-lbs from a 26″ barrel. That’s nearly 700 ft-lbs short of my load for that same bullet, and from a barrel 3.56″ shorter.

From my 10 yrs experience with the 22.44″ barrel of the Tikka T3, at 2424 fps would be significantly lower psi using RL-17 than from RL-15 that Nosler was using. And I’m quite certain they used CIP standards for psi, which is less than 60,000 psi. I was using 64,000 psi as max in a new rifle identical to Tikka’s .338 Win Mag. No reason not to since they are identical rifles except for these two matters: 1) The .338 Win Mag has less metal surrounding the cartridge since its body is wider; 2) and the barrel is longer at 24″. Then I seat the bullets to 3.37″ (fitting to the clip allowing space for smooth functioning), where as CIP allows 3.291″, so I was getting 0.079″ more room for powder. In effect, that’s like the cases were 2.52″ rather than 2.441″.

The Hornady cases held 78 grs water to the rim in 9.3 X 62, compared to 72 for Rem cases in the .35 Whelen. Some results from all that were 2760 fps max for the 250gr Nos AB in the 9.3 x 62 from 71 grs of RL-17/WLRM primers at 3.37″ COL. But I reduced that to 70 grs RL-17 (same as for the 286gr Partition) which gave superior accuracy (0.44″ for 3 at a hundred, consistently when I was on my game.) The .35 Whelen gave 2709 fps from the 250 Partition from 65 grs of CFE-223, WLRM prrimers and 3.40″ COL. from the 22″ Traditions G3 barrel. So the Whelen was more efficient in that comparison, except the 250 AB with a .494 BC will hold its velocity better till impact. But the 250 Partition in .358 has a better SD at .279 vs the 9.3 at .267. Kind of a standoff between those two 250s. One has a better BC and the other a better SD. One an AB with a bonded core and the other a Partition with that famous intregal wall of separation between front and rear lead cores.

Which is better? There are proponents for each. I’ve used both, but many more of the Partitions because of my generation. And I’ve had success with each, slightly favouring the AccuBonds because of their bonded cores and better ballistic coefficients, all of which may contribute to better penetration. But who has enough experience to qualify for an answer without questions and ambiguity?

Yet whatever MEDIUM (.338 to .375) is being discussed, there’s no doubt that with the abundance of exceptional bullets and powders available on the market today for the savvy handloader, he or she can bring results from them that was only reserved for larger magnums of an earlier generation or two.

< And oh, that’s my .375 H&H on duty! Don’t tell anybody, but it thinks it’s a .375 Wby!

Do youself a favour, and give one or more a try that suits you and fulfills a dream!

Till the next . . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Why did I CHOOSE that RIFLE?

It’s a question that 100% of shooters, hunters and sports persons have asked themselves before or after the fact. Before ownership it would be: “Why SHOULD I choose that rifle?”, and after – maybe weeks, months or even years later – if not in a formal statement, at least in thought: “Why did I choose THAT rifle?”. We do that for conscience sake and affirmation.

Answers could start at . . . . .

“I wanted an all-around rifle for whatever I might hunt, especially deer, yet it might also get used someday on larger game like moose.” – that’s a common motive and was mine for the first purchases of a few “big-game” rifles: a still in its grease Brazilian Military 7 x 57 Mauser (prior to becoming a handloader). Next were two .30-06’s: the first a well used military ’98 that I managed to get a scope on, and the second a used M70. I started handloading with the military ’98. Shortly after that I purchased a new H&R single-shot in .22 Hornet. That also received the handloading treatment for the multiple groundhogs of our area, and any other small game that might be suited to that rifle.

< Identical to this H&R, except this is chambered in .243 Winchester, and a gift to our youngest son Peter, several years later.

So with a bolt-action repeater M70 in .30-06 and a single-shot H&R in .22 Hornet, I felt ready for whatever “my world” could throw at me!

The .22 Hornet was a great little rifle, and capable for small game to coyotes, but a part from punching holes in paper it never got to see even a lowly groundhog as I received a call to become pastor of a relatively new church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. So I sold it to our son Phil, who was living in the GTA, and under his carefully crafted handloads saw use on woodchucks/groundhogs. Being left with my .30-06 and all components and equipment to make it useful on the big bucks of N.S., I was content, and it made the long journey with us in our personal vehicle, NOT in the transport truck. A good thing, actually, as the truck with our precious goods turned over in bad weather and slippery roads just outside of Montreal!

Without going into details of how those matters and others were initially sorrted out, eventually I became a member of a rifle club and did my testing of .30-06 handloads at a public range. My deer load was the 165gr Sierra BTs at ~2750 fps (estimated as I didn’t own a Chrony at the time). The 2nd year of the fall hunt it took down a very healthy buck at 65 yds.

Question: Why did I Choose That Rifle?

• I knew from reading, conversations and hearsay that the .30-06 was famous both from its military background and conversion into sporting rifles for the largest of North American game animals, including moose and bears.

• I got a good buy on a slightly used Winchester M70 to which I could easily affix my 3-9×40 Bushnell scope.

• I already had a basic LEE reloading kit and components for handloads from my former military ’98 conversion for hunting purposes.

• I was confident that I would have (or had) the best sporting outfit available for my purposes.

• And being a .30-06 in a Winchester M70 there was a built-in flexibility that would allow me to face any current or future hunting challenges.

But it only took four years to learn some real-life limitations to that image of perfection! And in consequence some of my own limitations.

What were the Winchester M70’s limitations in .30-06, apart from my expectations in using it on “any deer, any size and any where”?

• It’s not a .300 Win Mag – I had to say it! There are legitimate reasons for the existence of the .300 Win Mag and its popularity! Though some would claim the .300 Win punches beyond its weight, others say it’s too heavy for its punch! I’d have to agree.

• A right-handed action only back-in-the-day. I had to shoot it from my left side.

• The .30-06 is mainly – and this its main limitation – a middle of the road cartridge suited to middle of the road shooters and hunters. It’s neither a high end or low end cartridge that does several ordinary things well enough but nothing extraordinary. Some situations call for extraordinary.

And that was due to an extraordinary 400 lb buck that showed up on a hill I was watching from 153 yds. I’d killed a nice plump 9 pointer from the same blind the year previous at 65 yds. The rifle was the same M70 firing a different165gr, a Nosler SB at ~2750 fps.

That buck was lost to hunters on the far side of a swamp on another property where I didn’t have permission to go. Because the nosler broke up on the shoulder and made a severe shallow wound, according to evidence from where it was standling, and due to the fact of shooting from my left side, my second shot was a bit slow at the hind end of the fleeing buck as it was disappearing into thick bush of the dense forest. It wasn’t dead a few yards inside the bush as expected, but skimpy pin points of blood and churned up leaves eventually led to the swamp after bounding over piles of brush and deadfalls to the swamp.

I then felt a need for something quicker: The M70 went away at a local shop on a new BAR in 7 Rem Mag. Nothing but handloads gave expected ballistics, but as described in several blogs there was a serious flaw in the chambering: The necks of the cases wouldn’t expand in the release of the bullets. They were like they’d already been resized. So back to the dealer, and the best he had for replacement was a new .300 Win Mag in an M70. Great looks and ballistics but way too heavy for a .300 Win. I developed loads for it and kept it for a year until we moved back to Ontario where I visited a new-to-me shop about 45 min to the south. A little shop at the time, loaded with interesting rifles and an enthusiastic manager who showed me a beautiful SAKO FS carbine in .338 Win Mag. The .300 Win was exchanged for a .338 Win, not because it had greater ballistic potential, but it’s size and weight equaled superior handling: Recoil wasn’t a consideration. I figured I could deal with that, no problem!

THE PROBLEM with the Sako FS was the two-piece wood stock held together by an inletted soft metal strap at the bottom and a metal band that did nothing apart from covering the obvious gap between the two sections of wood. Over time with the stress of significant recoil that strap broke, but also before breaking was loosening the screws that held it in the wood. Moreover, the tiny screw that held the forend metal cap in place pulled free and was hanging over the muzzle when I was about to pull the trigger after several had been fired at a range! I ordered a BELL & CARLSON and it cracked under fire! It was replaced under warranty and made a perfect bush gun. But I’d had it with that rifle, so it went away in a Toronto trade show, plus $100 for a like new RH M70 in .375 H&H push feed!

So . . . . . back to square one! Another M70 with the bolt handle on the wrong side for me – only in .375 H&H instead of .30-06! Costly and disapointing experiences, but I did learn alot!

To that point (after several years), the only two I’d kept for hunting big game and large game/dangerous game was a .45-70 (my favorite) and a few .300 Win Mags that didn’t weigh like truck axels! Yeah, I still felt like I should keep at least one other around for coyote plinking: a couple of .223 Rems over time and a couple of 6.5 x 55s (over time), and one dual purpose .25-06 in a Win M70 – that one I liked a lot, and would have another. And I’ve tinkered with a few others below the .300 Win Mags, especially in 7 mms. I liked the 7 Rem Mag in particular.

But eventually I graduated to MEDIUMS sensing from experience that they were the best overall for my style of hunting of what and where I do most of it in the same general area on Crown Land around 60 to 90 minutes from home. But there’s one exception to Mediums: a .45-70 or .458 Win Mag, but not in Winchester M70s. My last .45-70 was in a Ruger No.1 with an improved throat for seating bullets 0.30″ longer than normal. I called it my Ruger No.1 LT. It had the normal ballistics of a .458 Win, and was my favorite rifle for nearly 2 decades. But only weighing 8.25 lbs ready to hunt with scope, sling and 4 cartridges (1 in chamber and 3 in a buttstock cartridge holder), recoil was up to 75 ft-lbs shooting full-house 500s at ~2200 fps! Normally, however, I used 300s, 350s and 400s with recoil in the +50s ft-lbs range. When I hit about 80 yrs, I decided on the same basic rifle in a Ruger No.1H, .458 Win Mag with about the same ballistics in a rifle 2 lbs heavier. It also has a 24″ barrel with Mag-na-ports that helps to manage felt recoil in addition to the extra two pounds weight.

< The Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT

< The Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum

Two extra pounds of weight in exchange for the same ballistics, what good is that? Well, it was calculated very carefully. I’m fully aware of how that usually goes for seniors: Lighter rifles for lighter ballistics. Of course, that means unfavorable ballistics for the same game and conditiions as formerly experienced. And of course, that means admitting that we’re not able or challenged as we once were in our younger and middle years. Nothing wrong wirh that up to a point and depending on personal conditioning and oher circumstances like financing and having to care for an infirmed partner.

BUT!

The majority of it depends on mindset despite age and personal circumstances!

Like what?

For one thing, the recoil factor:

For another, the overall health factor:

For a third: the accountability factor:

Finally: Do we really want to?

Really wanting to usually trumps any other factor!

For example: Over time I’ve owned three .458 Win Mags, including the present Ruger No.1H. The other two were right-handed bolt-action repeaters: a Ruger 77 with a 22″ barrel and tang safety. It was an investment buy (used but pristine) until I came across a Ruger No. in .45-70. But I learned a lot in making handloads for it, and it went hunting for both moose and bear. For moose it was a backup to my Sako FS in .338 Win. It did most of the work as we were on the back end of a hurricane. The load was a 500gr Hornady RN at ~2035 fps – good enough for those conditiions and ranges. But the main thing was I wasn’t conscious of the recoil factor, but was of its excellent handling and accuracy with that load. Back home at the range it was firing three into sub-MOA, sometimes into a ragged hole at a hundred. And it did account for one bear at ~70 yds. That load was a 350gr Speer at 2345 fps (a reduced load = 4273 ft-lbs) that took out 6 – 8 inches of spine and the back of the bear’s head in a going-away shot.

The second .458 was in stark contrast to the Ruger 77: As a CZ 550 it was much longer and heavier with a true Mauser full-length action that allowed a COL of up to 3.80″. From that I learned that with the extra-length freebore of a .458 Win, long and heavy bullets could be seated to exceed the COL of the .458 Lott, thus exceeding the ballistics of a Lott. 500s could be pushed over 2300 fps, and 400s to 2600 fps. It too went on a moose hunt to the Far North, and while I didn’t score on that trip, the load of 350gr TSX’s at 2700 fps should have been good to 400yds on a big bull.

My current Ruger No.1H in .458 can basically duplicate the CZ 550 in ballistics with a 24″ barrel vs the 25″ of the CZ, but in a much shorter package: 40.38″ COL vs 45.75″.

Why do I still promote the .458 Winchester magnum?

Because it’s the best answer to a powerful BIG BORE!

• A .458-caliber has far more useful bullets and bullet weights than any other Big Bore.

• Lots of powders work well from mild to mad!

• Anything more powerful must be heavier or more painful!

• Lots of proven loads easily available from BP level to elephant stoppers!

• No excuses or apologies needed to make it suitable for any game, any time, any where – if anyone is an advanced handloader.

• And any off the shelf .458 Win, without modifications or embellishments, can do it all. And all three .458s from their factories only needed suitable scopes to enhance their ready capabilities! I actually forget what scope was on the Ruger 77. Whatever it was, it served its purpose well – never a hassle, and it was never changed for a more suitable one. When I purchased the CZ 550, I chose a Burris fixed power 4 x 21 mm. It had a long eye relief of over 5 inches, and when sold that scope went with the rifle. The current Ruger No.1H in .458 Win has the same scope that came off my favorite Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT – a Nikon 2 – 7 x 32mm (pic above). I doubt that a better all-around riflescope exists for a .458 Win Mag. Too bad, Nikon doesn’t sell riflescopes anymore!

There you have it for my current favorite big game rifle!

I mentioned Mediums: 2 in .338 Win; 1 in .340 Wby; 3 in .35 Whelens; 2 in .350 Rem Mags; 1 in a 9.3 x 62, and 3 in .375 H&H. That covers a period between 1988 to the present. And nothing but handloads for all. . . . except 1 box of 20 for my first .35 Whelen because I bought it just prior to deer season and needed brass and dies but had to wait for them to come in, so the factory 250s were bought for the deer hunt, but especially for the brass. 10 of the 250gr load was fired over my Chrony and averaged ~2250 fps, though advertised at 2400 fps. My current .35 Whelen shoots the 250gr Nos Partition at 2700 fps over a good dose of CFE-223.

It’s come a long ways, baby! That’s an increase of 300 fps over Remington’s promotion, and 450 fps over the real life factory 250s! Moreover, it occupies elbow room with the great and popular .338 Winchester Magnum! One of ’em occupies space in my locker, and will not be bumped by something else!

< My Traditions G3 Outfitter in .35 Whelen: Single -Shot, Cerakoted, 22″ fluted accurized barrel with brake. And lots of other niceties for safety and service. Scope is a Vortex Diamondback 3 – 9 x 40. For close bear hunting over bait, it stays on 5x. For open scouting: on 3 or 4 for a wider field. Weight as seen with one in the chamber = 8.25 lbs. Max ballistics at muzzle over 4000 ft-lbs. Max recoil with brake = 30 ft-lbs firing the 250 Partition at 2700 fps. That’s an increase of 1000 ft-lbs over its parent, the .30-06 by a mere increase of bullet diameter from .308″ to .358″

Why did I choose it? Because it’s a .35 Whelen and can shoot pistol bullets from 110gr to hunting bullets of 300/310gr. And this particular rifle is light, handy, accurate, versatile and inexpensive. Hunting premium bullets are available in 180gr, 200, 225, 250, 280 and 310.

I have them in 180 TTSX, 225 AB, 250 Partitions and 300gr Barnes Original with a heavy 0.049″ copper jacket RN. In addition I have 200gr and 225 Barnes X-Bullets, 225gr Sierras, 200gr and 250gr SPs Interlock from Hornady, and have tested all of them over time, and most of them in my Traditions G3 Outfitter.

Of that stash of 9 distinct bullets, four have been made into hunting loads, and toted into Crown Land of Haliburton Highlands: initially the 225gr Sierra BT until I ran out from testing. MV was ~2900 fps. Cause I couldn’t find more I chose the 225gr AccuBond at +2800 fps that did most of the work in 2023. Because it’s a longer bullet than the Sierra, I couldn’t safely load as much CFE-223, so about 80 fps slower, and not as consistently accurate as the Sierras. The 300gr Barnes RN Original got a midrange dose of RL-17 for 2355 fps that shot into the same group as the 225 AB at a hundred yards. The 4th and last load developed after the purchase of the GARMIN chronograph: 2 shots from the 250gr Partitions employing 65 grs of CFE-223 were: 2709.2 and 2709.8. After that I loaded 10 more for hunting.

The last of this group of three BIG BORES isn’t the least in specific abilities. It has its own charm and value: That’s my ZASTAVA M70 in .375 H&H. It was the latest in purchase of the three, and complimentary to the others. For one significant change it’s a bolt-action repeater, but also from the right side which is the left side for me: a LH bolt-action in .375 H&H that is very rare! Back about 25 years ago I bought a series of LH Browning A-Bolts SS magnums with 60* bolt lifts: in .375 H&H and a .300 Win Mag. Because the .375 had a serious problem from the factory, the dealer replaced it with a near identical .338 Win at my request, that was given a .340 Wby chamber. Other than those three, I’ve never owned a left-handed bolt gun before or after until the purchase in 2019 of this Zastava M70. It was a rare opportunity at a very attractive price – and slightly used!

< Before purchase.< After dressing it for service!

Two loads have been used in service:

• The 250gr TTSX at 2840 fps for big bear, and,

• The 300gr Sierra BT at 2674 fps for big bear and “whatever”.

As said before, it has its own charm and value! It took a while to see that, but having used it for most of a year in 2024 for the bear hunt over bait in which I knew the bear hitting my bait was a dominant one, I finally had the privilege of finally seeing that bear close up with the reticle on him and decided not to shoot for the reasons expressed in several blogs. But that .375 H&H, loaded with the 300gr Sierras gave a lot of confidence! And that’s the legacy of the .375 H&H since its birth in London in 1912.

There you have it: The reasons for choosing the rifles I did over a period of seventy years.

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

How Far Away Is “SAFE”? – P2

In speaking of the safety of a hunter who’s purpose is to hunt and kill an animal that’s designated “dangerous game” or “potentially dangerous”, the purpose of P1 was to show the ambiguity of such distinctions.

The point? Any wild animal, from a rat to a bull elephant is always “potentially dangerous” given a particular set of circumstances. The bite from a rat that carries rabies may become more lethal than a bull elephant at 25 yds. The designation of “dangerous game” for a few species determines their commercial value, if African safaris and Alaskan big bear hunts continue to hold the cards, because only the weathly, seeking a particular fulfillment, will afford it.

Most who could afford it, don’t . . . . . That’s because they can find their thrills elsewhere, “safely”? In an urban or suburban society the greatest challenge to their safety may be their daily commute to work and back on overcrowded streets, and if they choose to walk or bicycle it, they may get run over anyway. Seems to be an upsurge in such casualties in the GTA these days! An increase in blindness among pedestrians and drivers perhaps?

< As I contemplate such deep social intricacies, likely I’m more safe here!

But among experienced but aged safari hunters, they can see the blood-red eyes of a dugga boy at 300 yards! Or was it 50? In any case, at 300 yards/metres, that dugga boy likely doesn’t even see you, and is disinterested if he does. But wait a minute . . . or 10 seconds, because within that exceedingly short time frame he could become your worst nightmare from which you may not awake! He was only potentially dangerous at 300 metres, but now he’s deadly dangerous! See the distinction? Those cuddly bears might become “potentially dangerous” when they’ve become big mature bears, right? But what if? What if they’re fearless now? Hungry now? Want meat now?

< A juvenile bear, less than 100 lbs. It may be deadly if it attacks someone, as in Alaska where two men were recently killed by two juveniles on separate occasions!

That’s not fully unlike humans! Some human babies by the time they can stand-up in their crib, everyone knows who’s in charge in that household!

What makes some animals and humans fearless, while others faint at the thought of danger? A young woman who dashes into a burning building to save her dog? Others who will throw their dogs into a burning building!

Particular circumstances or conditions, maybe? Temperament, DNA, Spiritual forces, perhaps, or a combination of any of those? One day an animal that you raised as a pet, may bite you and run away from home!

If we knew the answers to all such questions, we could make enough money as animal psychologists to go on several African safaris!

My moto: Use MORE than enough gun, be ready long before you need to be, and learn to shoot yesterday because tomorrow may never come!

< Is a lone wolf dangerous or only potentially so?

Courage? Be surprised if you have any, and let it fully express itself before needed. . . . Go ahead, confront that Opossum on your back deck that’s eating your cat’s food!

Purposefully choosing to hunt DG or even “potentially dangerous game” under conditions that challenge your “fearless” factor is the best start to a never ending journey. In other words: The best never graduate, but they may get killed learing to survive!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

How Far Away is “SAFE”?

In watching the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine from TV in North America, one is troubled but “safe”. Nonetheless, it has the “potential” for spilling beyond those borders into other parts of Europe, and from there to World War 3!

In a no less severe case of “potential death” for an individual happens when a hunter is in pursuit of a particular game species under certain conditions! Most times the particular game species in question is referred to as “Dangerous Game”. But what are the conditions under which “DG” are dangerous to the hunters’ welfare or only “potentially” so?

That’s our topic for this blog, and perhaps the next:

As an intro to this theme, I need to clarify some issues: The first being that the separation of certain species into two types of “dangerous” is completely arbitrary, ie: “dangerous” and “potentially dangerous”. Recently, the Alaskan wildlife officials’ universe received a very severe shock to their systematized bank of knowledge and experience when on two separate occasions two juvenile black bears individually killed two mature men. Also, it appears to have happened within a relatively short period, though one was not related to the other. One bear weighed 70 lbs and killed a man just outside his house!

< A juvenile black bear of about 18 months. Weight less than 100 lbs.

Question: were those “cute, cuddly fun loving bears” only “potentially dangerous” or “potentially harmless”? Or were they both “potentially” dangerous and harmless depending on the context? If you know the answers to those questions then you know more than the Alaskan wildlife biologists!

I say it’s arbitrary because the “dangerous kind of wildlife” have basically been designated and limited geographically and commercially. You’ll pay a big bundle of cash more to shoot an animal designated “dangerous” than another designated “potentially dangerous”. The history for that being African safaris, and perhaps Asian. Such activities have morphed into individual hunters hiring several businesses to get them “there” and back safely, allowing them to “safely” kill a terrifying beast with natural God-given equipment to shread them, stomp them, eat them, and break every bone in their body in the process!

And today, nobody in their right mind is going to attempt such a feat without support, if it were allowed and affordable, because their chance of survival would be too close to ZERO!

On the other hand, “potentially dangerous” game are hunted annually by the tens of thousands because they can be, even solo, and don’t need an army of supporters! I’m speaking, of course, of the lowly critters like black bears in comparison to Brown Bears or elephant! And, they don’t cost more than a deer hunt if you’re smart and don’t hire an outfitter.

I propose that hunting a certain black bear solo in a wilderness is more “potentially” dangerous than hunting a Brown Bear commercially in open tundra, and with a commercial experienced guide who’s pledged to look after you. And I further propose it to be foolhardy to attempt such a hunt on your own! I’ve watched a self-made video of such by a husband-wife team in Alaskan snow-covered mountains where they almost lost their lives – and mostly due to the physical conditions of tent dwelling, deep snow, gale force winds and bitter cold! But the same could happen, under certain conditions, on a solo black bear hunt!< A ~200 lb black bear walking beside a stream in the Northwest Territories. My friend, Roger, was canoeing.

So what was more deadly for the two mature Alaskan men – a big Brown Bear or the ~70 lbs juvenile black bears?

A big bull elephant at 500 yds is not dangerous! At 20 it might be! It’s potentially so, the closer it gets. And really so if your PH stumbles over a Mopane root with no seconds left on his “most dangerous” time piece before “FIRE” must have taken place!

There are degrees of danger! A lion in your dreams might awake you with some fear, but it’s neither dangerous or potentially so until you arrive in Africa and have to face a real live one at less than 50 yds!

The second issue of vital significance is correctly reading the beast’s attitude, and the sooner the better: I watched that dominant bruin of 2024 approach me within 20 yards, and it was still walking the same as when I first saw him at ~75 yards. He knew I was there and was walking as he would have in a normal manner through timber and bush till just below me without hesitation or stopping. I “read” that and knew he was not being aggressive or wanting me for lunch! So I turned and walked away because his next stride would be in coming face to face with me and I didn’t want to have to shoot him.

We read an animal’s attitude by their body language, the same as for humans. As humans, in meeting strangers for the first time, we get a sense of their attitude by gestures of friendliness or offstandishness: Looking in the eyes, shaking hands limp or firm, body stance, etc. We need to pay attention to that in meeting people for the first time, but also animals. My wife and I had returned to Toronto to visit close friends that I’d joined in marriage several years earlier, but my work as a pastor took us away to Halifax for a few years. When we returned to another location about an hour’s drive from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), we decided to pay them a visit at their new home. Upon arrival, the first thing noticed was the high borded fence that completely obscured the house – but a “large” German Shepherd was jumping up with it’s head above the boards, barking and growling! We weren’t so sure of the kind of welcome we were about to receive from our longtime friends! Gary, the husband met us and fended off the dog but we still really never felt comfortable during that renewal of friendships. And each visit thereafter that uncomfortable feeling persisted.

The wild animal kingdom is not ours – we are the intruders and must always keep that in mind. It may turn out to be an unfriendly place!

< A friendly firearm in an unfriendly place – my former Ruger 96/44 in .44 Rem Mag. Used in toting bear grub to bait sites in Haliburton Highlands. 300gr Speers or Hornady’s at 1700 fps!

Even domestic animals can turn on you if you’re a stranger! As a bear hunter I often found myself by invitation on private property with horses, cattle, bulls and dogs living where bears, coyotes, wolves and other wildlife made their living! I had a ladder stand in the midst of all that. At times it was like a circus had moved in. Alone on that property and up in my ladder stand, toward evening cattle were moving from the woods and lower pasture to the area of the bear bait site on one of the main pastures, closer to where they would bed down for the night. I was wearing muffs with built-in audio. Suddenly, around 7 PM, I got this roar in my headset and began looking down and around the tree I was in for a bear climbing up to greet me! It turned out to be a mother cow bellowing for her calf that she left behind in the woods as she headed for “home” for the night! I also heard the calf’s response, and they kept it up until the lost one appeared on the other side of the treeline and began to suckel it’s mother – then peace and quiet again, but that day’s hunt was over!On that same property there were bears coming and going from the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlife Conservation Area that bordered the private property. Wildlife were protected inside the borders of that Wildlife Conservation area, but when they came over and onto private land they were fair game! A dominant boar bear chased one of the four horses into a ravine and killed it there and began to feed on it. It made several attempts to drive my partner, Ken, and I off of that property. It killed the black stallion the last night of the hunt after we’d gone home. We were unsuccessful in shooting him. . . but he tried to intimidate us and drive us away so he could carry out his unwelcome activities! He knew when and where we were on every visit to that property. And we saw the four horses every time we were there. And they would put on a show for us, and they could run like race horses, yet the black stallion, after darkness had arrived, was caught off guard and driven into the ravine where it couldn’t escape that killer bear. The cousin of the land owner, who set us up with the owner who wanted the bears “gone”, phoned me late that night of the last day’s hunt with the bad news.

You know what, each day we hunted during that season, that bear knew our every move – when we arrived and when we left – he saw us but we never saw him! We heard him (he intended that) and smelled him, but never actually saw him! And he killed one of the horses – the only black one – after the hunt was finished! Was he dangerous or only “potentially” so?

< This is the bottom of the ravine into which that bear drove the black stallion, where it was killed and found the following day!

When some wildlife authority says to you or I that a particular wildlife species is “potentially dangerous”, it needs detailed qualification, plus some real life examples, such as the following that was real enough, and that I shared in a blog several years ago:

At the time I was doing a series of blog articles on “Are Black Bears Dangerous?”, and came across a very interesting but true account of a man who was still in the famed Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital from a near death mauling by a black bear in a semi-wilderness area of Central Ontario. That being more or less within my own general Crown Land region for bait hunting black bears, I wanted to get in touch with the author of the piece that appeared in the outdoor sports magazine Ontario Outdoors, that was owned by the company Ontario Out of Doors in Peterborough on the doorstep of The Kawartha Lakes on which our town is also located. They also give training to new hunters, obtaining gun licenses, plus hunting trips or almost any activity related to fishing, hiking, hunting and any other of its various kinds of outdoor activity. I wanted to talk to the author of the piece since I was a writer of blogs related to guns, hunting and black bears, and had published a number of reloadiling manuals. They were happy to accomodate my request and gave me his personal home phone number.

I don’t recall the author’s name off the top of my head, and I’m not inclined right now to go on a search for it, but I do recall the details of our phone conversation – that I’ll not give entirely, but here are the salient points: The author of the piece was an outdoorsman himself and got the news almost immediately from the police. He then visited the man at Sunnybrook Hospital and did a firsthand interview. Somewhat different than his writeup to protect the guilty, the man wasn’t hunting when attacked by a big black bear, but was attending to his “grow-op” – an expression meaning his marijuanas plants. He was not armed and was busy with his illegial business when he heard a noise behind him, turned to be confronted by a large agressive male black bear! He attempted to escape and climb a nearby tall hardwood tree but the bear grabbed a foot and pulled him out and down to the ground. He tried to kick the bear with his other foot but that only seemed to make the beast more aggressive! He said he prayed and asked God to spare his life and then passed out as the bear was eating the calf of the leg with the foot the bear clamped on to pull him out of the tree. He didn’t know for how long he was unconscious, but when he did revive the bear was gone, having no idea why. He had a cell phone and called his wife who called the police and finally they found and rescued him. He ended up in Sunnybrook, recognised as one of the best hospitals in the world for trama and cancer patients who have lost limbs – since Sunnybrook was created for veterans of the WW2.

Soon after the interview with the trauma patient, the author visited the site as he knew it well and had often hunted turkey in the vicinity, not being far from his residence. He took several photos of the exact spot of the incident and published them in his article. They included pics of the ground churned up with leaves and earth mixed and spotted with blood. He even found the shoe that was tattered and torn, soaked in blood. And then he said there was blood splatter as high as 30 feet into the tree, and presented photos of that!

The trama team were unsure at that time if he could ever use that leg again!

At the conclusion of my interview, he said: “I’ll never again hunt turkey alone in that area with my back against a tree!”

Did he answer the questions: “Why did this happen”?, and “Are black bears dangerous or only potentially so?”

Because there are black bears in those woods that are also hunters!

And I, personally, will never go into any woods of like nature without assuming there are black bears there! Am I fully prepared for an encounter?

One further bit of information from the author in his interview with the crippled man was: This was NOT his first attack by a black bear in like conditions – that time he escaped with relatively minor damage! There will not be a third!

For some, there will not be a second!

Till the next – P2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Beauty in a BEAST

For the inspiration of this article, go to my blog on October 24, 2024 entitled: “There’s a time to Shoot, and a time to NOT!” In all my reading on black bears, I’ve yet to see words like “gorgeous”, “beautiful”, “awesome” or the like! That is, except for my own post on that date. While the rifle involved in that fall bear hunt was my .375 H&H, the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum had its turn at the same location a couple of years earlier.

I’ve described that bear since with carefully chosen words that really fail to attribute the glory of that bear’s worthiness. As described in the blog referred to above, I was unable to get the camera from its case held by a strap around my neck with the .375 H&H held in one hand, and I deeply regret that. So I attempted to find something on the Net by way of example. It’s not perfect but gives an idea of what I encountered.

Anyway, that experience and that beautiful beast (At the time I said: “In the +400 lb class”) – in reflection, after 40 years of continuously hunting black bears – it was by far the most gorgeous and largest bear of a lifetime in hunting them – I’m now certain that he was a +500 lb bear, but not like a bowl of jello! And his size didn’t grow with more time and imagination! I’ve taken into account the breadth of his shoulders and chest – at least 3 feet – and his unhurried stride, having never before seen such a beast – both massive and beautiful!

The closest pic to “my bear” I’ve found. Do you recall the large deadfall that blocked my trail in to the bait near the end of the spring hunt of 2024? Looked quite alike to that one!

< The one that blocked my path to the bait sight about 75 yards beyond. At first I thought about sawing out a 30″ chunk. But it’s an old hardwood about 15″ thick and I’d sold my chainsaw with our park trailer several years prior. Instead, I put the bait bucket and rifle over first, then sat on it swinging one leg over at a time! That’s what I was doing here:

But, I have no plans to redeem myself and go hunting again in 2026 for that spectacular bear using my Beautiful Beast, the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum! Resting in the .458 loaded ammo box are the vintage 400gr Colorado Custom RNs, sighted in at 50 yds at 2257.4 fps/4525 ft-lbs.

Facing up to reality and the facts of life at +90 years doesn’t permit taking risky chances! But wife’s condition permitting, it will again go to the range . . . . and likely spend some hours in the general area of where that beautiful beast paid me a brief visit on October 15, 2024. But what if we have an accidental meeting, would I shoot him? No, for the same reasons as given in 2024 – unless he forced me to defend myself. My Beautiful Beast will be loaded with either the 400gr Colorado Customs at ~2250 fps or the 300gr TSX at 2750 fps. My goal will be to stay fit for the game. Should I run into a really young bear, I might “miss on purpose” to give him a scare and some training! But if he’s in the 140 lb class, I might “not miss on purpose”!

My .458 is a Beautiful Beast!

It was recently taken out of its carry-case, and I was reminded of its extraordinary quality and features: The first was its balance and handling qualities that belie it’s overall weight – it handles like a carbine. It’s only 40.375 inches in overall length (40 and 3/8″) and balances where I hold it in one hand. Its length-of-pull (LOP) is 13.75 inches – perfect for me! And the scope – a Nikon 2 – 7 x 32 mm – is firmly secured at exactly 4.5 inches from my eye when the rifle is normally brought to shoulder. It’s overall handling is outstanding for a 10.65 lb rifle fully dressed and ready for a fight!

Too heavy? No, it doesn’t seem like it – in its compact but sturdy format.

My carry hand (left or right) fits perfectly where it’s supposed to: On the forearm just in front of the action, and there it balances perfectly! As would be expected, it has a very heavy 24″ barrel that’s Mag-Na-Ported. That’s where most of its extra weight comes from.

It’s not tiring to look at or boring to load when handloads are up for trial. One could never exhaust its potential: There are literally thousands of possible handloads for anything from tin cans, bottles of water, grouse in the bush, groundhogs, fox, coyote, hogs, deer species to wild and very dangerous – and all have been taken at one time or another around the wide world – if a handloader and adventurer.

The sweet bullet weight might be 400grains at anything from 1600 fps to 2600 fps. I’ve tested bullets from the 250gr Hornady MonoFlex at 2650 fps (+3000 fps possible) to the 500gr Speer GS at +2300 fps. In additiion to those two, I’ve handloaded 300s, 330s, 350s, 400s, 405s, 450s, 465 cast, 500s, 550s and 600s. The Barnes 400gr X-Bullet made 2590 fps from my Ruger No1H.

It can be handloaded to duplicate BP and .45-70s on up to 6000 ft-lbs from 400s, 500s and 600s . . . . It stands alone in uniqueness and versatility due to its cartridge case design, scores of bullets and molds available, dozens of propellants that will work -some old and others new – and rifles from several manufacturers both old and new. And while bolt-actions are most common, yet there are doubles and single-shots for savvy hunters of varying economic status, ages, knowledge and experience!

FEATURES: of the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum as seen on the Header.

• Single Shot: Farquharson Falling Block action type noted for strength and reliability.

• Exceptionally strong action: They don’t break or fall apart with long-term use. They can easily handle anything a bolt-action can, and then some! As well, usually COL can exceed SAAMI specs allowing the use of more powder with bullets seated longer than normal.

• Long Seating of bullets: This allows the cartridge case more flexibility in the use of propellants and bullets. The .458 Win Mag chambered in a Ruger No.1H, or other strong single-shots, can attain whatever a .458 Lott can achieve in a bolt-action repeater of the same PSI and barrel length – or surpass it due to the extra-long freebore.
• < The 350gr TSX as seated for my Ruger No.1H at 2750 fps/5876 ft-lbs

• High PSI of loaded projectiles: Today’s SAAMI standard is the same as the .458 Lott’s at 62,500 PSI . Originally it was 60,000 psi.

• Dozens of bullets available over the counter, and dozens more from molds: All major bullet makers produce .458-cal projectiles for both the .45-70 and .458 Win Mag. Those made for the .45-70 find useful employment in .458 Win Mags. I have hundreds from 250s to 600s.
• One lineup – I have others. From L to R here: 480 DGX, 465 hardcast, 450 AF, 450 X, 405 Rem, 405 WW, 400 Hawk, 400 Barnes Buster, 350 Hor., 350 Speer, 350 TSX, 350 Hor (2), 330 Barnes Solid, 325 Hor, 300 Hor, and 300 Sierra.

• Almost any mid-range propellant will work: from A5744 to CFE 223. But the best of those are found near the middle: H4198 to A2460. My favorites are H4198, H335 and H4895.

• Has international experience of excellence in harvesting large wild beasts with reputations of killing their hunters.
• 

• Tough with minimum maintenance . . . .

• No extravagant costs . . . .

• Compact and handy . . . .

• Beauty in proportion . . . .

• Companionable:

• Comfort and protection . . . .

• Regular use makes it a favorite . . . .

And yes, a scope and sling make it still more companionable and useful. My scope is a favorite Nikon 2 – 7 x 32 (sadly, no longer available). A rifle scope for such as a .458 Win should NOT be overly large and heavy with 50mm objectives. That would only add unnecessary weight and upset its balance and handling.

Good all around bullet weights would be premium 300 TSX’s, 350 Speers and TSX’s, 400s and 405s, the 450 AF and 500 DGXB. The 400 Hammer (expanding) could be a 1st consideration, though I’ve no personal experience, and they’re unobtainable in this area. Premiums aren’t cheap for plinking, and unnecessary for most game in .458-cal. Cast bullets are usually the most economical, and there are still some good C&C bullets out there that will do an excellent job on most soft-skinned game, depending on construction, range and MV.

Two cases for loaded .458 Win Mag ammo. In the background is a case of original FEDERAL 400gr TBBCs for the .458. I’ve fired 14 of those in tests, one of which had been disassembled into its various parts: case, powder and bullet for analyses. Then reassembled and shot for verification compared to the other 13. Ten of the fourteen have been reloaded with 300gr TSX’s over 75 grains of H4198 for ~ 2750 fps/5037 ft-lbs – not a max load, but good for North American hunting of medium to large and dangerous game within a reasonable range of about 300 yds. The others loaded in the green box are (top right corner) 400gr Colorado Customs and two 400gr Hawks at ~ 2250 fps. In the left half of the box are a couple of 600gr Barnes O, a 450 AF, one 500 DGXB, some 405 Rems, two 400 Barnes Busters and, finally, four 550gr Woodleigh Weldcors. Then, of course, quite a few that have been fired, including 4 of the original Federal 400 TBBCs.

Did I miss anything?

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Defining a SOLO Hunt – Taking a Closer Look – P2

What is it?

In my latest I also talked about having a partner for several moose hunts that were far away in the north of Northern Ontario – and I suggested that not having a capable partner under such demanding conditions would not be recommended. I think the reasons would be obvious to anyone with any insight into what might be expected in such a remote area under potential extreme conditions!

What do I mean?

A true born solo hunter is a minimalist: He doesn’t take everything but the kitchen sink with him for a six or seven day hunt living in a tent! A two-week hunt under the same conditions does make “normal conditions” become extreme! Think about that: apart from the cost of fuel for transport there and a return trip, any travel time while there for scouting and becoming familiar with the logging roads’ system is doubled! And there are no diesel or gas pumps, so more of everything must be taken!

<One of the four trips to the “Far North” of Northern Ontario. The exact location for camping on those other trips, and the only one with more than one partner. Meet Dave and son Jon, on my third trip nearly a decade later than my first trip with a single partner!

In our three trips to the “Near North”, south of North Bay, I had secured a cabin of a tourist opperation on the shore line of a lake. That was four hours drive from home base. The 4 trips to the “Far North” of Northern Ontario were 12 hours longer in travel time one way! Our hunting area was 15B, midway between Thunder Bay and Armstrong, the end of the highway going north. The only motorized transportation leaving that railroad town heading west or east were trains – apart from snowmobiles and ATVs going where ever there was a trail. Beyond that in any direction was Native habitation.

When I asked Pete, a salesman at a gunshop where I did most of my purchases in those days, “Where is the best moose hunting in Ontario?”, without hesitation he said “Go to Armstrong and move out from there.” , which was a little over a 2 hour drive straight north of Thunder Bay, a railroad town! I found it on the map and the gears began to turn inside my head!

I chose a partner, Mike, who was the age of my oldest son. We had done some previous hunts together much closer to home – including two of the three hunts south of North Bay. He was game for such a hunt and had the means of transportation that could accomodate basic needs, including a borrowed camping trailer. The area was completely new to both of us, and a lot of time was spent in searching out areas that looked promising in travelling many of the old logging roads. It turned out that I discovered a fresh rut pit just past mid-day on the day before our scheduled return home.

< Mike is second from left, on a bear hunt in Northeast Ontario, with my oldest son Brent on far left, myself with orange hat and close friend on my left, Bob (now deceased).

In those days it was relatively easy to secure a bull tag for certain WMUs of Northern Ontario, and I secured another for the following year for the same WMU, with the intent of hunting the bull that made the rut pit of the previous year. I was quite certain that it would not have been harvested in that remote area because it was already late in the season and the few hunters remaining were well scattered over hundreds of sq miles.

So having successfully obtained a fresh bull tag for that area, my plan was underway to return early the following year for a day or two of scouting before the oppener on a Sunday. This time it was our son Phil who became my partner, and I shot the bull that made the rut pit the previous year on oppening day around 2:30 pm. And we were on our way home at about 11 pm the following day.

What would have been some of the additional hardships to have been endured had I attempted that adventure and hunt alone?

• Loneliness! Apart from the car radio (yes, a small car pulling a borrowed lawn-service trailer), stopping at the numerous Tim Horton’s Coffee Shops going west, but none going north. After locating our camping site (tents) we “slept” in the car the first nite as the wind was too strong to put up a tent, and it was bitter cold! The following day began very early as we never slept much, and then we were wrestling with putting up two tents – one for sleeping and the other for gear and food. Alone? Can’t imagine it! Later that first day – scouting and putting up a tarp in the woods as a kitchen shelter.

• Setting up camp: That was Friday, two days before the legal hunt could begin. We had endured two days of horrendous wind and rain, including two nights with minimal sleep for myself. The first of those I drove through the night till we arrived on the mountain just outside Thunder Bay. We slept for a couple hours in the car, then went into the city for some breakfast. We huddled there until just past noon because the weather hadn’t improved, and didn’t want to attempt putting up camp (tents) in such weather, and we still had over an hour’s drive ahead of us going north to WMU 15B. But by mid afternoon, after some improvements in the weather, we headed in that direction, arriving shortly before the sun had gone down, though it was never seen by us! We made an attempt to sleep in the front bucket seats after pulling sleeping bags over us while fully clad in heavy winter pants and jackets – and oh yeah, head gear as well! Daylight came early (it seemed) and we crawled out of our habitation still weary and worn! It was Saturday, the day before our hunt was to begin. There was a lot of things to do before our moose hunt could get underway the following morning: Set up camp (the weather had become normal) and a “kitchen” (plastic tarp in the woods), eat and scouting out the area by means of my red 2-door Pontiac Sunbird. Yes, you read that correctly! It had a V6 gas motor that made (or the promo said so) 140 horses! It came that whole distance (1600 kms) loaded from bumper to bumper (including 2 hunters), plus pulling a 1000 lb lawn service open trailer loaded with many 5 gal full gas and water cans, camping gear, plus anything else like extra rope and tarps, come-along, axe, shovel, etc, anything needed for survival and success. Our food stuffs, rifles, their cases and ammo were all secured inside the car. The back seats folded down so literally we were loaded from the back end of the trunk to the back of our bucket seats all the way to the ceiling! That “little” car was pulling not only its own weight, plus two hunters (about 185 lbs each), their gear and food, plus a loaded 1000 lb steel (no aluminum) open trailer with side rails and back gate/ramp. All together over 5000 lbs at 27 mpg (Imperial) to 15B and back home again! The only hitch was the replacement of one bulb for a turn signal! Much more than that was its ability to navigate those rut filled old logging roads in scouting. Never got stuck once . . . the front wheel drive was like a tractor pulling!

If all that sounds like hard work under less than favorable conditions, just imagine doing it alone! But the risks would be never ending! Putting up tents in rain and gale-force winds! And sleepless nights! The night before the hunt, the gale-force wind returned, and the dome type tent would blow flat on us and then pop up again! So I didn’t sleep – the hunt would start before sunrise! Son Phil, however, could sleep through anything! The night before crawling into our sleeping bags on the tent floor, fully clothed, Phil filled his pockets with munchies of all kinds!

But I’m fast tracking it. The day before the hunt (Saturday), after making camp adequate for survival, we did a hike across the old logging road, in the direction of the rut pit from the previous year. We missed it by not more than 100 yards but saw a cow moose at the lake from about 250 yds, plus lots of fresh sign of a bull, cow and calf. Then, by noon, the weather turned sour again so we beat haste back to camp for refreshment and out of the heavy wind and rain – but the weather had turned much warmer than the two previous days. After a pretty good meal for hunters living in tents, I suggested we travel some of those old logging roads that I’d become somewhat familiar with the previous year. The red Pontiac 2-door coupe never missed a beat! It performed as well as any Jeep ever did! Of course, the trailer was parked at camp. At about 10 km from homebase, we came across another camp, that was huge: Highwall tents, ATVs, all-wheel drive pickups, wood piles – you name it, they had it! We got introduced: 2 against 8, and one of those eight was from a street in my town, next downhill from our family home! Unbelievable? Allmost! We had never met before, and now after 1600 kms from home we meet as neighbours! He had a new rifle he wanted me to see: A SS Rem 700 in 7 Rem Mag – his new moose gun! And we would meet again at the end of our hunt about 24 hrs later!

As I’m rehearsing that hunt, I’m doing so with the thought of what it would have been like had I done it alone! My son Phil had a GPS and knew where we were at all times in thousands of sq-miles of timber and lakes, and literally thousands of kms of old and new badly rutted logging roads. You could get lost back there without a GPS! No maps for all those badly beaten, rough, muddy and almost unnavigatable logging truck trails! I actually had a primitive GPS, one of the original hand held ones Phil had gifted me with some years earlier, and found it useful for locating myself in and out of new territory in the Haliburton Highlands. But his was the latest with maps and he actually found the spot where I’d hunted the year previous. When we were headed to the single road going west off of 527 to Armstrong that goes north out of Thunder Bay, it was dark but that dirt road showed up on his GPS saying this is where you turn left! Had I been alone without a good modern GPS, I might still be lost back there in a tangle of rough mud and gravel roads without names, signs or help! Though moose were well scattered, there were more of them than people!

So, if you hunt alone in a remote area be sure to take a modern GPS with maps.

< My old original – it still works!

• Scouting: we didn’t need to do much as I was already familiar with where we would hunt. After a full gale of wind all night long as daylight broke, the wind demons retreated in the face of what appeared to be coming was a very decent day. Without breakfast Phil got his gear and headed out to where he believed would be a choice location for ambushing a bull next to a stream in the genereal area of our scouting the day before. There, he’d put up a blind the day of our scouting. I was beat with few hours of sleep over the three nights preceeding. I said “I’m going to make myself a good breakfast, after which I’ll head to the hillside overlooking the lake and the general area of the fresh moose sign”. That I did and promptly fell asleep on the side of the hill as the warm sun soothed aches and weariness. We were separated by 350 to 400 yards and couldn’t see each other but were covering a larger terrain. I awoke at 11 am, looked around and noticed some large piles of bear scat. . . . Then recalled we planned to meet back at camp at noon for lunch.

• Hunting: Sometimes you luck out. . . too many times no luck happens! There’s a saying to this effect: Luck happens to those smart enough to have finished their homework! In our case I’d been there the previous year, did a lot of scouting in a prommising area and found the fresh rut pit the day before leaving for home. As it turned out, it was directly across the road from our previous camp – at about 350 yards. I knew I could find it again and fully expected that that bull in particular would be hanging out nearby. Why did I think that way? Because I finished my homework! In the afternoon of opening day, we decided to do some more scouting from my sport Pontiac. After a good lunch we piled into the car for a ride over the bumpy, rut filled road that was the route to “everywhere”! We went west for less than a minute, and with my window down I clearly heard the snap of a broken alder on my side not more than 20 yards into the alders that were standing in the flow of water we were using in washing ourselves and our dirty dishes. I looked at Phil and in low tones asked: “Did you hear that?” No he didn’t. I put the Pontiac in reverse back to camp for hunting gear. Parked it, left it and went into the bush on that side away from camp. Phil to his blind, and I in the general direction of the rut pit and abundant moose sign of the previous day. Some of it was through thick trees and brush heading south, and then to an open area. I stopped, looked around, made a 90* turn right, followed instincts on an uphill grade for 30 yards or so. . . And then it happened as in a well fabricated moose hunting story . . . . . a set of moose antlers began to appear on the horizon! As I slowly continued on, the antlers had a body attached to them of a good size bull standing, munching dogwood, nearly broadside! What does a true hunter with a bull tag do when such a gift is presented at 165 yds with no obstructions, plus no rest for his .340 Wby? Without a moment’s hesitation I raised the rifle to my left shoulder, aimed through the scope set of 5x at just behind the left shoulder, squeezed the trigger . . . . And KABOOM went the .340! What then? What else? The 250gr Nosler Partition went where aimed of course! Then what? The 1/2 ton bull reacted like it had just received a severe kick in the ribs from the two hind hooves of a bigger bull! It didn’t go down but it sure wasn’t going anywhere else! After a few more bullets for insurance, it lay dead where it received the first punch! At 350 yards from camp, there was no chasing after it into the unknown! How did we know it was 350 yds from camp? Don’t you remember Phil’s (then) modern GPS?

• Shooting game: First, I had complete confidence I could make that off-handed shot without hesitation. Wasn’t that arrogance? In no way! I’d fired that rifle, using my own handloads, close to a thousand times prior to the hunt – both from the bench and off hand. Calculated recoil was on the order of 54 ft-lbs. From the three shots I put into the bull, all were without supports: two from 165 yds and the final at 35 yds. Phil gave it a coup-de-grace from 10 feet between its eyes. It was like I was solo when I came upon the bull moose, and when shooting it, which I was! The bull was down and hidden from both his view and mine by the time he arrived from his spot about 350 yds away. The bull had fallen where standing into a depression that, along with the brush, hid him from view until son Phil got too close and the bull stood, but was not going anywhere. From ~35 yds I gave it one in the rump and it went down to stay. Phil then gave it one between the eyes as it’s eyes were still moving.
• 

The lesson for me was never ever take anything for granted, including making sure the animal is dead dead! It’s been said (I believe for reasons good enough) “It’s the dead ones that kill you!” Had I not waited for Phil to arrive before approaching the bull – believing that three well-aimed 250gr/.338 Partitions would leave no breath in the lungs of that bull, I may have been dreaming of moose steaks! Instead, I heard son’s yell: “Dad WATCH OUT!” as the bull “rose from the dead” with the intent to inflict punishment on it’s tormentors in approaching it from 35 yds while not yet actually seeing it. But I was no novice at 64 years, and at least 40 of those involving pastimes in some of Canada’s unspoiled country! That helps in both visionary and auditory matters. We know what to look for and where while paying attention to any sounds no matter how new or old, or strange! Then, not like a left-over dessert that follows a delicious dinner, the nose (smells) is not only as important as any of the other senses in identification of beasts, but also their direction and proximity!

• Retrieving game: We had help from “that other camp” 10 kms away. Again, that was Phil’s suggestion since the cow and calf were legal and they hadn’t yet seen moose despite all their supperior equipment. Phil and I finished field dressing and dividing it into two major parts: the front half and the rear half, leaving all unnecessary parts behind – the head minus the antlers, legs below the knees and guts. The boys with their ATVs made short work of loading the two halfs onto the trailer, and the following day would begin their own hunt for the cow and calf. We were packed and ready to make the return trip by 11 pm of that day. But first we made a trip back to Thunder Bay for a good, late dinner and phone calls to our wives with the good news of the hunt and we’d be home, God willing, late the next day. Yep, we left camp about 11 p.m. with a full trailer of moose and all other gear, and a full moon overhead.
• 

• The long journey home: It seemed to go faster and shorter. In fact we made very good time and stopped at most of the Tim Horton’s coffee shops. At one of those stops for”coffee”, a train of the biggest and best pickups had pulled in for fuel and “coffee”. We chatted a bit and shared stories. They’d hunted for a week and shot nothing! We hunted for a day and had a bull in the trailer, plus antlers sticking out, to show for it! I gave first thanks to God, who helped me in every part of that memorable adventure to the Far North of our Province. He was my inspiration and guide through it all! Despite all the hardships of the weather, and my discovery of personal diabetes and its effects on me during the arduous trials of sleepless nights and weariness. During that awful wind storm the night prior to the hunt, I fell asleep for a couple of hours before rising for the opening day, and had a dream of shooting a bull moose that day! Tis true, and I know it was from the LORD!

• Butchering and sharing: That was done locally in my town by professionals. We got 440 lbs of boned-out moose meat without additivies of fat or any other meat. That gave each of us 220 lbs for the freezer, and much of that was shared with family and friends. On our 40th Wedding Anniversary, members our church fellowship celebrated with us at a beautiful lakeside home where all shared some roast moose meat.

• Was it worth it? In many positive ways, YES! A very important part was to share it with son Phil! He was an immense help and blessing! And, it has drawn us closer together, for which we’re both thankful, I sincerely believe! To do it alone? It would have been a great achievement, no doubt, but not at that stage of my life with some physical constraints. While I’m a bit too independent, I’d get tired of my own company after a couple of days – especially in a wilderness setting where there are only moose and bear to share company with!

• Postscript:In hindsight, matters tend to appear more positive than perhaps they actually were because our goal was achieved. That time. But there were several other moose hunts that were unsuccessful in the sense of not achieving our principle goal. But is that all there is to it? I don’t think so. On the majority of my hunts I’ve shot nothing, yet even at this late stage of life with its new and different challenges I enjoy walking God’s earth in it’s natural settings. Every place has its own identity and nature. . . . I’m sure that you agree! If I hunt again, it will be to enjoy wherever God is – and that’s any where and everywhere!
• 

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A SOLO HUNTER on a Solo Hunt – P1

This is somebody who chooses that hunting style because he likes it!

He likes his own company more than a crowd!

He likes to do his own thing in his own way!

He’s very focused and feels that others slow him down or get in the way!

He’s very organized in his mind and actions and sees both the big picture and its details!

He chooses weapons and equipment that fit the adventure and its potential challenges!

He may sometimes choose a partner who will not become his leader or boss, but someone who complements his style.

Obviously, any challenges will mostly come directly from what he’s hunting and where.

That will determine his firearm and related equipment.

I’ve done enough solo hunts under challenging conditions to understand what is involved.

While the media tends to conform to political thinking about the sexes, I use “he” throughout this context, because “solo hunting”, as understood and practiced under all conditions, makes both very high physical conditioning and essential experience in rough and ready environments mandatory. Such physical demands and other unexpected conditions imposes serious threats to the safety and well being of the unwary and ill-experienced. Even a very experienced woodsman-rifleman cannot relax from taking his own safety/security as of first importance, as stressed at the outset of this piece! In P2, I’ll get more into the specifics of that question. One of the main points of possible contention is: How much gear? Should a backup rifle/shotgun/handgun be taken? If so, what? Will it handle any unknown situation?There’s a place for a short, handy and powerful weapon, and multiple quick shots! This one fires the 12ga CHALLENGER slugs (492gr Brenneke type) at 1550 fps. It’s my backup for a wounded bear in thick bush!

Depending on the “what” and “where”, the first item that tops any list is personal security. It’s rather obvious that a rifle chambered in .22-caliber (LR or centerfire) would be the choice of a fool in a moose or bear hunt where both ranges and animal size and temperment are uncertain. NO, you don’t choose the poorest available firearm (to prove some nonsensical point), but rather the best suited to a vast range of potential scenarios! While on a moose, elk, deer, bear or bird hunt, what backup firearm (bow?) would be suitable if uncertain danger confronts you? In a western deer hunt where grizzly roam, and you or I were confronted by such – what firearm would be suitable and in hand at the time – not encased back at camp?

This is a scene from a vast unspoiled wilderness area of Haliburton Highlands Crown Land. I knew it well. That was my CZ 550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. I was hunting as signaled by the orange vest over my jacket and the orange head gear. There was both a light 1″ nylon sling and a light weight Burris fixed 4x scope with a long 5.5″ eye relief. The load was a 350gr Barnes TSX at 2750 fps/5877 ft-lbs. I typically had several tickets for game, but I was primarily on a scouting mission. There was a light skiff of snow and bare bushes that signaled mid to late fall. And the velocity of the 350gr at 2750 fps allowed an effective range to 400 – 450 yds for bullet expansion purposes. This was a solo hunt. At a later date I did shoot a bear in that area using that load but I also did have company.

That’s why I’ve described in some detail the man who by temperament and intelligence often chooses to hunt solo. His choice of weapon (rifle, handgun, shotgun or bow) will be extraordinarily capable for the task envisioned.

In the case of this theses, that would be a powerful centerfire rifle.

In a bull moose hunt in the “Far North” or Ontario, for instance, as in my personal hunts “up there”, I always had a partner. But, had I ventured alone some obvious additions and changes would have been required for security reasons alone!

As mentioned in previous accounts of some of those adventures, we did run into a solo hunter on two successive years. And he had changed his rifle to a more powerful one on the second year – from a .270 Wby to a .300 Wby. He was found on each occasion seated on one side of a medium lake, near its end, looking across to the far side waiting for a bull to show up. Range was approximately 400 – 500 yds. Did he move up to higher power due to a failure of the .270 Wby? Perhaps, but he wouldn’t tell us when asked. The .300 Wby fires a 200gr at the same MV as the .270 Wby fires a 150gr: 3200 fps which amounts to 33% more energy and with a 17% greater SD and 8% greater cross-sectional-area that, all together amounts to 3410 ft-lbs vs 4547 ft-lbs and 57 TE for the .270 vs 101 TE for the .300 at the muzzle. That’s a huge difference though many moose hunting novices might think there’s little real distinction in effect on moose in their natural environments. The .300 Wby Magnum has established a remarkable reputation on large and dangerous game. The .270 Wby has yet to do so, and really never will because a 150gr .277- cal isn’t equal to a .308-cal 200gr when pushed at the same MV.

So, not only for security reasons, but to reduce wasted second guessing over effective ballistics. We must know the best rifle cartridge and rifle to be chosen if we know the “what” and “where” of this solo adventure. . . and any excuses after the fact reveals inadequate preparation! Prior assumptions may well be the culprit that robs us not only of security but success as well!

Only choosing “adequately” might be for assumed best case scenarios, but that may leave us with a too thin margin in a real case of the unknowables.

In our three trips to Northern Ontario for moose, and my four trips to the “Far North” of Northern Ontario, many assumptions were made based on available information without every having previously been there. We made adjustments on subsequent treks, but not every trek was exactly the same, there was always something new to discover. And then the moose have their own ideas on the meaning of life! If you don’t get there “on time” – their time, you might never sight even one of them! Or if you do, it might be the wrong sex or age. . . or a half-mile distant on their own travelling mission! “Oh! I think I brought the wrong rifle!” Was that the case of the “mystery man” by the side of the lake who brought a more powerful rifle the next time? We didn’t see him on our third visit!

Frankly, in that part of God’s earth, no rifle is “too powerful” if a mature bull moose is crossing a clear cut at 600 yards. . . . Or even a cow that can go 1100 lbs! Yes, and that was happening according to evidence – but we were somewhere else! Assumptions!

< The same rifle, sling and scope as above – this time 1000 miles/1600 kms from home! And, yes, the same load on that moose hunt. There were clear cuts for over 1 km. And I had a mature partner who took the photo. Yet, we were mostly hunting solo – separated by 1/2 to over a mile apart! He on his ATV and I on my two feet! I covered areas that he couldn’t, and saw details he didn’t – but also visa-versa!

The successful solo hunter doesn’t presume! But he’s always prepared, regardless!

When I had my .340 Wby created, it was for just such a scenario! On my first trek to the “Far North” I spent some hours watching for a bull moose at long distances and found a rut pit much closer – about 350 yds from camp. Before going the next year my .340 was made for any distance a legal bull might expose itself. Would I have had confidence in taking a bull at 600 yds, if it were the only likely chance in a week of hunting? For sure, I’d take the shot with full confidence in the rifle and load, but I’d also impose certain sane rules on myself: A range finder, a solid rest and a near broadside presentation. And especially all equipment necessary for retrival of meat – as a solo hunter – that goes for group hunting as well. But that task is near impossible for the single hunter without essential equipment to break the animal down into smaller pieces for transport from field to camp, and from there to a butcher and home base!

In all, I hunted the exact same area in the far north of Northern Ontario four times over the ensuing decade: I shot the bull on the second trip with my .340 Wby, and son Phil was my partner.

<Son Phil and his Rem 700 in .338 Win Mag – a great choice for a moose hunt. If he had not been there, we would not have been homebound near midnight of the next day! A solo hunt for a bull moose isn’t highly recommended, especially at 1000 miles from home – too many things could go wrong, even bad things that could threaten personal security! While I’ve done solo hunts for bear, deer and smaller game, an adult moose can weigh over 1/2 ton as in the pic above! PHIL’S FIRST COMMENT WAS LIKE: “WHAT NOW?”

There were also big black bears in the area from the evidence – scat piles – so I also had a bear tag.

Till the next – P2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Conditions of The SHOT

When statements are made in media, in its various kinds, over results of a hit from a rifle/handgun bullet, it often leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Especially is that so in today’s hyped-up media where certain personalities are involved, or certain personalities are prone to want self promotion. Also, in that regard, the “need” to sell something. . . !

What do I mean?

Well, for instance: Right now, as I write this an ongoing thread on ranges to elk kills is taking place on http://www.24hrcampfire.com. Most of it is focused on EXPERIENCE AND EQUIPMENT, and very little, if any, on field conditions as well as the animal’s behaviour and conditions, and little on the reality of being under pressure in the execution of a lethal shot!

< A rest for the arm or rifle itself is mighty handy in using a .458 Win Mag on any beast with the talent and equipment to take your life!

It seems to me, after 7 decades of hunting activities, that the conditions of the hunt and therefore the conditions of the shot is the most significant drama of the episode! Did he/she shoot from prone, sitting, standing without support (offhand), a rest, what kind of rest, any obstacles, trees, brush, boulders, wind, how strong, from what direction, any snow, rain, hail, other animals like buffalo or elephant in a herd, etc . . . .

There is practically no end to potential CONDITIONS! And some certain few want to brag about long-range shooting of elk? What about long-range shooting of lion, elephant or brown bear? It’s apparent, is it not, that such boasting isn’t applicable to certain other species, but only when it’s “SAFE” to do so! What if there’s a wounding or, “horrors”, a miss?

Somehow I can’t quite picture an 800 yd shot on a bull moose that’s travelling along the edge of a river, lake or escarpment with a potential fall of 100 feet or more!

In the “Far North” of our Province of Ontario we came across this situation: Farther than it looks, about 150 yards to the top of a sharp hill where dozens of fresh moose tracks were found both coming and going to the top. Yet beyond the farthest trees at the top was a sheer drop down to about the same elevation as the camera man – which was I! With all those tracks, my heart was beating in anticipation of finding a bull on the far side! No it/they didn’t fall over the cliff! They may appear stupid to the untrained eye, but they’re not!

Yep, conditions of the shot are not just “important” but “ALL IMPORTANT” in most of today’s world! That’s a major reason why licensed hunters are required to pay licensed guides once they step out of their own “back yard”! No one is legal in attempting a shot on a lion at anything near 800 yds! Even at 80 yds, a wounded lion, or even a miss will not only require a licensed PH to sort it out but perhaps even at the cost of a human life!

Recently, I watched a safari hunt of a male lion of a certain age and size. It included unbelievable drama after the first shot. That male lion went into a typical African bush so thick that any follow-up shots – and there were 7 – if I recall correctly – before final termination! At least three of those were guesses of where the lion actually was! Even the PH was terrified! The first shot was maybe 40 yards. If that lion had charged from that distance somebody was going to get hurt very badly! Maybe more than one!

<Not this one as it’s an Internet lion, but the real one was resting in tall grass with another nearby. When the safari truck stopped it got up and started to move away. The hunter and PH got their rifles and pursued the beast partially hidden by bush and grass, but it stopped at about 40 yards and the hunter took an off handed shot at the direction of the PH that was too low and far forward. Then the lion took off into the thick jesse where it was hidden from view. . . but continued growling. Focusing on the growling only, more shots were fired by the hunter and PH without effect!

So, once again, conditions of the shot are vitally important! A big male lion wounded at 40 yards. . . . What was the mental state of the hunter ? And the PH? I’ve watched that video at least twice, and I just can’t conceive of the PH and his hunter having to go into thick scrub brush for a big male lion that was wounded at 40 yds! The sad truth is that neither were mentally and emotionally prepared!

And please don’t excuse them with:”That’s hunting of DG!” THEIR FEAR was PALPABLE!

DG is dangerous game, no kidding! Don’t go DG hunting in Africa or Alaska, or anywhere else unless you have a certain % of type “A” in you, plus some NA experience with some large potentially agressive beasts. . . like a bull moose in the rut! You and I need to know that in such encounters we have at least a 95% advantage over that of the beast – NOT a 50/50 one! Those are mental and emotional experiences, and until we can adequately handle something of that nature alone with a more powerful weapon than a .30-06 I’d seriously question our readiness of going into thick jesse after a wounded buff or lion! John Wootters once told me that he never counted on the PH’s weapon to bail him out of trouble! Those are conditioning experiences of mind and emotions that determine in large part the “Conditions of the Shot”, because it all starts with the mind that determines emotions! How we think about it will instantly produce confidence or fear!

Let me assure you: There is no fear in taking a shot on any creature at 750 to 1000 yards, let alone a 600 – 700 lb elk! Nerves should be as cold as steel! But try 40 yds on a big male lion! Alone in the bush! My big-beautiful black bear came within 20 yds. He was bigger than that lion at perhaps 450 lbs. “My bear” was 500 – 600 lbs. I was alone in a wilderness with him but had my .375 H&H pointed with crosshairs on his neck and back. I turned and walked away because he was far more than I was wanting.

Conditions? I knew he was big because for two years he was dominating that whole region of Crown Land. So I loaded my .375 H&H for an encounter should it turn nasty. It didn’t, so I passed without uncertain trouble.

Conditions of the shot matter. . . . he came to within 20 yds, about 15 – 20 ft below me, and never looked up at me, though he knew I was there, and never missed a step, or hurried, or charged. . . I was his grocery boy. . . he knew my scent, so how would he have reacted face to face? I didn’t know so I didn’t chance it! Sometimes those are the conditions of a hunt. My .375 H&H was loaded with a 300gr Sierra BT at 2674 fps avg, dead on at 100 yds.

Sometimes a shot is very close, sometimes far, maybe a sharp angle, are there any obstacles? I shudder when I see PHs directing clients to shoot a dugga boy through impossibly thick mopane. . . But the show must go on! After all, that client paid big money for a dugga boy! And the PH’s reputation is at stake! Do you have a reputation to defend? Not likely, but you do have your own life to defend. . . . . Think about that! Don’t count on the PH or guide to bail you out because they have a bigger gun that yours. They may have to, as they’re paid to do that if it comes down to it. . . . But will they? Can they? What if that mentioned PH in the lion fight had been seriously mauled by that lion? Or killed? Then what. . . .?

If you don’t feel comfortable with the conditions of the shot, don’t take it – unless it’s a matter of a life or death situation – for yourself or someone else!

Till the next . . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

My hope and my DEFENDER: “Because he loves me”, says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him!

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” – (God in Psalm 91, verses 14, 15 and 16.)