CONFUSED over what Rifle and Load to take…?

“Happy is the hunter with only one rifle and knows how to use it”; that’s a saying worthy of some informed consideration! Many hunters of the past have been there mostly due to economics, but not so much from the 1960’s til today. There’s also this similar proverb: “Beware the hunter with one rifle who knows how to use it!”

In addition, there are those who believe that concept works best with multiple choices of the same or similar rifles. Not sure if that implies if one is adequate then four (or more) of the same means “adequate x 4 = a “fourfold adequacy”? Anyway, most of us own more than one rifle. Why?

On a bear hunt with outfitter Norm Easto in Northeastern Ontario — myself with three others (eldest son and two friends) were “loaded for bear”, but each of us had his own idea of “adequacy”. Two of us owned more than a single rifle for big game – the fellow on my immediate right brought his .308 Win along in a BLR, plus myself. The two others owned single BG rifles: my son’s .356 Winchester on far left of the pic (my far right), and my close friend on far right of pic with his .270 Win. Mine, of course, was a favorite at the time, an 1895 Marlin in .45-70. All were capable for black bear with well placed shots, and all were loaded with handloads. We were hunting over baits in different locations, and none were more than 100 yards distant from our blinds. We rented two rooms in the Algonquin Lodge behind us. To top it off, there was an American (we were the only Canadian hunters among about a dozen others) from Upper New York State that had won a lottery prize of a free hunt at that location. He brought two lever-action rifles chambered for the same cartridge as my son’s rifle, one a Winchester identical to Brent’s (my son) and the other a Marlin. Each day he had a dilemma over which to take! And each day he would discuss it with us in trying to make up his mind!

Confusion over rifles and loads — how do WE make up our minds for particular hunts? If, like my son and my friend, they had a single choice – an advantage of owning one BG rifle! While I owned at least two other BG rifles at the time — a .338 Win Mag in a SAKO FS being one — I purposely chose an 1895 Marlin Classic with handloads for this hunt — why? That’s a very good question as I had no doubts over the abilities of the SAKO FS in .338 Win Mag for which I’d already developed several good handloads. As I’ve thought about that question a few times, both before and after choosing the .45-70, it was because I’d WANTED a .45-70 for some time and this up-coming bear hunt seemed like reason enough. By then I was a serious handloader and student of ballistics and “knew” that a .45-70 in a Marlin with “best loads” would equal or surpass the effect of the .338 at bear ranges.

Consider the following as one way of making such a choice: Kinetic energy at impact X cross-section-area of bullet X sectional density = terminal effect; or KEI x CSA x SD = TE.< My last 1895 Marlin in .45-70

As an example: my bear load was a 400gr Speer at about 1538 fps and 2100 ft-lbs at bullet impact at 100 yards, times cross-sectional area of bullet (.165 sq-in. for .458″) times sectional density of a 400gr (.272) = 94 TE. With a tougher bullet than the Speer, I’d consider that adequate for a big Brown Bear with the same shot at 100 yards!

But here’s another load that came much later:

Rifle: 1895 Marlin Classic 22″ barrel

Bullet: 470gr hardcast

SD = .320

BC = .365 (Based on Lyman’s manual)

CSA = .165 (cross-section area)

MV = 1900 fps

200 yards = 1550 fps/ 2506 ft-lbs = 132 TE (adequate for a large bison).

250 yards = 1472 fps/ 2260 ft-lbs = 119 TE

Rifle: SAKO FS in .338 Win Mag

Bullet: 250gr Nosler

MV = 2650 fps (limit for that rifle with a 20″ barrel)

200 yards = 2311 fps/ 2965 ft-lbs = 83 TE

250 yards = 2237 fps/ 2778 ft-lbs = 78 TE

In using that means I knew I’d not be far off in practical expectations. Of course there are others, such as the TKO, but the point is: We need to have some knowledge and experience as the basis for our choices.

But no matter how we do the math, the momentum from the 400gr at 100 yards was equal to the SAKO’s .338 load at 100 yards, as well as 83% larger cross-sectional area of the bullet which affects the outcome. Of course, none of us want to take a shot on a big bear at more than 200 yards or so, but the 2nd load from my Marlin using the 470gr at 1900 would have far out-classed the .338 load. The above numbers reveal something I intuitively “knew” 33 years ago! Any advantage in trajectory favors the .338 Win of course, but at 200 yards or less, a .45-70 doesn’t need “holdover” on large game.

My basis for making such decisions over what rifle and load to take for a particular hunt also includes:

<(On a moose hunt to Northern Ontario we came to this branch off the main trail that continued on to the left. That’s about 200 yards to the corner. There were moose, wolf and bear scat within thirty yards of where I took this pic.)

1.Physical conditions of the hunt: Central and Northern Ontario are similar to most of the northern regions of the Canadian Provinces, Eastern Canada, Northeastern U.S., Michigan and any other Northern States with relatively natural landscapes and geology. Of course, Southern Ontario is where most of the nearly 15 million people live. That leaves the central and northern regions quite natural and free of densely populated areas, and were most fauna thrive. The geology includes multiple lakes and rivers, streams, bogs and swamps, high ridges and valleys, mixed forest and most any other undeveloped region where wildlife makes their living. Our big game includes moose, elk, black bears and white-tailed deer. Wolf and coyote are also targets of opportunity, though the wolf is very secretive. Beaver and other fur bearers are trapped, and abundant fish are caught in the thousands of lakes. And let’s not forget the birds: ducks, geese, grouse and crows; and small game: rabbits, fox, skunk, groundhogs, etc. And yes… we have wild hogs! Then no one admits the presence of cougar… but they’re here and off limits for hunting should you run into one?! Ontario is a veritable Paradise for the outdoorsman! It borders on three of the Great Lakes and five of the United States of America. It’s southern border not only includes the waters of the Great Lakes but also the St Laurence River that flows past Quebec and into the Atlantic Ocean. And to the far north Hudson Bay and James Bay grace its shores. In land mass, Ontario is smaller than Alaska but the same size as Texas and Montana combined — which are the second and fourth largest States of the USA. Montana is also a hunter’s Paradise with its mountains and sparse population of about 1 million. If I could live in the States, that’s where I’d go. Texas has about twice the population of Ontario, being somewhat crowded with only 2/3 its size. Alaska is 1.63 times the area of Ontario but most of that is uninhabited or uninhabitable with a population of less than a million.

The point being that within an hour from home I can enjoy wildernesses, since we live in Central Ontario and I’ve often hunted Northern Ontario. Each year I’ve purchased small game licences, wolf/coyote tags, and BG licences for deer, moose and bear! Why would I want to go elsewhere? And why not try various cartridges, rifles and shotguns? Unfortunately, we’re not able to purchase handguns for hunting, but I would if I could! So variety is part of the pleasure of not only investigating various habitats but also in trying different weapons for the hunt. And then? Discovering the full aptitudes of one rifle today is a near-limitless challenge considering all possibilities!

So the idea of a hunter with one rifle today has far greater possibilities than a hunter of the 1950’s with one factory load … There are more choices and better bullets than ever for that One-Rifle-Man, whatever that One Rifle might be!

A .300 magnum (not one of the “super” magnums that burns out barrels) is regarded by many so-called experts as a good candidate for “a-one-rifle-do-anything for all hunting” in North America, and much of the world — and I’d agree! The .300 “Super-Magnum” of the pre-WW2 was the H&H out of Britain. A 180gr was advertised as leaving the muzzle of a 26″ barrel at 2880 fps/3315 ft-lbs. (Yeah, I know others give a number exceeding 3000 fps but that was much later.). To give an example of what is being conveyed in this piece… today’s ammo (factory and especially handloads) is significantly better than a couple of generations ago. For illustration purposes, the .30-06 with good handloads is fully capable of duplicating the original ballistics of the .300 H&H! At the time, the .30-06 was shooting a 172gr at less than 2700 fps! While I’d choose (and have) the .300 Win Mag or Weatherby over the famed .30-06, even with today’s ballistics, I don’t think any knowledgeable handloader could legitimately claim that a 24″ .30-06, with today’s top handloads would be insufficient for anything in North America — given an able hunter/shooter! And that would be my minimum for any North American game under specific conditions. Ergo: a one-rifle sportsman who knows and understands handloaded ballistics is not poorly armed with an accurate .30-06 Springfield. But he should be aware that at whatever extreme range his .30-06 could be effective on large game, a properly loaded .300 Win Mag can do at 150 yards farther. Or, another way of stating it is that at whatever that extreme range for a .30-06 might be, a hit from a .300 Win at the same range would have the same effect of a .30-06 at 150 yards closer. For example: The .300 Win will fire the same 200gr at 300 fps faster at the muzzle that a .30-06, other matters equal. 300 fps is the loss of speed from a 200gr Partition from the muzzle to 150 yards, meaning that at 150 yards the 200gr Partition will equal the velocity of the same bullet from a .30-06 at the muzzle.

The two centerfire rifle cartridges that I’ve owned more rifles for than any others are the .45-70 and .300 Win Mag… ten in .45-70 and eight in the .300 Win Mag (then there were 2 other .300s, a Norma and a Weatherby). If push came to shove to chose one over the other today, there’s one .45-70 that I’ve owned longer than any centerfire rifle I’ve ever owned, that being my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. And that speaks volumes for those who don’t want to read all that it could tell.< Identical to the .458 Win Mag on the header, except for a 22″ lighter barrel chambered in .45-70. But it was capable of pushing a 500gr at 2210 fps/ 5422 ft-lbs at the muzzle using H335, due to its long throat (LT) permitting long bullets to be seated long. As pictured, it weighed 8 lbs.

2. Size, disposition and location of the animal: All of that has already been implied, but lets consider potential specifics of what I’ll refer to as CASE A vs. CASE B. These are simulations which are also credible:

CASE A: a bull Woods Bison will be hunted in Northern Alberta on a private ranch. My permit allows a bull up to 2000 lbs. The ranch is in the foothills of the Rockies where elevation could be up to 3500 ft. I’ve been informed that shooting ranges will likely be somewhere between 50 and 350 yards/meters. In my gun cabinet I have the following rifles chambered for big game in .308 Winchester, .338 Win Mag, .375 H&H and a 9.3 x 62. So I’d have to consider the possibility of a shot to 350 yards even though the averages would suggest a closer range. The .308 Winchester would be ruled out without a second thought. That would leave three: the .338 Win Mag, .375 H&H and 9.3 x 62. I’d need to know the handloaded ballistics of each to 350 yards which would be quite simple using an external ballistics program… but what bullet? Nosler makes Partitions for each, and for really big, tough game I’d tend to choose the Partitions over the AccuBonds, having more experience with them.

Having done the ballistic profile charts on all three, I’d choose the heaviest for each: the 250gr for the .338 Win, the 286gr for the 9.3 x 62 and the 300gr for the .375 H&H. I also know what each of those rifles would be capable of in terminal energy at 350 yards when started at 2800 fps from the250gr in the .338 Win; 2650 fps from the 300gr in the .375, and 2630 from the 286gr in the 9.3 x 62. In addition, trajectory, recoil and TE would inform me in the decision making process. Then, of course, accuracy from the individual rifles would enter somewhere into the final choice. Since all three would be capable from an objective standpoint, then subjective likes and dislikes (if any) often has more influence than we might like to admit! The weights of the individual rifles would have an influence on both felt recoil and other aspects of comfort. So would the shape of the stocks. Another matter might be: Do I want to try something I’m more familiar with or something different?

All those matters are factors that enter the picture and in the end help us in the choices we make if we have three rifles that are as capable as the three in CASE A. It turns out that at 350 yards from a ballistics standpoint you’d might want to pick straws as any real life advantages of one over the other would depend more on bullet placement than anything else. The results are: 2554 ft-lbs/ 72 TE for the .338 Win; 2604 ft-lbs/ 83 TE for the 9.3 x 62; and 2558 ft-lbs/ 86 TE for the .375 H&H. The .338 might come a little short on 2000 lbs, but the other two make the cut at the extreme range. At 300 yards the .338 Win is in the ball park if not playing on first base. But as the sayin’ goes: ” You can always get closer”, sometimes, but not all the time or 350 yard shots wouldn’t have been mentioned as “up to”.

<That’s about 400 yards to the far corner, and a 94 km drive plus a 10 minute walk from my home. Within a radius of a few kilometres, I’ve hunted moose, deer, coyote, wolf and bear.

CASE B: We might want to use something “traditional” in taking a bison — after all that seems more appropriate. But conditions are the same as well as the terms, except the rifle is distinctly different: It’s a single-shot Ruger in .458 Win Mag firing a 475gr Lyman cast at 15 BHN from their mould #457671 at .460″, over 40.5 grains of A-5744, @ 1623 fps/ 2778 ft-lbs, and has a BC of .477. Let’s have a look at that at 350 yards. Yes, I know, it would have a rainbow trajectory, but’s it’s very doable!

MV = 1623 fps/ 2778 ft-lbs

350 yards = 1255fps/ 1662 ft-lbs/ 87 TE. Good enough for a 2000 lb Bison at 350 yards. And slightly better than either the 9.3 x 62 or .375 H&H in momentum and bullet cross-sectional area. That’s why it has a better TE number. Recoil = 23 ft-lbs, and with the MAG-na-ports on my rifle = 19.5 ft-lbs. Hey… Think I might give that a try with my 470gr cast bullets when I get some Accurate 5744!

Those are some real-life examples of how I think and act as an adventurer, hunter, handloader and investigator of what works and why. Did you really think I’d rather retire to enjoy Shuffle Board in Florida?

Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Pushing your Luck…

Jack O’Connor, being a celebrated big-game hunter, especially enjoyed the challenge of hunting Alaska’s Great Bears. He killed several employing some of his favorite cartridges: the .270, .30-06, and .375 H&H… maybe even the .416 Rigby. But in later life he wrote these words: “Yet later on I had a confrontation with a big bear that frightened me. After that I became cautious”. That may not be an exact quote but precise enough as I recall it. I have a pretty good memory for recalling something that impressed me, even though I may not have the text in front of me. I’ve never forgotten that one as I was getting into some pretty heavy bear hunting… the black kind.

While Jack didn’t give the details of that encounter in that article, I also learned from experience that taking things for granted in dealing with dangerous critters is NOT the best policy! I’m not suggesting we should be fearful, as that may turn out to be more “dangerous” than the dangerous critter itself! But what I am suggesting is that we should not be pushing our luck under certain conditions that may turn out to be more perilous than anticipated — especially in DG country if we break a leg with a grizzly in the area!

The context of the article by O’Connor led me to believe that either he had wounded a grizzly or brown bear, and had to go “in” to find it, and finish it with a “minimal” cartridge, or he had been charged by a big grizzly while carrying his beloved .270. While he didn’t specify the cause of fear and future caution, no doubt was left in my mind that an over-abundance of confidence is unsuitable for dangerous game hunting, especially in hazardous conditions! Though it was not mentioned, I’m sure Jack had a guide who was likely armed.

< I was solo when I shot this 240 lb bear with my NEF single-shot in .45-70. The load was a 465gr semi-hard-cast at 1900 fps MV. Range was 70 yards. It dropped at the shot. There, it was pulled to the trail and gutted.

In a charge by any menacing game, which could be even a bull moose, or cow with a calf, a second hunter or guide on the scene isn’t always a blessing — especially if they get frantic or in the way! So in any scenarios, I’m assuming it’s going to be a one-on-one confrontation where there’s none to bail me out if I get into trouble that would initially appear too deep for me to handle! I’ve watched enough African hunting of DG videos to conclude that the last thing you or I want is confusion and fear amongst an entourage of six or eight others (government scout, cameraman, wife, trackers, PH or guide — AND self) when charged by a lion, elephant, Cape buff, bear, moose or pack of wolves, etc! Here, I’m appealing especially to the do-it-yourself hunter for elk in the Rockies, grizzly in the Yukon, or the “Bob Mitchells” for bear in Ontario — or any other such circumstance.

What are then the perils of “pushing our luck” in various hunting situations where caution should be foremost in our attitude? While there are unquestionably others, I believe the following two are the most obvious and significant:

1.Hunting alone: While I’ve just stated that having others along as guide, helper, friend, or co-hunter has it’s own contingencies, hunting alone — especially in a remote wilderness — has more potential risk! Hunting/shooting magazines in particular often appeal to the solo hunter with ads on equipment, while hunting alone in rough wilderness areas, that will enhance his safety and enjoyment. Often this involves solo camping or canoeing in a remote area, along with hunting activities. That picture appeals to something inside many hunters with an adventurous spirit — and I among them, having done a full share of hunting and exploring alone. But it potentially has several hazardous physical conditions associated with it. Not the least of which is a bad fall! That might be the result of tripping over an unseen broken branch hidden beneath fresh-green brush, or a slippery rock resulting from wet moss from a recent rain fall… In fact there are many unknown or unforeseen physical conditions that can cause a fall resulting in anything from a bruised ego to a broken rib or leg.

< I was alone here, 90 km from home and 16 km from civilization. Don’t do this without a rifle big enough for any situation and a cell phone! That’s my former CZ550 in .458 Win in hand – just some added insurance!

Then, of course, running into a bear with a bruised ego, while hunting deer isn’t beyond the realm of possibility either… Or any other creature with ill intent that isn’t on our bucket list! An experienced male hunter in a remote area of Quebec was killed by a black bear while two sons were also in the same general area but not close enough to save his life though they heard his cries! What were they hunting? We were not told. A mature hunter of “whatever” gets suddenly killed by a marauding black bear… how could that happen?

I too was quite confident in my solitary hunting expeditions until one winter as I was hunting coyotes over a frozen lake when suddenly, without warning, I broke through thin ice that surrounded a bush, and my left side went in up to my crotch! The temp was at least -20*C! I laid flat on the ice, pulled out my left leg, squirmed to the shore line, pulled off my boot, dumped the water, rung out my sock, put sock and boot back on and beat a hasty retreat through woods, up hill to my vehicle. The motor was started and warmed up till there was heat. The boot came off with the soaked sock, trying my best to not get hypothermia! When I stopped shaking, sock and boot went on and I drove one hour back home. My drawers and pants were still soaked. Off they came and on went some warm-dry ones. I have not forgotten that fearful experience! And I’ve not ventured onto a “frozen” lake alone since!< Yep, this one’s frozen in late November, and the ice is very thin. The experience given above was in February with lots of snow on the ground, but the frozen lake was bare ice!

I’ve read stories of hunters leaving home or cabin early morning, ALONE, and never returning! In one such case it involved a hunter in mountains after elk or sheep. He never returned, so a search was made. His body was found at the bottom of a cliff with the animal still attached to his back pack! He was following a narrow trail above, slipped and fell to his death! Another involved two hunters for elk in the mountains. They didn’t return. A search was made by helicopter and their two bodies where partially buried in the snow on the side of a mountain, as well as a partially consumed elk. Also, a female grizzly with two cubs were present. A search team was notified of the location, went in and had to shoot the bears before recovery was made. How could a sow grizzly, accompanied by two cubs, sneak in and kill the two armed hunters?

And this from a correspondent in Alaska; Glen Urquhart wrote: “Deer hunting on Baronof, Kruzof and other surrounding islands where there were plenty of brown bears was somewhat nerve wracking until I got my .458 and got to be friends with it. Plenty of people I knew had deer taken away from them by Brown bear. A couple while packing the deer out. The .458 Win is a great deer round with the standard old factory load of a 500 or 510 grain bullet @ around 2000 fps. Aim just behind the shoulder or head shot. With a behind the shoulder shot the deer usually run 20 to 30 yards. A big brown bear smashed in the chest by that load just goes straight down. Bang. Flop.”

This was the only rifle Glen owned at the time, and wasn’t “sport” hunting, but hunting deer for meat. Great choice in hunting alone in conditions where bears may want what you have just shot! In a case of baiting ’em, dominant bears are frequently known to claim that area as their own, and don’t move off very far from the bait site when resting.

These real-life hunting scenarios should teach all of us, and cause us to consider how we need to be more thoughtful and less cocky when hunting, especially where any potentially dangerous game might be in the vicinity.

As we age, as in O’Connor’s case, we tend to be more cautious anyway. We SHOULD pay attention and heed any such messages heard from others or learned from our own experiences.

2. Poor health or poor physical conditioning: That could be at any age… it’s not reserved for those in their seventies and eighties! At any stage of life we could be recovering from some illness or accident.

It’s also quite common that just before or during a hunt one of the crew falls ill from appendicitis, the flu, or any other ailment that might turn out to be personal! And it could also be depression! It’s not wise to be hunting in a potentially demanding situation when we’re not well — especially if we’re seriously depressed!

If we are “gung-ho” anyway, we should check in with a wife, doctor, friend or associate! That would show a measure of caution at least.

“Pushing our luck” is not always the best response, and by times it’s not only not “the best” but may very well be “the WORST” !< To be walking this remote trail alone without a weapon would be “pushing your luck” in my estimation! That was the paw print of a sow bear, nearby was a smaller print of a cub. When I went “in” they were not there! When I was coming “out” on that trail (familiar to me), I soon realized I was following those bears! Since I couldn’t hunt a sow with a cub, I became very cautious and waited a bit before proceeding down the trail. Later I saw where they’d wandered off the trail and back into the woods.

I believe the adage re: handloading, that we shouldn’t do it if “not feeling like it, or if distracted”, should be mercilessly applied to all hunting activities… PERIOD!

REASON? We will not be at our best! Pushing our luck could result in serious hurt to others and/or death to self!

CAUTION!, if you’re not “feeling like it”, or distracted, or depressed, just don’t “Push your Luck”…

“Pushing your luck” is a saying that suggests: “Going to and even beyond your limit”; taking unnecessary or unwise chances; it may be gambling with your life or the life of someone else! In hunting, relationships and just living, pushing our luck and we may too late discover that we have none! It’s been spent!

Satan tempted Christ with that philosophy : “Jump off the highest point of the Temple and wow the crowds, for it’s written ‘Angels will take care of you.'” Christ’s reply? “It is also written, you are not to tempt the LORD your God”. Good advice for all of us!

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .458 Winchester Magnum – achieving any hunting demands – P3

Have you taken your .458 Win Mag pig hunting? I would…

We now have ’em in our Province (Ontario). It was merely a matter of time. I’ve seen them a couple of times at the same location, about a 1/2 hour drive from our residence. And they are now officially recognised as having moved into Ontario. But hunting them, or shooting them is a matter of personal discretion, which is discouraged by the MNR. Why? Don’t expect the MNR to show smarts in this, but it’s “because they might go into hiding”!

I saw them on the same farm, twice, but not since. There were about 1/2 dozen and coal black. It was obviously a “family”. Sizes varied somewhere between 40 to over 100 lbs in my estimation. So, currently, there’s no law in regard to hunting or shooting them, but it is strongly recommended not to shoot them!! I’ll use my own judgement in that regard.

But it seems to me that the very adaptable .458 Winchester would be an ideal choice in using a 400 – 405gr FP at around 1800 – 2000 fps. Sure, 1200 fps would do an excellent job at close range, but those that I saw were about 150 yards away on the first sighting and closer to 250 yards distant on the second event, so it would depend mostly on the terrain. So being prepared for whatever the situation is the best policy. If wild pigs could be hunted on private farms (which they mostly are) with permission, then ranges could be past 300 yards, though most are found on the fringes of wood lots and in thicker brush. If opportunities could come at 50 yards to 350, then I’d choose the 300gr BARNES TTSX or TSX at 2700 to 2800 fps. If, before the hunt, I knew opportunities would be reserved to less than 150 yards — as where I hunt deer and bear on Crown Land — I’d use a good 400gr – 405gr FP at the above mentioned speed. If there was the possibility of a big hog of 300 – 400 lbs, I’d go ready with a hard-cast 470gr or 450gr A-Frame or TSX at around 2200 – 2300 fps.

Those are some current thoughts on using the BIG-BORE .458 Win for black hogs! (I’m secretly hoping that when I bear hunt in May/2021, that a big-black pig might show up!)

Though they are invasive and can do a major amount of damage to crops and farm land, the best method for control is to shoot them on sight, in my view.

That was merely another example of where the .458 Win could be profitably employed.

Having recently mentioned Dr. Ron’s use of a 400gr GS Custom for deer hunting to a friend, under physical conditions that resemble my deer and bear hunts, it was with emphasis on the resourcefulness of a .458 Win Mag. Leaving the muzzle at nearly 2600 fps it hit a running doe through thick hardwood at 150 yards. The whitetail left a massive blood trail for a short distance with a silver-dollar size hole through its chest! Not many could make that shot even in the use of a .270 Win.

<ALDERELLA is the name for that particular .458.

These photos can be found on 24hr Campfire, Express Rifles and Big Bores, .458 Winchester Magnum thread. (Right click on pics for “Open image in a new tab”, then left click on “open in new tab”, and left click on “new tab” for a better view.)

Shooting at a range for development of loads and practice should be supplemented by simulated hunting conditions. After a load has been developed to my satisfaction for both velocity and accuracy, it is sighted-in depending on ranges anticipated. That might be +1.0″ at 100 yards for example, as the distance to game will usually not be more than 150 yards. Once sighted, I’ll fire some rounds from offhand at 50 and 100 yards. That’s more important than endless practice from a bench.

Something else that I regularly do during the development and practice process is intersperse .458 Win shooting with a .22LR, my CZ455 in particular. I’ll shoot a minimum of 30 – 50, some at 50 yds, 100 yds and even 200 yds if the wind is relatively calm. It’s a very accurate rifle with hunting rounds — the CCI MINI-MAGS and 40gr HP Velocitor in particular. The Velocitor leaves the muzzle at +/- 1400 fps, and I’ve found that they group well enough at 200 yards to be able to hit the head of a coyote with a rest and calm atmosphere.

But more importantly, it is excellent practice in hitting small targets at 50 and 100 yards. It’s a teaching tool for marksmanship in breathing, holding steady and squeezing the trigger. Such experience can be transferred to big guns. But is a .22LR a potential defensive weapon against bears? Look at this bait barrel and that might help in shedding some light on that matter.

Those holes were not made by a .45-70 or 9.3 x 62, but by my Rem M597 semi-auto in .22LR. They were 33gr Yellow Jackets that easily penetrated the one side and left bulges on the far side (The barrel was empty at the time.) I was carrying that rifle while baiting for bear, and still own it, and wouldn’t hesitate to tote it again while baiting. It’s not as accurate as the CZ 455, but plenty accurate for that kind of work in close quarters. At the range I use the 5-shot clip but for hunting the 10-shot. It will soon be wearing my 2 – 8 x 32mm World Class Tasco, which is a VERY good scope for that kind of action. At 2x it is more than capable of poking holes in barrels!

This is a CZ 455 – it also has a 5-round clip plus one for 10 rounds. Mine carries a 2.5 – 10 X 42mm Target/Varmint Tasco Scope.

THE POPULARITY OF THE GREAT .458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM

While we’re all getting older, weaker and more sensitive to recoil, the .458 Winchester Magnum is becoming more popular than ever! Why is that? Handloaders/shooters/hunters want a break from “sameness” all the time. The .270 Win, as one example, has that “sameness” no matter what load is chosen — and that’s mostly a 130gr at +/- 3000 fps from whatever iteration, and mostly for whitetails. A good hunting buddy of years past has a custom .270 Win, and it’s his only BG rifle in which he uses the Federal Premium 150gr Noslers. It’s effective within it’s range of use — but very boring to those who want to experience a wider range of shooting/hunting activities. This is where the .458 Win Mags shine and come out of their closets! Also, the .45-70 is still very popular and useful in Alaska, Africa, Canada and some Lower 48 States! The .458 Win Mag is a step up from them — as in my own case. When I say the .45-70 is still very popular, our main source of supply, EPPS in Orillia, can’t keep them in stock! They order 200 and get 50 that are gone within a week! Those are mostly various iterations of the 1895 Marlin, and they’re not cheap anymore — more $$ than many bolt-actions! Plus, EPPS usually has a few 1886 Winchesters which are typically twice the cost of a Marlin! So I’m not alone in my affection for and addiction to BIG BORES!

My handloading manual on the .45-70 was developed over several years and included loads for Marlins, NEFs and Ruger No.1s. I couldn’t print enough from 1997 through 2008. So — in part — blame the .45-70 for the unforeseen surge of growth in the popularity of the GREAT .458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM! <That’s my Ruger No.1 in .458 Win, ready for bear in November, 2020. The load is the 405gr Remington over 75 grs RL-15 at 2083 fps (avg). That same load will be used in the spring of this year, not more than 100 yards from this location. God willing.

And, there’s no question that the work of Dr Ron Berry has caused many owner’s of the great .458 Win to come into the open. During a number of years when the .458 Lott was all the rage, and the .458 Winchester Magnum was ignored in the press, and even lied about, mostly due to ignorance, owner’s of the .458 Win Mag would hardly dare reveal themselves in a public forum… I know that from experience on the AR forums! But I stuck my nose in anyway, and continued to publish what I knew to be the truth! Ron’s first Big Bore was a Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum, and that was long before I owned my first, a bolt-action M77 Ruger in 1993. It got traded, and that was a mistake. My second came in 2007, a CZ 550 which became the basis for my manual. And the Ruger No.1 was traded for in 2018. It’s currently the one that has been used as a testing platform as well as seeing a few hunting adventures. God willing it will see more hunting action this spring.

That’s it for this time on the GREAT .458 WINCHESTER MAGNUM.

Coming up…. “Pushing your luck!”

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .458 Winchester Magnum — achieving any hunting demands – P2

The .458 Winchester Magnum is a mystery to the average hunter. The average hunter is not a handloader so time spent on the Internet searching for “truth” on the latest rifle innovations and cartridges, or “ancient” cartridges such as the .45-70, holds little interest for them. Though quite a few are now turning to bow hunting and modern black powder to satisfy any thirst for something different. Those with interest in the .458 Winchester Magnum have plans for Africa or Alaska, or have been there, plus shooters who are avid handloaders with an interest in a variety of cartridges from small-bore to large-bore — which might include a .458 Winchester Magnum. Then among those whose main interest is Big Bores, will be found those who are convinced (for several empirical reasons) that the 458 Winchester is the best among them — and I being one in their midst.<My former CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag at the range getting tested with various handloads. The scope is a fixed 4x Burris with a generous eye-relief of 5.5″. The barrel is 25″, and the action is a Mauser full-length that allowed a COL of up to 3.8″ without being cramped. That permitted a .458 Win handloaded cartridge to exceed the max COL of a .458 Lott at 3.60″ by .20 of an inch! But then, the “freebore” of the .458 Win slightly exceeds the Lott when the same bullet is used in each, or a total of about .307″ freebore for the .458 Win in the use of the 500gr TSX at 3.75″ COL as an example. That’s a longer COL by .15″ with still a longer throat. Different bullets will affect those results but the ratio would be the same. Which would you rather have in your rifle? Those numbers indicate that not only can the .458 Winchester Magnum match the ballistics of the .458 Lott, but exceed them when handloaded in the CZ 550 and Ruger No.1 that don’t constrict COL.

Hopefully, some will listen, read and learn the truth if they have an open mind. That’s my goal in writing these articles on the classic .458 Winchester Magnum that has a much longer SAAMI throat than the .458 Lott, permitting a longer COL in actions that allow it.

As stated from the beginning (P1), the ultimate purpose of another look at the Four-Five-Eight is to demonstrate it’s use and versatility for any game to be hunted, while not declaring it to be the “best” for every hunting situation. In my view, it IS the best for many hunting conditions with specific handloads in the hands of a capable hunter-shooter.

In my original (2008) manual on the 458 Win, I put it this way:

Let’s look at the issues by posing a few direct questions: Can the 458 be handloaded to match .45-70 loads that might be used on deer? Absolutely! The 45-70 and 458 Winchester have the same bore size, .458-inch, and will basically handle the same bullet weights — 300 to 500-grainers. Then, rationally, the 458 Winchester can be loaded to roughly image 45-70 deer loads, as well as loads suited to any species up to and including pachyderms. That covers most big game hunting venues.

I’ll demonstrate that as we continue with this series. Let’s return for a moment to those 400gr SPEER handloads by Dr. Ron Berry (in P1), most of which would be suitable for 300 – 350 lb game and anything less. But, as suggested, I’m now using the 405gr Remington. Yet other 400s, of which I currently have some 400gr Hawks, some BARNES Original 400gr SPs and BARNES 400gr Busters, will be tested in the spring of 2021 in comparison with the 405 Remington. And I still intend to nag Hornady and Barnes for a 400gr spitzer type for better effective range, and tougher than the Remington or Speer for better penetration.

Ron’s loads from a rifle identical to mine (less the Mag-na-ports) of the 400 SPEER that appeal to me are these: 63 grs H4895 at 1792 fps and 0.61 MOA, and 68 grs H4895 at 2016 fps and 0.87 MOA. They have a significant spread in load density and consequent MVs but very close in MOA. Once the trajectory is worked out for each, one could go afield with the two loads — one for relatively close range and the other for medium range and any size whitetail. Those are reasonably equivalent to .45-70 loads for the same bullet — one modest and the other “hot”. I’ve already mentioned my current load for black bear from the Ruger No.1 in .458 is the 405gr Remington at 2085 fps. I already have experience on bear with it at nearly the same MV from my 1895 Marlin at 100 yards — it was a DRT! So… my Ruger No.1 in .458 Win is EASILY a stand-in for an 1895 Marlin! That’s why I don’t really need a .45-70 — it can do whatever an original BP .45-70 could do all the way to the hottest loads from ANY .45-70, and MUCH more! The Marlins I owned could make up to 4000 ft-lbs at the muzzle from best handloads… the .458? 6000 ft-lbs = 50% more! Those are NOT “bragging rights”, but FACTS for anyone who really wants to know the truth. Unfortunately, the factories have yet to catch up, but for the handloader who wants to learn and grow, those are safe loads.

< That’s at 15′ from the muzzle of my Ruger No.1. Corrected to MV = 2787 fps/6036 ft-lbs from the 350gr BARNES TSX.

Yet here are a couple of reduced loads; the first being Ron’s load of 63 grs of H4895 at 1792 fps, and the other taken from the SPEER manual: the 400gr at 1445 fps from 30 grs SR 4759 (we may have to use a substitute for that power). Either load is plenty for a big whitetail buck to 200 yards as long as we make proper adjustments in trajectory:

Bullet: 400gr SPEER in .458″

SD = .272

BC = .259

MV = 1792 fps/ 2852 ft-lbs/ zero @ 120 yds

50 = 1663 fps/ 2455 ft-lbs/ +1.48″

100= 1542 fps/ 2110 ft-lbs/ +1.40″

150= 1429 fps/ 1814 ft-lbs/ -2.35″

200= 1236 fps/ 1357 ft-lbs/ -10.36″

Recoil = 28 ft-lbs from a 9.5 lb rifle, or 24.9 ft-lbs from my Ruger No.1 with scope and five rounds in a stock cartridge holder, minus 15% due to Mag-na-porting = 21 ft-lbs. That’s approximately an average .30-06 load firing a 180gr at 2700 fps. From my experience on a trophy bear using the 400gr SPEER at 100 yards impact, with the same approximate impact velocity as given here, I know it would be more effective than the .30-06 load would have been with a similar hit. My bear went 10 yards total (See P1 where the bear had spent the night in a rain storm with the guts out).

A .30-cal bullet through the lungs would have meant a tracking job of at least 50 yards, and perhaps a lot more unless both shoulders were taken out or the central nervous system was damaged. The 400gr SPEER was a lung-heart shot with no damage to the CNS, but the whole right side was saturated with deep-red blood from the wound to tail, and top to bottom. At first sight, I thought that side of the animal was destroyed! That experience taught me that a bullet pass-through is not always wanted of needed. I’m certain that a similar hit from a .30-06 would have killed the bear, as described, and likely with full penetration from a broad-side hit, but the bear would have run off for 50 to 100 yards (which could have resulted in a nightmarish retrieval under particular physical conditions — and NEVER with the blood loss experienced immediately as in that real-life experience! It all happened very suddenly and must have been a torrent of red liquid! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of it, and mere words don’t begin to tell that part of the whole story.

< The bear was made into a rug for my office wall.

Below is the SPEER reduced load for their 400gr/.458″

MV = 1445 fps/ 1854 ft-lbs/ zero at 100 yds

50 = 1341 fps/ 1596 ft-lbs/ +1.64″

100= 1248 fps/ 1383 ft-lbs/ +0.02″

150= 1169 fps/ 1213 ft-lbs/ – 7.19″

200= 1104 fps/ 1082 ft-lbs/ -20.75″

Recoil from a 9.5 lb rifle = 14 ft-lbs. From my 10.65 lb Ruger ready with Mag-na-ports = 11 ft-lbs, or less than a .243 firing a 100gr at 2985 fps from a 7.5 lb rifle ready for the hunt. Rifle weight and trajectory obviously favor the .243. But the 400gr/.458 has more “killing power” at any range if started at 1445 fps. “Killing power” involves much more than kinetic energy alone, as that has been pointed out by many others as well as by myself on several occasions.

Those are a couple of reduced loads similar to moderate loads from a .45-70 to illustrate once again some of the .458 Win’s talents in the use of one bullet only!

On the other end of the spectrum, few among even the .458’s cognoscente realize, or have experienced the smarts of a standard, run of the mill .458 Winchester Magnum in the use of — what I consider — one of the most versatile commercial bullets available to the handloader… being the 300gr TSX or TTSX BARNES! If I could have only three bullets for handloading my Ruger No.1, that bullet would be one of the three! Would you like a peek at my results from the Ruger over the past year? Sure you would! I’ve two loads for that bullet: one moderate, and the other? NOT! Yet both are SAFE in my rifle as I load them.

The cases are either Remington or Winchester, the powder is H4198 for each load, and primers are always what I use in the .458: WLRM.

Load No.1: Rem brass, 78 grs H4198 @ 2776 fps avg/ 5133 ft-lbs. Nothing special, but just a reasonable, expected load. However, when the bullet is seated to the bottom (2nd) groove (cannelure) of that beautiful bullet, at a COL of 3.325″, miracles can happen!

Rem brass, 82.5 grs of H4198 on July 23/19, temps at 20*C/70*F, three shots registered 2958, 2961 and 2959, with an extreme spread of 3 fps! Corrected to MV = 2979 fps/5911 ft-lbs!!

On August 6/19, temps @ 59*F, using Winchester brass and 82 grs of H4198, WLRM primers and 3.325″ COL, these numbers were registered at 15′ from the Chrony: 2927, 2921 and 2920. Corrected to MV = 2943 fps/5768 ft-lbs average for three. And they shot into a .788″ group at 100 yards!

Please, take time to reflect on those results! The BC of that bullet is only .234 but at around 2980 fps that bullet still produces enough for a big bull moose to 400 yards. And recoil is much less than a 450 TSX at 2400 fps that also is good for a big bull at 400 yds considering expansion in both the 300 TSX or 450 TSX. BUT, hold on une petite minute! Let that 300gr become the TTSX, and we have the promise of expansion down to 1400 fps, which means it’s plenty good for a big bull to 450 yards!

<Registered at 15′ from the muzzle of my Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum. That was from a 300gr TSX, corrected to MV = 2979 fps/ 5911 ft-lbs.

Bullet: 300gr TSX

BC = .234

SD = .204

MV = 2979 fps; zero @ 250 yds

50 = 2789 fps/ 5182 ft-lbs/ +1.32″

100= 2608 fps/ 4531 ft-lbs/ +3.11″

150= 2434 fps/ 3946 ft-lbs/ +3.62″

200= 2266 fps/ 3421 ft-lbs/ +2.67″

250= 2105 fps/ 2952 ft-lbs/ +0.01″

300= 1951 fps/ 2536 ft-lbs/ -4.61″

350= 1804 fps/ 2168 ft-lbs/ -11.5″

400= 1665 fps/ 1847 ft-lbs/ -21.1″

450= 1536 fps/ 1571 ft-lbs/ -33.8″

The recoil from that in my rifle is about 44 ft-lbs. It’s not entirely fair to compare it with a .378 Weatherby as the 300gr TSX in .375 has a much better BC of .357. But starting the two (300 TSX in .458″ and 300 TSX in .375″) at similar MVs the recoil from a 9.75 lb .378 Weatherby would be 72 ft-lbs! With a break that might be reduced to 62 ft-lbs which is 41% more than my load for the Ruger No.1 in .458!

Yet the best overall bullet weight for most hunting of BG would be a good 400gr of sufficient toughness and aerodynamics that would be suitable for close-in shots as well as far on larger North American game such as Bison, big bears, moose, elk and anything else. BARNES once produced such a bullet, the 400gr X-Bullet, with a .457 BC — ideal for what has been mentioned in this paragraph. I still have a handful and will keep them for that “perfect” situation. From a particular load, they’ve made 2590 fps/5957 ft-lbs. That bullet was also a favorite of Master Guide, Phil Shoemaker in Alaska, with which he’d taken all the large and DG fauna located there.

Alas, for the moment that’s dreaming! Recoil from my No.1 Ruger was 50 ft-lbs from the 400gr X-Bullet without additional ammo attached to the stock. With seven rounds the recoil would have been reduced by about 3 ft-lbs or 47 ft-lbs. My .340 Weatherby dished out 54 ft-lbs ready for the hunt with the 250 Nosler load by comparison — which I do compare for a sense of what to expect. I put 1000 handloads through that rifle and after the first 100 at the bench, I literally lost awareness of its recoil. And never noticed it in a hunting context from offhand. I was in my sixties at the time. Following that, I was shooting my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT a lot! Some of those loads were hitting 73 ft-lbs in recoil… I got used to it and never thought much about it until I shot a fat coon one warm spring day that was stealing our bear bait. I was wearing a thin T-shirt! Yep, the load was a 500gr Hornady at about 2200 fps! Recoil was 73.6 ft-lbs on a near-naked shoulder. I noticed it! Why such a load for bear? I wanted to see how that 500gr Hornady would do its work on a bear… it worked, and that’s a news-worthy story on its own in any study of bullets for bear!

What are those three bullets I’d want for handloads? The 300 TSX, a 400 TSX, and one heavy weight: likely the 480gr Hornady DGX. That one has given me 2353 fps/ 5900 ft-lbs. In testing in media it went through everything hitting a large boulder behind the setup, but was never found. The MV was only about 1800 fps, and it left a .458″ imprint on the boulder. I know it is much tougher than the traditional 500gr RN Interloc Hornady. I would choose a 400gr TSX if BARNES made them. Also, Dr Ron has made some 400gr TSX’s by cutting off part of the shank of the 500gr TSX’s. I’m not set up for that, so the 350 TSX will serve as a stand-in.

Some bullets for the .458 Win on hand:

But from my three .458s I’ve not yet come close to 73 ft-lbs recoil, and don’t want to at this stage of life. 50 ft-lbs is now considered maximum for a few shots, and 30 to 40 ft-lbs as a comfort zone from my Ruger No.1 in .458 Win Mag for 8 to 10 rounds for bench shooting. For comfort and ultimate satisfaction in picking up a .458 WM for a hunting adventure there are some other considerations of import: But above all else a sense of good health and wellness are essential. Carrying a 10+lb rifle around during an 8 to 12 hr hunting day will wear thin both our physical and mental reserves unless we are fit for it in those essential parts of body and mind. Add to that high or low temperatures, rain and wind, steep cliffs and dead falls… plus other challenges to spirit, and we might wish for our favorite armchair hunting by the fireside, without any consideration of the two extra pounds of rifle weight! I’m no fool in this… or mere braggart! At this stage the plus side of actually using my .458 in hunting scenarios is that it does challenge me to get in good shape and stay there both mentally and physically, as much as that depends on personal discipline! I need that call! Otherwise, I might quit going to the range with new loads and wanting to test some on live game! A .30-06 you say? That’s no challenge to me at all! Honestly, when I can’t safely handle a BIG BORE, I’ll likely pack it in! There are really no substitutes! The .45-70 and .458 Win have spoiled me for almost anything else!

<Appraising what I’m seeing! And, ohh… that’s my 9.3 x 62 in hand… yep, it’s loaded with one up the spout plus three in the clip, a 250gr Accubond that would leave the muzzle at ~ 2700 fps. I’ve written quite a bit about my 9.3 x 62. If that’s all I had, and could only have for reasons yet to be known, I wouldn’t cry. It finds a warm niche in my soul! And then… I have a companion rifle for my .458 Ruger so it won’t feel lonely at the range. I’ll tell you more about that, maybe next time.

Hunting got me into handloading, and now handloading (my scientific bent) keeps me in the hunting game.

So be it, both now, henceforth and until my Heavenly Father calls me home! ” The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God!'” Psalm 14: vs 1.

Til the next: P3

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .458 Winchester Magnum – achieving any Hunting Demands – P1

The object of this series of articles is to demonstrate the truthfulness of the above proposition: The .458 Winchester Magnum is fully capable of achieving success in any dangerous game, big game, medium game or small game hunting situation with suitable handloads, and in the hands of capable and knowledgeable hunters. A “capable” hunter is one who can hit the target on the animal, and a “knowledgeable” hunter is one who knows the animal.

It’s not exactly “news” to say that the .458 Win Mag has been successfully used to harvest all of the mentioned classes of game. But the objection by some in using it for ALL classes is mostly due to two factors: 1) Perception and 2) Ignorance, which are twin sisters. We could switch their order.

Here’s something I wrote in Section One: BALLISTIC LOGIC of my manual on the .458 Winchester back in 2008:

While there are some extreme views regarding the usefulness of the 458 Winchester Magnum, from: “It’s too much gun for North American hunting”, to: “It’s not enough for Cape buffalo”, we should not be surprised if the majority of pundits want it pigeon-holed to specific use as a dangerous game cartridge only. “After all”, they opine, “for that reason it was created in ’56 by Winchester”. And that’s not the end of their history lesson either; they go on to remind us that the very first rifle chambered for it was the Winchester Model 70 “African”, no less. That should put an end to any further discussion of the matter!

However, I’m one among a growing number of patrons who thinks contrariwise.That’s not to say that I believe it will not do all that it was originally intended to do. That it works just fine in Africa and Alaska, few professionals will dispute, and they will certainly not get an argument from me. Still, some “authorities” strongly suggest that the 458 should be reserved to those places, and limited to specific species of unsafe game as well. When we have the nerve to pose a logical and so simple a question as “Why?”there’s a regurgitating of profound responses such as: “It’s too much gun”, or “It’s power isn’t needed”, or “Why use a cannon?”, or “A .30-06 will do the job just as well”, or “Why use a 458?” My comeback is: “Why not?” Such a slant represents a common attitude: “You’re out of your mind! How could you think differently than those who hold the accepted view of legendary opinion makers of the sport?” It seems too awkward to accept that big-bore enthusiasts — who make a thorough analysis of the 458 Winchester’s utility and put to the test the full range of it’s capabilities — will never pay dues to a club where members are expected to make a fuss over tired views only.

That the 458 Winchester should be reserved to guides and PHs in defence of their clients, as well as for clients who can afford safaris in Africa in pursuit of dangerous beasts, is perhaps the majority opinion. But let those who are negative of the wisdom of our thinking present first-hand evidence as to its unsoundness. This is not to suggest that other cartridges are not as good, or even better, for certain North American or African species under specific conditions, but simply that the 458 is more than adequate for any game animal, any where at any time when fittingly handloaded and used within a range of about 400 yards for certain non-dangerous species and any reasonable limit for the hazardous sort. But this analysis is not about judging the 458 on what others may or may not think — it doesn’t need that kind of defence, nor is it intimidated by a critical stance. It can stand scrutiny on its own!

That was a part of Section One: BALLISTIC LOGIC. Since then the manual was republished in 2011 and 2013 with updates and additions. I’m thinking of reviving the 2013 edition with more upgrades and additions since I ‘ve had a No.1 Ruger in .458 Winchester Magnum for the past two and one-half years. All of the previous material was based on comprehensive testing and use of a CZ 550.

Since the early times of the .458 Win, there have been considerable advancements and developments in both powders and bullets, as well as rethinking its aptitudes, that have allowed at least some of us to explore its full capabilities.

But the point of the current series is to demonstrate, once again, how versatile the 458 can really be. This will be through anecdotes and real-life testing, including some of the prodigious work by Dr. Ron Berry (RIP on the http://www.accuratereloading.com Big Bores forum).

Here is some of the latest he sent me, that can also be viewed at the Accurate Reloading Forums, Big Bores section and the .458 Winchester Magnum thread. (For a better view, right click on pics, then left click on “Open in new tab”, then left click on “new tab”.)

There’s a lot to study there. I’s about recent results for accurate, modest loads of a 400gr Speer fired from his Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum using H4895 powder, Hornady cases and F215 primers. Following are the targets for the ten loads.

Notice the most accurate nodes, their muzzle velocity and grains of H4895:

I used the 400gr Speer bullet on my first black bear in the spring of 1989. That was from an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 at 1865 fps MV. Range to bear was 100 yards at a bait. Impact velocity was around 1535 fps. The two following pics represent those results:

The bullet hit just behind the right front shoulder and made an entrance cavity you could put your fist in. The trophy quality bear ran ten yards and piled up in some alders. I gave it another for insurance that wasn’t needed. That bullet was retrieved in offside armpit; the first was lost when the innards were removed in darkness.

The bullet retained 90.5% of original weight. It’s a soft bullet, so be cautious about its use. But it should be fine on game not more than 350 lbs depending on MV and impact speed.

Since my own .458 Win is a Ruger No.1, I should be able to duplicate Ron’s results — or come close. But the real point might be that the same (or similar) results from some other 400gr/.458″ projectiles might work better on tougher/larger game at 68 grains of H4895 and 2016 fps MV and 0.87 MOA. My plan is to test some other 400s this coming spring — the LORD willing!

Currently, my bear load is the 405gr Remington (no longer available, but I still have a good number) at 2083 fps average corrected MV that shoots sub-MOA. Recoil is 30 ft-lbs. That will be my bear load for the spring hunt in Haliburton Highlands. Range will be somewhere between 65 to 100 yards. That load is: 75 grs RL-15, WLRM primers, Hornady brass and 3.26″ COL.

That’s all for this week… And thanks to Ron for his contributions to this blog.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

What is a MEDIUM Bore Rifle?

In our last, “What is a BIG BORE Rifle?” was again considered. Yet the truth of the matter is that while many are owned, a majority still think that the opportunities where they are needed outside Alaska or Africa are few. That being .40-calibers on up to whatever… maybe a .577 Nitro. Still, several astute hunters handload them for larger fauna around the world, even here in Canada and the USA. Why? Because they plum work on anything they’re pointed at, and are fun cartridges to work with, and challenges to the spirit and mind of hunters and sportsmen.

As you know by now, if you’ve followed my blogs for a period of time, BIG BORES, notably in .458-caliber is my favorite among them, as well as my overall favorite niche. More details will be coming up in my next article, including recent in-depth testing results by .458 Win Mag guru Dr. Ron Berry. As well, some pioneering results may be found in reading some of my “old” stuff since 2008.

< That’s my 9.3 x 62 Mauser — one of the best MEDIUMS .

But I do have some other favorites, particularly among the mediums. So what are MEDIUM-Bore rifles? One forum includes the .270 Winchester among them. But that doesn’t represent my thinking, nor the thinking of previous generations of North American or African hunters, nor sportsmen in general.

Hunters and authors of a more recent historical influence (post Second World War to the turn of the century) generally viewed “mediums” as plus .30-calibers able to produce in excess of 3000 ft-lbs at the muzzle from standard factory ammunition. The starting point of that being about .32-caliber (.323 or 8mm). While there have been many wildcats of that fame, yet the unpopular 8mm Remington Magnum might be a logical starting place. Prior to that, the .338 Winchester Magnum was often referred to as a “medium magnum” that produced in the neighborhood of 4000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy from factory loads. Handloads didn’t improve greatly on that. One author/sportsman, Al Miller, favored .35-caliber as a starting place for “mediums”. Initially, I followed that idea and later lowered my take to the .338 Winchester and 4000 ft-lbs at the muzzle. Then again, I relented to include any “standard” case of .338 to .375-caliber that would make at least 4000 ft-lbs from handloads, and they had to be recognized in at least three handloading manuals. Sorry if yours doesn’t make the cut, but I just can’t see the .357 “magnum” pistol round being fired in a rifle as a “medium” bore rifle round.

So we’ll start with .338-calibers that are generally found in reloading manuals, and making about 4000 ft-lbs as a “go” point. .338-calibers that make upwards of 5000 ft-lbs at the muzzle, I refer to as “Super Mediums” as in numbers like the .340 Weatherby, the .338 RUM and Lapua. They are in a class of their own but still NOT BIG BORES! And the .338-.378 Weatherby is, again, in a niche of its own!

When I’m referring to “MEDIUMS”, they include: the .338 Winchester Magnum; .330 Dakota; .350 Rem Mag;.35 Whelen; .358 Norma Magnum; 9.3 x 62; .375 H&H and .375 Ruger. And yes, I’ve gotten 4000 ft-lbs from both a .350 Rem Mag and a .35 Whelen. As stated, anything at or above 5000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, I call “Super Mediums”. And anything over 3900 ft-lbs I’ll let in the fold. Arbitrary? Certainly! But I just can’t abide a .270 Win being classed as a “medium”, no matter who designates them as such!

So how do I refer to the .300 magnums and .323 (8mm) magnums that can make over 3500 ft-lbs and nearly 4000? “Sub-Medium Magnums”, of course! And the .270 Win and its ilk? They are “deer cartridges” … mostly!

Back to our theme on “MEDIUMS”

These are perhaps among the most useful rifle cartridges extant for a large variety of game from whitetails to most DG (“dangerous game”) under favorable conditions. They are not what I’d choose, however, in an elephant or Cape buffalo charge from a few yards, nor in having to go into the “pucker” brush for a followup on a wounded elephant, Cape buff, lion or bear. But for anything else they are near ideal at reasonable ranges and using premium bullets. Phil Shoemaker, an elite Master Guide in Alaska, has said he finds no great difference among them in effect on Alaska’s big bears with a proper hit and a good bullet. But he still prefers his “Old Ugly” in .458 Win if he has to go into thick bush for followup on a big wounded grizzly or brown bear!

< Shoemaker with his recent Cape buffalo, brain shot using “Old Ugly”.

I, of course, don’t have his experience, and I know any of them will kill bears, moose, elk or anything else with soft skin to a ton or more under particular conditions, but they wouldn’t be my choice as a general purpose DG rifle. Of course, all of them have killed lions and big bears efficiently, which in the case of lions, they could attain 500 lbs in males, and 1000 lbs or more in big bears. Again, under circumstances where guides and PH’s have control with backups. On my own, however, I feel very confident in using my 9.3 x 62 in bear hunting, but NOT alone in following up a wounded one in thick tangles or ravines. In the past, when and where a followup was necessary on black bears, I’ve often switched to an 1895 Marlin in .45-70. It went along as my backup rifle, and at times as my primary weapon. The .45-70 would stop a bear where the others might not!

My defensive weapon for scouting, baiting and followup on bears was an 1895 Marlin in .45-70. Since I no longer have that rifle it will be a 12ga firing Brenneke type slugs from a smooth bore at 1600 fps. This will be for close range work only. It’s a “security” type for personal protection around bears. It has an 18.5″ barrel, front and rear sights, weighs 7 lbs, pistol grip and 5+1 in a pump action. In hunting over bait it will be the .458 or 9.3 x 62. The 9.3 is a bolt-action with a clip holding 3 +1, but I’ve found that the 9.3 x 62 is NOT a stopper with body shots. I’ve killed three bears with it but they all travelled up to 20 yards or so before quitting. Twenty yards is sixty feet, and in thick bush on the edge of darkness you may nearly step on the bear before finding him. Hence the 12ga with Challenger slugs (the famous DGS-12 slug out of Italy and loaded in Quebec as “Challenger” — 492 grains at 1610 fps. I got 1620 fps from my former Mossberg 12ga, and great accuracy when the Polichoke was set at IC.) The 18.5″ barrel should give about 1550 fps, but will be tested in the spring for actual results. The .458 Ruger No.1 will not need a followup shot, or searching in thick alders if the 405gr Remington is placed through the lungs or shoulders.

But this is about MEDIUMS: The .338 Winchester Magnum

I’ve owned a couple of those, one with a 20″ barrel and the other sporting a 26″. Then I helped my son in the development of handloads for his with a 24″. So I’ve a pretty good idea of a .338 Win Mags capabilities. 225gr bullets would make about factory specs for a 24″ from my 20″ Sako. And 250s ran between 2600 and 2700 fps. The 250gr Sierra took the medal in speed at about 2715 fps and decent accuracy. The rifle went moose hunting in The North of our province and soaked up rain like a sponge! The two-piece stock was dismantled, and everything else to dry out the wood. Eventually it got traded for a M70 Winchester in .375 H&H.

The second .338 Win Mag was a Browning X-bolt SS with a 26″ tube that gave excellent accuracy and an MV of up to 2842 fps from the 250gr Hornady SP. It was purchased for rechambering to .340 Weatherby. As a .340 it made about 3000 fps from the 250gr Nosler Partition that also went on a moose hunt to the Far North of our province. That load took a good bull at 165 yards. The recoil was never noticed that was up around 54 ft-lbs KE. The rifle was also a delight to tote in that environment which was fairly open due to clear-cut logging. Its ballistics would have been good enough to 600 yards for a bull moose, still making over 2000 ft-lbs at impact. About 1000 handloads were put through it before it got traded for an M673 Remington in .350 Rem Mag.

The .350 Rem Mag needed work out of the box, but once that was sorted out it became one of the most accurate bolt-action rifles I’ve ever owned. Very fast, it was in shooting the 250gr Speer GS at an average of 2710 fps/4076 ft-lbs into a mean of 1/2″. It never killed anything though it went black bear hunting a few times. RL-15, Rem cases and WLRM primers produced those outstanding results. Having too-much heft and the silly rib on the barrel became distasteful over time. Other than that, it was a very capable rifle/cartridge combo.

My .35 Whelen was a Remington 7400 semi. I must say this from the start: It was accurate, strong and worked flawlessly, despite naysayers who profess no confidence in the Remington semi-autos. I NEVER had a glitch, even with “hot” loads! And NEVER did I make use of small base loading dies — they were “regular” RCBS. Moreover, due to the clip magazine that allowed long-seating of bullets, and a long throat, I could maximize bullet speeds using more RL-15 than the “books” allowed at a COL of 3.34″. I went up to 3.43″ which in effect was the same as employing a longer case. That rifle was used in a bear hunt, with success, using a 200gr Barnes-X bullet at 2835 fps/3569 ft-lbs.

Later, a single-shot NEF was purchased in .35 Whelen. With old brass loaded with the 250gr Hornady SP it registered 2556 fps on the very first try. And 2997 fps from the 200gr Hornady SP! But there was a problem with 100 new cases that had the shoulder too far back. I would have had to fire-form all of ’em, so returned the rifle to the dealer for another single-shot in .45-70. I’ve no doubt that the NEF in .35 Whelen would have been capable of at least 2650 fps from those 250s had it been kept. Those NEFs had heavy barrels. I’d owned a couple in .45-70.

And the 9.3 x 62 was a pleasant surprise! In looking for another .35 Whelen, I came home with a Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x62 Mauser. I’ve written much about it so will not rehash all that. But it deserves much praise as a MEDIUM. Handloads are the way to go if we want to get the best it has to offer. I started with RL-15 and a year later switched to RL-17 on the suggestion of a friend, and have never looked back. But I had to be prepared to go over 100% load density for serious improvement over RL-15. That meant ten grains more of RL-17 over the RL-15 load… BUT the improvement was there in ballistics — not better accuracy, but much better MV AND consistency in variable temperatures! Improvement in ballistics was 200 fps at the muzzle firing the 286gr Nosler into a regular sub-moa pattern when I was up for it. You know, a 286 Nosler at an ordinary +/- 2630 fps from a T3 “Lite” rifle has a rather quick recoil! But it sure worked “quickly” on a 6′ black bear at 68 yards!

<The bear without guts, the rifle and moi.

Having exposed my experience with four of the MEDIUMS, there yet remains three, only one of which I have considerable experience with in the development of handloads. Those three are: a .358 Norma Magnum, the .375 H&H and the .375 Ruger. All three can make in the neighborhood of 4500 ft-lbs at their muzzles — plus or minus depending on barrel lengths and components. Of those three, I’ve owned three .375 H&H’s, but never took game with either though an M70 Winchester went both bear and moose hunting. Yet extensive testing of handloads was done for each. In barrel lengths there was a 22″, a 24″, and a 26″, so that gave me a decent understanding of how barrel length affects MV in a .375 H&H.

The .358 Norma Magnum: I’ve never owned one, fired one or even seen one, but I read the manuals that share handloads. That varies greatly! For instance: the Nosler #6 manual shows a high of only 2628 fps for their 250gr Partition/3833 ft-lbs from a 24″ Lilja test barrel. That’s really no better than a 24″, .35 Whelen!

The case is very similar to the .338 Winchester Magnum, and in a pinch you could fire-form a .338 Win Mag case to serve as a .358 Norma case. And .358-caliber having improved efficiency over .338-caliber should at the very least equal or better the ballistics of a .338 Win firing 250s — all else equal. So, 2628 fps from the 250 Nosler is a mild load, whereas the 250 Nosler from a .338 Win is shown as giving 2780 fps/4290 ft-lbs from a 24″ Wiseman test barrel. That’s a difference of 152 fps and 457 ft-lbs favoring the .338 Winchester Magnum. But that’s hardly a true picture of what actual results should be! If one cartridge over the other in question, should show distinctions, they should favor the .358 Norma Magnum!

Hence, Hornady’s results are more realistic, and favor the Norma medium over the Winchester, as expected. Hornady gives their 250 grainers (RN and SP-RP Interlocs) 2800 fps/4351 ft-lbs from three powders: H4895, IMR 4320 and IMR 4350. And those are relatively modest amounts of powder, truly making the .358 Norma more efficient than the .338 Winchester. But, alas, the Norma is less popular being of foreign descent. Ammo, rifles and cases are scarce, but most of those obstacles can be overcome if for some personal reasons you want one, and have the $$$ to foot the bill.

The .375 H&H: As popular as it is, it has an identity crisis. Where does it precisely fit in our world of hunting? Mostly it is seen as an African cartridge and rifle with Alaska trying to catch up, but never quite attaining the status of a One-Rifle-Do-It-All in either place. Other .375s of the “magnum” class are said to be superior by a growing number of elitists. And numbers indicate that. It’s not that the historic .375 H&H hasn’t “done it all”, but, as in the case of the .30-06, there are doubters and adventurers who want from a little bit to a lot more for complete satisfaction. Hence: The .375 “Improved” versions on the same case, as well as some .375s in larger cases that hold more propellant. Then some lesser bore rifles will do as well, or better, where legal. And larger bores have, again, grown in popularity. Today, if I wanted or felt a need for a .375 magnum-class rifle it would be the H&H. But I don’t want or need any .375- cal .

Where I separate myself from Saeed and his class of .375 power, which is basically a RUM, would be in the use of a larger bore, namely the .458 Winchester Magnum. It will shoot a 300gr TSX at nearly 3000 fps, which is on a par with the .378 Weatherby, and overshadows the .375 RUM. Beyond all that, there are 350s, 400s, 450s, 500s and 550 gr projectiles readily available for a .458 magnum, including the Winchester that can easily attain and even surpass the .458 Lott, if so wanted for any situation.

<This was the registered speed at 15′ from the CHRONY shooting a 500gr Hornady RN Interloc from my 24″ Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum. The powder was 81 grs H4895, 3.56″ COL, WLRM primers, and velocity corrected to MV was 2317 fps/5960 ft-lbs.

All in all, I think the .375 H&H fulfils the bill as a .375 adequately. From my 22″ I could achieve factory specs, and from the 26″ I attained what the RUM factory loads are said to achieve — +2700 fps from a 300 gr projectile with a book load as its basis.

Then, my 9.3 x 62 Mauser can walk in the “ordinary” shoes of a .375 H&H’s factory loads anyway — a fit that’s quite comfortable!

The .375 RUGER: It too can walk in the .375 H&H’s shoes, but after a few Safari miles it might prefer those over its own… maybe — maybe not.

There you have it: My take on The MEDIUMS

‘Til the next… The Great .458 Winchester Magnum in MEETING the DEMANDS of any B.G. HUNTING CONDITIONS

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

What is a BIG-BORE Rifle?

Yes, of course you’re right, I’ve previously written on this — in fact, a few times. But since the featured attraction of this site has to do with BIG BORES, why not again?

Actually, there are three main reasons for so doing:

1. Confusion

2. Arbitrary designation

3. Denial

So lets get started:

CONFUSION: “A failure to distinguish between things” -Webster. I think that’s an apt description of the situation. But it’s not entirely the fault of rifle shooters and hunters, oh no…. Manufacturers of rifles and their marketing branches must share the blame because Winchester, as one example, has designated some of their larger bore M94 lever-actions as “Big Bore”. So we have a situation where some shooters go online talking of their “big bore” .375 Winchester. There have actually been some readers and listeners who think that’s some kind of .375 H&H! I’m not kidding you!

< There is my late British friend’s “Big-Bore” .44 “magnum”. Did I say “magnum” at a mere 1800 ft-lbs KE? No, I didn’t but Remington promoted it as such.

ARBITRARY DESIGNATION: Then, there is at least one prominent owner of an Internet forum, who spends a lot of time in African Safaris, and also builds his own rifles and bullets, that lists his favorite cartridge as a BIG BORE under that section of his forums. It’s a .375 caliber nearly identical to the .375 RUM. Because he claims it will do whatever the BIG Bores can do in the field, he arbitrarily includes the .375 H&H or anything in that caliber suitable for African DG under the heading of BIG BORES. Of course, he’s the owner of the forum, so he can do as it pleases him… but I’m not constrained to agree.

<That’s a true BIG BORE over my shoulder — a CZ 550 in .458 Winchester Magnum.

Of course, my writings here are described as “a blog about big bores”, but I make distinctions in classes of rifles as I write. I have never considered ANY .375-caliber as a ‘Big Bore”. In my view, and that of historical writers, a true BIG BORE has two main features: 1) Size of hole in the bore (caliber), and 2) a minimum level of kinetic energy at the muzzle. Sure, the .378 Weatherby (actually a .375 caliber, but that was to distinguish it from their previous .375 Weatherby, having a much larger case for powder with the consequent increase in “power”) is capable of about 6000 ft-lbs at the muzzle from a 300gr bullet which matches some of the true BIG BORES in energy but NOT in momentum or cross-section area of the bullet that has ALWAYS been a very significant factor in the slaying of elephant, for example. Kinetic energy (KE) isn’t the MAIN factor in the killing of large or dangerous beasts — I believe that is generally understood in today’s hunting world. But there’s no denying that large bores shooting heavy-for-caliber, well constructed bullets, have a terminal effect on live game that surpasses predictions based on KE alone.

The .375 RUM isn’t far behind the .378 Weatherby in KE, and it’s based on the .404 Jeffery, same as the wildcat used by the owner of the forum previously mentioned. But even the .375 RUM has not been regarded in the media as a true BIG BORE. Plus, there has been at least one .375-caliber wildcat that made well over 5000 ft-lbs at the muzzle, and preceded the Weatherbys and the RUM. The .375 Barnes Supreme was based on a full length magnum case with a sharp shoulder to fire the Barnes 350gr at 2650 fps (5457 ft-lbs KE.), and was never regarded as a BIG BORE.

I’ve suggested .40-caliber and 4000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy at the muzzle as a starting point for BIG BORES, and that was the result of considerable research on the matter. So I’ll stick with it even though I know at one time even .40 calibers were called “small bores”…

DENIAL: If some idea, concept or statement is repeated often enough, in the media in particular, it eventually gains credence (like “fake news”). A well known Physics Professor won the Nobel Prize. In his acceptance speech he said something that rocked his audience. He declared that the common idea that you could get something from nothing “quickly” was entirely wrong! To get “something from nothing takes a looooong time”, he said! You have to be patient! Of course, that’s NOT science, but it ‘s evolutionary theory! 0+0=0, 0x0=0, 0/0=0, 0-0=0. Nothing + time = nothing, EVERY TIME!

<The Andromeda Galaxy, the closest galaxy to ours, the Milky Way Galaxy, of approximately the same size at over 2,000,000 light years from us. It has billions of stars and is one among billions of galaxies. A mere accident? (Image courtesy of a friend.)

Why is it that humans would rather believe fiction than TRUTH? True science says that for every EFFECT there IS a CAUSE! Creation IS an EFFECT! What or WHO is it’s cause? An infinitely small speck of energy (“singularity”) that’s too small to be seen or measured, resting for all eternity in “equilibrium” that decided to “blow up” one afternoon, 16,000,000,000 years ago, without reason or purpose, ultimately making all that exists in the universe, including intelligent life — does that really make sense? And I’m considered “not with it” because I believe the CAUSE is an ETERNAL CREATOR with limitless power, intelligence and personality.

Another fact of physics: a body at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. What or Who was that force? Surely NOT just a “higher power” without intellect, purpose or a plan!

The above example of DENIAL is the most vivid demonstration of “fake news” and believing “the lie” in the whole universe!

And “denial” of what a BIG BORE is and does, matters? Not in a larger or eternal scheme of things, but it is a very minor irritant when universal thinking shifts in favor of smaller bores as the answer… for what did you say? I think that “shift” is a revelation of a couple of things:

ONE: In a sophisticated digital world, men are becoming, or have become softies! And TWO: We are afraid of getting hurt, or experiencing pain, so we protect ourselves! One way is in choosing the right “gear”, including rifles that won’t “hurt us”. Last evening I addressed the issue of “recoil” on a forum. Some very good points were made by others except for a couple of areas which I touched on. But as a conclusion I mentioned my current age of 85, and had handloaded most common cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the .458 Win Mag, and had NEVER been hurt (damaged) by recoil, but I have significant hearing loss from muzzle blast, and that NOT from BIG BORES only! Muzzle blast is mostly the result of the PSI of escaping gases at the muzzle, which can be as much or more from a .243 Win as from a .458 Win! Please notice that I said “PSI” at the muzzle, not amount of gas. 11,000 psi at the muzzle is the same whether from a small bore or big bore. I defy anyone to tell the difference whether from a .243 or .458 from a mile away in thick forest.

<Notice the distance from the scope (it had a very good eye-relief of 5.5″); holding down on the forearm; pulling into the shoulder; the PAST magnum protector; the muffs and elbow protection — these are all important for lessening the effects of felt recoil from a BIG BORE.

There are many ways to mitigate the effects of recoil, and one of the most significant is a heavier rifle, which due to poor physical fitness we don’t want to deal with. May I mention what I suggested on that forum? Yes, of course: My favorite rifle is a Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum. Prior to that it was a Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT (LT = long throat) that could produce ballistics equivalent to a 22″ barrelled .458 Win Mag. — a 500gr Hornady at 2200 fps for example. That rifle weighed 8 lbs with a scope on board, and 8.4 with some ammo attached. It was my “favorite” rifle for twenty years! Did I say that? Yes I did. Two + years ago it got traded for the Ruger No.1 in .458 Win Mag. Why? Better ballistics? No, but because I wanted more weight in a similar rifle with the approximate same ballistics. That’s it — two pounds more weight meant a reduction of about 30% to 40% for equivalent loads!

Then, there are other ways to deal with a BIG BORES’ recoil: Reduced loads! In fact, I mentioned on that forum that my current .458 Win Mag has a variety of hunting loads I’ve developed for it that produces recoil anywhere between 27 ft-lbs all the way to 50 ft-lbs, if needed or wanted! That last number of 50 ft-lbs was 72 ft-lbs in my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT from a 500gr at 2210 fps/5422 ft-lbs (Actually, the average weight of those 500gr Hornardys was 503 grains, making the recoil slightly more as well as the KE at 5454 ft-lbs.) At the range I deal with the recoil this way: Posture – sitting up straight, and not more than 10 rounds per session (I bring other rifles along with less recoil, including a .22LR); a PAST magnum recoil pad over a folded-up terry-cloth towel, plus jacket makes 50 ft-lbs of recoil energy tolerable. Both ear plugs AND muffs employed in concert dampens blast to a “pop”. LOUD muzzle blast enhances the sense of “felt” recoil.

< This was my CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag that weighed 11.2 lbs ready. Notice it’s slung over my left shoulder. From there it was very easy and fast to get it into action. I shoot from my left side.

How do I deal with the extra 2 lbs weight of the No.1 Ruger in .458? A sling in walking about, on either shoulder (the same shoulder doesn’t need to be used under all conditions); port arms; cradle; hand carry, switching from one hand to the other; shotgun type carry. Of course, if I’m aware of a possible confrontation with a bear, I’ll be carrying a rifle in a ready position. Taking a break in sitting – especially where game might show up is also an option. In a blind I’m mostly sitting with the rifle leaning against something — but it never goes into a tree stand. I really don’t find much advantage to a light rifle over a heavy one. They both have advantages and disadvantages, the same as a short barrel verses a long barrel. But the No.1 Ruger with a 24″ barrel is only 40″ in overall length due to no magazine in the action. In that sense It’s almost a carbine! A so-called “heavy” rifle might be a tad slower in swinging or raising into action, but it’s more steady when it gets there than a rifle that weighs 6.5 lbs. It also handles recoil better, and stays on track for a second shot much better than an 8 lb .458 WM, for example.

Several hunters/shooters are in DENIAL over the use of BIG BORES, using the excuses of RECOIL and WEIGHT, when the real issue is lying to themselves about their physical and mental conditioning!

But the last argument that appears so convincing is that lesser cartridges and smaller bores will do today what was, perhaps, necessary in days of yore. Really?

Experience trumps theory… you agree?

My experience on black bears over the past three decades is convincing enough to cause me to say that the most effective caliber has been in .458″, which includes both .45-70s and .458 Win Mags. Lesser calibers and cartridges will certainly KILL bears, but they won’t necessarily STOP bears in a close confrontation unless the brain is hit or spinal cord severely damaged. I know that from experience.

Long may they live — well, they have actually: The .45-70 since 1873 = 147 years! And the Win Mag .458 since 1956 = 64 years! The reality that they are both still very popular should tell us something of their genius!

And they too have profited from our “sophisticated digital world”!

‘Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

HUNTING PERSPECTIVES – P3

In this series of blogs it has been pointed out that several distinct motivations are involved in hunting activities, plus many others that may be less obvious but still influential in our outlook (perspective) and decision making processes of when to hunt, where and how, and what gear to bring along.

So far we’ve had a look at these prime motivations: Adventure, Challenge, Trophy hunting, Meat hunting and Sport hunting.

Next up are: (6) Healthy Living, (7) Involving others, and (8) Management of species.

HEALTHY LIVING

In P1 I listed this as one of my primary reasons for hunting. Starting out as a big game hunter in my early twenties, it was not even a minor concern. But I soon learned it would become an essential part of a healthy lifestyle not only for the body but also for a well-balanced and healthy mind. I was fresh out of college, joined my farther’s commercial fishing business for a month, then married my fiance, and a week later was called to pastor three country churches in central New Brunswick, which was a complete change in environment from being surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to a lumbering and agricultural setting. What all that amounted to was a total change in lifestyle, with new expectations and challenges at age 21. Don’t get me wrong, I was up for a new challenge but it was all very demanding to the point of near exhaustion by the time I reached 25. Fortunately, this was not only a woods working and farming area but also both hunting and fishing were common. So I began to enjoy those outdoor activities and greatly profited both physically and emotionally from them. I’d learned a simple but important lesson expressed in this old adage:”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Without being aware of it, I’d become like my farther who was a “workaholic”.

And, from time to time since those early experiences, I’ve had reason to remember this truth: God has made us complex creatures of spirit, soul and body. If we neglect any of those, or abuse them, we’ll be in BIG trouble! (see the Apostle Paul’s prayer and advice on this in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians ch 5, vs 23 – 24 in the New Testament. Preferred reading in the New International Version or the New Living Translation. This is one of my favorite Scriptures!)

Sure, if we’re in poor shape physically and/or mentally, the strong temptation is to “hunt” on our computers or TVs. That’s dangerous! And pernicious! I’m afflicted with a particular form of arthritis (same as my farther and grandmother) from time to time, but I’ve found the best medicine is to be physically active, and the physical and mental activity that tempts me most is planning, preparing for and participating in hunting activities — three “sweet Ps” to nurture body, soul and spirit. Yes, these are the physical and immaterial parts of “being”. But there is no “walking about” in unspoiled landscapes like a “walk” with our LORD in his creation!

INVOLVING OTHERS

Just yesterday, I noted this on a box of Federal Premium 12 ga Turkey Loads on my shelf of 12 ga shotshells: “Remember to take a kid hunting”. Whatever the case, it was my “kids” that got me involved again in hunting activities after I’d become another “workaholic”! The “kids” were two sons in college, Brent and Phil. Since then, I’ve involved them as part of my hunting activities which has strengthened our bonds. Also, I’ve involved others from the community in deer, bear and moose hunts. There is an added sense of personal satisfaction in being a part of the joy that others experience from their hunting adventures in the great outdoors.

<My hunting buddy for many years helping with bear bait, the CO Ken.

MANAGEMENT OF SPECIES

From the standpoint of government wildlife biologists, and legislation related thereto, hunting is foremost a management tool for maintenance of the designated species. And, from time to time, culls or moratoriums have been implemented for management purposes. How much of such legislation is purely “political” is often difficult to ascertain, but it ‘s a known fact that it took place in the case of the closure of the Spring Bear Hunt here in Ontario in 1999.

Nonetheless, despite apparent mishandling of management tools by governments and their agencies, there’s no question regarding its importance in securing a future for hunting activities. We can only hope and pray that any future elected officials will be person’s of integrity, laying aside personal agendas or prejudices in seeking the best not only for the species but also for hunters.

Personally, I have some serious doubts over the future of hunting as a beneficial activity in the not-so-distant future as it’s very apparent that culture is shifting away not only from meat eating but the activity itself.

However, there’s currently some consolation that one dead bear can no longer hunt moose calves or sheep in a pasture! Ergo: I’m all for “the management of the species”.

What is NOT understood by the general public of “well doers” is that without hunting there is no way to control unthinking beasts from over populating themselves to the brink of starvation! Hence, silent culls have been implemented in southwest Ontario for control of the whitetail population that was destroying the ecosystem they, and other fauna, were dependent on for survival. What was WRONG about that was the government’s silence, which was discovered by hunters who told the media. And that’s not all… there was also a black bear cull where stinking corpses were heaped in a pile in the woods that attracted other creatures, and discovered by HUNTERS who wanted some answers!

The point? Government officials can be VERY dishonest and hypocritical when it serves THEIR INTERESTS!

The designation “political” has the lowest possible connotation when used of the CHARACTER and motives of a person! As hunters we should NEVER forget that!

Yet, there are still some honest Conservation Officers who go about their tasks with decorum and a clear conscience, doing what they do for the overall betterment of flora and fauna, as well as for the well-being of honest hunters in the chase. I know, because one of my best hunting friends was a CO until retirement a few years ago. One of the strengths of his character was integrity while recognising that all of those who hired him could not always be described as such.

Now, what about OUR motives as hunters? Can we afford to be honest about them?

I was a bit more than a little disturbed when I learned that a very prominent member of a sporting Internet forum confessed that the only reason for his African hunting of BG and DG was to test bullets, declaring he wouldn’t have hunted otherwise as he had no interest in hunting, as such! Certainly, the best “test” of bullets is in game animals, but could that be the highest legitimate reason for shooting game animals or dangerous game? It seems to me that could be discovered anyway in a much higher motive of harvesting game — which has been the main reason for this brief series on HUNTING PERSPECTIVES.

< These Nosler Partitions worked excellently on moose and bear, but the primary motivation was hunting not merely to “test” them.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

HUNTING PERSPECTIVES – P2

How do you view hunting from your perspective? In P1 I mentioned eight possible perspectives and briefly reviewed three of them. Today (Christmas eve) we’ll continue with an overview of two more: MEAT HUNTING and SPORT HUNTING (or the sportsman hunter).

Before we do that, however, I just can’t forget “the reason for the season”. While the world has substituted gift giving and getting, Christmas trees and Santa for Christ the Son of the living God, we can easily renew our understanding of the FACTS historically recorded in the Four Gospels of the New Testament: The Gospels (good news) of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I’d recommend reading the account by the apostle closest to Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John, chapter one. That should help in getting our lives in order and in preparation for His coming again! And that could be MUCH sooner than the world thinks — not as a babe in a manger but as the “KING OF KINGS AND LORD LORD OF LORDS” (from the last book of the BIBLE, Revelation ch. 19 – by the same Apostle John).

Now back to the mundane:

MEAT HUNTING (or, the meat hunter)

< The meat from this bear was distributed among four families, and the hide was auctioned for $350.

While there are still hunters who’s main objective is the harvesting of meat from game animals, it’s a “dying breed”. Please excuse the term, but the reality is that “hunting” would die with them if the only legal right to hunt game and predators depended on a primary motivation to gather meat for the family and/or survival. For many that is a secondary goal. And, possibly, for a majority it isn’t a motivation at all… or it’s a legal necessity at best. I know as a fact that of the approximate 100,000 annual applicants for a moose hunt in Ontario (my home province), whether as individuals or a member of a group, that despite the overall costs per individual, only about 30,000 tags are available and about 1/3 of that number will come home with a piece of meat (from a bull, cow or calf that was likely shot by a single member of a group of two to eight). From those statistics alone we have proof that the main objective of hunting for the vast majority of hunters isn’t meat gathering. Nor is that so for the hobby fisherman who releases most of his catch!

Taking home some meat for the freezer (that’s already overfull from the supermarket) sounds great for ease of conscience and satisfying legal demands (legislated by hypocrites) but 99% of us don’t need more protein in an extra freezer! So let’s get real about this! Sure there are those in a few remote areas (comparatively speaking) who can honestly profit from meat hunting or fishing, but they could noway financially support a provincial, state or federal department of natural resources. The hard truth is that governments of all jurisdictions are mostly dependant on the hard-earned dollars of hunters and fishermen (sportsmen and women) who want some change and excitement (adventure and challenge) in their otherwise boring lives! And that includes ME!

Plus, my wife doesn’t like “strange” meat. I’ve eaten bear, moose and deer meat in silence! She has tasted it all but prefers “grocery” meat, yet she does love fresh fish and bird meat! Still, I manage to share most of it with other family members, friends, neighbors and some needy souls.

Nonetheless, there are hunters whose freezers are filled with wild game, birds and fish. They are fortunate in many ways that allows them to fulfil both their dreams and needs. I salute them.

SPORT HUNTING

There’s no question that sport hunting has taken over hunting as a primary motivation. While other motivations may well be involved, the idea of hunting as a “sport” is the dominant perspective in all the paraphernalia available from manufacturers and found in outdoors stores. I made a list of the possibles in P1, but surely that was’t a full catalogue!

Sport hunting has not only it’s own motivation but also its unique nature somewhat distinct from or in addition to meat hunting and adventure hunting! In what way, you ask?

1. In justifying the purchase of $70,000 (in Canada) 4×4 pickups! Then add several ATVs, then add boats and motors, all-out camping equipment and camping trailers… the BEST of everything, nothing missing or lacking! “SPORT” anything implies “excess” of everything!
2. It’s not just “the hunt” but the total experience: It may be only a “once in a lifetime” thing, never to be repeated, or on to another “once in a lifetime” thing… or a few more things that become an addiction to experience something “new and different”.
3. The glamour of all “that equipment” that surpasses imagination or any “limited” previous equipment.< Was it a “sportsman” or “just a hunter” who shot this 550 lb bear?

I can still recall many details of a moose hunt in the “Far North” of our province. Our son, Phil, and I had travelled 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) in a compact 2-door Pontiac Sunbird, towing a borrowed large lawn-service trailer (that weighed 1000 lbs itself) loaded with everything needed for a week of camping in the bush. Not only that but the trunk was full all the way to the back of our two bucket seats in the driving compartment. We drove through the night during a nasty wind and rainfall storm. Late the next day we set up camp and tried to get some sleep in a pop-up tent that continuously was knocked down on us by wind gusts, and “poped back up” again. The next day (the day before the hunt could begin) we did scouting in the morning and found good-fresh sign. In the afternoon we drove over some of the myriad logging roads and came across a hunting camp about 10 Km from our camp. There, we were introduced to a “real” hunt camp with 7 or 8 hunters, high wall tents, 4×4 pickup trucks, ATVs, etc. It appeared they’d done little scouting as they hadn’t yet seen any “sign”, but one hunter wanted us to be introduced to his new rifle — a 7mm stainless Remington Magnum. A day later they did give us a hand in loading the bull onto our trailer for the trip home. They still hadn’t seen any “sign”, so we encouraged them to hunt the cow and calf that were with the bull when I shot it. That evening we left for the trip back home under a full moon, not knowing the final results of their hunt. Whatever the case, they had more than enough equipment and personnel to kill every moose within a hundred sq-miles several times over when all they really needed was a moose, a loaded rifle and a hunter who had more on his mind than his new rifle.

< This was a new CZ550 in .458 Win Mag. There often is a sense of real pleasure in a new hunt with a new rifle and caliber. But, nonetheless, it still needs to be proven in the field like the old Ford truck in the background that was nearly as old as I was — at least it appeared so.

I like new rifles and some useful equipment, but to make “new toys” the end game of a serious hunt with others in a hunt camp will result in some frustration, and perhaps anger on the part of one or more partners. I’m also more than a little angered at the presentation of videos of a “successful” hunt where the main object of the video is bragging over the headgear of the animal, as if the death of the animal was meaningless apart from its value in making the “sportsman” look great (in his own estimation if not that of others). That of course harkens back to “sport hunting for trophies”.

Yet, to be open and frank about hunting motives is often difficult for many hunters to reflect on or express. Often motives are mixed. In my case, sometimes I don’t want to hunt but I do to maintain a friendship or for the good of others who may depend on me for knowledge or leadership. Then, if I take time (usually during a hunt) to ask “Why am I doing this?”, there may actually be mixed motives. But getting the biggest deer or bear in the woods is not one of them. A “good” deer or bear, yes, but a so-called trophy isn’t close to being recognized in the back of my mind.

Again, my motives that are recognizable to me are adventure, challenge, outdoor activities, comradeship and healthful living. As to any others: the use of equipment, new or used, increased knowledge and experience, developing new skills or improving/keeping them — such as not getting lost, aiming and shooting live game (sometimes simulated as in toting a rifle in brush or rough areas, aiming at a stump, boulder or deadfall, etc.) So there are secondary motives, hence perspectives, associated with the primary ones.

I don’t regard myself as a “sportsman”, so-called, but rather “just a hunter”. If there were no social or material benefits in shooting bears, I wouldn’t do it. Bears are not just a nuisance — they are predators that kill other game animals and humans if so inclined. Moose populations have been drastically reduced in parts of our province by a dynamic increase in bear numbers. There’s documented evidence to support that! And, of course, that’s not the whole story… They are a potential threat to humans who move about in their general habitat. Moreover, as their numbers increase they learn that the backyards and farmlands of human populations have great and delicious free edibles that fatten them up for winter’s denning. And some of those edibles might include your pet goat, cat, lamb or…? Consequently, I’ve encouraged some deer and moose hunters to include a bear tag.

There’s no doubt that the element of potential danger is an attraction in the hunt of bear species. I’ll admit that factor as main in my strong inclination to hunt black bears. Again, that’s where part of the challenge aspect emerges for myself. If they were a non-dangerous species I wouldn’t hunt them for their meat. Nor would any other hunters that I’m aware of. I perceive them as a threat to the various deer species, and a possible threat to humans who simply go about their “business” in vacation areas, wildernesses or even on home turf when their numbers attain a level where so-called “natural” habitat can no longer adequately support them. Remember: All bears, including blacks, are first and foremost big and dangerous predators!

< This bear was taken on private farm property.

‘Til the next in the New Year…

Have a blessed Christmas and a healthy-happy New Year!

BOB MITCHELL

HUNTING PERSPECTIVES – P1

Sometime over 1/2 century ago I was given a gift of my maternal grandfather’s beautiful set of history volumes by my grandmother. He had deceased when I was a young lad, and my grandmother had kept them in his honour to present to one of his grandsons who might have an interest in their contents and cherish them. They became a fixed part of my library and were used for reference purposes from time to time since they went all the way back in history to the Babylonian Empire. Of course, that was also an important historical Biblical period for the nation of Israel which was my main interest in those volumes. Nonetheless they seemed an excellent resource from Biblical times up to World War 1, at which time the British historian’s volumes were published.

But what intrigued me in particular, since I’ve never been a specific student of history, though I’ve completed courses in both Biblical history and church history, (I’m a “futurist” in outlook) was the author’s commentary in the preface of Volume 1 explaining from where all historians tend to view historical times — their perspective on history influences both their slant and commentary — something akin to the media of our day. Any commentary, whether written or vocalized on history or current issues is influenced by today’s culture and biases, or that of the past.

PERSPECTIVE is a way of looking at any thing, matter, issue, philosophy, religion, or even the times in which we live. Its foundation may be based on quicksand or solid rock… or somewhere between. As it concerns hunting in particular, there are several possible, and practical, motivations and views — PERSPECTIVES.

Here are some general HUNTING PERSPECTIVES:

1. Adventure
2. Challenge
3. Trophies
4. Meat
5. Outdoor sports and equipment.
6. Healthy living.
7. Involving others in that which might benefit them as well as ourselves.< My British friend was intrigued by my bear hunting and wanted to get involved, so I set him up for it. He didn’t get a chance on a bear but claimed to have lost six inches around his waist after a week of hunting!
8. Management of species.

There may be others, but I believe those eight just about covers all motives and views. In my last blog I stated that hunting got me into handloading, not the other way around. Of course, that would also include all equipment related to hunting which, by the way, has become in our times a major industry.

Actually, there’s too much to complete a full list here, but included are rifles, muzzle loaders, handguns, scopes for those and viewing scopes, bullets, powder, cases, bows and equipment, binoculars, clothing, shoes, boots, scents, calls, shotguns and shells, stands and blinds, tents, camping equipment, canoes, boats and motors, trucks, vans, SUVs, ATVs, snow mobiles, travel bags, sleeping bags, and scores of other small items, etc.

As to which of those eight, or how many of them, got you involved in hunting would be an interesting topic on its own. . For now, I’ll start at the top and progress through the list as each blog permits. (Usually, each blog is somewhere between 1500 to 2000 words, with a few exceptions. I don’t yet know how many words might be involved in covering all eight potential HUNTING PERSPECTIVES, therefore, it’s currently unknown how many blogs this will take because thoughts, usually with an historical context, come to mind as I write.) So lets get goin’ with:

ADVENTURE

As an outlook on life this may be a motivation from childhood. It was so in my case. From the age of three I complained to Mom that I wasn’t allowed to roam our ten acre property like my older brothers! In Mom’s defence, she was busy with many chores when Dad was away either fishing or preparing to do so. And the ten acres were stretched along the shore line of a part of the Bay of Fundy with high tides that climbed up the cliffs just 40 yards behind our house — with no fence to keep me from deciding to venture to the edge, or beyond! When the tide was out, there was only sheer ragged rocks below to meet a fifty foot fall! I was “locked” into our back veranda! But to show my contempt for the spokes that seemed like jail to me, I kicked out a few! Then, because my mother liked my curly hair, I gave myself a haircut! The point of all this nonsense is that I most definitely was an ADVENTURER from birth!

Other than in HUNTING adventures, I also became an amature astronomer, building my own telescopes to venture into the heavens. As if that weren’t enough adventure, I became a devouté of racing — heaven forbid — thankfully I couldn’t afford much of that other than in watching TV or attending motorcycle races and LeMans sportscar races at our local Mosport International Speedway! And I bought my first motorcycle at the not so tender age of 42! But I still drive too fast — when I think I can get away with it — according to my conscience that is!

But, to get back to reality, my love for adventure has been, and is, primarily expressed in hunting. It’s in large part “the call of the wild”. While I enjoy the social and the “helping hand” aspect of having a hunting buddy along, yet I do prefer solo hunting as I always feel responsible for the welfare or those “others”. Being a pastor entails that sense 24/7, literally, and it’s hard to get away from that when your phone could ring at 3 a.m. with a crisis looming on the other end! So a great part of adventure is the sense of being an explorer of the unknown or unfamiliar — making new discoveries. It’s the blood of my ancestors from Europe who landed at Plymouth Rock flowing through my veins.

There has always been exploration and adventure into the unknown. The motives have been varied. Curiosity and knowledge have often compelled it, or ordered by an empire, or religious persecution (as in my ancestors’ case), or simply because it could be done and should be — as in new ventures in medical knowledge or latest technology.

In my case it was mainly adventure. Getting away from the demands and expectations of others so I could have my own thoughts and enjoy God’s creation to the fullest was also no small player in that pursuit.

CHALLENGE

Just living has its own challenges — do we need more than that? That’s sort of a “survival” mode. But there are challenges that change us, develop us and cause us to grow in our thinking and skill set, and ability to face threats fearlessly! Hunting is one of the most significant factors in developing and enhancing maturity — as long as we don’t get get caught up with those who look forward to their annual hunt “with the guys” as a weekend (or week) of drowning the challenges of life in alcohol or smoking weed (or worse)!

African safaris are usually the reward for successful entrepreneurship of the adventurist who wants a fresh challenge! Men in their 60s and 70s who have dreamed of big and dangerous African game can now afford to fulfil their dreams. It’s new, it’s fresh, and most importantly, it’s a BIG challenge! Especially is that true if Dugga Boy is on their hit list! Many of that age group have testified that above all else they want to face off with at least one of the Dangerous Five! And many return to take their second or eighth Cape Buffalo! Why? It’s a new and different challenge to their manhood, triumph over fear, and ability to successfully accomplish what few among millions have done. Plus — they can still shoot straight and hit the target with their own big gun! Though surrounded by the PH, game scout, trackers, camera man and gun bearer, there is still a sense of independence and “aloneness” when the sights are filled with the “enemy” that could kill, and the trigger is squeezed!

TROPHIES

While I’m not a “trophy hunter” per se, yet I have collected a few as memorials of a particular successful hunt. And I also have a few from Africa that belong to son Brent which he collected when living there, and shot with either a .22 LR single-shot or his 12 ga.

But I must admit that I have serious qualms over making that the prime focus of a hunt! And it seems that publications, videos and books have so over-emphasized “shooting a trophy” that it has become the main motivator of much hunting, as well as becoming a dominant economic factor for most businesses involved.

It is also the principle element that attracts an ill-proportioned degree of criticism from individuals and the media aimed at all hunters and hunting activities.

So, I must add that I wish there would be far less boasting and the presentation of the idea that “bigger is ALWAYS better”! Instead of asking: “How many points?”, or “How heavy was…”?, let’s try promoting the idea of “Did you enjoy your hunt?”, or “Was your hunt successful?”, or “Did you get refreshed from your time away?”

In other words: Let’s stress the hunt, its larger meaning, rather than “How much did your trophy score?” Surely, there are many other good reasons for hunting than just a need to get one’s name in the record books!

<Comradeship and bonding of father and son on a moose hunt to the far north of our province has had immense value to a lasting relationship. I’ve experienced the same thing in the same place with my second son, Phil. And we did score on a nice moose!

Frankly, I could care less if my name ever got on some trophy list or in a publication! And moreover is that so when I squeeze the trigger on any animal or bird. I’m thankful if it was a clean harvest. And “smaller” can be “trophies” too, when we consider all that was involved in the challenge. That’s why I’ve developed a particular love of black bear hunting! They pose particular challenges not offered in some other types — particularly a DIY type bear hunt.

Coming up…

HUNTING for MEAT!

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL