Choosing a “Best Load” for Your Rifle

Then, what is your rifle for which you want to choose a “best load”, assuming that is of interest or importance to you, whether a .223 Rem or .500 NE, or anything more or less?

Very early on I discovered a 53gr BTHP, .223-cal from my M7 Remington was “best” for groundhogs from 30 yards to 300+ yards. From the short barrel it was making over 3100 fps, was very accurate and, most importantly, did its intended job in an efficient manner. I’d tried others but settled on that one from Hornady. Interestingly, a bit later I thought it a good idea to give the Nosler Solid Base a try, not that the 53gr Hornady was lacking anything, but “just because”. Without going back in history for about three decades, I recall it was prior to the plastic “ballistic tip” .223-cal bullets. And if memory serves, it was a 52-53 gr BT with a pointed lead tip. I shot some groundhogs with it but was not as impressed as with the HP from Hornady — that always went through the varmints leaving a good-size hole with innards following the bullet for a few feet! The Nosler didn’t do that, though it killed them. It was obviously a tougher bullet, perhaps a multi-purpose one that would also work well on coyote. Whatever the case, on one incident I took a shot at a standing-up groundhog in nearly a-foot of tall grass, from 30-35 yards, and it disappeared from view in the uncut grass. When I found it, and rolled it over, there wasn’t any outward sign of a hit… no entrance or exit holes could be found, and no blood! But when I picked it up by the tail it was like a bag full of water! The bullet had done its job but in a far less dramatic fashion than the Hornady which always passed through with blood and guts that a three-year-old could discern and follow. I returned to the Hornady 53gr BTHP.

The above anecdote is a full commentary on testing bullets for both small and large game – though that entails some reflection and analysis in comparison with others.

TESTING BULLETS < These are 300gr Barnes TSX bullets in .458-caliber. The one on the right was fired into a box containing a 1″ thick catalogue, a 3″ thick nursing manual with hard plastic covers and glossy pages (donated by my wife, a retired nurse) and backed by 10 inches more of glossy (dry) magazines. The bullet retained about 100% of initial weight while penetrating the cardboard box front, catalogue, the nursing manual and another 4.5 inches of magazines while seriously damaging the remainder, and busting the end of the box open, scattering damaged magazines across several feet of crusty snow beyond the box that was itself pushed several feet away from the point of impact. It left the muzzle of my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT at ~ 2650 fps and impacted the test media at three yards from the muzzle. Based on very good accuracy from that load, plus those results in a tough media, I was certain it was good enough for an “any bear” hunt.

A lot of professional writers, and staff members of bullet producing firms, test bullets not only in ballistic gel initially, but on live game and sometimes on dead animals as well. If a “new” bullet is involved, and doesn’t meet certain criteria, it’s seldom written about, published or heard of again. If it’s dramatic in video results as could be useful in promo material, it’s often announced as “their greatest bullet ever!” The followup by the pro writers reports will likely be that it “worked great on game” – chosen in a particular context.

Whatever the proclamation of initial reports, by whomever, savvy hunters should wait for more trials, or do their own!

There are many ways of bullet testing prior to game killing, or wounding them. I’m sure that many of you know as much about that as I, or perhaps more so. But testing of a bullet for a “best load” involves at least the following:

1 – Its history, if it has one

2 – Load development for the rifle

3 – Testing both velocity and accuracy at the range

4 – Testing in media for expansion, penetration and weight retention

5 – If “all goes well”, it will likely go hunting sooner than later.

Some hunters/shooters (handloaders) are satisfied with the first step only. They “load up and go get’em some game”!

Others are a bit more conscientious; they go through the process of load development for their rifle, sight-in and go hunting.

A few will make certain of the MV and accuracy of their “best load”.

But a mere handful will test their “best load” in media for comparative results with other bullets. They are the “scientists” among us.

Some are hunters — the rifle and load is a tool.

Others are craftsmen: They are concerned about quality and perfection. Handloads and hunting are expressions of that.

A few are scientists: They want to know what, why and how.

But an unknown number are explorers and adventurers who hunt. They may also make precision handloads.

SIGHTING-IN

Yup, I sighted-in my first owned big-game centerfire rifle in a gravel pit from a standing offhand position. The distance was “about 50 yards” on a piece of cardboard! I haven’t ever done that again!

And I hope you haven’t either! But… I see some PH’s have their clients check the sight-in of their rifles by hitting a scrap of paper or cardboard tacked to a tree at “about fifty yards”, and if they hit it somewhere near the middle – they’re “good to go”! The PH’s expectations are based on…? Well, a Cape buff is a huge target even at 100 yards! But many are urged by the PH to take shots where I NEVER would… through heavy thorn bush! So… I guess the PH is thinking that minute-of-angle shots have no advantage in his real world.

< Three 250gr AccuBonds on July 6/15 into less than 1/2″ at 100 yards from my 9.3 x 62 is plenty good enough for any hunting to 400 yards. The load was adjusted 1-inch left, and at just over 2″ high was perfect for my purpose. Details: Hornady brass, WLRM primers, 3.37″ COL, 71 grs RL-17, corrected MV to 2712 fps average for 3 shots. Elevation @ 900 ft, Temp = 23*C/73*F, Recoil = 44.7 ft-lbs. BC of bullet = .493 giving a -23″ trajectory at 400 yards and 2068 fps/2375 ft-lbs of energy.

But MOA, or better, has important advantages anyway, whether that has any value in shooting through thorn bush or not. First and foremost, it gives confidence to the shooter to pick a “hole” through that thorn bush if it aligns with a vital spot on the beast! Furthermore, if the shooter has done his homework back home, he’ll not take the shot through thorn bush if it doesn’t align with a vital spot on “whatever”.

Secondly: If the shooter-hunter has put in the practice time necessary for getting the best accuracy possible from his/her chosen bullet-load, no longer is that a main concern for success in the field whether shooting from “sticks” of offhand. His focus will be to have a clear shot on vitals, knowing the bullet will hit where aimed and do it’s job.

“Doing it’s job” – that confidence — the most important feature of the hunt — will come as a result of at least the first three of the five points given at the beginning of this topic.

The “BEST LOAD” is the “best bullet” hitting the game where intended, under any sensible circumstance, with enough “power” to cleanly dispatch the animal within a “reasonable” distance.

A “REASONABLE DISTANCE”, means “safe” and “sane”, and not worrisome!

The IMPORTANCE of PRACTISING with the chosen load:This can not be over stressed! Even “bench” shooting as practice has significant value, though many advocates of “practising” say “Get off the bench” as soon as you have your load and do some realistic shooting under conditions that simulate hunting conditions. I’m all for that, but often it’s not possible for many hunters from the suburbs or urban areas. I do have access to Crown Land at about an hour’s drive from home, but even then we don’t practice during hunting seasons in those areas due to a couple of significant reasons: 1- Spooking game from their natural habitat, and 2 – We could be charged by CO’s for not only spooking game but other hunters as well! So, when I do some of that, it’s always in off seasons.

Yet bench shooting has great value: 1) For sighting in; 2) Becoming familiar with the rifle and load – it’s consistency; 3) Confidence in it’s accuracy; 4) Getting used to it’s recoil; and 5) Operation of the action that becomes habit forming (without looking) by feel only. Of course, some practice at home in operation of the action without ammo has some value as well, but it’s NOT the same as shooting live ammo!

Then there’s the possibility at many ranges of practice from a standing-offhand position. I did that with my first 1895 Marlin in practice for my first bear hunt, and could put three 400gr Speers into a 3″ circle at 100 yards. That builds first-hand experience with both rifle and load, and major faith in oneself is conceived. Similarly in regard to the .340 WBY: It’s only practice was at the range, yet when it came time to squeeze the trigger on a bull moose I had no qualms over being able to hit where aimed with those 250gr Partitions at 3000 fps in offhand shooting at 165 yards. Recoil wasn’t even an afterthought.

The main reason most hunter-shooters complain over the recoil of big-boomers, and say they’re not as accurate, is lack of practice with them. I’ll not say it’s as true of me today at age 86, and after having lost a lot of muscle strength due to last winter’s bout of severe arthritis, but in my 70’s I could shoot my .340 WBY and Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT – both having well over 50 ft-lbs of recoil – as well as I’ve ever shot a 25-06, a 6.5 x 55 or a 7-08 Remington. It’s a practice-thing and mind-thing! Not primarily a recoil-thing! Those who say it’s a recoil thing, haven’t done much, or any, shooting of the “big-boomers”… or they hated it from the beginning. Or their nervous system is very high-strung! That’s not condemnation, but pure, simple facts. To them I say: “Don’t do it, but also don’t insist that I can’t shoot a .458 Winchester Magnum as well as a .30-06 or a .243 Winchester. With the .340 WBY, I put the first two shots exactly where aimed at 165 yards to the animal from an offhand stance. I couldn’t have done better with a .243, a 7-08, a 30-06 or a .300 magnum… and that 340 was kicking me with 54 ft-lbs of recoil! That’s quite a bit more than a .375 H&H.

However, at this stage of life, I no longer want to cope with that degree of recoil on a regular basis, so I’ve elected to have muzzle brakes, add some weight and go with reduced loads. My goal is to have all loads for my .458 WM and 9.3 x 62 Mauser limited to not more than 40 ft-lbs of recoil.

< My Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 with its new muzzle brake. Those cartridges on the butt stock are loaded with 286gr Nosler Partitions. Four adds five ounces, plus three ounces for the muzzle brake, increasing overall weight to 8.2 lbs (with 3 cartridges in the clip and 1 in the chamber). The brake is to reduce recoil by up to 20%. So instead of the previous recoil at 48 ft-lbs from an MV of 2640 fps, and only 4 cartridges in the clip and chamber making a total weight of 7.7 lbs, the recoil from the current setup as seen in the pic should be reduced to 71% of its former recoil, at 34 ft-lbs. Those in the stock holder have been tested at 2583 fps/ 4236 ft-lbs, using two grains less of RL-17 than formerly at 2640 fps. The reduction from 48 ft-lbs to 34 ft-lbs IS VERY SIGNIFICANT, but the addition of 1/2 lb as to carry weight is insignificant, and so is the loss of 57 fps.

Of course, “felt” recoil is a variable thing, depending on many factors other than just the shooter: Stock shape and material in addition to the overall weight of the rifle, for some examples. My four Browning A-Bolts (LH) in .300 Win, .338 Win, .375 H&H and .340 WBY, all seemed to absorb some of the recoil in their synthetic stocks – they had some flex in them. They wen’t “flexible”, as in being able to bend them, or as in “softer” synthetic material, but as in the stocks absorbing some of the energy before it reached my shoulder. No doubt the 26″ barrels also had a positive effect in some control of muzzle “jump” as well. And a good butt pad is also mandated.

Another significant fact that tends to discourage much practice is the cost of today’s component bullets. And the greater their ability to retain 90% to 100% of their initial weight, the more costly they’ll be. And that’s far more true of large calibers over small and intermediate calibers.

I have five suggestions for big-bore shooters:

1) Become a handloader.

2) Cast your own – or buy cast.

3) Buy on special deals – auctions, online, store sales and individuals getting out of “Big Bores”.

4) Be content to shoot “enough”, not like you would if shooting a .243 Win.

5) There’s at least some truth in “getting off the bench” when you have that “best load”. As stated, if the range you shoot at gives permission for standing offhand practice, then do at least some of that, or find a safe place (with permission) to “field practice”. This is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY if we want best results from “a best load”, AND LET’S STOP WHINING OVER THE RECOIL of OUR BIG BORES as an excuse for poor field accuracy!

<I recently got these at a “bargain-basement” price at my favorite emporium. The “normal” cost would have been at least twice of what I paid!

And “a best load” in this context is for hunting purposes, not target shooting! While field accuracy is very important, terminal effect (TE) is of crucial importance!

Moreover, let’s be honest with ourselves! If we can’t mentally, emotionally or physically endure (after adequate trial and experience) the “kick” of ANY rifle, including a .270 Winchester and its ilk, it needs to “go down the road” to someone who can get the best from “a best load”.

I’ve fired thousands of .223 Remington loads, and literally thousands of .458-caliber loads – 90% of which were maximum. That’s about 3.6 ft-lbs vs. up to about 80 ft-lbs, with an average of at least 50 ft-lbs. My health and life expectancy hasn’t been lengthened by shooting a couple of .223 Remingtons, nor shortened by shooting a dozen .458-caliber rifles! No bones were broken, and the arthritic attacks were due to an inherited faulty autoimmune system. But getting punched in my left shoulder to the tune of 54 ft-lbs every time I squeezed the trigger on my .340 WBY became as normal to me as the 3.6 ft-lbs from the .223 Remingtons.

How could that be so? Well, the .340 was preceded by my first handloaded rifles in .30-06, followed by 7mm Mags, 300 Mags, .338 Win Mags and .375 H&H Mags, plus a few in .45-70 and one in .458 WM. You get over focusing on recoil, and concentrate on accuracy. That’s how!< A recent load from my Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum… at 50 yards. Recoil was a mere 23 ft-lbs from a 250gr MonoFlex/.458-cal at 2610 fps. Not close to a maximum load that could make over 3000 fps from my Ruger No.1H. That’s “only” 3781 ft-lbs from a rifle capable of 6000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. That is a bear and deer load.

Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Why I Liked My Ruger M77 in .458 Winchester Magnum

The M77 Ruger in .458 Winchester Magnum was bought first of all because a .458 Winchester Magnum was the greatest Big Bore in my view that could fulfil that dream – but I couldn’t afford one new, and couldn’t rationalise it.

With a lot more experience and a better economic status, the used Ruger M77 in .458 Win appeared very attractive. In fact, visually it was very appealing with that heavy barrel and the big hole in it – the same as my Marlin in .45-70.

This one is identical to mine except for the scope and the 24″ barrel – mine had a 22″

And finally, the price was just too good to pass up… at $400 barely used!

Having been a handloader for several years, I more or less had a rational idea of expectations. Then came dies, cases and bullets. Some of the components were simply from what I’d been using in the Marlin – powders and some bullets. But I wanted to give the heavies a try – after all that was the “raison d’etre” of a big .458! So the 500gr RN from Hornady was the logical choice. But I’d warmed up progressively to the 500 level through many 300s, 350s and 400s going down the barrel. But those 500s from Hornady identified the essence of the Ruger M77. I still maintain a record of those experiences.

Yet my thoughts and motives in purchasing the Ruger were somewhat more subtle than “just wanting” a .458. As I’ve previously described in some detail that what “I really wanted” was a slightly used Ruger No.1 in .45-70 (I couldn’t justify a new one at the time at close to a thousand), I though this Ruger M77 could act as a “stand in” until a second-hand #1 in .45-70 showed up – which eventually happened at the same dealership, and the M77 was traded on the #1.

In the meantime, however, the M77 digested hundreds of rounds, many of which were those Hornady 500gr. And it also went on a moose hunt and a bear hunt – separately.

During that marriage, I became increasingly fond of the M77: both in handloading and hunting. It was very easy to make a variety of handloads for, though the 500s were always the most accurate. And it was rather compact in hunting with the “.30-06 length” action and relatively short 22″ barrel. I never weighed it, but an educated guess would put it at about 9.5 to 9.75 lbs with scope and ammo. It was both light enough for carry in hunting and heavy enough to minimize felt recoil – at least I never had any angst over it’s recoil. To be fair, however, handloads were never maxed out. The 500s for hunting were just over 2000 fps. That load was backup for a moose hunt. The bear load was the 350gr Speers at a modest 2345 fps, but not as accurate as the 500s – which would routinely shoot three into a ragged hole when I was in a good mood! The 350s went into less than 1.5″ for three – good enough for a bear at not more than 100 yards.

The rifle itself, pleased me. It was very well built (typical of Ruger in my experience), rugged in appearance and in fact. I once removed the barrel and action from the stock, and was very surprised and pleased to see all the stout metal attaching the barrel to the stock, designed to protect and strengthen the walnut stock against the recoil it might have to endure with full loads.

The balance was perfect when loaded, and operating the bolt when loaded was both smooth and firm. Never a hitch.

In hunting, it was first employed as a backup for my .338 Sako FS for moose. That happened about a four hour’s drive north of home, just NW of Algonquin Park. A small group of us had previously hunted there, so we were somewhat familiar with the country. I had a bull tag and there was another with the cabin rental. But the weather in early October was very uncooperative with being hit by a nasty fall storm. One day we were holed up completely with winds of 50 – 60 mph bringing down trees all around. The next day the storm was leaving, but winds still had gusts to 40 mph. We went hunting and I took the more rugged M77 in .458. Naturally, no moose out and about but I felt more comfortable and confident with that rifle than the Sako FS in .338. The load was those 500gr Hornadys at ~ 2025 fps. And I had no worries for the rifle itself even if a tree fell on it!

No one caught up with a moose on that trip.

The rifle chosen for a particular bear hunt, in a new area for outfitter and guide Norm Easto, was the M77 Ruger in .458 Win. That was to the NE of our province, and SE of Algonquin Park. The load was the 350gr Speers at the mentioned 2345 fps/4273 ft-lbs – plenty adequate for a big bruin inside 100 yards. The average range of Norm’s setups was about 65 yards. It turned out that the bait he put me on was new, no one had previously hunted it. Range was 70 yards from the ground blind to where the bear was shot – about 20 yards past the bait as the bear was heading towards the forest, away from me and the bait setup.

It was a going-away shot and the 350gr Speer hit the bruin in the liver and passed through taking out about six to eight inches of spine before removing part of its skull at the back of its head, going off somewhere into the forest beyond. The angle was a slight uphill shot.

< The 350gr Speer load.

It’s very easy to become attached to a particular rifle and caliber. I must have been born with genes that tell me that a barrel with a big hole in it is better for dangerous game and larger ones. That’s what I’m drawn to if those big hammers have adequate power to hurl their massive projectiles into the vitals of big and onerous beasts within range.

The Ruger M77 in .458 Winchester Magnum perfectly fit that mold!

It was compact and powerful… like a Mike Tyson!

It was handsome in my eye…

It would digest anything fed it, without complaints….

It never screwed-up….

It rewarded me with a sense of compatibility, companionship, competence and being reliable.

“Enough is enough”, and the Ruger M77 was just that for me. But each hunter has their own expectations and desires. That’s legitimate. In my view, however, most often hunters choose what was handed down to them, or recommended by a friend, or what the “majority” use. Then there are other motives without much thought or investigation. That may work out for a time, or a lifetime. But often the independent – thinking hunter will evaluate his personal interests, desires and needs, and make choices based on that.

Such has been the evolution of my thoughts, desires, choices and experiences. I’ve no regrets other than letting that Ruger M77 in .458 Winchester Magnum get away from me.

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But then…

There are OUTFITTERS and there are SINGLE-SHOT rifles… Could they have a marriage that’s lasting?

I’m sure it has happened, but rarely in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Why?

There have been times and places when an outfitter or PH has had to “beg, borrow or steal” whatever firearm he could find that would allow him to keep his job. So, that may have been a single-shot something… or other! But the norm in the 20th and 21st Centuries is a bolt-action repeater or side by side double. And there are good enough reasons for that.

Since they are bound to protect their clients lives, by times that means having to go into thick, dangerous places to find and KILL a wounded (by the client) dangerous beast! Or… quite a few times they must quickly dispatch a fleeing wounded one, hitting it in the rear. Now, the back end isn’t as large a target as broadside or even a quartering-away or toward one. Then there’s the problem of the wounded beast not cooperating by leaving in a straight line! And a few other problematic conditions, such as brush and trees the beast is desperately trying to hide in! Or, the reverse might happen – instead of fleeing, the grizzly, Cape buff or elephant might instinctively decide to charge it’s assailants. This is when the PH or guide earns his keep – by placing himself between the beast and client!

So, it’s quite understandable, in everyone’s view, that a double-barrel big-bore rifle, or single-barrel repeater is much more appropriate for that onerous task than a single-shot, no matter how powerful… though he might in the end only get off an aimed single shot!

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YET! As much as I liked the M77 Ruger in .458 Winchester Magnum, I like my Ruger No.1H Tropical even more! The main reasons are:

1) I’ve had greater opportunities to spend time with it in the full development of it’s potential: I’ve tried more loads, including a greater variety of bullets than I ever did in the M77. It has had less competition from other rifles allowing me to focus almost uniquely on the Ruger No.1H Tropical in .458 WM over the past three years.

2) It has increased my confidence to NOT depend on multiple shots. While I gained a great deal of confidence in the use of my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT, I still had several other big game rifles, that were “repeaters”, that I could fall back on if I thought they were more appropriate for certain conditions. So it had “competition”. But having learned through experience that “only one shot” is really needed from a BIG BORE with accurate shooting, I’ve stopped depending on repeaters. I still have one… but will it get used for any big game hunting? That’s a question for which I don’t currently have an answer, considering my age and how many more BG hunts I’ll do… but it will be shot at the range along with the single-shot .458.

3) It isn’t “just another rifle”, it’s very special even among it’s peers: Ruger is only making a few No.1s, and those for LIPSEYS which are priced over two grand! And we’ll probably never see another in .458 WM. Then the “used” market is empty of No.1s in .458 Winchester Magnum as well. Shooters and hunters who own ’em are keepin’ ’em.

But it’s unique in another sense – the whole package put together by Ruger. Some have copied or tried to improve the design and product: Dakota and Browning for examples, and a few custom jobs, but none have ever come close to producing the numbers that Ruger has, which has made costs unapproachable for the average customer compared to Ruger.

4) Then there’s the beauty and balance: I’ve never been wealthy as measured by earthly standards – mostly middle class – but I’ve managed over time to own a few dozen rifles (not all at the same time), some of which I had a fondness for, and a few were both mechanically and aesthetically pleasing, but none has surpassed (in form, structure and beauty as a package) my Ruger No.1H Tropical in .458 Winchester Magnum. And a major part of it’s “beauty” is the barrel and it’s chambering. If it ever became a “Safe Queen”, it would be most unhappy, and so would I. <This was a real-life hunting experience in 2020. I had both bear and wolf tags. That is my Ruger No.1H in .458 WM.

It’s pic is up there on the header. In shooting from my left side, I use a 1″ nylon sling over my right elbow (out at 90 degrees) as a brace. In that way I can hold the 10.65 lbs steady for several seconds in aiming – it also helps in management of recoil and operation of the action with my left hand – in a standing offhand position. Otherwise I use a rest for the rifle.

Till the next… Choosing a BEST LOAD for your Rifle

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A SINGLE-SHOT Rifle in a Big Bore is… P3

…suitable for what?

In P2, I briefly described a couple of brown bear hunts on the Alaskan Peninsula, and gave a brief summary from my perspective in suggesting a large bore single-shot rifle could have been at least as effective, and perhaps more so in consideration of what I witnessed after three complete viewings of the two hour video. That’s my unchanged belief without ever having hunted brown bear.

< This rifle is a near twin to my former A-Bolt in .375 H&H SS in LH, which it replaced. It’s a .338 Win Mag re-chambered to a .340 WBY.

In the first hunt the client used what might be described as the quintessential rifle and cartridge for such an Alaskan hunt. The rifle was identical to one I’d owned several years ago in .375 H&H – a Browning A-Bolt SS in a left-hand action. The hunter’s was a slightly later version with the adjustable muzzle brake. His loads were not divulged, but if they were the 300gr Nosler Partition, 2600 fps would have been easily possible. So what I’m about to do here is make a comparison between a Browning A-Bolt in .375 H&H firing the 300gr Partitions at 2600 fps, and my current Ruger No.1H Tropical in .458 Winchester Magnum shooting a 550gr Woodleigh at 2100 fps. The distance at which the first hunter’s brown bear was shot at four times was 250 yards – with one miss. The idea is to give evidence to the notion that a single-shot BIG BORE could have been more efficient/effective to the ultimate demise of that 10-ft bear – assuming one good shot through vitals. Of course, as in the case of that hunter, bullets don’t always hit where intended on a running animal. Surely, if the first 300gr Partition had hit the shoulder it may have “dumped” the bear right there, allowing careful placement of a second or third shot as needed.

Nonetheless, my contention will be that the .458 load has at least twice the potential of the .375 load based on physics, assuming one could place that first shot into the shoulder or heart-lungs.

The physics of the loads at 250 yards:

.375 H&H = 2137 fps/3043 ft-lb/Momentum = 91.6/ CSA = .110 sq-in/ SD = .305/ TE = 87.3

(The above highlighted numbers are for comparative purposes in using the same math and method for any cartridge and bullet at impact. The momentum number is bullet weight x impact velocity / 7000 to make it manageable, and the TE number (Terminal Effect) is a slight modification of Dr Ron Berry’s work, in which I’ve simply moved the decimal to the right (multiplying by 100) and calling it TE (as previously) for simplicity’s sake.)

75 grs powder/Rifle total weight = 10 lbs (9.3 lbs for rifle and scope and .7 lbs for 9 rounds ammo @ 4 + 5 in butt stock cartridge holder. I know the clip magazine holds 3, plus 1 in the chamber. His rifle had an additional 5 or more in a cartridge holder on the butt stock.)

Recoil = 39.8 ft-lbs, less 15% from muzzle brake = 34 ft-lbs

Trajectory at 250 yds with 200 yard zero = -3.66″

********************< My current Ruger No.1H Tropical in .458 WM

.458 Win Mag = 1631 fps/3249 ft-lbs/ Momentum = 128.2/ CSA = .165 sq-in/ SD = .375/ TE = 183.4

75 grs powder/Rifle total weight = 10.65 lbs (10.3 lbs for rifle and scope, and .35 lbs for total of 5 cartridges (1 in chamber + 4 in stock holder).

Recoil = 60.9 ft-lbs, less 15% from muzzle brake = 51.75 ft-lbs

Trajectory at 250 yds with 200 yard zero = -6.28″

********************

A subjective evaluation of this data would depend on the individual’s perspective and experience. From mine, I’d be quite sure of being capable of placing a single 550gr into the shoulder or lungs of that mobile bear, since it was broadside – or I wouldn’t shoot! Whether the hunter in the video felt confident or not, he was pressured by the outfitter to do so – NOW! It wasn’t like that was the final day of the hunt!

Secondly, I’d be certain of its sudden demise on the spot if the first bullet hit where intended! Otherwise, the effect of recoil from a single shot from the .458 would be less than the cumulative effect of several from a .375 H&H.

That is NOT to say that the 550gr at 2100 would be my only choice. If the range were shorter, say 150 yards max, I’d load the 550gr to about 1800 fps – which I’m currently planning to do, God willing, this spring for a black bear hunt. But there are multiple other choices, with less recoil and flatter trajectories, that would still out-perform the .375 H&H and Ruger .375, even at 250 or 400 yards… a good 400gr at 2400 for example. Recoil from my rifle would be about 40 – 41 ft-lbs and 108 TE at 250 yards – more than enough for the biggest bear that ever walked the earth! One shot and DRT! (BTW – the old 400gr X-Bullet has left the muzzle of my Ruger No.1 Tropical at a staggering 2590 fps, and 5957 ft-lbs of KE – if you believe in KE.

As concerning the potential advantage of a bolt-action repeater: They hold from 3 to 6 additional cartridges in a magazine under the bolt. Depending on the individual working the bolt, and depending on the precision of the working parts, and the cartridge in use, this might be an advantage in the case of a close quarters encounter with a dangerous game animal for saving one’s bacon – or so we’re led to believe.

That’s the sole advantage, with several assumptions – but it’s not a given, as pointed out in the preceding material. As mentioned more than enough times, I’ve witnessed too many occasions where, under stress, even “pros” have had jams – sometimes due to the rifle or ammo, and sometimes due to poor manipulation of the bolt and rifle. One such occasion was by a professional and TV personality. He is also an outfitter. Just like Craig Boddington, Harry Selby and Bob Mitchell, he was shooting a right-handed bolt-action repeater from the left side. The hunt was Cape buff. On the first shot the buff was facing him and took off like the devil was after it through thick thorn bush. No second shot for what seemed like 1/2 hour or so – of course some parts were edited to keep the video from becoming too long. When they finally caught up, it looked like the buff was still in good form and still facing him. He worked the bolt rapidly for a second shot and…!!! A JAM!!! Then the buff just stood there in the bush looking at him, I guess wondering what all the fuss was about! A jam caused by short stroking the bolt or the cartridge clearing the magazine too fast at an angle – not straight in. Finally? …not really, but he managed to get off another shot and the Cape buffalo took off again! But it was bleeding from a couple of holes… so the crew caught up again and the commander in chief gave the order to “shoot again!” Guess what? No, you won’t… there wasn’t a cartridge in the chamber! “CLICK”! Well, he did finally get another or two into the woeful beast and it fell over!

Now, you may think that’s extreme… until you find yourself in a like situation! Remember our brief discussion on different sides of the brain? The left side for rational thought and the right for emotion? Sometimes the two sides are not talking to each other! It’s alright to have emotions in the proper context, but when faced with “black death”? Well, the right side of the brain might start screaming and not able to hear the left side! That can cause a screw-up in a big hurry!

But out-of-control emotion isn’t the only cause of a repeating rifle not repeating as it is supposed to do. The more that’s demanded of any mechanical device the more the possibility of “haywire” happening! And a repeating bolt-action rifle is more complicated than a falling-block single. Experts of the bolt will deny this of course, but hear me out:

< This was my former CZ550 in .458 Win Mag on a moose hunt to the “True North” of my home province of Ontario – 1000 miles from home! It was loaded with 350gr TSX’s at 2700 fps from a full dose of RL-7 at my home range with warmer climes. After the hunt, when tested at the range at colder temps, it lost close to 100 fps! I swiftly changed powders to H4198 for a stable load and an increase of 50 fps. But the fact is that I would gladly have taken my current .458 WM in a Ruger No.1 (single-shot) if I had owned it at the time. The CZ has a 25″ barrel and the long Mauser-type action allowing a COL of 3.47″ for that load. The 24″ No.1 will easily give those results from the same amount of H4198, and is consistent regardless of ambient conditions. But the Ruger is five inches shorter without that long magazine. The CZ was fine in open surroundings – as seen here – but in tight places (alders and brush) its length became cumbersome. The possibility was there for a long shot, and either rifle could handle a 400 yard shot with ease. But in tight surroundings, I’d much prefer the shorter Ruger, and ballistics was ideal for that scenario as well. The point, again, is: I’d not feel less compatible with the single-shot Ruger than I would with the much longer CZ.

Assuming that all parts of a bolt-action repeater are precise and work together as near perfection requires, and in the hands of an expert bolt-action shooter who’s not under the pressure of a life or death situation (like shooting at paper targets), they are indeed faster than any equally qualified single-shot shooter. But how often in the field is that called for? 50% of the time? Hardly! Perhaps 10%? Not in my experience, or of the many I’ve hunted with. So, let’s say I go to Africa to primarily hunt a Cape buff? Should I choose a bolt repeating rifle in an appropriate caliber over an equally appropriate caliber in a “single-shot”, if I were as competent with one as the other? You’d have a tough time convincing me to favor one over the other.

< That’s a big brute, and by its stance and look I’d favor a 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore at 2100 fps, low between neck and shoulder, over a 300gr anything at 2600 fps. To match the Woodleigh in momentum alone, it would have to speed from the muzzle at 3850 fps!

IF… I chose a bolt rifle over a single-shot, I’d want that bolt rifle to be trued and polished and gone over by a master gunsmith. There are too many sharp metal corners, springs and angles to assume my life would be safe just in buying the “best” – whatever that means – bolt rifle going from the nearest emporium! I’ve never had an issue with a Ruger single-shot, and I’ve owned several, but I have with a number of new bolt-actions and lever-actions. Have you ever had the floor plate of your big-bore, big-game bolt repeater dump the load? I have! At a critical moment on a bear hunt! The recoil of a big-bore rifle can be very hard on sensitive parts… like stocks, springs and floor plates!

But the fastest action is a semi or full auto. I’ve owned a couple big-game semis – a BAR in 7 Rem Mag and a Rem 7400 in .35 Whelen. Interestingly, the Whelen was used on a couple of bears and either a second shot wasn’t possible or not needed. Apart from snipers, militaries around the world have opted out of bolt-action repeaters. Too bulky and slow.

Then there’s that bolt handle – not really convenient in a scabbard or even a gun case. And we must be careful about the scope we mount that it doesn’t interfere with the bolt’s operation.

And the operation of the whole mechanical device: IN theory one is supposed to operate it from the shoulder in loading a cartridge or two, three, etc, but in principle most operate it by taking it down from the shoulder! In such scenarios, an expert with a single shot can load (not “could load”) another as fast. Not everyone is a Phil Shoemaker or Bob Fritz, both experts and champions with bolt-action rifles – in fact very few are!

How can I load a second shot for my BIG BORE single-shot in 5 seconds being ready to shoot again? (Yeah, I know the “experts” can do a bolt gun in 2.5 sec.)

I shoot from my left side, so just reverse to the right side for right-handers:< That was my bolt CZ in .458

Unless you are a speed reader, it will take much longer to read this than to do it!

aim

safety off

pull trigger

muzzle goes up

hit the lever with the back of my left (trigger) hand

case ejected

lower muzzle end of rifle by right hand holding where I would in shooting

pick cartridge from holder near my left hand without looking (keeping eyes on game)

drop cartridge into breech by feel with “thunk” (keeping eyes on game)

raise lever with left hand (keeping eyes on game)

raise rifle with right hand

aim

fire

repetition optional (rarely) – but practice reduces time for a precise second shot.

The breech block on the Farquharson, Ruger falling block type action, is perhaps the strongest of any type action. Nothing to wear out or fall apart!

And I much prefer the tang safety to ANY wing-type.

Now in defence of bolt-actions: I’ve owned more than any other type.< That was my .340 WBY, and I weighed 190 lbs and the moose about 6x that.

And I’ve handloaded one and all.

Til the next… all in a single and final blog on this theme: “Why I liked my M77 Ruger (bolt action repeater) in .458 Winchester Magnum”… followed by “Outfitters and single-shots”… and that will be followed by “Why I like my Ruger No.1H Tropical in .458 more than my former M77 Ruger in .458” – though I’d still like to have one like it today.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A SINGLE-SHOT RIFLE in a Big Bore is… P2

…suitable for what?

We continue with that theme

The MASTERS of the art of ONE shot – Making it more than enough

Becoming a MASTER of any discipline suggests accomplishment well above average. A Master’s degree in a specific field from a university is usually rewarded by greater recognition in society with better economic status. That’s usually, but not always! It largely depends on the field of accomplishment, the individual’s ability to market themselves and who they know. To become successful one must actually know something that’s marketable in today’s society as well as somebody important in that field.

A number of years ago about half of my responsibilities were in travel within Canada, the USA and Europe, as Canadian head of a mission organisation, and I was sitting in the Hamilton airport waiting for the fog to clear so my flight could take off – which didn’t happen that day. While waiting, I entered into conversation with a bright looking young man. He had a Master’s degree in English but was driving a taxi in Hamilton – waiting for an opening for placement as a teacher. The only openings that had been available for the past year or so was in Intermediate school and they said they couldn’t hire him because the pay scale would be below his Master’s level… he was too educated to be hired, and his Master’s wasn’t marketable in Ontario’s educational system anyway, but it didn’t keep him from driving a taxi! He’d decided to go back to university for a doctor’s degree in medicine. He was not trained for what he wanted to do, and didn’t qualify for the pay scale expected! But, at least he’d convinced himself that driving a taxi for the rest of his life was far less appealing than a few more years of graduate work!

So when I speak of being a Master of the ONE shot…. it has something to do with skill and training, but more to do with desire and hard work! “Heart” for it is the key! Not different really than becoming a master of the bow! Or to use John Barsness’ words to define distinctiveness in the use of rifles: some he refers to as “generalists” and others as “specialists” – identifying himself as a “generalist”. That would be someone who uses multiple rifles of various styles and calibers. A “specialist” is someone who’s main focus might be varmint cartridges, or big bores, or even a single caliber such as a .50-cal ML. Then, some spend their spare time and money on competitive shooting. I know such a guy, and have met up with him at the range going back for thirty years. He’s now a retired anesthesiologist and somewhat crippled, but when he shows up it is always with a couple or more of his highly specialised, heavy barrelled, single-shot target rifles.

To become a master of the one-shot is similar to the retired doctor who now competes with himself – that’s dedication and perseverance. He’s been devoted to his passion. Very rarely does he show up with a rifle that holds more than one.

To become a Master of the ONE Shot means we often leave our bolt-action repeaters at home when we go to the range. At the very least, it means we shoot our singles AS MUCH AS the repeaters!

Other than aesthetics, which is somewhat subjective, what are the field advantages, if any?

Being comfortable within ourselves in using a BIG-BORE single-shot rifle for a particular BG hunt, I’m thinking “overkill” – that’s what I want! I want – insist on – a bullet and load that will do more than it has to. The psychological factor is: If two, maybe three shots might be called for to finish the job, then I want a load that will finish the job with a single shot, right there, DRT!

That was my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. Range to the bait to the left of the tree was 135 yards. The right side trees are east – a ravine beyond that. The trees beyond the bait is north. That’s where the Queen Elizabeth 11 Wild Lands Conservation Area is. It is wild and no hunting permitted there.

<This is the ammo on that hunt – 300gr Barnes TSX at 2650 fps.

<And this is a bear that showed up when I was absent! It was a good 350 – 400 pounder! That was at 8:59 A.M. !

To put a face on this, I’ll share some details of two Alaskan Peninsula brown bear hunts that I recently watched on YouTube for 2 hours. It was videoed by the outfitter-guide, and involved two clients, one following the other. Both hunters were successful and took a brown bear each: the first a bear slightly over 10 feet and the other just under 10 feet.

The outfitter, quite well known, was in his mid forties and very experienced. His rifle was in .375 H&H. The first hunter was in his mid-sixties, average size and physically fit. His rifle was also in .375 H&H with handloads, and it appeared he was well practised at home in the Lower 48. The hunt was for ten days. It was a spring hunt that involved a few days of waiting for the bears to get moving. By the second day of the actual hunt, several were sighted but none close enough to camp so they went over a mountain, that was on a salt water shore line, to track down a good bear sighted from camp. When they finally sighted the bear again it was moving at a good pace well below them and within a few seconds would be disappearing behind a cliff and into thick brush. The camera gave one angle and the hunter was to the right and below that. But I was thinking: “He’d better shoot as that bear is about to disappear!” The guide shouts: “Shoot now”! The hunter was seated on a sharp ridge of the mountain with his rifle pointed at the bear waiting for the guide’s command to shoot, and it seemed like a delay before I see the first shot that sends water (It had been raining for a few days) and steam from near the top and back end of the bear! The bear kept going! Another shot – all the camera picked up was the back line of the bear- a hit – looked like a close spine hit. “Shoot again!” yelled the guide… another shot fired that hit the earth well before it reached the beast that was fast disappearing. Finally, a fourth at the animal that had disappeared from the view of the camera. Then congrats from the guide as they ran toward where the bear was supposed to be. Instead of a dead bear flattened on the side of the mountain, they saw a bear rolling down the mountain, over the cliff and into a thick alder-choked stream with huge boulders and strewn with sharp rocks — about 300 yards below them! The shots, BTW were from 250 yards according to the guide, but from the time in which a first shot could have been fired until the hunter got comfortable seated and mounted his rifle involved several critical seconds. And from the time of the first shot to the last the bear had travelled some distance – probable at least fifty yards. The following two days were spent retrieving the skull and hide. The outfitter said that was one of the toughest hunts he’d ever conducted! Or language to that effect.

< That’s a black bear rug from a good black bear. It was shot by my first 1895 Marlin in .45-70. This Marlin is my second in .45-70. The first shot put the bear on its back in an alder patch. A second was insurance. The Ruger on the left was my second. It has the extended throat. I would have had ample time to have done the same thing with a single-shot as I did with the Marlin repeater.

My observations and thoughts on the first hunter: The mid-sixties hunter was in good form, good natured and meticulous. It took him a while to shoot after the command. His shooting was excellent but slow in my opinion. In my view a larger bore, more powerful rifle would have been better (also the guide said he considered a .375 H&H to be better than a .300 mag or .338 mag for those 10 foot bears), and secondly, an accomplished hunter/shooter armed with a single-shot big-bore rifle could have fired as many aimed shots within the same time frame. To his credit, the hunter was aiming his shots, not just blasting away. Again, in my thinking a more powerful, larger bore rifle was called for in that particular urgent situation. But there again, hunters of DG tend to rely on multiple shots. There was ample time for a single shot to be placed where it would do the most good. But everything was rushed because of not seeing “the right bear” til that bear, that was fast disappearing from sight.

The second client, that came a couple of days later, was ten years younger, a big man in stature and ready to “roll”. He was totin’ a .338 Lapua with handloads. Incessant rain followed for nearly a week! By then more bears were out, but not about due to the weather. Because the first client was done in four days on a ten day hunt, the outfitter added those days to the next client so he’d have a chance on a good bear because of being “holed up” in tents for nearly a week.

So up they went on the same mountain, and almost following the script of the first bear, it was shot several times by the .338 Lapua on the far side of the mountain with the same results – it rolled or fell or stumbled (all that off camera) into the same stream on the 12th day (I think – I sort of lost track of exactly how many). And two more days to retrieve the skull and hide. I know there were at least four shots fired from the .338 Lapua. Would one shot in the right place have been enough? I’ve no doubt that less rushing to “get ‘er dun” would have saved a lot of time and expense of energy in the end. Four “rushed” shots from the .338 Lapua would have given me ample time for at least two from my Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum, had a second been needed as insurance! The farthest any shots were fired by the two hunters was 250 yards.

The old adage again: “It’s where you hit ’em”, but also what you hit ’em with!

<This 6-footer took one shot from my 9.3 x 62 and made 20 yards on a dead run… it died in stride without a sound. But those teeth caused some reflection when skinned the next day…. What about a brown bear that’s twice as large?

The point of the foregoing should be obvious: Assuming MASTERY of a BIG BORE single-shot, and an excellent premium bullet such as a North Fork or Woodleigh, carefully placed into vitals (brain, spine, heart-lungs) should be more than ample. The “insurance” could then be paid!

When I shot a bull moose with my .340 Wby Mag, I ended up shooting it three times. All good hits where aimed. But there was ample time to have used my first Ruger #1 in .45-70 (not modified) to have fired three aimed shots. But I doubt three would have been necessary. I used my .340 as the main rifle because of potential distances – anything up to 600 yards was possible in the clearcuts. I shot the moose at 165 yards, and it didn’t travel more than a yard after the first shot. None were CNS. Two through lungs at 165 and a third at 35 yards when spooked by my son getting too close, and it stood up in a very wobbly condition — I gave it another in the rump and it went down to stay.

The moral of that story is that unless you hit a big bull moose in the shoulders or spine, they can absorb a lot of lead, and may travel some distance before being retrieved. However, I’m convinced that a bigger hole through the lungs would cause a much faster loss of blood pressure and a quicker demise of the beast. I’ve seen it in bear killings. But the “right bullet” must be used – and that’s a topic that has been discussed here in specific blogs.

So, the complex answer as to why I choose to often use a BIG BORE single-shot rifle for big game hunting – is in summation of the foregoing:

1) I like ’em!

2) They are a special challenge, and teach discipline

3) Only one shot is necessary (usually). Anything I’ve killed using a single-shot, died from a single shot.

4) They kill like nothing else – being a BIG BORE, IF…

5) They are used by a MASTER of the ONE SHOT!

AND! … I’ve watched kills of African BG, including Cape buffalo, where the hunters used single-shot Rugers. Another was on a Newfoundland black bear… one shot and done! That was in 450-400. Etc…

You’d like something more upscale than a Ruger No.1 ? Check this out: Google, JT Haug – Hagn Single Shot Takedown, Dangerous Game Rifle, .470 N.E.

Til the next… The Advantages and Disadvantages of a bolt-action repeating rifle vs a BIG BORE single-shot – P3

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A SINGLE-SHOT Rifle in a Big-Bore is… P1

… suitable for what?

“Suitable” is a stronger concept than “adequate” when applied to hunting big game (BG), and dangerous game (DG) in particular. Most hunters of each class of game would think that way, I believe. “Adequate” is just OK, but “suitable” means it suits the occasion. Some authors use the expression: “perfectly suitable” – I’m unsure how an adverb increases the concept of something being more than just suitable! “Excellent”, on the other hand, would mean there’s nothing better. While several distinct rifle cartridges could legitimately be referred to as “an excellent choice” for specific species of game under particular conditions, are they downgraded in our thinking to just “adequate” because they are in a single-shot rifle? That which follows is with intent to cause further reflection on the issue…

< The Ruger #1 in .45-70 LT in this bear blind was loaded with the 500gr Hornady RN Interloc. The load was 75 grains of H335 in Remington nickel brass, ignited by WLRM primers for an average of 1.25″ for three at 100 yards. COL was 3.19″ and MV at 2190 fps/ 5324 ft-lbs.

In perusing several rifle-related Internet sites there is a lot of diverse thinking and experience in regard to our topic. And I expect the same from any responses I may get from readers. So, let me say up front that I’m fully aware of arguments both ways – for and against, and I’ve previously written on this theme. I’ve used single-shots, bolt-action repeaters, and semi-autos in field use for big game hunting. Also, currently I’ve pared-down my BG rifles to two (2): a single-shot Ruger #1 in .458 Winchester Magnum and a Tikka T3 Lite bolt-action repeater in 9.3 x 62 Mauser. So I don’t have a particular bias of one type of action over another for general use. In my experience, both have some advantages and disadvantages, which I’ll discuss later.

The question remains, however, about the suitability of single-shot rifles for BG hunting, including the possibility of DG.

That there are single-shot rifles available, and still newly made, that are chambered for big-bore cartridges suitable for any large or dangerous game should tell us that there’s a market for them. Ruger alone has chambered its Number One for several cartridges suitable for the largest of game, including DG: .405 Winchester, .375 H&H, 450-400, .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, .458 Winchester Magnum and .45-70. Most recently it’s been in the .450 Marlin. Then, the only issue as to enough “power” is suitable propellants and bullets — of which there are more than enough.

So then, the remaining concerns are two: the shooter and the rifle.

I doubt that any history book on African hunting would omit reference to Frederick Courteney Selous who used a black-powder four-bore muzzle loader for most of his elephant kills that numbered into hundreds! He is still celebrated for his love of adventure in wild places, knowledge of flora and fauna, pioneering spirit, hardy physique, intelligence, fearlessness and loyalty to The Crown of England having died in battle from a sniper’s bullet during a war on African soil. That’s the shooter, and his rifle was a single-shot for most of his hunting career. The history of the development of firearms was the main factor, but he used the most powerful single-shot of his era. There was nothing better. Though he used a 10-bore for lion, he was not killed by any of the “Big Five” or Dangerous Seven in using a single-shot, but by a sniper’s bullet in warfare.

When I finally came into possession of my first #1 Ruger in .45-70, for which I’d traded a M77 Ruger in .458 Win Mag, I knew it was the basic equivalent of the 22″ M77 in potential ballistics. Why, then, trade a bolt-action repeater for a single-shot when ballistics would essentially be the same?

< My former Ruger No. 1 in .45-70 LT. The Nikon scope is now on my Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum.< The Ruger No.1 in .458 Winchester Magnum

The answer to that question is both simple and complex… which version would you like?

The simple one first: I’m very attracted to the looks and handling of a #1 Ruger – I’ve owned several. The second reason is the uncomplicated and durable action – not much to go sideways. And their compactness compared to a bolt-action with equal-length barrels, plus maintenance is minimal and keeping the barrel clean is an effortless chore.

In addition to all that, there’s no magazine that constrains Cartridge Overall Length (COL). That provides the good fortune of a longer COL than standard, permitting the use of longer/heavier bullets that don’t go deeper into the case than shorter/light bullets. More propellant space than normal is therefore available for longer-heavy projectiles. This results in a potentially more powerful rifle than predicted by handloading manuals or possible in factory loads. That is assuming a throat that permits a longer COL than standard specs. For that reason, I had the throat lengthened on my #1 Ruger in .45-70.

A very long throat already exists in the chamber of any .458 Winchester Magnum. The only constraint in COL for the .458 is the magazine, of which a single-shot has none. Yet in the final analysis, bullet length puts a constraint on the COL of any cartridge. A relatively short bullet for caliber in a cartridge will have a COL that’s shorter than a relatively long bullet for the same cartridge if both are seated to the same depth in the cartridge case.

<Bullets seated long in the two .45-70 cases (for my Ruger #1 in .45-70 LT) match the COL of the .458 with the case crimped into the cannelure of the 500gr Hornady. This allowed slightly more powder in the .45-70 cases because the brass is not as thick and heavy as the .458 brass. Of course, the .458 could also have the 500gr Hornady seated like the .45-70s, with only .25″ into the case making a COL of 3.59″ (same as the Lott). Longer bullets like the 450gr TSX could increase the COL in a .458 to 3.72″ when loaded for my Single-shot Ruger in .458 Win Mag. These can be pushed to 2400 fps/5755 ft-lbs from that rifle.

The complex answer will be evident throughout the following paragraphs.

After having developed several handloads for the #1 Ruger in .45-70 (I’d already had experience with a couple of 1895 Marlins in .45-70), I planned on a bear hunt using the 500gr Hornady RN Interloc at 1900 fps. The top load for that bullet was just over 2000 fps. (That was from an unmodified, slightly used #1 Ruger. My second #1 Ruger in .45-70 was a NIB, which later was slightly modified with a longer throat allowing longer seating of bullets.)

I can still, after three decades, recall the scene: Sitting in a makeshift blind in a semi-open area anticipating the sudden appearance of a mature black bruin from any direction, emerging from the surrounding woods. I had no qualms about the suitability of the load OR the need for a quick second shot! Quite simply, I was confident! And to this day, thirty years later, I know that confidence wasn’t misplaced. The anticipated bear was a no-show…. lucky bear!

< A similar type setting. That’s a bear bait in the blue barrel at 135 yards. But also note the doe in the center of the pic, and there’s a buck following her near the left edge of the photo.

Years later…. I’m in another blind that I built closer to home – 1 and 1/4 hrs driving distance, on Crown Land in the Haliburton Highlands to the northeast. By then, I was well into doing my own thing… choosing locations and baiting. I had a friend along – British – who wanted to see what this bear hunting business was all about, with the vague notion that he might like to give it a try. He was an ex-military from the Brit air command in maintenance of aircrafts’ electronics. So, he’d trained on the .303 Brit, a very good hunting cartridge, and I’d gotten him into handloading his own .308 Win in a BLR. That day preceded his commitment to a bear hunt, so he was there as an observer only.

My rifle was the new #1 Ruger in .45-70 for which I’d had my gunsmith give an extension to the throat. The 500gr Hornady could be seated 1/4″ into the case rather than 1/2″, with the effect of making the case 2.35″ in length. That permitted 75 grains of a ball powder, namely, H335, to be employed behind the 500gr Hornady making matters close enough to my former M77 Ruger in .458 Win with its 22″ barrel.

By times there are those (gunwriters and ballistic engineers) who know a little about a lot, while some other no-name entrepreneurs know a lot about little. Through the experience that involved hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of developing and testing handloads for modern .45-70s, I learned what worked best in accuracy and velocity. H335 worked best for heavy loads in that single-shot rifle. Period. H4895 was good but too bulky, not permitting enough for best performance in the relatively short case. And all that was prior to AA2230 becoming available.

That particular hunt in the Haliburton Highlands was informative in several ways: My overly fat Brit friend was as good as helpless in assistance because of mobility problems, but he did hold a rope for me as I hung the bear for skinning. I’d chronographed that load before the hunt and it gave an average instrumental reading of 2185 fps which corrected to MV = 2199 fps. And that was fairly consistent, as most times it was within 15 fps above or below 2200 fps. With that knowledge… how would it work on a black bear? It was made by Hornady for African soft-skinned fauna of the larger sort.

That was my closest bait setup for that area – 40 yards from blind to bait, shooting at a slight downhill angle. During the previous winter, I’d done a lot of bullet testing there shooting through a deadfall into densely packed snow. But the bears were undisturbed somewhere asleep in their dens.

< Some of these were “tested” through the deadfall and into densely-packed frozen snow.

That was a Spring hunt, and hunting bear over bait is a waiting game. However, just before noon a bear sneaks in. It steps over the deadfall at a quartering toward angle. Though not fully mature and lacking the weight when denning in December, it’s a good “eatin’ – size” so I aim just behind the left shoulder (to avoid spoiling the shoulder) and squeeze the trigger. The bruin sort of stumbles and falls back over the deadfall, and makes about fifteen to twenty yards back into the bush. A few seconds later we hear the death moans. We are on the side of a rocky ridge, so my friend is somewhat imprisoned there. I knew the bear was dead but don’t recall reloading… but I’m sure I did as a matter of habit.

As it turned out, the bear was more mature than I had at first thought. It was a dry female – the only one I’ve ever shot. She was about 175 lbs. The 500gr Hornady entered behind her left shoulder and made exit in the right flank with a two-foot long loop of bowl pinched by a .458-cal hole! The bullet never expanded but penetration was nearly 3 feet. If that bullet had a flat tip similar to the current DGX, the bear would have been DRT!

I reflected on what had happened: How much pressure would have had to build up inside the bear, ballooning its right flank to expand to such an extent that a 2 ft loop of unbroken bowel could exit through a hole that had expanded much more than bullet caliber before snapping back to approximate bullet size in pinching two diameters of bowel! And the bowel followed the bullet exit! That’s not only momentum! There, a great deal of energy also was at work in a thousandth of a second! According to the KE formula, at least 4882 ft-lbs at 2097 fps! But a lot of that energy was spent in the brush and earth beyond. Overkill? I don’t believe in such a thing! Had the bear been 575 lbs instead of 175 lbs, the result would have been the same – I’m sure of that! Later on, I did have a +600 lb bruin attending my bait, but it got shot by hound hunters. With guts out it weighed 565 lbs!

I’ve killed much larger bears with single-shot .45-70s, and they were DRT! It was not just the “power” but the bullet used. Yet the point of this is that I have full confidence in the results from a single shot, from a single-shot rifle, if it’s a true BIG BORE!

CONFIDENCE! Where does that come from and how is it achieved? To a great extent one is born with it, or not! You can see it in very, very young children. Or not. My wife and I, as great-grand parents, notice very young kids as we seem to have quite a few in “our tribe”! Then, as we go out shopping or in restaurants, we often speak of a child’s temperament, even as young as two or three years old. It’s quite apparent! Then we’ve studied personalities, and have had to work with quite a variety of them. Little children express who they are in many contexts — they don’t pretend like teens or even adults! If a kid is shy and retiring by nature, they show it! If confident and assertive, they also reveal that without pretense!

Also true of adults facing a challenge. Sure, most can learn confidence and even some assertiveness in their professions, but often it’s not “them” under most stressful situations. Either you have it or you don’t. But then, some are more confident in the “arts” but less so in mechanical repairs, for instance, while others are sure of themselves in most any thing they tackle, like my sister-in-law when living. She’d tackle anything, though not very good at any of them. But what she was good at was being confident to try anything! She thought she was a good cook – but wasn’t, yet she always came up with a meal on time! She tried carpentry… music… she “filled in” playing the piano at the church when the “real” pianist was away! A Swedish lady, who visited during the summer months, said to her one Sunday after the meeting: “I suppose you’re better than nothing!” And my SIL had a good laugh about it… she was undaunted!

So anyone can learn to shoot a BIG BORE and hunt with a single-shot. I expect that my long deceased SIL would attempt both in an afterlife if given the chance – but she’d not be good at it!

The moral? Almost anyone can learn to appreciate single-shot rifles for BG, though it’s not their… cup of tea?

< This was my second NEF single-shot in .45-70. It was very short, and powerful when handloaded. And has a break action. The 1.5 – 4.5 x 32mm Bushnell was appropriate for its purpose. I was wolf hunting.

Would I (personally) hunt Africa with my #1 Ruger in .458 Win Mag, including DG, if given the chance? Sure, why not? It’s been done, and will still be done as long as the ballistics are suitable and the PH approves. After all, it’s not like the African hunter is solo! He/she has an entourage. And, usually, it only takes one well-placed shot from a suitable rifle to end matters anyway! But the real deal is CONFIDENCE and a COOL-HEAD with PROFICIENCY !!

Multiple shots are no substitute! Ultimate confidence must be rooted in personal ability, NOT in the entourage, including the PH!

The left side of the brain is for logic and thinking – being rational. The right side is where emotions come from. In times of high emotional stress, the left side switches off!! Shooting at paper targets at home is one thing… but shooting at a big, mean hazardous creature coming for you at 30 mph is entirely ANOTHER! Our emotions in such an instant can shut down rational thinking!

I watch a lot of African hunts on YouTube. And I see… about 1/3 of the foreign hunters “mess up” with their multiple-shot rifles: JAMS!! Even professionals who write about these things, or go on safari in support of their clients! Yep! More than just a “few” times. I could name some names but I won’t. And a few have pulled the trigger on their bolt-action repeaters with a guide in front of them! Nerves perhaps? Anxiety? Fear? Lacking confidence in their ability? “Just in case stuff happens!”, or something hits the fan?

There’s just something about a single-shot that instils serious discipline! Like someone using a bow… or ML. You think before you act! You know… it’s something like wishing some people would put their brain in gear before opening their mouth! In the scenario of hunting anything, but especially DG: “Put brain in gear before pulling the trigger!” (Of course, that equally applies whatever the weapon – even a bow!)

That’s RULE #1, and the second is: PRACTICE until your rifle (single, double or repeating) becomes a part of you, AND YOU BECOME EXCELLENT IN PROFICIENCY, not just “adequate”!

< This was my first New England Firearms (NEF) single-shot .45-70. The load was a 465gr hardcast at 1900 fps that “flattened” the bear. In the pic it has been pulled out of 30″ tall weeds and grass, and eviscerated!

In contrary fashion, a repeating rifle can (not “will”) instil the thought or habit of thinking: “I’ve got plenty on tap just in case…” of what? Use our repeating rifles as though we’ll ONLY get one shot, as in most cases that’s all we’ll get that’s accurate! A followup needed, moments or minutes later? That’s lot’s of time for a single-shot rifle to become a repeater! And always keep in mind that a so-called “repeating rifle” only shoots ONE AT A TIME, and it’s the FIRST shot that matters most… so treat that first shot the same as we would if shooting a so-called “single-shot” rifle!

Now to be sure of where I’m coming from: I don’t recommend a single-shot rifle for a person with a case of “nerves”, and NEITHER a repeating rifle for a person who’s main confidence is in their repeating rifle. It’s one thing to own a powerful rifle capable of suitable ballistics – single, double or repeating – it’s entirely another to have mastery of it and self under all conditions regardless of the situation…..

Til the next… “The Masters of the art of ONE shot – Making it more than enough” P2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL