Is a .300 Win Mag the Best All-Around Choice?

. . . . . . . excluding thick-skinned African DG.

After a number of years in my life-long hunting career, I believed so. The only rifle cartridge that I’ve owned more rifles in was the .45-70. Handloaded, both have had a very strong appeal: around 4000 ft-lbs from each while employing significantly distinct projectiles: .458-caliber heavy bullets with rather blunt profiles from .45-70s at modest speeds; and comparatively much lighter weight, sleek bullets with high BCs and very fast speeds from the Winchester .300 Magnum. . . . The best of both worlds! What one couldn’t do the other could.

For large, tough and potentially dangerous game, up close and personal, I’d choose the .45-70 firing an appropriate 400-grain at 2100-2200 fps. Past 200 – 250 yds, the .300 takes over. But the .300 is no slouch up close and personal shooting a 200gr premium bullet at ~3000 fps!

So then, a handloaded .300 Winchester Magnum is not a bad choice for a brown bear in Alaska to a western antelope in Alberta, to an eland on safari. That’s a pretty broad and deep hunting environment. In addition, of course, it equally qualifies for sheep in the mountains and elk on the plains.

It has also been successfully employed as a sniper rifle and in pro target competitions. And it not only is highly regarded for all of the afore-mentioned activities, but with such a pedigree it is still very prominent in the midst of multiple modern pretenders that make claim to better credentials, such as the .300 RUM.

Its successes are related to the timeing of its introduction (1963), the Winchester Company, the M70 rifle, its case capacity, and .308 caliber – the favorite of Americans. The cartridge case is an elongated .338 Win Mag that preceded it by five years in 1958. But it has a shorter neck than the .338 which initially brought it under criticism by some gun writers. Personally, I’ve never found that as a handicap, and never experienced any difficulties in consequence. Today, it’s rarely mentioned by writers or users.

Bullets and Ballistics:

Though there are component projectiles for handloading as light as 110gr for varmints, and 125gr for small game which may be used in the .300 Win, that is far from it’s intended purpose. Usually factory products start at 150gr and go up from there to 220gr, but the highest demand for commercial products are 180s and 200s. And not surprisingly, that is usually the bullet weights employed by handloading hunters as well. While there is a 190gr ABLR and a 210gr ABLR with high BCs of .597 and .661 respectively from Nosler, the legendary 200gr Partition with “only” a .481 BC, is still a favorite for moose hunters where most shots will be this side of 400 yds. But for a potential longer reach to 500 yds the 200 Partition is still capable for that task. But a potentially better Nosler is their newer 200gr ABLR with a .588 BC, extending usefulness on large bull elk to +600 yds. In fact, the .300 Win Mag is a favorite for just such applications.

So, the point of all these proven results is to state conclusively that the .300 Win is one of the best of the best for world-wide hunting.

And to add a personal sentiment: If I were to do it all over again, among all of the numerous .300 mag contenders available today, I’d still choose the .300 Win!

Why?

Because it can do the most within costs, weight, choices of rifles and components, where – for example – a .30-378 Wby Mag adds nothing practically with +200 fps except a burnt-out barrel in less than a thousand rounds! And it has less recoil than a .300 Wby if rifles are the same weight. And with barrels of the same length, the difference in ballistics is insignificant. How do I know that? Because in addition to six .300 Win Mags, I’ve owned one in .300 Wby with a 24″ barrel.

Added to that was one in .308 Norma Mag with a custom 21″ barrel. From son Phil, I had gifted to me a Ruger 24″ .300 Win Mag barrel that was given to him by a friend who wanted a .300 Wby barrel on the Ruger rifle. That Ruger 24″ barrel was recut by my “smith” to fit the .308 Norma, and lost 1″ to become a 23″, .300 Win Mag custom rifle. Eventually, it got sold, but 3000 fps from 180s was usual. I still have that 21″ .308 Norma Mag barrel. After many, many trials from various combinations of bullets and powders, 3000 fps was attained from 180s as a .308 Norma Mag (All .300 mags are .308-cal).

Barrel lengths:

. . . . . . make a difference!

While most factory .300 Win Mags have 24″ barrels, it’s best results are from a 26″, which may be up to +100 fps. That, of course, depends on handloads and the bullets and powders in use. One of the half-dozen had a 26″ barrel – a Browning A-Bolt SS, LH. It was fast! And very accurate – mostly 1/2 moa! 3200 fps from 180s and +3000 fps from 200s. And the rifle was very comfortable to shoot without a brake.

Speaking of which, I’ve never understood the fears of those who reject the .300 Win on the basis of its supposed recoil. My first – a Winchester M70 – was too heavy for my liking, so got traded on a SAKO .338 Win FS. The whole Win 70 package in .300 Win was more suitable for a .375 H&H, or even a .458 Win Mag! But then, I’ve had so many rifles with far more “kick” than a .300 Win, that I treated them like a .223 Rem, and could shoot them just as well, whether from offhand or from the bench. When I got my first – the M70 I mentally prepared myself for a “hard-kicking” rifle! It didn’t happen. In fact, when a much younger hunter/friend who used a .308 for most things, asked to give my .300 a try, he was surprised that the recoil was far less than expected – and I never “down-loaded” that rifle to ease the imagined pain.

After the .338 Win in the SAKO FS, at 35 – 40 ft-lbs of recoil, the .375 H&H M70 that followed seemed “normal”! Of course, it was much heavier – in fact, like its predecessor, the .300 M70 – it had a barrel of the same contour as the M70 .458 with a smaller bore that made it heavier than the Win .458! In those days I was shooting hundreds, if not thousands of handloads in .338s, .375 and .45-70s! In consequence, a .300 Win Mag seemed like a varmint rifle by comparison! So, “felt recoil” is a comparative thing, and mostly mental! True, when we get to the real Big-Bore heavy-hitters, they can do damage to the shooter if he/she isn’t adequately prepared for it! But not a .300 Win Mag! Recoil is about 35 ft-lbs compared to about twice that from a .458 Win at 60 – 70 ft-lbs, or a .460 Wby at +100 ft-lbs being 3x that of a .300 Win. So, it is really a matter of mental gymnastics and perspective.

Did I need a .300 Winchester Magnum? Well. . . . Yes! A .300 Win is not necessarily more costly than a comparable .30-06, and for a particular hunt, say for a bull moose, I’d not specifically choose a .30-06 when a .300 Win has a 150 yd advantage and will hit with more force than a .30-06 at any range! So, based on how I look at and evaluate matters, a .300 mag is the better all-around choice! It’s simple math and logic. Quite a few years ago I swapped 3 rifles for two. The two I had in mind were identical in most features except in cartridges and bores: Both were Browning A-Bolt magnums with 26″ SS barrels and actions in left-hand, and clip magazines attached to their floor plates that could be removed and carried in your jacket pocket until needed – or a second one of each could be purchased and kept loaded in your jacket pocket. One was in .300 Win Mag and the other a .375 H&H mag. At the time I felt that would be sufficent for any big game I might ever hunt, including Africa.

Things don’t always turn out as planned as the .375 H&H had an off-center bore from the factory. But it was relatively light and very fast – as was the .300 Win Mag. Not a bad plan but the .375 H&H was returned for a .338 Win in an identical rifle to the .300 Win – so eventually the 300 “went down the road”, and the .338 was rechambered to a .340 Wby which made the others obsolescent. With the passing of time, I added another .300 Win as a backup for moose hunts, and the .340 was sold and replaced by the 9.3 x 62 Mauser for moose and big bear as most of those hunts were closer to home.

A .300 Win as a backup? Yep, here and there:

< This “trophy” was shot from my ladder-stand in the background line of trees. My backup to the 9.3 x 62 was a .300 Win in a Savage bolt-action.

< and here on a moose hunt to the “Far North” of our province, the same Savage in .300 Win Mag was the backup to my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum.

< The Savage rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum.

Ballistics:

200gr Nosler AccuBond

SD = .301

BC = .588

MV = 3000 fps/3996 ft-lbs

50 yds =2922 fps/3790 ft-lbs

100 yds = 2845 fps/3594 ft-lbs

200 yds = 2696 fps/3226 ft-lbs

300 yds = 2551 fps/2890 ft-lbs

400 yds = 2411 fps/2581 ft-lbs

500 yds = 2275 fps/2298 ft-lbs

600 yds = 2144 fps/2040 ft-lbs*

*Assuming an able rifleman, this load shot into shoulder, heart or lungs should immobilize within 50 yds a 1/2 ton moose at 600 yds, though most are shot well inside 400 yds.

What about an Alaska/Yukon moose that could go 3/4 ton? I ‘d take a bigger bore rifle and limit shots to ~400 yds, unless the only chances were a bit longer. And a .338 to .375 would be my choice in magnums – .340 or .375 Wby or thereabouts.

Rifle: .375 AI or Wby:

Ballistics: 300gr Sierra or AB

SD = .301

BC = .480

MV = 2800 fps/5222 ft-lbs

500 yds = 1964 fps/2569 ft-lbs = 86 TE = approx. 1 ton animal with a vital hit. (.375 HH, MV = 2675 fps/4766 ft-lbs/ 500 yds = 1862 fps/2310 ft-lbs = 76.5 TE = approx. 1 ton animal with a vital hit.)

It would be quite challenging to improve on a 2 rifle safari of a .300 Win and a .375 Wby or H&H.

If you prefer the .300 Wby over the .300 Win, that’s OK by me. As stated, I prefer the .300 Win because the rifles, cases and loaded ammo are generally less costly and more readily available, especially in out-of-the-way places.

Till the next: The advantages of a .340 Wby Magnum.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

It’s That Time of Year. . . .

What time is that? We had our first snowfall Wednesday, November 10. About 10 centimeters of wet heavy stuff, with NE wind at +30 Km and -6 C. (+18 mph and 22*F). Not a major storm, but a reminder of what’s coming. So winterizing everything that needs it must be checked. New wheels and tires for my compact Ford SUV, and repairs for a leaky exhaust. Less than a thousand $$ complete – not bad at all! It drives like a new Ford SUV! Hey, it’s a 2010 with 260,000 km = 161,200 miles! I bought it 4 and a half years ago with 91,000 miles and new Michelins on it. That’s 70,000 miles in 4.5 years or 15, 555 miles per year (113,000 klms/4.5 =25,110 km per annum.). Plus, I’m mostly the driver of my wife’s Cruze, as she has a bad knee and foot – so that’s probably another 3000 km/1860 miles per annum.

< My “escape wagon”

So, I’m on the road a lot – much more than most non-commercial drivers, and my Ford Escape is one of the best I’ve owned and driven over the past seventy-five years. No kidding! And the service center manager that certified my 2010 Ford Escape, said that the 2010 – 2012 models had the best motor that Ford had ever put in their Escapes to the current edition of 2020. The motor and transmission appears to be as good today as when purchased in 2020.

Why do I mention all that? To give God thanks and praise because He led me to it through a Christian brother and friend! Sure, some parts have had to be replaced, but nothing major. The other fact is that my Christian friend could own and drive the most expensive vehicle available, but today he drives a new Nissan KICKS! That’s the smallest Nissan SUV, and it’s the basic model.

Winterizing my rifles: A patch down the bore with RemOil, and a light wipe of all exterior parts with the same – both metal and wood/synthetics. Then locked away until spring.

I’m not expecting to hunt this winter, though I have a wolf tag that’s good til the end of 2025. I may still stretch my legs for that, depending on weather conditions. In the meanwhile I’ll make preparations for trips to the range and a spring hunt, God willing.

I’ve just learned that the 404 Stone Hammer bullets in .458 are now available in Toronto. I may ask son Phil for a Christmas present! Not that I need them, but for scientia.

The older I get, the more I appreciate older rifle cartridges and the rifles created for them.<An 1895 Marlin in .45-70

The brief but significant visit I made to Africa in the winter of 1997 helped immensely in developing an awareness and appreciation for the firearms I’d choose for a safari there. That, along with watching about thirty recent safari videos over the past winter, on an average of at least 1 hour each, has sealed my convictions on that subject.

As well, the fact that few, if any new “African rifle cartridges” have come along in recent years to replace those considered ideal from past history, ought to be a revelation of what it takes to be ideally pepared for any encounter with Dangerous Game, large Plains Game, and lesser species. One doesn’t need volumes from Encyclopedia Britannica to search that out. All it takes is to watch twenty or so recent 1 hr videos that doesn’t edit out faults and mistakes, plus listening/reading the experiences of those who’ve been there/done that for forty years or more. We need to hear the views of those with a great variety of experiences, without biases and who can teach – not just “preach”.

That sounds idealistic, but it’s possible. In other words get as much education as possible before going. And that includes both mental and physical preparation. The best informants might be PH’s as well as good books from the past, and recent podcasts involving hunters who make their living in Africa, like Boddington. He’s shot and killed over 100 buffalo, so he probably knows a thing or two about all issues involved.

As to this side of the pond, my experiences have been from the mid to eastern side of Canada, which would not be unlike northern USA and much of Europe. Then my African experience in thick bush reminded me of most of the places I’ve hunted, so anything in rifle ballistics here could be useful there – and visa versa. The majority of safari goers are American, then Europeans followed by a few Mexicans and Canadians who have the the “wear-with-alls”. So, that welcomes the notion (temptation) of a new rifle suited to the occasion.

So what’s suitable?

A nice Christmas gift to self of a 505 Gibbs, maybe? Well, on its own merrit it certainly would be more than adequate, no question about that! But there might be a question or two about the jerk who jerks the trigger! No, methinks a more reasoned approach is the best modus operandi.

What would I take if I were less than 80 again? Probably something I already have, since financing a .505 Gibbs would steal a chunk needed for going! And I wouldn’t go just for PG, as one or more of the DG would be my main purpose in being there, so that would exclude my .35 Whelen. Then I’d be left with two prime candidates, the .375 H&H and the .458 Win Mag. So, which of those two? I’d not take both! Hear my arguments with myself:

The .375 H&H is a left-handed Mauser 98 type bolt-action, with a magazine that holds 3. It has a walnut Bavarian-style stock with a 14.25″ LOP and weighs 8.75 lbs naked. The 3 – 9 x 40 mm Burris scope plus rings adds 1 lb more. All up, ready to hunt, it goes 10 lbs even. Because I’d want a single handload for everything on my list, including Cape Buff, I’d use a load developed for bear on this side of the Earth: the 250gr TTSX at 2850 – 2900 fps. Such a load has taken a handfull of Cape buff from single shots by someone who has killed 19 Cape buff. Recoil: 38.5 ft-lbs from my rifle. During last year’s fall bear hunt, it fit me perfectly and the recoil is a non-starter.

< In a bear blind 2024.

< Compact and powerful. 22″ barrel and 42.75″ in overall length. That was my bear bait setup in Sept – Oct, 2024. The day of this photo, I’d just replenished the bait, walked over to the edge of the ridge, made a short prayer to see the bear – that I knew was dominant, but hadn’t seen it for two years – then he walked out of the woods on the opposite ridge and came toward me. At about 40 yds I raised the .375 H&H, put the crosshairs on him till he was about 20 yds below me and I lowered the rifle, turned and walked away. At over 500 lbs he was too big and glorious, and I’d only asked to see him, not to shoot him. Too big in that wilderness to deal with alone, and I didn’t want or need a so-called “trophy”.

Why then so much power? It’s called P-R-O-T-E-C-T-I-O-N ! I knew he was the dominant bear of the region, but didn’t know his temperment! Yes, bears have attitudes, just like Cape Buffalo, so we go prepared for one that has killed moose and bunnies for a living!!

The Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum There she is in her beauty and brawn! Perhaps I should call her “Boss Bear”, like a female bear protecting her cubs – they are the most dangerous! Yep, every year we have them in our woods where I hunt the boar bears!

<In the bear woods in 2022 where I hunt the boar bears. That’s “The Boss Bear” in my hands!

Some time ago I’d suggested “Grace” as a name, but that’s too gentle and graceful! No, she’s more like a wild beast when unleashed! All other beasts are fearful of her!

But a single-shot in AFRICA for Cape Buffalo?

Why not? It’s a .458 Win, not a .375 of any flavour! One is plenty if I’m a fearless rifleman who can shoot, and not just a billionaire who’s shaking in his boots while trying to aim his 505 Gibbs!

DISCOVERY: A .378 Wby firing a 300gr at 3000 fps has a momentum of 128.57 ft-sec.

A .458 Win Mag shooting a 500gr at 2300 fps has a momentum of 164.285 ft-sec. Even a 400gr at 2550 fps has a 145.71 ft-sec.

And a 450gr at 2450 fps has a momentum of 157.5 ft-sec!

Can you shoot? Are you fearless? Then get yourself a .458 Winchester Magnum!

Even at half-throttel, it can whip a .300 Wby firing a 180 at 3200 fps – in my bear woods!

Yep! You need a .458 Win for anything, anywhere, at any time!

Till the next. . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Are BLACK BEARS becoming more AGRESSIVE?

Rumours are suggesting that, and I’ve no basis to doubt it for a number of reasons: They seem to be showing up in unexpected places. Some of it could be due to better reporting, but not all of it. With more people in the field with better and quicker means of reporting, including photos from their cell and I-phones, we have access almost immediately about accidents, maulings and/or other tragedies as they happen. A half-century ago such news was rare and usually took days, weeks or even months to become public. Worse still, many, or even most such events never reached public ears or eyes. So public records, that government authorities still tend to rely on for assessing criteria for prevention of such crises and/or protection of adventurers in wilderness areas, is often flawed or biased.

<A 200 lb black bear is 5x stronger than the average 200 lb man – and can run up to 35 mph! Pic taken by a friend in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

But, secondly, there is more human exposure to potential maulings and even killings by black bears due to an explosion of human population across the world, but also in our world where we live and carry out our activities, including recreational adventures into what was formerly natural wildernesses. During my time over the past 30 to 50 years, Ontario’s population has exploded from 7 million to over 14 million. That alone has disrupted and displaced not only farming communities but wildlife as well. And that collision course is still happening! Traditionally, thousands of Torontonians with wealth have high investments in homes away from home on the shores of the thousands of lakes 2 to 4 hours drive north, northeast and northwest of the city. Now The City is almost on their doorsteps! There are still some wildlife within that mega city, but most have fled in response to the cities’ rapacious advance to rest on the doorsteps of the homes away from home!

This was our “home away from home” for several non-winter seasons. From here I bait-hunted bruins on private property only 4 miles/6 kilometers away. Lots of bears on those properties.

The result of all that has been, and is, that suburbanites and urbanites have moved still further north, northeast and northwest into what was historically Ontario wildernesses. To complicate matters further, those who can afford that lifestyle expect and practice a “healthy lifestyle” among God’s wild creatures such as wolves, moose and black bears!

As a more humorous side of such matters, a close hunting bud and friend, Ken, who was also a CO, shared this event on the QT with me: A lady urbanite had purchased a cottage (do you have an extra million?) in the general area of “our” hunting expeditiions. Ken got a call from her complaining about hunters around her new residence chasing and shooting at “those poor coyotes” – “can they do that?” she asked and wanted him to put an end to it! He met with her, listened to her story, saying it was legal if they had licenses and in season. She refused to believe him! Sometime later, he got another call from the same woman, who didn’t identify herself but he had a record of her previous call so knew who it was, but didn’t let on that he knew her. This time she complained that she put out her two dogs for a last pee at dark, but only one returned – the big one – and it was whining and shivering at the door when she opened it! The little one – a Chihuahua – never showed up! She then commenced to complain about the coyotes, “Why don’t they do something about it?!”, in obvious frustration and anger. Ken almost replied, but didn’t: “Why don’t you look for a pile of poop outside – that will likely be your Chihuahua.”

Thirdly: There’s little doubt from both official records and verifiable stories that the bear population of Ontario has held steady, and even grown, over the past 1/2 century – which official government data puts at ~75,000, but other relaiable information places at +100,000.

A nice specimen, well over 500 lbs with innards out – at the lodge where I was staying.

Forthly: Bears are omnivorous, like humans. They are also very opportunistic. Some live on farmes, others in cottage country, but the majority in seclusion in wild backcountry and wildernesses. They are very intelligent, creative, powerful and mostly loners. They are not herd animals. They consort for breeding, mothers care for their little ones for a year, maybe 18 months and then drive them away, sometimes with bites, swats and other abuse! Two young adult males can be very competitive for mating rights with females or food. Some young males can end up mortally wounded by an older, heavier and stronger male. Otherwise, males are loners and live a long secluded life to 30 plus years.

But. . . . they also have their own personalities and instinctive agendas, meaning they can become agressive under either the right or wrong circumstances. For example: over a food source, or an unexpected event like being startled by an intruder into their space.

The two recent events in Alaska when two senior men who didn’t know each other and lived miles apart were both killed by juvenile black bears – one of which only weighed 70 lbs. One of the men was mauled and killed just outside his home. That has baffled “know it alls” and authorities! As I’ve written previously, apparently many Alaskans become too casual and almost indifferent to the presence of bears, especially the blacks.

When any such incident occurs it’s mostly due to a bear’s perceived needs and/or it’s awareness of weakness on the part of the victum – either another animal or human that it views as indistinct from other inferior creatures. A bear will not attack another creature – wildlife or human – that it perceives as superior to itself (only in self-defence).

Any bear that has killed moose for survival has confidence it can also kill any smaller creature. We need to keep that in mind when we hunt small game, deer or whatever in this kind of environment:< There are three moose in this photo – a bull, cow and a calf. I took the pic in a rain storm from the side of a highway. Not far from here a friend of Ken’s was travelling to an appointment, and just outside a village there was a cow moose in the ditch of the highway with a black creature hanging from its neck. As he got closer, he recognized it as a smallish black bear! On his return from his appointment he stopped at the site and the moose was dead in the ditch, and the bear was gone. I suspect it had been spooked with the intent of returning after darkness had settled in.

So black bears are not Teddy Bears that are cute and cuddly, harmless pets, to take home to sleep with on cold winter nights – go to Walmart for those!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

RIFLES not kept Long Term

The idea of rifle collecting for its own sake has never been part of my ownership of them. In fact, I don’t buy anything just for the sake of having it – without a purpose or valid reason. Part of that is my background, and part is my temperment. That’s not to say that I didn’t make choices among potential candidates, but some of those choices were limited due to economics and/or availability at the time. Also, lifestyle changes were taking place, after a particular two decade period of missions related activity, in returning to a more stable lifestyle as a pastor again. That meant far less travel with most activity within the same city or township. In other words I was home more, wearing less hats. Also, that greatly enhanced our economic status. Not that pastors are well paid according to their community status or educational background, but there are added bonuses in addition to a decent salary. I actually began to have a savings account!

My first owned centerfire rifle was like this: A Brazilian Military 7 x 57 Mauser, still in its grease. The cost was $75.

That’s what I mean by background being a significant feature in choices. Then I was born in the Great Depression and witnessed the struggles of parents in survival mode. But it taught us to be thankful for little that became enough!

Reflection on that keeps us humble and thankful in the midst of too much focus on materialism in today’s super abundant culture. And that’s fully apparent with the media’s preoccupation, and political preoccupation, on “the economy” as though God ceased to exist or never did! And what if it crashes again?

Personally, I rest in God and His promises: “My God shall supply your ever need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus”: (Philippians 4: 19) – a promise for those who trust Him, as written to a church in Phillipi, Greece, by the apostle Paul from a prison in Rome.

True Christians – (there have been many false ones as Jesus said would happen) – throughout the centuries since, have been among the poorest and most persecuted of peoples. Even today, they are discriminated against in much of the world, and many are still being martyred, including pastors and their families. And what about America? Atheism is coming on stronger and stronger, and true believers are being increasingly maginalized.

With all that as not just a backdrop, but a current reality, what should be my attitude about gun ownership, and any other matter as part of my lifestyle? Good questions!

< This rifle hasn’t been raved about in the media, except by myself. It was purchased new in late March, 2022. My first handloads for it were put together on 22 and 23 March, 2022, but not fired until April 4, 2022. Those were from some .358-cal bullets I still had on hand from previous handloads in a .35 Whelen. The .35 Whelen has become one of my all-time favorites. This particular rifle: a Traditions G3 “Outfitter” is a single-shot with many good features, but was relatively cheap compared to a modern bolt-action repeater. The scope is a Diamondback Vortex, which is near the bottom in cost for a Vortex. In other words, the whole package was inexpensive in comparison to other brands and styles. . . but I love it! It’s light, handy, accurate and very powerful! It sees most action these days. If this were the only hunting rifle I could own, using my handloads, I’d not be deprived of any hunting on this continent or for African Plains Game!

A 225 Accubond at 2840 fps, or the 250 Partition at 2700 fps, or a 180 TTSX at 3050 fps could cover all world-wide hunting except two of Africa’s Dangerous Six!

Is God mean-spirited and against wealth? Apparently not as both Abraham and Job were among the wealthiest of their generations and neighbours. . . but each had their share of misery and unhappiness as a result, too. The point of biblical teaching is: don’t rely on it, live for it or worship it because it’s not God and is temporary at best and we can’t take it with us at death! And “it is appointed to all men (persons) to die, and after death to face judgment”. That’s facing God with no human or material supports, no bank account and empty pockets!

So, what is a rifle in comparison? It’s a “thing” at best. Nothing more! So it’s easy to send one away if we realize it’s no more than a temporary pleasure. . . or “thing”. Because that day is coming for me, you and everyone else. . . . where we will be “sent down the road” away from ALL temporary pleasures, likes and lusts! Then what?

So, what’s my life been worth? How will that be judged by God/Christ? For in the final analysis, that’s the only evaluation that will endure. What family thinks matters now; what you and others may think matters a very little now. . . but what God thinks matters more than what’s temporary and seen, because He knows me, the secrets of my heart, and whether I’ve treasured Him above all earthly good . . . God himself above His gifts – that’s the first and greatest commandment; Jesus said so!

Matthew 22: 34 – 40: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

That’s the standard, and all nominal Christians agree. But the catch is: Nobody is able to do it! That is apart from what Jesus said to a Jewish Rabbi named Nicodemus: John’s Gospel ch 3: “Nicodemus, unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God”. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” – Paul declared! And Jesus answered the Pharisee Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. And whoever does not believe will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” – John 3: 16.

Knowing all that, and believing it, how can we enjoy any earthly pleasures – “stuff”? Recognise them for what they are – not for what they are not! God never intended that our fulfillment and happiness should depend on material possessions – they are temporary at best and though God permits them, and even gives them as gifts, they were never intended to be eternal or ultimate in their purpose. For anyone to do so amounts to the worship of idols, which is abhorrent to the One who created us for His purposes and glory. See: Isaiah chps 53 – 66.

But since I’m still alive in a temporary world, I enjoy legitimate temporary stuff. But if something happens to my brain or other physical apparatis, so that I can no longer enjoy living, then the loss of anything temporary has already taken place. For instance: One of my remaining very close friends is 86, and has had open heart surgery several years ago. His wife passed over a year ago in June/24. He has a bank account worth over a million and a 43 yr-old Down’s syndrome daughter who lives with him. Recently his legs have been badly swollen with water – a very bad symptom for a heart attack that he’s not likely to survive. I meet with him weekly over coffee and his main concern is for his daughter who is still very dependant on him. I had her mother’s funeral a year ago this past June. Soon, she may lose her father. Does millions in the bank and investments adequately compensate for that? My friend is a true believer in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, so he has no concerns over that personally, but he does for two of his three sons. To him, relationships have always meant more than money and possessions.

I’ve been thinking lately what I’d say at his funeral: As a biblical character, I’d relate him to Abraham, who was very wealthy, but primarily, apart from his trust in God, he was a family man.

So, priorities for any man should be first a meaningful relationship with God, and secondly, his relationship with family (his closest neighbours). In fact, the latter is very dependant on the former!

< How could my family love a face like that? A couple of years ago I had surgery on my nose. The surgeon took a piece of my forehead to patch the nose. It was about cancer concerns. My family was supportive and affectionate through it all. . . even my adult grandkids!

>Some of our supporters: 1/4 of our family: son Phil in blue, checking his GPS and about to fly that plane in background; his wife behind right elbow; their three daughters with two husbands (the oldest daughter was married sometime later than this pic – she’s the shortest – so now three sons-in-law, plus a grandson not in pic) – anyone of them worth far more than all the gold in the universe – to God and to my wife and me!

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

What’s the Best Moose Rifle?

Implied is the cartridge. . . . then the rifle. I was standing at the rear of the bull, but that’s my son, Phil’s .338 Win Mag. My .340 Wby put it down where it was standing at 165 yds. When Phil approached it, it managed to get up but wasn’t going anywhere. Another 250 Partition to its rump from my .340 put it down to stay, but its eyes were following us so he brained it with his .338 Win.

Recently, I compared the ballistics I’ve actually used in moose hunts as well as others that didn’t make the trip. On different trips, separated by a decade, I’ve taken a .340 Wby Mag and a .458 Win Mag to the exact same area of Northern Ontario, the Province in which we’ve lived for a total of 9 + 38 years = 47 years. That’s more than half our lifetimes. Of those 47 years, I’ve hunted 42 in Ontario, and that has included varmints, birds, medium, big and large game.

For moose, in particular for bulls (have never had a cow tag), I’ve toted a .300 Win Mag, .338 Win Mag, .340 Wby, .375 H&H, .45-70 and .458 Win Mag. A fully mature Canada moose, both male and female, will average 1100 lbs. That’s average which means some are heavier and others are lighter. Genetics, age, physical condition, location and food sources are all factors in ultimate weight. Not too many years ago, two large bulls fought it out in locked antlers in our area. They were both dead when discovered by hunters who reported it to The Ministry of Natural Resources. They sent personnel to check it out and found matters to be as reported. After separating the bulls, they called in a helicopter to remove each separately. Using a special net and scales each was weighed. It turned out that each weighed the same within a few pounds at an average of ~1400 lbs. Rare, but it happened!

<Not my pic,but it couldn’t be better if it were. I had a bull moose appear like that directly behind me as I was watching a bear bait 75 yds in the opposite direction just outside the south-east corner of Algonquin Park when I was still hunting with outfitter/guide, the late Norm Easto. This is a late fall image, my hunt was in the month of May, but the bull had fully developed antlers about like in this photo. I had my Marlin .45-70 loaded for bear, which at that range would have worked equally well on moose. I stood, faced the bull and raised my rifle while shouting “GET OUT OF HERE!”. The bull left for the ridge beyond. Halfway up he stopped, looking back. I raised the Marlin to my shoulder, pointing it at him. . . he snorted, took off over the top crashing trees like a bulldozer and disappeared. When he appeared he was as silent as a mouse!

Some might question my sanity, because they’ve successfully used and/or read/heard of the .30-30, .30-06, .308, .270. . . . and even less powerful rifles being successful on said species! Our oldest son’s FIL used a .30-30, and when he and I discussed the matter it was clear that we were literally worlds apart – he in central New Brunswick, surrounded by forest loaded with moose and I in Ontario with no more than one in every 25 sq-kilometers of Northern Ontario (one in every 9 sq-miles). (As a point of interest for some: Newfoundland, famous for its moose, had none until about 1900 when a bull and cow were taken there from New Brunswick to start the breeding process! And today, New Brunswick has more moose per sq kilometer than Newfoundland, which has more than any other province, territory, state or country per sq-kilometer). Plus he lived among them, and shots were all within 50 yards!

So there are some very significant territorial distinctions that have permitted some moose hunters to “walk out their back door and shoot a moose”! New Brunswick, my native Province, is still largely undeveloped with huge tracts of rough and ready country where untamed creatures live and die while having never encountered a hunter!

Though I was born, grew up and received foundational education in New Brunswick, in my mid to late twenties, my wife and I with a couple of small boys found ourselves uprooted and dwelling in Eastern Canada’s largest urban centers: Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto and Halifax – then back to Ontario in a mid-sized town in close proximity to a real wildlife area again for the past 38 years. But there are still no moose on our street! There were a few bears nearby, and some wolf-coyote and lots of groundhogs, but nothing we can hunt in our neighborhood anymore of that nature. Occasionally, someone’s pet dog or cat goes missing, but that’s about it!

Our son, Brent, and wife Deb, just had a visit with us from New Brunswick. They, with kids, had spent about two decades in Africa as missionaries. He became a licensed resident big game hunter there. Over a year ago I gifted him with the Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 with all reloading components. He said it would be his moose gun. He and Deb both applied for moose tags this year (2025) in New Brunswick, but didn’t succeed. They plan to apply again in 2026. But Brent was invited by some friends to go along on a moose hunt in N.B. this year (2025). The group shot two bulls, and the first was by a young woman using a .30-06. He sat beside her when she fired. The bull dropped at the shot! Her brother was there with a more powerful rifle just in case! But the bull was shot in the spine! They all agreed it was a “lucky shot”.

If I ever went on another bull moose hunt – which will not happen for a number of reasons – it would have to be at a long distance from home for the best chance at an adult tag. It was 1600 kilometers/1000 miles from home where I shot “our bull” in 1997. Son Phil was partner and finished the deed with his .338 Win Mag. The moose went nowhere. It was dressed-out that night and we were on our way home about 24 hrs later – driving through the night, arriving home late the next day.

Would I do it again if I were still in my sixties? Yes, if I knew as much about that kind of thing as I do now – but, you have to live it to know it! That’s the catch! Far, far different than for somebody who’s grown up with moose growing up! Or within easy range and 3 adult moose within a sq-mile!

The deal also is that for moose hunting to be reasonably done, you need lots of equipment and help! We had a plan but compared to the reality of the physical conditions, it was infantile. The bull was down where shot, but where it was shot was in a more or less open area, yet that open area had been logged-out ten to fifteen years earlier, and entirely apart from the brush that had grown up, there were hidden ruts, some a foot or more deep, made by the heavy logging machinery. Plus the pieces of logs that were like deadfalls all over the place! And the bull was down about 350 yds from camp that was just off the old main logging road. A long story shortened: We got help from another camp 6 miles from us who hadn’t seen moose, and there were a cow and calf still within range of our operation, so knowing that they gladly gave us a hand.

So, the issue of what rifle is reatively minor compared to all other considerations.

I didn’t shoot that big bruin last year, mostly because of all the other considerations – I didn’t want or need a trophy for bragging rights, and couldn’t deal with all the meat, and I was alone!

But for a bull moose of a half-ton or more, we must be prepared for the physical conditions that confront us. If the only possible shot is 400+ yards – and it could well be – the rifle and it’s load must be capable. In addition to range, there’s the matter of the potential variable angles of the shot: 1/4 away or toward; straight away or frontal, or any angle between those. As well: Is the moose travelling? Is it about to disappear in forest, bush or lake, and so on? Do I have access to a natural rest for the rifle? I didn’t, and was constrained to shoot the bull at 165 yds from offhand! I wasn’t nervous over that as I knew the rifle, its load and trajectory. But from only 165 yds it was pretty much a point-blank shot from a 250gr Partition at 3000 fps.

A realistic and serious matter to consider is: will this be my only chance on this moose? It’s not like there are several others standing around to be shot! And at 1600 kms from home, this could be the only chance on a moose in my lifetime – which it was!

About a decade later, I was on another bull moose hunt in the same area, and my rifle was the CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag. The load was a 350gr Barnes TSX at 2700 fps. I figured that was good for 400 yds, but loads cooked up at home in 70*F temps may not turn out to be 2700 fps at 35* – 40* temps F. Back at home with temps at 45*F, my beautiful 2700 fps load was only making ~2600 fps! Would that have made any difference on a potential 400 yd shot? Well yes! Because the forecasted results was on the margin for adequate expansion at 1800 fps! Yeah, I know Barnes was claiming expansion at 1600 fps for the TSX’s, but reports didn’t favor their proclamations!

Anyway, back home I ditched RL7 in favor of H4198 for 2750 fps from the 350 TSX and shot a bear with that. It also proved to be temp stable.

We don’t want to be 1000 miles from home on the hunt of a lifetime with ammo that falls short of promises! Also, for various reasons – including some already mentioned – I much prefer to be “overgunned” than marginally so. Something that’s ideal under many conditions may not be in others.

If I took my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win on a moose hunt that might stretch the string, it would not be the 350gr TSX but a 404gr Stone Hammer at near 2600 fps. From the 400gr Barnes X-Bullet, I’ve reached 2590 fps MV/5957 ft-lbs. This is the bullet several of us complained about to Barnes for having dropped it, nor having replaced it with a TSX. It has a .457 BC, and I’ve kept a few that I’d use on a bear or moose.

Get this!

Rifle: Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum

Bullet: 400gr Barnes X

BC = .457

SD = .272

MV = 2590 fps/5957 ft-lbs

50 yds = 2498 fps/5543 ft-lbs/ +1.74″

100 = 2409 fps/5152 ft-lbs/ +3.68″

200 = 2235 fps/4436 ft-lbs/ +2.93″

300 = 2068 fps/3799 ft-lbs/ -4.79″

400 = 1909 fps/3237 ft-lbs/ -20.65″

• The velocity and trajectory are similar to a 180gr from a .308 Winchester.

• The recoil from my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win would be ~50 ft-lbs with the brake. That would only be ~ 10% more than my .375 H&H firing a 300gr at 2675 fps.

A .300 Winchester Magnum went along as backup to the .458. And the year prior to shooting the bull, my backup rifle was the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. The main rifle was a .338 Win Mag. That was my first trip to that area seeing first hand the clear-cuts and potential distances for taking a moose. It was a world I’d never previously experienced. But I did find a fresh rut pit and went back to that exact location the following year to find the bull knowing if it had not been chased by hunters or shot, he’d still be hanging out in that area. That paid off as he was shot on opening day at 3 pm less than 200 yds from the rut pit he’d made the year before. There’s something a lot of hunters don’t understand is that wild animals are territorial if there’s ample food, water and relative security, unless they’re chased or driven out. Males wander further than females in searching for a mate, or driven out by another male that’s bigger and stronger (or injured by them). Hunting hounds are a scourge in that sense, and some of those get lost or abandoned and become wild and chase/catch game for survival. As I’ve previously mentioned – the same with ATV’s or other machines like snow mobiles or trucks, cars and motor bikes that race and tear around in back country. Game animals quickly learn to get away from all the noise and disturbances caused by men who want to “have fun” in God’s wildernesses.

But where I’ve hunted moose in the Near North and Far North, the disturbances are relatively rare and minor. Most living critters have yet to meet man – the hunter, so react accordingly: curiosity with a tinge of fear. Yet in many other places they get used to the rumble of traffic on highways, and ATVs racing across fields, and act as though this is all normal, so rarely a hair is ruffled until they get shot! Coyotes and some bears make a living in suburban centers, along with coons and fox. In our town, that has doubled in size over the past couple of decades, I was somewhat surprised one day on a street I’d rarely taken in my vehicle, when a fox ran out from the back yard of a home with a cat in its mouth! Then one morning as I stepped out our back sliding door onto the deck to be met with an opossum . It slipped down the steps to our back yard, across to the chain-linked fence, went over into the trees of our neighbour to be never seen again.

Nearly the same thing before we had neighbours back there: In March, with 4″ of fresh snow, I went to the same door to look out and saw a beautifully furred Wolf-coyote hybrid at the end of our lot, broadside looking south at fresh rabbit tracks. I didn’t have my camera handy. And we’ve had bears in our community in days past. . . . but all that is now paved over with brick and mortar. I’d prefer the bears and wolves to all that’s been happening over the past two decades. I’m not a city man, with its crowds, traffic and humdrum!

< Reverse this photo and it would be very similar to what I saw in our back yard early one March morning. (credit Internet)

And I have lots of loads remaining to be shot at the range: Some examples of trials in 2025 (summer and fall):

< From a 250gr TTSX in .375 H&H<From a 300gr Sierra in .375 H&H<From a 250gr Partition in .35 Whelen<From a Barnes180 TTSX in .35 Whelen<From a 400gr Colorado Custom in .458 Win.

Would any of those be suitable for adult moose? A big bear? Which would you choose in a remote unspoiled area?

Till the next. . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL