Conditions of The SHOT

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

What do I mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Till the next . . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

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

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

Why Is .458-Caliber So Meaningful to Me?

That includes various recently manufactured models of .45-70s when handloaded and the .458 Winchester. It does not include the .458 Lott, and I’ve given ample reasons for that decision in past blogs. Mostly, that has to do with the lies, hypocrisy, boasting and put-downs of the great .458 Win Mag; and it really offers little to nothing over a properly chambered .45-70 in a single-shot Ruger No.1 with a 22″ barrel. And I’ll back that last statement with details.

<My second Ruger No.1 in .45-70 that was given the long throat (LT) by my gunsmith. At a later date he also gave it a Pachmayr butt pad. The scope was a new Burris fixed 4x with a long eye-relief of 5.5″. Firing a 500gr RN at +2200 fps from its 22″ barrel it was within 50 fps of Hornady’s handload of that same bullet fired in the .458 Lott. At the time I wrote in my .45-70 manual “Who needs a .458 Lott?”.

< Corrected to MV = 2212 fps/5464 ft-lbs since the 500gr Hornadies from my box averaged 503 grs.

As anyone who has followed these blogs, from the recent past, or from the beginning, already has a sense of my background in rifle ownership over the past seventy years at least. I’ll not repeat all that, except some meaningful details that led to my conviction that all matters considered, .458-caliber in the mentioned rifles is the best overall caliber for truly big game hunting in North America, and most of the world in a single rifle choice where specific handloads are employed.

I didn’t start with .458-cal seventy years ago. I started with a single-shot .22 lr. Then some borrowed rifles for deer: a .303 Enfield and a .30-30 Winchester. My first owned firearm for big game was a 12ga with a tight throat that wouldn’t shoot slugs with sufficient accuracy, but I used it for several years on the abundant grouse of the area. My first owned rifles for big game were ex-military: A Brazilian Mauser in 7 x 57 still in its grease, followed by a ’98 German Mauser military rifle chambered to .30-06 (but the bore was still .323″ so it wasn’t accurate.) It got traded on a very nice (used) M70 in .30-06. Then came three magnums in succession: 7 Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag and .338 Win Mag. All were handloaded with good to excellent results. But not all worked as hopped for or wanted/needed. All 3 magnums were new, not used.< My first .338 Win Mag was identical to this.

The 7 mag was in a BAR with a serious flaw: The neck was too tight from the factory that didn’t allow expansion when fired. It so happened that an in-depth article appeared in RIFLE (owned by the original Wolfe at the time) that detailed that problem for All BAR 7 Rem Mags from the factory. I took it back to the store where bought and was given a new M70 in .300 Win Mag. A great rifle but far too heavy. It should have been chambered in .375 H&H. I only kept it for a year and it go traded on a SAKO FS carbine in .338 Win Mag. I loved it but not the 2-piece stock that fell apart. Etc. But it did go on a moose hunt where it rained every day. I had to dismantle that stock each day (with all its bolts and screws) to attempt to dry it overnight, and then reassemble before hunting the next day. Long story short: It got traded on a “like new” M70 in .375 H&H.

Somewhere, early on in the history of the SAKO .338, I signed up for my first ever bear hunt with an outfitter, and decided I’d like an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 for that hunt – only handloads would be used. I searched everything I could find and used SPEER’s manual for a load – the best for their 400gr FT. That was 56 grains of H322 for 1886 fps according to SPEER. They were using the same make and model of rifle as mine but that load fell short of their numbers, so I loaded 57 grs of H332 for an average of 1865 fps from my new Marlin. Close enough! And I shot my first black bear ever with that load at 100 yds. The bear was broadside at the bait and the 400gr hit low in the chest just behind the shoulder, and was retrieved in the offside armpit retaining 90.4% of initial weight, expanded to 1″ diameter. The bear was a 7 year old and of trophy quality and went 10 yds.

That experience led to a love affair with the .45-70 that continued with various models and handloads to 2018 when my last (the Ruger No.1 LT) got invested in my current Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum.

In 1997 I produced my first reloading journal of the .45-70 after nearly a decade of experience with Marlins and a Ruger No.1. Within two years the second edition was published with upgrades to include my Ruger No.1 LT and a NEF single shot. There were more upgrades until I published my 1st manual on the .458 Winchester Magnum in 2008. By then the .45-70 manual was at least 3 – 4x as thick as the .458 manual! I didn’t have the time or resources to do both, so I focused on the .458.

< This is the only remaining copy of the first edition of the reloading journal I offered in 2008. I still have it because of the obvious printing mistake in the title. All others sold rather quickly. It was based almost entirely on handloading results from my CZ 550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. The second edition came out in 2011 as the 2011 Edition and contained about 2x as much material. Even at that it was less than 1/3 the thickness of my last .45-70 manual.

But what I experienced and learned from the 2.105″ case in .458-caliber in a new lever-action 1895 Marlin in .45-70 was that at 40,000 – 44,000 psi, it could fire a 400 – 405gr to +2100 fps, and that the momentum of such a load far exceeded anything a .375 H&H was capable of! In addition, the cross-sectional area of the bullets exceeded .375-cal by 50%! In effect, I was working with a system similar to the TKO formula without realizing it, or borrowing from it!

I was convinced that the ancient 1873 cartridge in a modern form, with best bullets and powders was better for DG within acceptable ranges than my .340 Wby or .375 H&H. . . . I’m still convinced of that.

By then I was using 60 grains of A2015 in a 22″ Marlin under the 405gr Remington at 2.6″ COL and 2110 fps. Shot a bear with that load at 100 yds with complete penetration in a going away presentation from left flank to exit behind right shoulder. DRT, literally!

When I killed the 1100 lb bull moose in Northern Ontario, using my .340 Wby at 165 yds, I was convinced that at that range my 1895 Marlin would have dropped it on the spot with the same shot! And that’s nothing to say of my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT that fired the 300gr TSX at 2640 fps! In momentum, the .340 would have had to shoot the 250gr Partition at 3168 fps to match it! In addition a .458-cal has nearly twice the cross-sectional bullet area of a .338-cal. Do such physics count? You better believe it!

I had this back-to-back experience with two bears on the same private property, with a tree stand in the same line of trees except one year facing the north pasture and the next year facing the south pasture. The ranges to the bait barrel was ~75 yds to the north and 83 yds to the south.

The north setting was first: from measurements around the chest with guts out, the bear was easily 240 lbs. I was using my NEF single shot in .45-70. The load was a 465gr semi-hardcast at 1900 fps (3727 ft-lbs). One shot frontally and DRT. He dropped right there in tall grass, and that was it! Period.

The south setting was the next year, in the same line of trees facing in the opposite direction: Same bait barrel loaded similarly. Again in tall grass, I noted the bruin looking up in my direction. The rifle was my new Tikka T3 in 9.3 x 62, loaded with a 286gr Nosler Partition at 2622 fps (4365 ft-lbs). I took aim over the rest for center chest as he faced me, and squeezed the trigger. The recoil caused me to temporally lose sight of the picture, but when I focused there was no bear in sight! “Hmmm, maybe he made it to the thick bush behind the bait barrel?” I got down from my tree stand and walked to where he was shot, and still no bear! I looked around for blood – no signs of anything! Did he go directly to bear heaven . . . ., or evaporate? About 20 yds to the left of the barrel (from my view) there was a sharp escarpment that dropped off for 30 – 40 feet. Sure enough, I found him dead at the bottom. He was not as heavy as the one of the previous year on the north side but still in the same class of bears.

Some, being defensive, would probably say “coincidence”, or some other lame suggestion. From physics and experience, I’d say “The .45-70 simply had greater effective ballistics all matters including caliber, bullet weight and force included!”

Of course, aiming and hitting, plus bullet construction are significant factors as well, but the best made, aimed and well hit with .22-cal cannot take the place of a .458-cal with equal hits and constructed bullets!

Nor can a 9.3 x 62 (.366-cal)! Exterior factors were as near identical as possible: range, hits, bear ages and sizes, nurtured in the same ecosystem!

The 286gr Nosler bullet was found in skinning the next day. It was barely poking through the hide of the right flank and retained 73% of original weight. The 465gr was never found as it made exit below the sternum and burried itself in the ground.

I cannot deny what my experience has taught me, confirmed by the application of simple math.

While I’ve given the kinetic energy numbers, that favors the 9.3 x 62, I don’t believe for a moment that KE is meaningless, but neither is it the most important aspect of terminal ballistics. Depending on application, I’d give it at least 50%, more or less. Some say it has no value in terminal ballistics. I strongly disagree because of science, and I’ve witnessed it’s effect in tests and tissue.

That’s a 3-inch hole going into a bear’s chest/heart area! It was found in the opposite arm pit in skinning. The bullet was a Speer 400/.458 at ~ 1535 fps impact. It retained 90.4% of original weight! And that from a 7 yr-old trophy male bear. Even a bullet that expands over 2x its diameter at 1″ could never produce a 3″ cavity like that without kinetic energy! < The SPEER 400gr retrieved from the offside arm pit. It retained 361.4 grains (90.4%).

Unbiased wound cavity study is seriously important for the student of Terminal Ballistics. That is so because it teaches us how to interpret what we are seeing in the field of an animal that was terminated by a rifle or handgun bullet, shotgun slug, or arrow from a bow.

Till the next. . . . Conditions of the shot.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

What Rifle Would You Keep If It Came Down To That?

That could be due to several causes or a single one: Financial constraints, aging, divorce, loss of employment or a change therein, a move to a different location, a personal crisis not mentioned, etc. Or just a pragmatic shift in priorities. It’s happened to me at least a couple of times. One was a military surplus in exchange for a real sporter.

Since the focus of these blogs is primarily big-bore rifles and mediums, which of those would be kept as such with the intension of multi-purpose use?

In 2025 I purchased three hunting licenses: small game, bear and wolf/coyote, and I never squeezed a trigger on anything except at the range. Most of that was due to my wife’s physical state which has grown worse at her advanced age of 89 . . . . and I turned 90 a couple of days before the New Year arrived with its many dilemmas for the whole world as well as our personal lives.

Currently, I own three big game rifles: two mediums and a big bore. I’m still a hunter in spirit, and physically capable for what I’d like to hunt this year in 2026. . . but then, there’s my dear wife’s condition that will not likely improve over the next several weeks and months, and she’s my main priority – in fact the only – but to maintain physical and mental health for myself if I want to be of help to her, I must do more than being a care giver! That could drag me down quite quickly if I don’t have other physical, emotional and mental activities!

< Some of my 2025 activities: Testing a new load for my .35 Whelen – a 250gr Partition.

If I could only keep one, what would it be? I’ve said that the .458 Win (Ruger No.1H) would be the last to go. That’s sentiment, but is it practical? They may all have to go! But to keep one for a possible hunt? From a pure pragmatic standpoint, I think the .35 Whelen could be the most practical, and I have a bunch of good loads for it that would suffice for anything from coyote to moose – but moose is out of the question except for possible defence while hunting bear or wolf.

I have 4 loads for the Whelen: a 180 TTSX at +3000 fps, a 225 AB at +2800 fps, a 250 Partition at +2700 fps, and a 300gr Barnes Original at 2355 fps. As a general purpose load the 180 TTSX might be best but I’ve no experience with it as a multi-purpose load – would be excellent for long range wolf though – or close for anything. But I’ve most experience with the 225 AB at +2800 fps. I carried that load for a couple of bear seasons, at least knowing in theory it’s adequacy for any size bear within the ranges afforded me where I hunt them. And, I suspect, good enough for a bull moose with ill intent – though I’d prefer the 250 Partition for security reasons. In fact, I did switch to that load in toting the .35 Whelen as my “walk-about” rifle in 2025. That would also have been ideal for that +500 lb Blackie that showed up the last day of my hunt in October ’24. But I didn’t shoot it with my .375 H&H on that day as it was too big for me alone in that wilderness – and I didn’t need the meat or a trophy. Why the .375 H&H then? As previously explained: For protection as I knew (from all signs) the bear hitting that bait was a dominant one, while I was hoping for one less than 200 lbs.

I don’t do white-tailed deer anymore as it’s too common and crowded in typically favoured Crown Land where most groups and hound hunters chase deer. Private land for deer hunting is usually reserved for owners and friends. They’ll accept bear hunters because they want to be rid of them, but come deer season they want the bear hunters gone! So, personally, deer hunting isn’t worth the bother and expense, even though I did it as a main hunt for over thirty years. In Crown Land bear hunting you mostly have the woods to yourself, as proportionally few residents hunt bear as a main interest, though it is a growing interest among residents due to moose hunting having become more tangled in regulations.

So, if your circumstances led to the choice of one Medium or Big Bore, what would it be, and why? Mediums start at .338 and Big Bores at .40 cal. Thems “da rules”.

The main considerations:

• Where and what do you hunt, and/or hope to – potentially including the largest and/or most dangerous?

• Under all conditions- including, but not limited to: mountains, wildernesses, solo, etc.< Typical Haliburton Highland’s wilderness. That was my former CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag loaded with the 350gr TSX’s at 2750 fps.

• And what part does sentiment have to do with such a choice? Well, no doubt much more than we think! For instance, a symbiotic relationship which usually applies to persons but can symbolically have reference to a hunter and his favorite weapon – in this case a rifle. The union is ideal that cannot easily be expressed in a sentence or words only, anymore than such human relationships can fully be expressed in a paragraph – a book might do it, but I think a film of such a life together would depict touches and nuances unimangined by other means unless you or I were a part of such a relationship. Thus the suggestion of a man and his rifle in such a bond greatly surpasses mere utilitarianism based on numbers alone. The feelings of confidence, trust, familiarity, companionship and constant pleasure will all be associated in such a relationship. Assuming the numbers are there, it would be near unforgivable to leave her standing at the altar in favour of another partner. Therefore, my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win will be the last to go, because I’m not only a rational man but a romantic one as well.
• 

I was just reading a thread on 24hrcampfire.com on the average range at which respondants have shot elk. It varied mostly between 100 – 400 yds, with an average of all responses at about 200 yds. Keep in mind, that was from the Internet with little doubt that stretching matters by more than a little bit had taken place! But let’s say that 200 yds is in fact a fair average. So, if true, and I had one rifle capable for whatever, then I’d want one capable for elk to at least double that average, UNDER ALL CONDITIONS!

That’s the point of this dissertation! Perhaps Elmer Keith and Bob Hagel weren’t far off in their views!

For myself, I don’t think I’d go smaller in a medium than my current .35 Whelen, though a .338 Win Mag has better bullets for a longer reach than that. And it so happens that the American hunter, on average, makes both a .300 Win and .338 Win their top choices for elk at uncertain ranges.

However, among the respondants, very, very few had ever killed an elk – including a trophy bull – beyond 400 yds! And most of the “trophies” were 5 pointers, not 6, and from all the photos, there was never one over 6 points!

Then, of course, we’re not just speaking of elk, but moose, big bears, and potentially Cape buff and lions, in addition to a possible elephant or two! No? Then think smaller, but still we’re speaking of ONE only as a life’s partner in either a Medium or Big Bore.

<Bob and moose. Based on measurements and boned-out meat, about 1100 lbs. That was my .340 Wby Mag.

Some historic men, and perhaps women, have made certain cartridges famous along with their rifles. They may have used others, but one in particular became their partner for life! That’s the theme and intent of this piece. My race is nearly done, and I’ve used a majority of the most popular big game cartridges, but in sheer numbers .458-caliber has been dominant: That includes ten in .45-70 and three in .458 Winchester Magnum. I never fired a single factory load in my .45-70s, and less than 20 in factory .458s. But there were several thousands of handloads from 250gr to 600gr. If I may be permitted some boldness: I think I know something about .458-caliber. The next most familar partner has been in .308-caliber: That includes six in .300 Win Mag, a .300 Wby Mag, a .308 Norma Mag and three .30-06’s.

That’s 13 in .458 and 11 in .308. Nothing else comes close!

A friend. . . . a close friend went to Kenya as a teacher and administrator of the Rift Valley Academy in the early sixties. As a hunter he took two magnum rifles: an original 1956 .458 Winchester Magnum and a new .300 Winchester Magnum. Until hunting was shut down in 1977, he took a slew of African fauna, including the big and dangerous as well as a host of Plains Game. Without copy-catting, years later I followed that same rationale and sentiment without regrets. Unfortunately, it didn’t include Africa, but those choices were fully capable as a duet for anywhere at any time under all conditions. I have no regrets or disappointments! Though the .300 Win Mag isn’t a “Medium”, yet they were capable for 95% of all the big game I’ve ever hunted in 70 years. And the .458 was and is capable for 100% of all my big game hunts of the past or any in the future. If Africa or Alaska were included, nothing more would have been needed.

I made one African trip, not for hunting but for a visit with our oldest son, Brent, and his family in Senegal. They were missionaries there in the outback living in a typical African village. . . yes in three mud-brick huts with thached roofs that they built for themselves. At the time of my visit they were living in a Dakar villa on the Atlantic coast due to his wife’s health and their teens’ education. Brent and I returned via “taxi” – an unforgettable trip of 16 hrs in an old Peugeot with bald tires and no air conditioning – to Badulla, the village that still maintained their huts in the far east corner of Senegal, and spent two days there, one of which was a hunting “safari” for come what may. Brent was also a licensed resident big game hunter for any game including woods buffalo and lion. My “rifle” was a true “big-bore” of .73-caliber: a 12ga Stephens pump loaded with Brenneke slugs. He said: “if we run into a buffalo or lion, shoot it if it charges!” We also had a local native guide who was incredibly talented. He grew up with his brothers using home-made spears to kill buffalo and other wildlife for food and protection. Brent had given him his single-shot 12ga and a handful of Brennekes after he was able to obtain the very used Stephens 12ga pump. That day, the guide’s weapon was his knowledge and a stick with which he pointed out invisible tracks for me. My backup was Brent and his single-shot .22 LR. He’d killed most of his warthogs with it. His 12ga was reserved for really bad and tough critters like woods buffalo and lion. I managed to kill a young warthog with the 12ga and we ate it for supper.

Not this one but similar. I also wounded a really big matriarch with a troup when they came around a sharp corner and surprised me. I hit her a bit high in the shoulder and the Brenneke skidded off and she left in a hurry with her little troup. Madi, my guide told my son later that he came across her in the same area and she seemed fine but had some missing hair and skin from her shoulder.

I cite that history once again to help maintain perspective on one rifle for all big game. Brent even finished off a marauding lion that had killed a teenage boy from the village and several cattle, with a shot to the brain from his .22 LR. Of course, the men of the village had it on the ground with blood pouring from various spear wounds and asked Brent to kill it with his “magic gun”. Their saying was that “Brenties’ bullets went faster and faster the further they went”. Though he did kill a wild cow with long horns, that was also harassing the village, with a single shot to the brain using his .22 LR single-shot! Those were 40gr “solids” at very close range! He was once offered the loan of a fellow missionary’s .375 H&H for a particular hunt of some large PG, but after giving it a try he returned it saying “It was too heavy and uncomfortable” (compared to his .22 LR and 12ga). Today, back in Canada on the East Coast, he has the gift of my 9.3 x 62 and all handloading components. He say’s it will be “My moose rifle”. Actually, the 9.3 x 62 was for a decade my favourite “Medium”. The 9.3 x 62 Mauser has been successfully used on all manner of African fauna, including Cape buff, lion and elephant in the hands of settlers from Europe since 1905.

So . . . . What’s your perspective and choice?

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The 404J

The first and last time I wrote on this one was near the beginning of my blog writings. I was doing a series on Big Bores in comparison to the .458 Win, using a set of ten criteria. The 404 Jeffery was a hot item being rediscovered at the time, and Hornady was the main promoter in the production of brass, bullets and dies in .423-caliber. Since then, several new series of short-fat magnums by both Winchester and Remington have been produced based on the 404J. Then, in more recent times, Nosler has created their own powerful versions of magnums in 26, 28, 30 and 33 calibers based off the old 404 Jeff.

And just within the past few days somebody at http://www.24hrcampfire.com has started a thread discussing any contemporary likes and/or interest in it. A few have responded with their personal experience in building a rifle or having one built. A general consensus being that the .416 Remington, though somewhat smaller in case capacity, has basically taken over that spot in ballistics, so interest in the 404J is declining. There’s really not much left to distinguish it except nostalgia for those so inclined. Pragmatically, the .416 Rem has more bullets and weights to make it attractive, as well as new rifles. It’s apparent that the 350gr TTSX from Barnes is a favorite in the .416 Remington at up to about 2700 fps. But the Remington runs at a significantly higher pressure of 65,000 psi.

A very nice McMillan G30 PRESTIGE in .416 Rem Mag that holds five.

Nonetheless, both run a 400gr at ~2400 fps from 24″ barrels, and each is capable of at least another 100 fps within psi limits, though the JEFF is a larger case. That’s a point of contention that some potential handloaders don’t understand: How can it be that a larger case in the same caliber doesn’t always produce better ballistics than a smaller case in the same caliber? The simple answer is a lack of the best powder(s) for a particular case loaded with a specific bullet. That would be idealistic, but it’s not always practical. For example: The largest case that has the greatest capacity in a certain magnum caliber may demand a much slower powder to fill the case than another magnum cartridge in the same caliber.

The smaller magnum cartridge in the same caliber can use a faster powder that fills the case for maximum psi, say at 64,000 psi (for each). Then barrel length for the larger case is critical for the slower powder to be fully effective and efficient. If the same faster (NOT “fast”) powder is used in the larger magnum case to reach maximum psi, it will not fill the case so may be subject to spikes in psi and may cause damage to the rifle and/or shooter. . . . and at the very least unsuitable accuracy. So the chosen propellant must be fine-tuned to the case capacity/caliber for best results, and a heavy dose of slow powder in a certain bottleneck cartridge may be too slow for best results; and in order to find the “right” propellant for ideal results may not yet exist for the general public handloader.

The .264 Win Mag comes to mind: Back in the day, the slowest available powders were made for the .50-caliber BMG that were too slow and others like H4831 that were maxed at 61 grs under the 140gr XFB because of the length of those monometal bullets in a cartridge constrained by SAAMI to 3.34 inches. The case would easily handle 75 grs of H4831 in a single-shot with a long throat, or an action designed like Weatherby for its long magnums – or like modern 6.5s where long bullets are seated long – again, the 6.5 – .300 Wby comes to mind.

The .416 Remington is ideal for what it is and does: A relatively modest amount of a magnum-type powder at 65,000 psi at ~2400 – 2500 fps. Plus, rifles and handloading components are relatively available and reasonably priced. Of course, they still lag far behind the .458 Win Mag in those matters and versatility, but that’s off topic.

Honestly, if I really wanted the ballistics of a typical .404J or .416 Rem, I’d choose a .416 Taylor. Why? Because I like the size and efficiency of the .458 Win Mag case. It would satisfy my pragmatic sense of efficiency – equality of product from less of everything. The rifle could be made lighter and handier (like a Ruger .416) with less recoil and weight, burning less of the right powder at 65,000 psi, still giving ~2350 fps from 400s in a 22″ barrel.

A gorgeous M70 from their custom shop in .416 Taylor. Still available at EPPS at a much reduced price, but still too rich for my bank account.

I’ve long considered such a project, put together by my eminently capable smith, Edward Von Atzigen. However, the negative and dominant side of that matter was the absence of and variety of any really suitable projectiles to make it comprable to either a .45-70 or .458 Winchester Magnum. But I’ve always cherished a short -n – handy, powerful big-bore rifle that could do-it-all! The Marlins in .45-70 came the closest, except for the porting in the short-barreled Guide Gun. Edwin had my last 1895 Marlin in possession for 6 months or more but never cut the barrel to 20″, as I requested. His excuse was he was reluctant to spoil the rifle, and was waiting for me to change my mind. So it got traded on the current Ruger No.1H in .458 Win.

A friend and by times partner in our hunting adventures, owns a Marlin lever-action in .356 Winchester. It has a 20″ barrel, and one of the sweetest handling rifles ever for deer, bear and moose when appropriately handloaded. I think Marlin made a serious mistake in cutting their 1895 barrels to 18.5″ rather than 20″. Those barrels are heavy and shortening them was a good thing – BUT they overbaked the cake! I’ve owned 4 1895 Marlins in .45-70, one of ’em in the GG with the ports! It was horribly loud! After one year I sent it away! It was replaced by a Classic with the 22″ barrel that made it unhandy and too heavy! I’ve not owned another – and never will. Not sure what Ruger’s thinking is, but they’re way too costly, and probably still too costly compared to the past – yeah, everything is. . . BUT twice what they were?

I mention all that history because of my affinity for a powerful BIG BORE, that was relatively short n handy. I’ve had some other rifles that came close in bolt-action repeaters – but they were not BIG BORES! I can think of my once owned Rem Classic in .350 Rem Mag. A beautiful rifle in all respects – handling and accuracy – but disappointing ballistics due mostly to the short action, plus the best powders were still not on the market for handloaders – and it was far from an 1895 Marlin in ultimate ballistics.

<My final 1895 Marlin – note the heavy barrel. It got invested into my current Ruger No.1H in .458 Win.

Then came my first .458 Win Mag: A Ruger 77, tang safety, 22″ barrel. It was like new and mine for $400. It was an investment piece until I could find a little used Ruger No.1 in .45-70. About a year later, I found one in perfect shape at the same store where the Ruger 77 in .458 was purchased, and it so happened at the same price – I snached it and sold the .458. Hence, my love affair with the .45-70 evolved: A sturdy, compact BIG BORE that was on the heels of the mighty .458 became the basis of a handloading journal, and my preoccupation for the next 1/4 century.

That’s the background of why no other Big Bores have held interest for me, including the 404 Jeffery. But not the .458 Win. As far as I’m concerned it’s the epitome of all BIG BORES, but needs to be handier than most commercial models – the Ruger 77 mentioned above was about perfect in that regard. My Ruger No.1H at 40″ in length is about right for thick bush, but it still has a 24″ barrel for maximum performance in ballistics. Even my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT with its 22″ barrel was the near equal of a handloaded 22″ 458 Win Mag at 2200 fps from a 500gr. Pressure was less than a .416 Rem at 65,000 psi.

< From my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT shooting the 500gr Hornady RN. At 5 yds from the muzzle, actual MV was 2212 fps/5432 ft-lbs. The site was my number one for bear over bait. The blind is just outside the upper right corner of the pic.< At my favorite bear-bait site. The rifle was my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. The load was a 350gr TSX at 2750 fps. Yes, it took out a bear!

But aging takes its toll in more than a few ways! I have sight in one eye only since age six due to a childhood accident that I imposed on myself – not someone else. My dominant side is right, but I lost that eye so have had to shoot any and all rifes from my left side. But the action of the Ruger No.1s is ambidextrous, so it’s more or less natural for me.

As mentioned from the top, I believe that rifle’s like the 404J hold an attraction for those who tend to nostalgia, or strong curiosity or a “must have that one too” nature. The only one of those three impulses on my part might be “curiosity”. But, to go the route of a custom build would be far too rich for my blood for curiosity’s sake. No, I can read other’s thoughts and experiences and ponder.

My pragmatism is too strong to venture where my adventurism can be fulfilled less extravagantly than pursuing every fleeting thought!

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL