Beauty in a BEAST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My .458 is a Beautiful Beast!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• No extravagant costs . . . .

• Compact and handy . . . .

• Beauty in proportion . . . .

• Companionable:

• Comfort and protection . . . .

• Regular use makes it a favorite . . . .

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

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

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

Did I miss anything?

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Defining a SOLO Hunt – Taking a Closer Look – P2

What is it?

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

What do I mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

< My old original – it still works!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A SOLO HUNTER on a Solo Hunt – P1

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

He likes his own company more than a crowd!

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

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

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

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

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

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

That will determine his firearm and related equipment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Till the next – P2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL