A RIFLE’S potential “KILLING POWER”

There are many factors that determine “killing effect”, depending on all the potential variables:

1. Kinetic Energy (KE) at the muzzle (MV)
2. Kinetic Energy at impact
3. Bullet construction
4. Bullet mass
5. Bullet diameter
6. Bullet sectional density
7. Bullet velocity at impact
8. Ballistic Coefficient of bullet
9. Momentum of bullet at impact
10. Class of animal
11. Weight retention of bullet
12. Range of shot
13. Suitability of rifle & cartridge
14. Accuracy of rifle and load

< They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is of my late friend Frank, a Brit. He was a UK military guy that when released from that moved to Canada, got a job, married, settled down and had a family. He wanted to hunt a bear, with me as “guide”, and was so impressed with my “little” Ruger 96/44 (in .44 Rem Mag) that he chose this Marlin in .44 mag. Ammo for the hunt was my handloads, and that scope has a 50mm objective lens! Too much for that “little gun”? No, just about right for the physical conditions: very tight bush and forest, and it was getting very dark in there. And range to bait was only 35 yards. Plenty of rifle and scope – and suited Frank with minimal recoil.

Not on this occasion but on another, he was sitting in a different blind with our friend, Ken. They picked “straws” as to who would get the first shot… it fell to Ken. When a behemoth of a bear came to the bait, Ken squeezed the trigger on his .270 Win… but no BOOM came from the muzzle but a “clink” from the chamber- a missfire! That bear, at an estimated 500 lbs, was never seen or heard of again! If the “straw pick” had fallen on Frank, would that “little” Marlin in .44 mag been adequate? THAT, will never be known! But I did tote my “little” 96/44 when walking trails and bringing bait to “bear baiting sites”!

So, the long and short of all that for me is that I’ll not be purchasing a .30-30 Winchester any time soon as a dedicated bear rifle even though I know it’s been used to kill many bears – and large ones at that. It has also been used to wound many that were never retrieved! Personally, I don’t know of any current and dedicated bear hunters that specifically choose a .30-30 as “their bear gun”! I’d suggest nothing less than a .308 Winchester, or its equivalent, and then ONLY under specific conditions. And anything less than a .308 Winchester, such as a .243 Winchester, ONLY under more restrictive conditions still. A .44 Rem Mag properly loaded is more “bear worthy” than any of those three at close range, “all else equal” – a 300gr from my 96/44 at 1700 fps = 31 TKO at the muzzle; a 200gr/.308 at 2450 fps = 21.5 TKO at the muzzle; and a .243/100gr at 3100 fps MV = 10.76 TKO at the muzzle, as one expression of potential “terminal effect”.

For example, where I’ve hunted black bear (that’s the only kind we have in this part of Canada) on both private and public land (Crown Land), physical conditions have at times exposed me to potential threat from bears on any day of a hunt. From considerable experience I know that a bear could sneak in behind a ground blind – with me there – without being readily detected and with the purpose of intimidation or even attack! And that’s not just an over active imagination – it’s happened on too many occasions to be casual or indifferent about it. If a bear should charge, I want a “stopping rifle” because I might only get one stopping/killing shot.

There’s a blue bait barrel under that tree at 125 yds. The rifle was my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. A young bear was coming to the bait and at times sleeping under the tree. I never shot it because it was too young, and also because the mother was hiding just inside the bush to the right of the tree. I caught sight of her a few times. Now let’s assume that from ignorance or plain stupidity I, or someone else, shot and killed the young bear… what might momma bear do as the hunter approached that tree? Your guess would be as good as mine if mother bear had not previously been sighted.

Same scene a few hours later. The bait barrel would be just slightly left and above the leaf in the center of the pic – the tree top can be seen shilhouetted against the night sky. I snapped this just before leaving. I then had to lower my rifle on a rope after removing the cartridge that went into my jacket pocket, descend the ladder, pick up my orange hat and vest, remove my hunting hat, put on the orange vest and hat (the law), untie my rifle leaving the cartridge in my pocket, and walk in darkness (using a flashlite) to my van in another pasture 200 yds away. “Where is that momma bear?”

A significant amount of hunting under all conditions doesn’t always insure precise shooting from a rest, taking a carefully aimed shot at an exact spot on a game animal. Though there are several potential variables, I want to eliminate as many as possible that relate to the ballistic effectiveness of the rifle. I will not be hunting, nor am I currently, with the services of a guide/outfitter who will back me up or try to micro-manage my every move.

Bear hunting, of any colour, is a potentially risky business! And there is always a certain amount of tension involved. That’s why we do it! Adrenalin will be high and senses alert! The balancing factor to all that is the rifle we’re toting: not, “Is it adequate?”, but “Is it MORE than adequate?” – in case the unforeseeable happens… or the hoped-for story goes awry!

During a period of a dozen years or so, my dedicated bear guns were 1895 Marlins in .45-70 ready to do battle with bears using my own handloads at ~4000 ft-lbs at the muzzle. There were no arguments against their effectiveness. In fact, it was those Marlins in .45-70 that instructed me to think “outside the box” as concerns kinetic energy and momentum. Personally, having to shoot from the left side as a right-handed person (blind in my right eye), the lever-action Marlins were potentially much faster for a second or third shot than working a right-handed bolt-action from my left side. But… only once did I ever fire a second shot at a bear using a Marlin in .45-70, and that was my first bear that didn’t need a second shot – it was finished within 10 yds in an alder patch. The Marlins with heavy barrels were very accurate but that heavy barrel meant a heavy rifle after an hour or so of toting in thick bush. These were “Classics”, not the short 18.5″ GGs – so I began to consider the New England Firearms single-shot rifles in .45-70, while keeping a Marlin for follow up on any wounded bears. The NEFs also had heavy barrels which enhanced their accuracy and had stronger actions than the Marlins so could be loaded a bit “hotter”. Then came my first .458 Win Mag – a used Ruger 77 with tang safety in excellent shape, followed by my first Ruger No.1 in .45-70.

All in all, .458-cal bullets at comparatively modest velocities convinced me that KE was only part of the terminal effect of bullets. “Killing power” or “terminal effect” (TE) involved caliber and bullet mass (sectional density) as well as velocity at impact. So several attempts were made in various formulas to express those distinctions in potential terminal effect. The one I eventually settled on included kinetic energy at impact, sectional density and cross-sectional area of the bullet – which, incidentally, I still believe has value by way of comparison. To me, it has merit in matching what I use with other cartridges and calibers, and in some instances I use a form of momentum. Actually, I firmly believe both are involved, other “matters” (bullet shape and construction) more or less equal. I’m quite sure that I’ve witnessed the effect of both kinetic energy AND momentum in killing game, especially larger game.

This issue has been debated by amateurs and professionals alike with no common consensus even to this day! Nevertheless, ballistic engineers still test bullets in media and quote kinetic energy numbers. An increasing number of hunters and armchair “experts” give little credence to ANY numbers, saying dumb things like: “It’s not what you hit ’em with, but where you hit “em”, and another off the top of the head comment like “The sectional density of an expanding bullet changes on impact so adds nothing to results.”, etc. Such statements – and they are not the only – are partially true but are far from the complete truth! PHYSICS is involved, and IS the major part, but a formula that could fully express terminal results still seems elusive. So… we tend to push “the escape button”: “all else being equal”, as if that covers all potential variables – some mentioned at the beginning of this essay.

Rather than attempting to cover all possible issues – as though it could be possible to split an atom with a bullet – I’ve determined to use a simple formula that includes the basics of physics involved. Some amateurs (non scientists) with a practical mind and experience have placed emphasis on four factors of bullet impact that determines it’s ultimate effect on whatever part of the anatomy is impacted:

• Weight
• Caliber
• Impact velocity
• Construction

But the “red herring” argument thrown into this discussion is: “But bullet placement is most important!” which has absolutely NOTHING to do with a rifle’s ballistic potential! That is a subject concerning the shooter’s potential – NOT the rifle’s potential! Then the counter argument becomes: “But a hunter-shooter will be more accurate with an adequate rifle that generates less recoil!” HUH? What has that argument to do with this piece on a “RIFLES Killing POWER”? And what is the proof of that as an across the board experience for ALL hunter-shooters? That certainly has NEVER been a fact in my experience either at the range or in shooting a game animal! In real life hunting, I shot my .340 Wby Mag on a bull moose at 165 yds from offhand as well as I did my .223 on chucks from offhand at similar ranges! The .340’s calculated recoil was 54 ft-lbs and the little .223’s was less than 4 ft-lbs!

For any rifle-cartridge we don’t need a PhD in math sciences to construct a simple-to-understand formula that approximates expected results, “all else equal”, excluding nuclear physics! Many such formulas have been constructed and offered – but not without criticisms from the “arm-chair” guys to pure scientists who claim that “momentum” is unscientific!

Yet, despite all, I’ve a formula that’s been used for decades that seems to work well enough for me, and comes close enough to expected results as well as research of results by other hunters – “all else equal” – cartridge and bullet used, and range.

Hence: bullet weight and caliber determines sectional density. Impact velocity determines both kinetic energy and/or momentum, and bullet construction is a variable but vital component in both penetration and destructive cavity (secondary and permanent).

So how do I think about all that in a comprehensive way in preparation for a big-game hunt that may involve dangerous game under non-specific conditions?

The No.1 priority must be the rifle AND cartridge inclusively – not separately!

Which or what 6.5 is best for long-range target shooting, and which bullet is best under those terms doesn’t even open a door to my interests! And I don’t despise those who’s life-styles revolve around such priorities, but I’ve never been any kind of devoted target shooter! Sure, I shoot my 22LRs at up to 200 yds for casual interest and trigger time, and they’ve been used in hunts of groundhogs to around 100 yds or so, but when we had thousands of ’em in this area, and chances to +300 yds, I got my first .223 Rem. Yet no longer do I have a .223 in my locker because huntable woodchucks are now scarcer than $1000 bills in my saving’s account!

But I was duped by “the media” into a few 6.5 x 55 Swedes – thinking “dual purpose”! Man, was that ever a bust… without giving all the details again!

7mm magnums – I’ve owned a bunch. Yet, despite media-hype comments, they’re NOT .300 magnums, for which I’ve still great respect, especially for the .300 Win Mag of which I’ve owned more than any other chambering except in .45-70.

After all was said and done, I settled on mediums (.338 – .375) and .45-70s – that led to a few editions of the great .458 Winchester Magnum (that will likely be the last to go).

WHY?

Because I stopped trying “to split atoms”, and no critter, small to large to dangerous, will even think of having an argument with me over what I’ve used to hunt them during the last half of my hunting life of 70 years!

In my current bear hunt, for example, I’m aiming to kill a young bear – 2 or 3 year old. It appears that one of that nature was regularly hitting my bait, so why am I toting a .375 H&H alternately with my .35 Whelen? I’ve partly explained all that above and in recent blogs – but those two rifles in particular are relatively new acquitions (though I’ve owned .35 Whelens and .375 H&Hs in the past) yet distinct in concept. I’ve owned the .35 Whelen for over a year and loads were developed for it in my bear hunt of May, 2022. But no bear was shot in last year’s somewhat shortened venture due to changing logistics that I’ve already discussed in recent articles. It’s a single-shot ready to hunt with scope at 7 and 3/4 lbs. The .375 is a magazine repeating rifle that weighs 10 lbs exactly with scope and three cartridges in the magazine. The light .35 Whelen is used more for walking about and the heavy .375 for shooting from a ground blind as a bear comes to the bait.

However, it might turn out that a bear attending the bait is a young female coming into eustrus. I’ll not knowingly shoot a female- it’s a challenge to discern them unless with cubs which puts both them and her off limits for the hunter. But a young female leaving an attractive scent for a mature boar bear could very well attract one while at the bait site. I’m not much inclined (at this time of my life) in shooting a +300 lb bear of either sex, but I need to be prepared for a possible confrontation from an agressive big guy if he doesn’t take a liking to me being around when he has other interests! (As it turns out, the bear NOW coming to my bait setup is a large male, according to my visit to the site on Monday, May 29, to replenish bear grub!)

I found this:

<Its original location was just behind the two larger trees that appear together in the background about 20 yds. There was bear grub inside and outside the orange tote with a log on top.

<As I left it four days earlier

And finally this also on Monday, May 29

<This was “fresh” at about six feet from where the tote was located when I’d finished setting it up on Friday, May 26. Those are 2 – 2.5″ in diameter! NOT from a young bear or female! I think what has happened is that a big boar male has moved into the site over the past couple of weeks and “taken charge” of it. They do this as a marker of ownership of the site, and keep any others away. A sure sign of a dominant bruin! Do I want to shoot it? Sure… but do I want the hassels of the necessary details following? Not sure yet… may just take some pics. But “what if” happens? There are yet details to be cared for, like a blind in place without disturbing a bear’s sense of well-being.

Of course, the bait was again replenished before returning home.

There’s a lot of misinformation on line that could spell trouble for those who take it seriously, such as: “Bears are easy to kill”, or “They run the other way whenever they see me”, as though that should be the expected experience of everyone under all conditions! No doubt that could be the experience of some on some occasions, BUT that’s far from MOST cases – unless those “most cases” involve easy access to multiple bears at a “safe distance” that were unaware of their own danger. I had correspondence with a rancher in Western Canada a few years ago who told me of shooting scores of black bears on their ranch from long range. They’d come out of the woods into the fresh grass of their pastures for nourishment. From long ranges of several hundred yards they were killed using flat-shooting magnums with high-power rifle scopes, and from steady rests. The 300 RUM was a favorite! He said they burnt out many barrels. That has no comparison to where and how I hunt bears… nor the Quebec hunter, while hunting was surprised by a bear that killed him while his two sons heard his screams but were unable to get to him in time! Or the trapper from Sudbury who never came home! A search party found his ATV still running, and drag marks from it into thick woods where they found his body partly consumed and covered by leaves and debris from the forest.

Even IF there’s ONLY a 1 in 20 chance of running into an aggressive bruin while hunting them, is that enough reason to go ill-prepared for the possibility of an attack that could terminate in a serious mauling or even death? We hunt bears because they ARE dangerous! But that in itself should instruct us to be fully prepared AND equipped! And that includes the environment of the hunt, including any others who might be involved! But a SOLO hunt raises the risks at least five-fold!

1. No backup!

2. No alternate means of contact with the outside world!

3. No extra set of eyes, ears or voice!

4. No alternate perspective when facing a critical situation!

5. No extra hands for several physical chores.

Mine is a modified solo hunt in that a neighbour has committed himself to assist in getting a dead bear out of the bush.

The distance from blind to bait is ~50 yards with a rough natural gully between. So any charging bear would be slowed in navigating that. But that would also be more challenging for the shooter as the bear would not be coming straight on over flat unobstructed terrain. Near the end of such a charge he would be coming up out of the gully. I’m not expecting that but it’s something to be aware of and prepared for.

< The gully – this image is from last fall’s (2022) hunt. The bait setup was 20 yards back of the edge of the drop into the gully. My shooting position was about from where the pic was taken, up top on a knoll. Sometime over the next week I’ll construct a blind there and make provision for a rifle rest.

A fair hit from the 225gr Nosler AB at close to 2800 fps from the Whelen should have at least a deterring effect it not an immediate killing one. One disadvantage could be that a well-placed second or third shot might be slower than from a bolt-action repeater, hence the need for accurate shooting of the first. An advantage of the Traditions G3 is its comparitively light and fast handling when bringing bait to the site and keeping an eye on the surrounding area while doing those chores, though it will not be used from the blind when that time arrives.

The .375 H&H has an edge in stopping power with the 250gr Sierra GameKing leaving the muzzle at +3000 fps. Plus, it has a couple of extras in the magazine. But it is both longer and heavier making quick adjustments to a bear’s erratic movements in a charge more difficult and slower. The best I have for that kind of scenario would be my Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62. It weighs no more than the .35 Whelen, has greater potential “killing power” with a very slick 70* bolt action – that I’m very familiar with. But in tight quarters – the .35 Whelen is five inches shorter than the 9.3 x 62, at 39″ OAL vs 44″ OAL for the Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 – and should have a slight advantage for a snap first shot. The .375 H&H in the Zastava M70 is 43.25″ OAL, and 2 and 1/4 lbs heavier than those other two. It is not for still-hunting or stalking in the thick bush and forests that I’m often hunting. However, from a blind it sould be excellent or for more open areas.

The .35 Whelen and 9.3 x 62 both have muzzle brakes that result in near identical calculated recoil effect. The weight of the .375 at 10 lbs, with 3 in the magazine, is more than usual for .375 H&Hs. However, my loads for that rifle have greater MVs and energy than most .375 H&H’s, as I load it to the basic equivalent of a .375 WBY. So that “extra” weight isn’t for naught! Recoil is getting “up there” at 45 ft-lbs calculated vs 33 – 34 in my other two rifles “loaded for BEAR”.

I’ve not yet hunted “the bear” – only baiting. The spring season is relatively short, ending June 15. So I hope to begin hunting sometime over the following week. That means sitting in a blind for a few hours on each visit. But I’ve never before experienced anything like the millions of mosquitoes that we have this year! I’ve been leaving new bait on each visit but not hanging around afterwards – which I normally do! So how much “hunting” that actually will be done will depend on “the mosquitoe factor”. It may turn out that I’ll put it off until September – October which usually ends the nasty bugs’ season.

Though rarely recognized, an additional asset of “extra weight” in mediums and BIG BORES is their steadiness once the aiming point is acquired. Light carbines are great for “snap shooting”, assuming adequate “stopping power” but they lack the steadiness of a longer, heavier barrel that just “hangs there” when the target animal is centered by the reticle.

I use 15 lb iron weights in each hand as I do my workouts each evening. Each one is about 1.5x the weight of my .375 H&H or .458 Win Mag. That’s a total of 30 lbs between two hands doing multiple maneuvers. Will 10 lbs between two hands seem like a burden too heavy to bear? But I don’t carry a 10 – 11 lb rifle that way unless I’m ready to shoot! Otherwise, I use a sling – that’s why God gave us shoulders!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

BIG BORE RECOIL and How To Manage It

Truthfully, I can say that I never gave it much thought until the purchase of a .300 Winchester Magnum. I started handloading with a couple of .30-06’s, followed by a BAR in 7 Rem Mag. The BAR had a rather serious flaw that no local smith could fix… it had to be returned to a certified Browning shop and there were none in my part of the world. Had I waited on an authorized Browning smith for a new barrel the rifle could be gone for over a year, so it went back to the dealership and in exchange he gave me the best he could at the time: an M70 Winchester XTR in .300 Winchester Magnum.

I’d read “stories” of the terrific recoil or “kick” of that “monster magnum”, yet being unafraid I still wondered over that first experience of pulling the trigger on a powerful rifle that, seemingly, had a reputation for dishing out hurt on both ends. But a friend of mine had gone to Kenya as a teacher and administrator at the Rift Valley Academy, and had taken M70s in both a .458 and .300 Win Mag. To my knowledge he had no previous experience with either AND no qualms over their appropriate use.

Anyway, no factory ammo was purchased as I was set up for handloads. Going from memory, I chose a top load for 180gr Hornady SPs and away to the games! After shooting several at a range I thought, “That was easy, no big deal!” Not much more than my former M70 in .30-06! Of course, the .300 was at least a pound heavier – in fact a bit too heavy for my liking. I thought, and probably said, “It doesn’t need to be built like a .458!” So it only stayed with me for around 6 months or so and got traded for a new SAKO FS in .338 Winchester Magnum. And shortly after that an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 was added… all were fed my handloads that were at the top end of matters in both ballistics and recoil – upwards of 40 ft-lbs calculated – still no trauma on my end.

Strange for some, perhaps, but a powerful rifle’s “kick” had never turned me away from any of them as I WANTED the most they could give for what I’d be hunting and where: bears and moose… in far away and tough places!< Like my .340 Wby at 1000 miles from home!

As I’ve maintained for the past three decades at least: the management of recoil is more attitude than science. Physics IS a factor, and so is the management of that aspect of matters… BUT after all is done to mitigate the physical part of that jolt – and only so much can be done (reduced loads, stock fit, weight, shoulder protection, etc – there’s still the mental part!

Let’s face it, there are many women who can deal with physical pain far better than many able bodied men! Also, being relatively smaller than the average male, they may still deal with the psychological aspects as well or better than some sport’s heros who want and expect to be coddled and pampered! My wife is such a woman…

The anticipation of physical pain can be worse than the pain itself! After all, who in a state of sanity likes to have their jaw pried open an inch or two beyond normal so a person in a white coat and a bright light in the middle of their forehead could begin working inside with 3″ needles, pliers, hammers and drills! Ha! I’m one who puts dentists at the top of my list in a file entitled AVOID AT ALL COST! I kid you not… I’d much rather hit the range with my .458, shoot twenty rounds of 500 grainers at 2300 fps, non stop, than to have to see a dentist! Of course, the key words are: “have to” because some tooth aches are literally far worse than the needles, pliers, hammer and drills! So we choose the lesser of two evils.

I think I may have endured – to this point – my share of life’s physical pains, but the worst by far was a tooth ache that lasted for “eternity” – actually a couple of days and nights at the age of 10 or 11 until I thought I was going crazy. A dentist had removed a decaying tooth… or part of it, the part above the gum line and left the rest in the jaw! There was one dentist in our world and on the wrong side of the border. Anyway, my mom arranged matters to get me there – the same “doctor” who’d broken off the tooth, and finally with “drills, hammer and tongs” managed to get out the bottom half with roots! I’ve “hated” dentists ever since! No, not really, but I understand their pain that they “fear” being the most under appreciated professionals of society!

Emotional or psychological pain is as real as physical but of another classification. It’s much more difficult to apprehend and explain because it has it’s roots in thought processes…. why and how a person responds to particular events that could be so imminent that they don’t even recognize the cause of their reactions. It’s real, and if severe enough they need professional help as much as a person with a broken leg. “A broken spirit, who can heal?” the Bible mentions. In my professional life as a pastor, I’ve had to counsel many, and so has my wife. ‘Tis true, God can heal broken spirits but most times he uses his servants to assist in that work. In a car accident with loss of life, there is not only the physical aspect of matters but great emotional trauma as well!

I’ve conducted scores of funerals, but prior to and after there are often broken hearts to help mend. My very first funeral was of a beautiful 3 yr old little girl that died of the Asiatic Flu in 1957. My wife and I had just been married in late June and a week later I’d received a call to become pastor of four country churches in central New Brunswick. We’d just returned from our honeymoon in Maine when I received this invitation. After a weekend of meetings in those churches we returned to her parents home just in time to find her father in immense pain. He had to be rushed across the border to the only medical doctor within reach, then across the border again to a Canadian hospital where three weeks later he died at age 52.

A month later I conducted the funeral of the 3 yr old little girl. I was 21, my wife 20 and her mother 50. My wife was an only child and her mother wanted her home to be with her. Physical trauma… mental trauma… which is first or most significant?

There is plain old pain… and then there is real PAIN! And the recoil of any rifle, no matter how big and powerful, can be tempered by good sense and techniques. If stupidity is not allowed in that room, the pain of recoil cannot be classed with the trauma mentioned above. It is neither life threatening nor is there need for psychological help before or after that experience.< That’s my recently acquired .375 H&H. It was on a bear hunt… and that’s currently on-going till the middle of June with the same load: a 250gr Sierra Game King at +3000 fps. Calculated recoil is 45 ft-lbs, and it weighs 10 lbs as you see it with a 3 – 9 x 40mm scope and three in the magazine. It has no muzzle brake… I don’t fear its recoil if a bear shows up!

But let me quickly add this: NEVER ever hand a powerful centerfire rifle (or 12ga shotgun) to a young kid to shoot at a target or wildlife without proper training and experience. Start them young with an air rifle, then a 22LR, and gradually introduce them to more powerful rifles over time with adequate supervision and experience until it’s obvious they’re ready to make some choices on their own.

My friend, Glendon, mentioned above, was extraordinary in several ways. Apart from being a Christian and a sports enthusiast, he had a sharp intellect that got him through high school at age seventeen, bible college and a couple of universities by age twenty-three, and he married and was principal of the local high school in the area where I was a pastor and had been for a couple of years. He, along with his wife and young child attended our main church next door to where we lived. Our two families became intimate friends. He taught me chess and golf, and was curious about my hunting. Two years later he and wife with their very young daughter headed off to Kenya – he taking the .300 and .458 Winchesters. He ended up becoming a “mighty hunter” of PG and the Dangerous Five… when on furlough sharing stories with us of killing dozens of PG with the .300 and many DG using the .458, and never once mentioned how bad the recoil was from the .458! When facing an elephant, the last thing on the mind is the recoil of a rifle, and he shot many of them.

Was he a big-mean, tough guy? No! Not really -he was average size… about 5′-10″ and 165 lbs, but “tough” mentally! He rationalized matters – much like I’ve done. He understood “hurt” to be in other matters – he had to deal with a stutter from childhood until as a grown man he knew public comunications as a teacher – missionary demanded he be clear and confident as a public speaker! So, he set about to educate himself on why this was happening to him (he was very outgoing and friendly) and how to overcome it! When I first met him, I would never have guessed he had a stutter until he told me about it!

There are good and viable lessons there in defeating a handicap! And I also know from experience what it can mean to be free of that fear. Glendon, with his wife and family, had spent a lifetime in Kenya. When home on furloughs, he’s preached, talked and taught in many schools and churches, including the University of New Brunswick – with clairty and confidence. If still with us and asked today about his .458 experience, he’d laugh and say something like: “That was fun… sorry that it ended so soon when Kenya shut down hunting. But, I just continued with golfing… that was fun too!”

If alive he’d be 88, a year older than myself! I know he’s NOT disgruntled or unhappy wherever he is!

This is a wilderness area over an hour’s drive from my home and ~ a mile from my vehicle parked on a dirt sideroad.

< That rifle is a CZ 550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. Barrel length at 25″ screwed into a full length Mauser magnum action that allowed a COL of up to 3.8″ for the longer 450 and 500gr monolithic bullets. The scope was a Burris fixed 4x by 20mm with a long 5″ eye relief. All-up weight with four in magazine was 11 lbs. Date is October, 2009 and I had a bear license in my pocket. In June of that year I had these results from the handloads being used in that hunt: 350gr TSX at 2746 fps, 2745, 2748, 2748, 2746, 2744 and 2746. COL was 3.44″over 80 grains of H4198 in Winchester brass and ignited by WLRM primers. Average instrumental = 2746 fps at fifteen feet from the muzzle. For correction to MV add 16 fps = 2762 fps/ 5928 ft-lbs. They typically shot three into sub-moa at 100 yds.

I’d strongly advise against a lightweight Big Bore of less than 9 lbs ready to hunt with scope and ammo. Some internet heros boast of their “.416 Whatever” Magnum at 7.5 lbs, or even less! That’s a perfect way to develop brain trauma over time if fired at the range and in hunting on a regular basis, or even semi-regular. Some even display the bruises on their shoulder to display their “toughness” if NOT “thoughtful” consideration of their future wellbeing!

However, as I’ve aged (now 87) and having to deal with a number of health issues, including a few attacks of severe arthritis, I’ve lost considerable weight including some muscle mass. As previously reported, I’ve taken some steps to lessen the effect of recoil without dramatically reducing loads – though I’ve done that too.

When purchased my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win already had Mag-Na-Porting (Pic at top of page in the header), which I do believe reduces “felt recoil” by up to 15% as claimed by that company. But the main reason for its purchase , or trading my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT for it, plus a shotgun, was it’s weight at nearly 10 lbs without scope. With the 2 – 7 x 32mm Nikon it weighs 10. 25 lbs. With one in the chamber (400 grainers) and four in a buttstock cartridge holder, it comes in at 10.65 lbs. That’s about 2 lbs more than my former No.1 in .45-70 LT that produced upwards of 30% more recoil from a similar load – 2200 fps from a 500gr Hornady in the .45-70 LT vs 2300 fps from the No.1H in .458 Win. 55 ft-lbs (calculated) for the No.1H in .458, including the Mag-Na-Ports, and 71 ft-lbs (calculated) for the No1, .45-70 LT = 29% greater. Of course, those are approximate as the weight of 5 cartridges are included for each… BUT that’s in hunting! At the range I loaded a single cartridge for each when fired – no extras on the stocks – which increased the felt recoil more than with four added to the stock cartridge holder, and usually significantly more than from an offhand stance which allows added body movement under recoil than in bench shooting.

In addition, I’ve had a brake installed on my 9.3 x 62, plus reducing the main hunting loads by a couple of grains. Then, my single-shot .35 Whelen – that’s a rather lite rifle – came with a muzzle brake – which I also load “hot” but with lighter bullets – the 225gr AB in particular at +2800 fps. That rifle weighs 7.75 lbs with one in the chamber and a 3 – 9 x 40mm scope. That’s a light and handy walk-about rifle with lots of reach and power for anything I might hunt – except follow-up on a wounded bear in a nasty place. Recoil of that one is only an afterthought.< Seen here next to a bear-bait tub in May, 2022.

BEAR HUNT UPDATE: Friday, May 19/23

Last year (May 2022) I removed the bait from the location pictured above because it appeared there might be another bear hunter in the area. I relocated it to where it is now, this May, 2023. In fact, on the 1st day of May, this year, I started baiting in the same spot as last year until it was confirmed on May 3/23 that another operation had moved to within 150 yds of mine, as I reported on May 6/23.

I moved the bait on that day (May 3/23) to the same location as one year ago – about two miles away from that scene in May 2022.. Last year the bait was hit several times in the “new” location, but I couldn’t discern if it was a young bear or a big coon, or maybe a family of coons. Although, my first impression was a bear “had done it” – likely a very young one. Now, this year, at that same “new” location, the bait has been “hit” 3x in a row – but again I had no proof it was a bear and not coons (not having placed a trail cam in the area due to being Crown Land). Yet, I was increasingly convinced it was indeed a single bear, and perhaps the same one as last year but now smarter and bigger. So last week I placed a heavy hardwood log from the immediate landscape on top, knowing a coon – even a big one – couldn’t move it. So today – Friday, May 19/23 – I got proof it’s a bear and I’m fairly sure the same one as a year ago, only bigger and smarter! The following pics tell the rest of the story. I’ll let him get comfortable and not hunt until June while continuing the baiting process 2x weekly.

< As I left it this past Tuesday, May 16/23. Notice the licorice strips draped on the log. There are pieces inside, other pieces scattered on the ground and one piece tied to a tiny branch of a tree far removed and high up. If it would be gone when I arrived today (Friday) a bear had done it. They love licorice and can smell it from far, far away! It was gone, and this is what I found on arrival at noon today (Friday, May 19/23):

<Everything gone from on top of the tote and from inside as well as strands of licorice scattered around and marshmellows. Behind the box, where it had been sitting with log on top, the ground is dug up – a typical bear MO… if a smell of food is there they believe they can find it under the box or even the ground itself. A familiar trait. Note also my rifle for the day was the .35 Whelen.<Finally, this is what matters looked like just before leaving for home today. More sweets scattered around on top, on the ground and inside… PLUS a partially consumed (by wife and I) bought barbecued chicken inside the tote! The blue bucket is for toting goodies to the site and the blue garbage bag for picking up “garbage”and removing it! What else?

No need to spend hundreds of $$$ on “bear food”. A few smelly sweets will do!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .375 H&H and 9.3 x 62 Compared

Since I now have both of these and have done enough handloading of each, I’ll compare those results from my personal records.

As I’ve made clear in recent blogs, I’m loading the H&H to the level of .375 Wby PSI (65,000), and the logic is straightforward. As well, I load the 9.3 x 62 to 64,000 PSI, and the reasoning for that has been documented multiple times in my blogs over the past decade or more.

It amounts to this: If the .375 Wby, which is an improved H&H, can be safely loaded to 65,000 PSI using fire-formed .375 H&H brass, then no reason exists to restrain the H&H itself to 62,000 PSI. And since Tikka, the maker of my 9.3 x 62 also produces an identical rifle in .338 Win Mag, no logical reason exists to NOT load the 9.3 x 62 to the same 64,000 PSI, assuming the brand of cases are as strong as .338 brass. The experience of a dozen years with the Tikka (Sako) 9.3 x 62 has proved to be every bit as strong as any .338 Win Mag I’ve owned.

I’m using two brands of 9.3 x 62 cases: Hornady and Lapua. The Lapua cases are thicker so it takes about one grain less to do what can be done with Hornady brass in MV.

The fact is that most hunters and shooters who are wealthy enough to purchase any rifle chambered for any cartridge that suits their fancy doesn’t per say make them an expert on any particular rifle-cartridge. Forums that cater to hunters, shooters and handloaders are open to any member who wants to talk about his/her interests in the afore-mentioned topics. But members who like to talk a lot about their expertise/knowledge of any rifle-cartridge under discussion, since they own scores of rifles, doesn’t necessarily make them experts or even truly knowledgeable about a certain cartridge/rifle being discussed. In particular is that true of those stuck in the past history of older cartridges, such as the 9.3 x 62. For instance, since that notable cartridge has been used successfully on all African game, including its DG, at less than optimum ballistics, apparently it has been assumed that a more “modern” approach to its ballistics isn’t needed. I say “apparently” because a majority of Internet jockeys speak in terms of how wonderful their “loads” are in accuracy… NOT in MVs.

< Three 250gr Nosler AccuBonds from my 9.3 x 62 into 0.44″. MV at +2700 fps. That was repeatable.

By now, I would think “everyone”, who has an interest in the 9.3 x 62 “Mauser”, is aware of its inherent accuracy with almost any handload put together for it. But what about its other ballistic qualities: energy, momentum, trajectory…? Many still talk of it being an adequate “250 yd moose gun”, etc, which exposes them as being quite naive as to its true nature and capabilities with “judicious” handloads. And THAT in turn makes some of us aware that they’ve not done much by way of exploring possibilities outside the manuals, which for the most part are stuck with early 1900’s ballistics! Of course, in a litigeous society publishers are hesitant to publish reports and numbers in manuals and magazines that appear beyond normal expectations without having done their own howework first!

I’ve done mine, and I’ll stand by them! I’ve zero interest in blowing up expensive rifles, or even damaging them for the sake of science! If X = Y, science (logic) says Y = X… no arguments against that can prevail in any court of law! And if Y = B then B = X also. It’s simple uncomplicated logic! But who can LOGICALLY explain why Saami’s standard for max PSI in the .280 Rem is 60,000 max average when if rechambered to .280 AI it miraculously is capable of 65,000 PSI max average?! Well, yeah, I’ve read/heard the supposed reason: Remington chambered it for their semi-auto 740 or 7400, so the PSI was kept lower than the .270 Win at 65,000 PSI! REALLY?! So is the action of the 7400 semi with a .270 barrel different than the .280? To my knowledge, they are the same!

So sound reasoning (logic) should have made that decision and not illogical fears! I had a 7400 in .35 Whelen and never a problem with max loads of RL-15, the same as for bolt actions in .35 Whelen that were giving ~2600 fps from 250s and 22″ barrels! Now “they’re” saying that was way over 62,000 PSI (52,000 cup). But I’ve not heard of any fractured rifles due to too much stress… have you? Even the late Finn Aagaard loaded his custom .35 Whelen (22″) with 60 grains of RL-15 that gave ~2600 fps from the 250gr NP! “No signs of excess pressure” said he! Plus excellent accuracy! Later, he did tone it down slightly to 2550 fps for hunting purposes, NOT due to any signs of excessive pressure! He was a good man, trusted by thousands, and I had personal correspondence with him.

So, giving each its due, how do we LOGICALLY compare the .375 H&H with the 9.3 x 62?

While the pressure standards for each was estabished at the time of their creation and introduction to the public – 1905 for the 9.3 x 62 and 1912 for the .375 H&H – and may have been updated later on, 62,000 PSI for the .375 H&H by SAAMI, and no SAAMI standard yet for the 9.3 x 62 (though there is an Euro CIP standard of around 47 – 48 K). The pressure standards of that era took into account the metallurgy of the steel used and the brass of cases. As well, manufacturing tolerances, primers and propellants available, and bullet construction – all of which had a bearing on safety tolerances. While SAAMI doesn’t list the 9.3 x 62, yet the PSI proof standard for the .375 H&H is given as minimum 83,000 PSI and maximum 89,000 PSI. For comparison purposes the .375 RUM has a proof pressure minimum of 87,000 PSI and maximum of 93,000 PSI. It’s standard for factory ammo is 65,000 PSI average, the same as all recent magnums, including Nosler’s over the past few years.

Therefore, it should be obvious to both the student and practitioner of ballistics that more recently manufactured rifles and newly introduced cartridges have been progressively allowed higher tolerances in PSI than older rifles and cartridges. However, since both the .375 H&H and 9.3 x 62 are still being manufactured in up-to-date facilities using modern technology, and in some cases better metals and tolerances, as well as better propellants and projectiles, they deserve modern thinking and recognition based on what they are today – NOT what they were in the early 1900s. That’s both logical and practical.

And while SAAMI doesn’t currently list the .375 Weatherby Magnum, the general practice is to load it both commercially by Weatherby and handloaders to 65,000 PSI. And as I’ve argued in my past two posts that no impediment remains to NOT load the H&H to the same PSI as the Weatherby .375 Mag. The weak link is always the brass cases, and IF the H&H cases can be loaded to 65,000 PSI in a .375 Wby chamber, why not in the H&H chamber? The propellants may vary as well as the load, but equivalent PSI is the point in question at the moment. By now, handloaders should be aware that more modern powders have changed the game! And that is applicable to older cartridges as well as more recent ones, as I’ve noted several times in recent articles.

So based on the reasons given, I’ll mention again (for new readers or those, like myself, with aging memories) my standards for maximum PSI in each rifle: 65,000 PSI (MAP) for the .375 H&H and 64,000 PSI (MAP) for the 9.2 x 62. Based on those max PSIs, some assistance from QuickLoad, Sierra, and 43 years of handloading cartridges from .22 Hornet to .458 Winchester Magnum, I’ve learned that pressure “signs” (not a single “sign” but several appearing at the same time) inform me when too much is “too much”! MAP stands for MAXIMUM AVERAGE PRESSURE, not “maximum ABSOLUTE pressure” as one arrogant editor of a well known handloading magazine insisted! “AVERAGE” pressure means that in a string of a particular handload some may go over max by 2000 psi, or so, and others fall below “max” by 2000 psi – as an example. And some variances are greater than that, which usually shows up in standard deviation. If a standard deviation (SD) is less than 10 usually that’s a sign that the PSI is quite stable for that load.

Given the above and precedent preambles, the following (I believe) represents a fair and unbiased evaluation of a “good load” from each rifle. There are other features that may make one rifle preferable to me personally over the other that has little or nothing to do with ballistics… that could still influence my preferences. Still, this comparison is based on ballistics only. I have already done that in a recent summary without the details “side by side”, or in this case the one following the other as “side by side” won’t work in this format.

Two actual loads from my two rifles, compared: 250gr AB from the Tikka in 9.3 x 62, and a 250gr Sierra from the Zastava M70 in .375 H&H.

The .375 H&H (22″)>

250gr Sierra

BC = .353

SD = .254

MV = 3017 fps/ 5052 ft-lbs (average of 4 corrected to MV)

100 = 2763 fps/ 4238 ft-lbs/ +1.5″

200 = 2524 fps/ 3535 ft-lbs/ +0.02″

300 = 2297 fps/ 2927 ft-lbs/ -6.94″

400 = 2081 fps/ 2404 ft-lbs/ -20.5″

500 = 1878 fps/ 1957 ft-lbs/ -42.15″

The 9.3 x 62 (22.44″)>

250gr Nosler AB

BC = .493

SD = .267

MV = 2714 fps/ 4088 ft-lbs (general average over years)

100 = 2543 fps/ 3589 ft-lbs/ +1.9″

200 = 2378 fps/ 3139 ft-lbs/ +0.01″

300 = 2220 fps/ 2734 ft-lbs/ -8.04″

400 = 2067 fps/ 2371 ft-lbs/ -23.17″

500 = 1921 fps/ 2048 ft-lbs/ – 46.45″

Some Notes:

• Loaded with 3 cartridges in each rifle, plus scope, the .375 H&H weighs exactly 10 lbs and the 9.3 x 62 weighs 7.75 lbs.

• There are better bullets and weights for each cartridge that will affect the results. But these were actual loads that could be somewhat comparable. The 260gr Nosler AB.375 would show better than the 250gr Sierra at longer ranges. As it is, the 250gr Sierra beats the 250gr AB in the 9.3 x 62 by a significant amount to 400 yds, and has a flatter trajectory all the way past the 500 yd mark.
• Zero was at 200 yds. Ambient conditions: 1200′, 65*F, 58% RH.
• Calculated recoil: 45 ft-lbs in the .375 H&H, and 42 for the 9.3 x 62 without the brake (as used in the past). Currently, with the muzzle brake = 33 – 34 ft-lbs.
• Overall: The 9.3 x 62 Tikka T3 Lite, with brake, would be much more pleasant to tote and shoot than the .375, while giving about the same ballistics at 400 – 500 yds. Without the brake, there’d be little difference in felt recoil.
• The best overall load for the Tikka in 9.3 x 62 is the 286gr Partition at +2600 fps. The best overall bullet for the .375 H&H/Wby would be the 300gr Nosler AB at +2700 fps.

There you have it from this horse’s mouth… er computer!< Yesterday (Friday) the .375 H&H went for a walk. Nearby I’d placed a bear bait earlier in the week… it was demolished! This huge deadfall was my blind and came down sometime since last fall in a wind storm. Upon further investigation, I also found this!< About 100 yds from my setup, a ladder stand with a bait setup about 75 yds downhill from there! I was there first but with a far less involved setup, so to avoid conflict I moved to a familiar area about 2 miles distant (app. 3 km).

Till the next… Over the ensuing spring and summer months, I’ll be writing 2x monthly rather than 4x as there are more outside responsibilities, and I hope for more range time and hunting.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .375 H&H and .375 Wby Mag Compared

It is generally acknowledged by those with handloading experience with each that the maximum difference between the two is 150 fps in favor of the Weatherby: 2550 fps vs 2700 fps or 2650 fps vs 2800 fps, depending on views and experiences of handloaders. That’s assuming equal length barrels, but not necessarily equivalent PSI. Depending on sources of information, the Weatherby PSI is assumed to be 65,000 with the H&H at 62,000. That could already account for 100 fps advantage for the Weatherby.

Then, of course, there’s the matter of the Weatherby’s “free bore” that permits the use of slower magnum type powders, and more of it than “normal” due to peak pressure arriving less quickly than in the H&H in which medium burn-rate propellants are generally employed by most handloaders. That’s the jist of it though more details are involved. Yet there’s really no logic in holding the H&H to 62,000 PSI when the same brass fired in a Weatherby or improved chamber is allowed 65,000 PSI. So the same H&H cases in an H&H chamber could therefore also safely handle 65,000 PSI…. if logic is the gauge and not sentiment.

When more recent and better propellants are employed in the H&H cartridge at 65, 000 PSI, instead of traditional mediums like IMR 4064 or RL-15, the old H&H is in the same room as the Weatherby .375. Research and experience reveals that RL-17 is such a powder that potentially and experientially may be the best among them.

I’ve always had the inkling that most human-made “things” and ideas could be improved. So, also with regard to the .375 H&H’s I’ve owned. The first two: a Winchester M70 and a Browning A-Bolt were both considered for rechamber jobs to .375 Weatherby Magnums. For one reason or another that didn’t happen. Now, with a new 22″ M70 Zastava, I’ve already pondered the same thing!

But, from initial results, in using more modern powders like CFE 223 and RL-17, I’m already there – no need for an “improved” chamber! Nevertheless, an improved chamber does have some benefits: less case stretching and longer case life. Still, is it worth it in a longer run?

And will my rifle handle the extra stress? Only time will tell, but some precautions should be taken. One precaution is for myself as well as the rifle: I’ll not be setting at a range bench for hours on end shooting dozens of .375 bullets! I’ll shoot enough to get 2 or 3 good loads, and for some practice… then off to the hunting grounds! No more bench shooting! And a few will be fired “in the woods” for practice in off-season, but not during an actual hunt unless on live game.

What advantage, then, does “book” .375 Wby Mag ballistics have over “book” .375 H&H ballistics… if any?

When a similar question was asked on a forum, many with African experience favoured the H&H. Interesting! But why?

Less recoil; shots not usually over 200 yds, so the H&H will kill big game at that range as well as the Weatherby… perhaps. Then range is a factor of impact velocity: a 300gr NP leaving the muzzle of an H&H at 2550 fps will impact a brown bear at 150 yds with about 2236 fps/3329 ft-lbs, whereas a 300 Partition from a Wby Mag leaving at 2700 fps would impact that same bear at 2375 fps/3758 ft-lbs. Would that matter if both were hit in the same place? Or… the impact velocity by the H&H at 2236 fps at 150 yds could be stretched by the Wby Mag to about 218 yds for the same effect assuming an equally sound hit! Does that matter? And up closer to, say 50 yds the H&H hits with about 2443 fps force while the Wby Mag hits with 2589 fps force, or more than the H&H at the muzzle! Does it matter?

Any advantage matters, but by how much depends on a number of variables that could increase or decrease the ultimate value of the impact of each… one could be too far back or a quartering away shot. But typically, for any comparison to be valid, we say “all other matters equal”.

<A screen shot of an Alaskan brown bear shot, I believe, with a .375 H&H. It’s a brute that looks like it could go well over 1/2 ton!

When I made the decision to go with a .340 Wby for moose hunts in “The Far North” of our province it was due to potential ranges and conditions that might exceed any advantage a .375 H&H might otherwise have as I then understood it, but not a .375 Wby Mag. And in reviewing matters there were better bullets in .338 than in .375 for long-range shooting – shooting flatter with greater impact at 500 – 600 yds. However, Nosler seems to have gotten the message that .375-cal N.A. hunters are wanting to use those rifles on large game at ANY range without being hampered by bullerts with poor BC’s! Hence – the 300gr AB. But we’ve had 300gr/.375 projectiles with very good BCs for a very long time… but gun writers (and others) have dispensed notions that they would fail if hit anything tough! “We must have ‘premiums’ for tough African game”! So Nosler finally came back with a 300gr “tough” premium Partition in .375 with a BLUNT nose profile and a BC of less than .400! Started at 2400 to 2500 fps, as recommended by some PH’s, it falls below the expansion threshold of 1800 fps, as recommended by Nosler, at about 400 yds in African heat. “Good enough for Africa!” But in the cold north of Canada during the moose season, it falls below 1800 fps just past 350 yds. “Plenty good enough for Canadian moose!” under ideal conditions where shots are short of 400 yds/meters. But my .340 Wby was “good enough” for a bull moose at +600 yds! And so would be a .375 Wby when loaded to 2800 fps with the current “improved 300gr Nosler AccuBond” and a .485 BC!

In fact, according to computer generated ballistics, my current load for the H&H at 2740 fps using the 300gr TSX, IF exchanged for the 300gr Nosler AB (or Sierra or Hornady) would fall below 1800 fps at 562 yds (at 1799 fps). A .375 Wby at 2800 fps would be right on 1800 fps at 600 yds. (That’s 1200 ft elevation, 40*F, 58% RH – average late fall conditions in my hunting areas.)

< There are three moose in this photo at about 450 yds – a bull, cow and calf. They came into this meadow from the woods beyond at around 550 yds. It was raining and I was on my way home from bear hunting. It wasn’t moose season, nor did I have a license.

Ergo: 2800 fps from a 26″ .375 Wby Mag firing a 300gr Nosler AB is no slouch in trajectory or hitting power to 600 yards! But neither is my H&H at 560 yds shooting the same bullet at 2740 fps. At that range it would be going ~1800 fps/ 2160 ft-lbs/ 73.56 TE.. enough for what? The ballistics should be ample for a ton of soft-skinned animal with a hit to vitals. But is the shooter capable? With little wind, a tricked out scope, patience and nerves of steel, experience AND a STEADY REST it’s doable, but how many could pull it off? The right person could, but the “right person” is few. At my very best in younger years, I’d have taken a shot on a 600 yd bull moose with the .340 Wby Mag if it was the only shot I had after travelling 1600 kms/1000 mi. to get there. And the .338/250gr Partition would have made about 1940 fps/2090 ft-lbs/ 61 TE on impact; around the same TE (Terminal Effect) as my 9.3 x 62 firing the 286gr NP (+2600 fps) hitting at 500 yds. Thus in theory the .340 had a 100 yd advantage over my 9.3 x 62 as I loaded them for moose. But, from a practical view, how many shots on moose, elk or big bears are actually taken past 350 yds in the grand scheme of things? However, several of us choose to be prepared for the ultimate challenge, not just the average.

Factory cartridges for the .375 H&H are much more readily available than for the .375 Weatherby, as well as empty cases for handloaders. And they will be more economical. As for the rifles themselves, new .375 H&H’s will run 2K or more. If you get into exotics, that could run into ten times that amount. I was very fortunate in finding what I did at less than 1K. As to MkVs, from what I’ve seen at where I do most business, a “standard” MkV in .375 Wby could go anywhere from $2500 to $3300 – too rich for my budget.

Is my M70 Zastava a “cheaply made” product? The barreled actions have been bought and used in their own stocks by both Whitworth and Remington. In the past the Zastava stock has been criticised, and the action as being too rough. However, the action is CRF and a basic Mauser ’98. Mine has obviously been much improved in every way over earlier editions: It has very nice walnut, inletted to perfection with a free-floated barrel – no contact until the front recoil lug. It also has a thick rubber recoil pad on the butt end, and in a left-hand configuration which I wanted. The action is notoriously strong and smoothing up with use. It also has a cross-bolt. The trigger pull is fine and will be left as it is. The safety is on the left side, up top, behind the bolt handle – a straight back for safe and forward for fire – not complicated and it works.

It’s no “lightweight”, as with a Bushnell Trophy 3 – 9 x 40 scope it comes in at exactly 9.75 lbs – so the rifle alone weighs ~ 8.5 lbs with a 22″ barrel, so I’d say it’s well built. Nothing has moved out of place after 16 hot rounds through it.

< Is the rifle a favorite? It could become one, but favorites happen over time. So far, I’m impressed. My 9.3 x 62 Tikka T3 Lite is a favorite. Proof of that is I’ve owned it for 12 years. If it were not, it would have been gone 10 years ago! My Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag is a favorite though it has been with me for only 5 years. I love No.1s anyway, but that one is special for too many reasons to discuss now… that will come later.

< The .375 H&H (on right) has a heavier barrel and a longer-heavier action than the Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 (on left), and a longer-heavier stock, thus 2 lbs heavier overall. The Tikka has a 22.44″ barrel, plus brake, and the .375 a 22″. Both at the range on April 27/23.

There are several .375 magnums. Among them is the humongous .378 Weatherby, introduced in 1953 to replace the .375 Wby Mag but with the same bore size. There are those that use them and think they’re great! But sales have not worked out as hopped for, so Weatherby brought back the .375 Wby a few years ago. The original .375 Wby Mag is simply the H&H improved with the radius shoulders and free bore made famous by Weatherby – it dates to 1945. Typically, their rifles are well made and accurate… and expensive along with factory ammo as previously noted.

If costs were not an issue, that is if I were wealthy enough to not consider those extra costs, which would I choose – the H&H or Weatherby?

Since ballistics can be manipulated one way or the other, i.e., a longer barrel on either will usually affect results, as well as handloads and psi, I’m not sure I’d make the decision based on ballistics alone, as, for example, I’m already getting .375 Wby Mag ballistics from my “short” H&H. So the choice between them would depend on the total package: The rifle itself: fit and finish, weight distribution, comfort in handling and shooting, looks, retained value, component availability, etc. There are therefore several variables but not one by itself that would count definitively. But weight of the rifles, their balance and handling, and first impressions goes a long way in choosing. I did that in choosing the Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 over a Rem 700 SS in .338 RUM a dozen years ago and have never regretted it.

Regarding rifle scopes: I’ve read many times over, and perhaps you have too, that we should pay more for the scope than the rifle. I’ve never subscribed to that, and apparently neither does famed writer John Barsness! He’s done, I believe, an honest and fair job in both testing and evaluating rifle scopes from cheap to very expensive, and he may have some favorites. But, if I read him correctly, he has pointed out that whatever the price of a scope, there is no iron-clad guarantee that the most expensive will outlast a cheaper one! Like with any machinery, while the parts may be assembled in one place usually they’ve come from various parts of the globe; so with any optics, including rifle scopes. Also, there may be various brand names but the same product put together at the same facility.

Do you use a range finder? How often? They don’t need to cost $500 to get the job done. Same with trail cams. And a rifle that cost less than 1k might get the job done as well as one that cost 5k… or more!

This C8 astro telescope, with all unseen accessories, is worth over 5k, yet I’ve built several of my own that were larger, more powerful and with better viewing that cost less than 1k.

< It was a gift from a friend who is no longer with us.

How do we measure value? By dollars or sense?

“You get what you pay for” is largely a myth

Regarding my latest outing with the .375 H&H: On thursday, the 27th April, the weather cleared enough that I made my second trip to the range with it. Other than reducing the 235gr Barnes TSX’s by 2 grains of CFE 223, I loaded six more of the 250gr Sierras with the same load that shot so well on April 11, and one more of the 300gr Barnes TSX with 77 grs of RL-17. But in the midst of testing loads for the 9.3 x 62 before the .375, the battery on my Chrony died part way through the .375 tests. Nonetheless, I finished shooting anyway for poi on targets at 100 yds.

The 2 Sierras recorded 2997 and 2991 fps before the battery died – 3008 fps corrected to MV (I had a spare but I couldn’t shut everyone else down till I changed batteries!). So I carried on. That was an average of 17 fps less than two weeks prior (3025 fps) when the temps were high for that date at 74*F. This past Thursday (April 27) temps were just above freezing when I started shooting.The circles inscribed in blue is where the same load hit the target on the 11th April. All 4 are within MOA if shot on the same target. For hunting purposes next week I’ve adjusted the reticle 3 clicks right and 2 down. If you’re aware or not, those 250gr Sierras are running 200 fps faster than “normal” due to CFE 223. That puts it in the class of the .375 Wby Mag.

The two 235gr Barnes TSX’s were not recorded due to the dead battery, but that’s where they impacted without any adjustment to scope setting, prior to changes for the 250gr Sierras after shooting was over. Those two 235 TSX’s measure 0.93″ center to center.

Till the next

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

“What if…”

We are creatures of comfort and security, but what if we are caught in a hurricane or tornado, or something equally as unsettling while hunting? What could possibly be as threatening to personal welfare and life itself while on a hunt?

Well, actually, I’ve been on two October hunts when a hurricane went through our areas: once on a deer hunt and another on a moose hunt farther away! The first put us in our friend’s summer cottage for a couple of days. We had no heat, lights or water! The other was the tail end of a hurricane that sideswiped us on a moose hunt. On both occasions trees were coming down blocking roads and trails.

But then there are other matters that may catch us completely off guard: What if I’m on an elk hunt in northern B.C. and a friend from Alberta will join me there at a cabin he’s previously rented in years past. Since we’re non-residents we must have a guide-outfitter. I fly west, rent a vehicle and drive to the location, counting on my partner’s arrival the next day. Late that evening as I’m settling in I get two messages on my cell: my partner’s wife was involved in a car accident so he’s not sure when he can arrive or even IF he can! The other message is ominous as well in that the outfitter has had a heart attack and is sending a helper with little experience in wilderness hunting with grizzlies in the area!

So even before the hunt gets underway, I have a rather serious dilemma: do I carry on anyway in an unknown area, especially with grizzlies around and about, and a rookie for a guide? Or do I head back home to Ontario on the next available flight? So I stay awake that night with lots of “What ifs” on my mind in addition to concerns for my friend and his wife as well as the outfitter!

Having a great imagination and a positive disposition (most of the time), I tend to imagine matters working out as planned or even better! But then, there’s that strong pragmatism that lurks over my shoulder, saying “Go prepared for the worst, not the best!” Depending on what I’m hunting and where, and whether I have a partner or not, I’ll take ample of everything and then some. For example: most of my hunting these days are day trips with no plans to spend the night afield… but then, who knows? For one reason or another I may be forced to! And nearly 100% of those trips are solo! My former partners are either in Heaven (I hope!), preoccupied or moved away. So, considering my age and physical state, any plans even for a day trip must include contingency matters: Extra of everything! But most of that can be stored in my SUV: dry clothes, boots, food and water… even meds and ammo! In my hunting jacket I carry extra ammo, food bars, a topo map or GPS. On my belt: knife, 8×20 binos, range finder. Both the pants and jacket have multiple pockets for storing “whatnots”.

TRANSPORTATION: to and from hunting area, plus all equipment and field dressed animal This Ford Free Star “mini van” served for many years as my “truck”. The middle seats were removable during a hunt and the rear seat was folded down. Behind that was a storage area. Plus, there were multiple “pockets” for storage of smaller items. In this pic it was loaded with everything needed for a bear hunt… even to a bear itself! No, not for moose – for that a trailer was needed. It had a large V6 truck motor with lots of pulling power. It was four years old when purchased and with 62,000 Km (+38,000 miles). It served well for six years, and at 210,000 km (130,000 miles) it got replaced. My current “truck” is another Ford compact SUV used uniquely as a “hunting vehicle”- and serves me well. It’s now twelve years old with 214,000 Km (132,700 miles), having better gas milage, more horsepower than the “old” Free Star and less weight. It appears to be good for another couple of years, if I last that long!

The point? I’ve never needed a $60,000 pickup to go hunting, even IF I could have afforded it! That Ford Free Star had more inside room than most pickups and large SUVs! And gas milage was 30 mpg (Imperial) mixed driving. No boasting or criticism of anyone intended, just something that those on a tight budget may want to seriously consider rather than going so far into debt that they may never get out – thinking they must (like “everyone”) have the latest and biggest pickup to qualify as a hunter! To become a successful hunter, even an elk, bear or moose hunter, no one needs the best equipment. Adequate will suffice.

RIFLE? – while the economy of scale isn’t the same for a rifle, the principle is. None of my rifles are absolutely mandated for what and where I hunt – a .308 Win would suffice, but… I’d miss out on a lot of experience and knowledge that I share with others. And that’s very meaningful to me with my temperiment inclined to search out truth for myself, experience it and then share it with others. Then there’s the “science” of handloading – getting the best any rifle has to offer. A challenge that my “science bent” mind responds to.

So the inclination to know and experience ballistic truth from rifles is strong, and I enjoy sharing it with others of like mindedness. This was recorded by a 500gr Hornady RN at 15 feet from the muzzle of my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag. Add 14 fps for correction to the muzzle. That’s 5959.69 ft-lbs KE. Some believe that only a .458 Lott could do that! I know differently! So I share what I know from the application of ballistic knowledge and experience!

All my BG rifles are multipurpose, as well as the ammo handloaded for them. This includes not only for the game being hunted but anything that might become a target of opportunity or danger. For instance, while hunting deer a pack of coyote-wolf hybrids could show up wanting those same deer or a carcuss! That’s not just an overactive imagination, but has happened while deer hunting with a partner who was a CO. Many elk hunters have had to abandon their kills to bears, and so on, and by times the elk hunters have become victims as well!

By May 1st of this year I’ll have a bear license, God permitting. My intent is to get some well needed exercise in familiar Crown Land where moose, deer, beaver, coyote, wolf-coyote hybrid, timber wolf and bear roam… plus some other critters including wild hogs. Bear will be chasing moose calves, beaver kits or anything thay can catch or dig out of their burrows. I’ll be scouting some of those low areas, the edges of ponds and marshes. In tight quarters, the .35 Whelen fits nicely – being a single-shot, it’s short, light and handy… did I mention it’s power? And a backup for walking trails and overlooking swamps and marshes, and corners of small lakes, will be the .375 H&H with the accurate and powerful 250gr Sierras at +3000 fps.

But “WHAT IF?” the most dangerous among them goes into an attack mode… In this order, that could be a hungry spring male bruin, a female with cubs, a cow moose with a calf, or a pack of hybrid wolves. In Canada we’re not allowed handguns for hunting, so I don’t own one. I’ve owned rifles and shotguns because I’m an outdoors guy and a hunter. If I wasn’t a hunter, I’d not own firearms. As soon as I have what I consider a good to excellent handload for a rifle, I want to take it hunting. Last week on Tuesday, I fired several new loads from my new .375 H&H. Most were experimental, but one was superb. Last evening I loaded up a bunch more of the same for further testing at the range or hunting spring bear – either, it doesn’t matter because I don’t shoot for the sake of shooting, I shoot for verifying a load, for practice and familiarity with the rifle. But the greater satisfaction for me is the hunting and outdoor’s aspect of matters. If I only wanted to shoot targets for bragging rights, I’d just shoot my 22LR in the bolt-action CZ.

But I also find satisfaction in adapting a powerful rifle so that it becomes useful and practical in any hunt of large or potentially dangerous game (large or small).

< This is an area I know well. It’s 400 yds to the farthest corner. It’s also habitat for all of Ontario’s big game and a lot of smaller game. A .375 H&H could be very serviceable here using appropriate bullets from 235gr to 270gr. My current load will be the 250gr Sierras at +3000 fps. And this is one area I’ll be checking for bear sign. Hey! I’ve killed bears nearby over bait!

So “What If?” I went on that hunt in northern British Columbia, killed a mature bull elk and then…

….was charged by a grizzly for its possession? Yeah, I know “the law” says the grizz has prior claim, but he/she doesn’t know anything about human laws! And that’s a serious problem! The grizzly only knows about grizz laws that say “That’s my elk because the stupid hunter can’t pull the trigger on me because of his stupid laws, so I’ll get him/her too!” Sorry grizz, but… KABOOM!

Well… it may mean a day in court, but that’s better than six months of rehab or a premature funeral for the family!

Most dangerous beasts (including some humanoids) don’t have a sense of morality. I recently watched a video where a big black bear was stripping the hide off a calf elk as the mother watched at some distance. The calf was bawling as the bear casually held it down with one paw and literally ate it alive beginning with the hind quarters! The big black bear never killed the calf before eating it… and that went on and on and on… bawling with momma elk watching at a safe distance. And I’ve seen the exact same thing on video of another big black bear – in our hunting area – talking a spring calf moose – maybe a day old – from its mother, into a bush and ate it while bawling for its mother! The cow moose was like the elk cow, standing at a distance. We ascribe morality and human feelings to wild creatures when in reality their instinct is only survival and reproduction – just like some humans!

But IF it’s a matter of survival, just like the bear or lion or other predators, which use their cunning, craftiness, strategy, stealth. strength and speed, I’ll use the means, knowledge and skills that God has given to defeat the aggressor!

KABOOM!

Word has gotten around in Haliburton Highlands among the bear kind that they are thinking of hibernation again… “Hey, you guys, listen up, Bob’s coming our way on May 1st, and he’s not totin’ one of those pea shooters like a .243, but some heavies like a new .375 H&H and his old standard that makes us tremble – his mighty .458 Winchester! Let’s head for the hills… er caves!”

I may have to start totin’ a .243 in those Highlands so I can catch a glimpse of a bear once in a while! Naaa… I wouldn’t do that! I’ll just pretent to, and let the word out that I might be bringin’ a .243… Yet WHAT IF I’ll be totin’ this instead in a turning of the tables?

< My Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester in those Highlands in the fall of 2019 in a “walk it up” bear hunt. So you want to know what the load was? 350gr Hornady FTs at ~2500 fps/4857 ft-lbs, and that was a mild load. That rifle has fired the 350gr TSX at 2782 fps/6014 ft-lbs, seated and crimped in the bottom cannelure at 3.44″ COL.

Details: New Hornady brass, 81 grs of H4198 and WLRM primers. Two shots recorded 2770 and 2760, instrumental, at 15 ft from the muzzle. Average = 2765 fps + 17 fps for correction to muzzle velocity = 2782 fps. These loads, along with some others, were put together in the late fall of 2019 and fired in early spring of 2020. No details of temperature was recorded, though assumed to have been in the mid to high teens Celsius, about 60 – 65* F.

< A pic of those two shots at 100 yds

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

It Turns Out That…

My new Zastava M70 in .375 H&H thinks that it’s a .375 Weatherby Mag in a benchrest format! Well, for starters, it’s a great believer in CFE 223 and RL-17!

Since RL-17 has proven itself as the greatest in my 9.3 x 62 over the past decade for 250s, 286s and the 320 Woodleigh, I figured it ought to do the same for the .375 H&H for the mid to heavyweights. And research seemed to confirm that notion. And since CFE 223 has been such a great performer in my .35 Whelen with middleweight bullets, why not also give it a try in the .375 H&H? Actually, I was quite confident that these two propellants should bring the best from another old workhorse, infusing new energy and a fresh outlook!

Man, was I not disappointed especially with a good dose of CFE 223 under the 250gr Sierra BT, and RL-17 giving a much brighter outlook for the somewhat staid .375 H&H! And just as CFE 223 has brightened the complexion of the .35 Whelen so it can hold its head high among the mid-bores, elbowing itself among the .338 magnums, so now both CFE 223 and RL-17 uplifts the spirit of the respected and well-mannered .375 H&H so it needs not apologize in the company of the elite Weatherby clan.

On Tuesday of this past week (April 11/23) the weather warmed to a hazy sunshine at 22*C/74*F. I took three rifles to the range, arriving there at 7:45 a.m. so as to have ample time to set up Chrony and targets. The three rifles were: the new .375 H&H (22″ barrel), wt = 9.75 lbs with scope, the Traditions G3 single-shot in .35 Whelen with last year’s ammo (225gr AB at +2800 fps), plus a new load of 180gr Barnes TTSX, and my CZ 455 in .22LR. But, I must confess that most of my interest and focus was on the .375 H&H and how it would perform. I never did shoot the CZ , and only four from the .35 Whelen: two from last yeaars load to verify POI, and two from the new load of the 180gr TTSX.

The first rifle on the bags was the Traditions single-shot in .35 Whelen. Last year’s load of the 225 AB from the Whelen was a bit slower and hit 1.7″ right of center at 100 yards and +1″. They went into .525″. The two 180 TTSX’s were 2855 and 2861 fps instrumental. They were .950″ center to center, and high left with no corrections to scope. That was an experimental load of CFE 223, which appears to be a too slow powder for that bullet.

< Last year’s load for the .35 Whelen – the 225gr Nosler AB at +2800 fps into 0.525″ this past Tuesday (April 11/23). Corrections have been made to put them DOC.

But the star of the show was the new .375 H&H. It performed flawlessly, and the Bushnell Trophy scope made all adjustments quickly and easily.

Fit and finish are excellent, and even the Bavarian style stock works perfectly for me. All screws, bolts and fasteners have been tightened firmly and will be regularly checked.

After a rough bore sighting (NOT using a bore-sighter) – in removing the bolt for sighting through the bore – and a rough adjustment of scope, I fired one shot of the 250gr Sierras over the Chrony in the general direction of two targets, side by side, at 100 yds. The goal was to get a number from the Chrony as a benchmark. It never hit any of the two targets but did record 3017 fps. I then adjusted my rifle setup so I could fire at a 50 yd target, angled off to the right, after a more careful “bore-sighting”. This didn’t allow the recording of those two shots. Holding midway between the two diamonds near the bottom of the target, I squeezed off one and it landed 2″ right and 3″ high of dead center. I then adjusted the scope to that hole and the next shot was one bullet hole high. Corrections were made to move the POI to dead center. Those two were not recorded, and a third shot was not fired on the 50yd target assuming that would be good enough to hit the 100 yd target somewhere near center and a bit high. Then the rifle was moved back to my original setup so I could shoot at the100 yd target and over the Chrony again. Those two remaing 250gr Sierras recorded 3018 and 3005 fps making a single hole in the 100 yd target at ~1.5″ over center. I HAVE MY HUNTING LOAD folks! It took two shots to sight-in and three to record MV. Average corrected = 3025 fps = 5079 ft-lbs. That’s more than I got from my .340 Wby with a 4″ longer barrel!

< The 1st shot on the 50 yd target at top and the 2nd shot (after adjustments) below that. Then by making corrections on the Trophy scope for centering the next shot at 50, I then fired the last two of the 250gr Sierras over the Chrony on the 100 yd target and recorded this:

< The final two making a single hole separated by 0.125 inch (1/8″). I’ll leave well enough alone… perhaps giving it one click to the right.

CFE 223 was also used on the 235gr and 270gr TSX’s which didn’t work so well with either of those two: The 235gr TSX load was too hot, and the 270gr load was too extreme in spread. Both loads could be reduced of course, but since I have an apparent excellent load for the 250gr Sierra I’ll stick with that for now. The TSX loads came after the rifle was sighted with the 250gr Sierras, and without adjustments to the scope.

The 300gr TSX was also given a try firing a single load over the Chrony onto the same target that recorded the two 250gr Sierras. The powder was RL-17; 77 grs which appeared to be reasonable based on some extrapolation and other sources of info. Probably a max load that has to be tested further in a group for accuracy. Without scope adjustment it shot 6″ lower than the 250gr Sierras and slightly left of center. MV corrected was 2740 fps = 5000 ft-lbs, which is .375 Weatherby territory, from a shorter barrel.

As mentioned, 77 grains of RL-17 seemed a reasonable load under the 300gr TSX, based on knowledge of the powder in relation to H4350, which is considered one of the very best for 300gr in the .375 H&H, and my use of RL-17 for a decade in the 9.3 x 62. So I loaded a single 300gr TSX over 77 grains in new Remington brass, crimped in the top cannelure for a 3.58″ COL, to be ignited by a WLRM primer.

Later, in following a thread about the .375 H&H on 24hr campfire, someone mentioned the QuickLoad results for the 300gr Nosler AB and Partition using RL-17 from a 24″ barrel. If you can make out the numbers from a screen shot, 78 grains of RL-17 under the 300gr Partition gave 2732 fps at ~65,000 psi at 102.5% load density. When I saw that, I knew that my choice of 77 grains was indeed reasonable. I got exactly 2730 fps instrumental, plus 10 for correction to MV…. BUT from a 22″ barrel! If you haven’t noticed, those are .375 Weatherby Magnum results, at least from a 22″ barrel! And IF your H&H is rechambered to a Weatherby, you can load it to 65,000 psi using the H&H brass!!! In any case, (pun NOT intended) 65,000 psi is well within safety measures. I’ve resized that case and charged it with a new primer, and there are NO indications of unsafe or “over-the-top” pressure.

Now, I must apologize to all .375 H&Hs for previously writing anything that was not completely worthy! It is, no argument to the contrary, superior in it’s best face to the wonderful 9.3 x 62, when both are given their best with equality in psi and bullets. Tops for the 9.3 x 62 in a 22.44″ format, constricted to 3.37″ COL and ~64, 000 psi is ~4500 ft-lbs. In a barrel of 22″, at around 65,000 psi, the equally ancient H&H can make ~5000 ft-lbs of muzzle smash in 3.58″ of space! And that from the normal heavyweights in each: a 286gr Partition from the 9.3 x 62 and the 300gr Partition in .375″. The 286gr making +2600 fps and the 300gr making +2700 fps. As far as I can tell, that’s the extreme distinction between the two. Of course, the majority of others who own either or both, do not go there! That’s their business! But majority opinions only count in politics – or so we’ve been indoctrinated to think. The last three Prime Minister candidates, I’ve voted for in Canada, have NOT been elected, but I’m still convinced that they would have been better than the PM who was elected by a majority vote. Going and choosing where the majority does not go, seems my calling in life! So, pushing “the limit” has never frightened me, because “one with God is a majority” according to the original Martin Luther. But the truth, REAL truth, is that God alone is ALWAYS the majority if “majority” means righteous power!

But, as in all things human, majority thinking and action doesn’t make unrighteous opinions and actions “righteous” because a majority think an act that way!

An untruth doesn’t become a truth because a majority believe it! A biological man doesn’t become a woman by stating he is! A screwdriver doesn’t become a hammer by trying to pound nails with it!

And a .375 H&H isn’t limited to what Hornady has promoted over the years…. 2500 fps for their 300s – all in a row with no variance for the past how many years?

It took handloaders and chronographs to shake the commercial ammo business out of its lies and lethargic indifference!

< The POI of the two 250gr Sierras up top, and the POI of the single 300gr TSX at 2740 fps at bottom without scope adjustment from the 250gr Sierra hold on dead center.

Some notes:

• The recoil of the five 250gr Sierras at 3025 fps (corrected avg. of three) was actually quite pleasant at a calculated 43 ft-lbs. The 9.75 lb rifle weight (with scope) plus stock shape and thick butt pad helped with “felt recoil”. But in perspective, that was much less than my former .340 Wby firing a 250gr at 3000 fps at 54 ft-lbs recoil, calculated. But that never bothered me either and I had that rifle for ten years. The 250gr Sierra has a .050″ jacket tappered to around 0.022″ at the mouth. The lead core is hardened by a suitable amount of antimony. The bullet is said to be suitable for elk, moose, Cape buff, lion, larger Plains Game and even brown bear. All that is confirmed by “an authority” on such matters. Be that as it may, I’d choose something else in a .375 H&H for Cape buff, lion and brown bear! My use will be limited to black bear, and possible deer and wolf.

• On the other hand, the recoil of the 300gr TSX load at 2740 fps was significantly more to hands and shoulder. In fact the “snap-cap” cover for the front lens nearly came off! It’s calculated recoil was 46 ft-lbs, but it seemed much more than that in comparison to the 250gr load.

• I’ve resized the brass from those loads, which were their first firings being new Remington cases, and there were no concerns in that procedure including the seating of primers that showed nearly new type resistance.

• And extraction of fired cases was with great ease – they practically fell out of the chamber.

• And I still maintain that the sense of “felt recoil” is more about how we think regarding it than how it actually affects us in a physical sense. The calculated recoil from a 12ga magnum turkey load from a 7 lb shotgun is around 53 ft-lbs, and shotguns are not noted for their ergonomic compatibility! Perhaps millions of turkey are shot annually!

I’m actually quite taken with this rifle, I think it has surprised me. The saying by many that a .375 H&H is quite easy to load seems to be quite genuine, but from my past two rifle experiences in .375 H&H, I’ve never received comparible results. And, I don’t recall ever having a hunting load sighted and ready to go in three shots from any rifle, especially one that’s new.

If there’s a downside to .375-caliber, especially for long-range shooting, is the poor B.C.s of their typical bullets. I guess that’s because of it’s African history where shots are rarely longish, and hunting DG mandates close ranges and heavy bullets.

200 yds is a long shot in Africa, but with more interest and opportunities for longer shots in N.A. on heavier game, tough and heavier bullets with high ballistic coefficients would make a .375 H&H or Weatherby more versatile – at least it would seem so.

Check this out:

300gr/.375″ Nosler AB with a .485 BC – this is at least one bullet in .375 with a decent BC – IF they can be found! (The 300gr Sierra BT or Hornady 300gr BT could act as substitutes, but they’re not bonded like the Nosler 300 AB.)

MV = 2740 fps/ 5000 ft-lbs/

50 yds = 2652 fps/ 4683 ft-lbs/

100 yds = 2565 fps/ 4382 ft-lbs/

150 yds = 2480 fps/ 4097 ft-lbs/

200 yds = 2397 fps/ 3827 ft-lbs/

250 yds = 2315 fps/ 3570 ft-lbs/

300 yds = 2235 fps/ 3327 ft-lbs/

350 yds = 2156 fps/ 3097 ft-lbs/

400 yds = 2079 fps/ 2880 ft-lbs/

450 yds = 2004 fps/ 2675 ft-lbs/

500 yds = 1930 fps/ 2482 ft-lbs/

550 yds = 1858 fps/ 2300 ft-lbs/

600 yds = 1788 fps/ 2129 ft-lbs/

• That looks pretty awesome in an open area for elk or moose, such as the FAR NORTH of Ontario for a large bull moose!
• 73 TE at 600 yds. To give this some perspective, I’ve generally considered a 50 TE as adequate for a 1200 lb bull moose, assuming a correct hit in the vitals with a good bullet.

My purpose in this is NOT that I’ll be hunting moose in the Far North again, but to reveal it’s potential for those who may want to, or in other parts of N.A., Alaska or Africa where on license large game could be taken – such as a brown bear for resident Alaskans who don’t have to employ a guide/outfitter. For myself it would be a black bear using the 250gr Sierras at ~3000 fps at up to about 250 yds. It’s likely, however, that a shot on bear in this region, while still hunting, would be much shorter… maybe 150 yds as a long shot giving around 3900 ft-lbs at impact. I can think of places like that where I’ve hunted previously on Crown Land, but retrieving such a bear would be a challenge for any able bodied hunter if the bear was more than 200 yds from a well used trail.

It’s nice to have dreams, but personally it’s now the hunt… and I can always shoot a deadfall or other “thing” in real life simulations at “challenging” ranges! A one-foot thick softwood tree (that looks like it will come down anyway in the next wind storm as a “deadfall”) is a good challenge for an offhand woods shot while standing on the side of a ridge at about 150 yards or more from somerthing in the medium to big-bore class of rifles!

Try it, you might like it! It will test your skill as in real life hunting marksmanship of big and potential dangerous game. I’ve often tried it on Crown Land, and I’ve watched such shots from .375 H&Hs in the mountainous terrain of the Alaskan ABC islands on brown bear… some over 200 yards – from offhand on a fast escaping wounded brown bear!

All good fun… especially if it’s a rock or tree and not a fast escaping grizzly or brown bear!

In a lonesome place I’ll give it another try using the Zastava M70 and the 250gr Sierras at +3000 fps! Good practice for a wolf or black bear at 150 yds from a quick offhand shot! First off, though, I’ll do that at 50 and 100 yds from an offhand stance at the range.

My immediate goal is to load up about 20 of the 250gr Sierras for practice (as the rifle is already sighted at + 1.5″ DOC at 100 yds) and another 10 for hunting (I only have 35 left in that single box of 250gr Sierras, and it will likely be a challenge to find more.). So I may have to resort to the 235gr TSX’s as a future replacement to the Sierras, hoping for equal accuracy at +3000 fps.

At my next trip to the range, in addition to loading up some 250s for practice and checking zero, I’ll give the 235gr TSX’s another try using the same load that works so well with the 250gr Sierras. Likely, that will result in a higher velocity… but they have a significantly poorer BC, and will likely need a higher speed at impact for adequate expansion. Those are a couple of reasons why I prefer the 250gr Sierras over the 235gr TSX’s. But either will be more than adequate for the game licences I’ll be purchasing: bear, deer, and wolf-coyote hybrid, and the real deal… (both brush and timber wolf – one up to 65 lbs and the other to +100 lbs). One load for everything!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Planning a SPRING BEAR Hunt

I’ts already April, and May 1st is opening day for black bear hunting in Ontario. Being ready involves getting some plans together in relatively short order!

Types of hunts available on Crown Land:

• Baiting
• Scouting
• Still hunting
• Calling
• Sitting in or behind a temporary blind
• A tree stand

And I’ve never done a “hound hunt”, so that will not be entertained at this stage.

< Wild bear country and I will meet again! It will see me with the Traditions G3 in .35 Whelen or the .375 H&H, depending on the day.

I expect to be doing some of each. The main goal is the hunt, NOT shooting a “trophy boar bear”. Having done that in past years, I now take more pleasure in the hunt than in shooting something. Older and more experienced hunters understand that sentiment. That’s not to say I’ll pass on a shootable bear, but consideration must be given to its size and circumstances. First of all, I’ll be alone and will not shoot a bear that weighs over about 250 lbs because of logistics on several fronts – unless it’s a monster bear that’s intent on having me for lunch! Then neither a bear that weighs less than about 130 lbs, again for practical reasons, some of which has to do with personal goals. Also, females are off limits if it’s a mother. However, a dry sow spring bear is fair game. I’ve only shot one in 40 years, and she went about 165 lbs.

A RIFLE hunt: And that’s all I’ve ever done, although sometimes a 12ga has been in my vehicle for backup, and while toting in bait, or followup of any wounded bears – always loaded with Challenger Magnum DGS slugs (492 grs of hard lead at 1550 fps. from the 18.5″ pump action Savage 320 Security with pistol grip, gost ring sights and five in the tube. OL = 39 inches at 7 lbs).

This time I’m planning to involve all four of my BG rifles, appropriately loaded. Since the 9.3 x 62 has seen a lot of action in bear hunts, it will be used less than the others. And I’ve killed bears with both a .35 Whelen and .458 Win Mag, so no surprises there, but my current Whelen and .458 have yet to be bloodied so they will get their turns. That leaves the .375 H&H for which I need to decide on a load, get it sighted-in (the others are already sighted with a chosen load), and put in some practice that should happen over the next 2 to 3 weeks.

A load for the .375 H&H will be selected based on the accuracy of either the 235gr TSX or 250gr Sierra. Both should be making over 2800 fps.

The .458 Win Mag load in my RUGER NO.1H is already sighted from last year’s very brief bear hunt: the 250gr Hornady MonoFlex at ~2680 fps. That’s a monolithic bullet with a poly tip. It’s crazy tough yet expands down to an impact velocity of ~1400 fps with +90% weight retention!

The Tikka T3 in 9.3 x 62 will use a traditional load (for my rifle) of the 286gr Partition at a little less than 2600 fps (2588 fps). I’ve downloaded it by a couple of grains of RL-17 from it’s former max load of 70 grs at ~2640 fps. Both of those loads will shoot MOA or less. I’ve killed one 6′ bear with the 70gr load (and two others using different loads for each). So this rifle will see less use in this spring hunt than the others – at least, that’s the plan. It will be used mostly in scouting and walking due to it’s light weight.

The .35 Whelen: This also saw limited action last year because it took a while to develop the load I wanted and get it sighted-in. That latter point was complicated because I had to change scopes twice. Not wanting to purchase a new scope for the Traditions OUTFITTER G3 single-shot, I first opted to install a World Class Tasco 3 – 9 x 40 that I had on hand for a number of years. That didn’t work out very well so I purchased a new 2 – 7 x 32 Vortex, installed it, sighted it with my 225gr AB load, went to my bear bait setup, aimed it and the reticle looked almost like this X, it had turned about 45* clockwise! Back to the store! After a 15 minute heated argument with the shop manager, I finally convinced him that I was involved in a “very important” bear hunt and needed a new scope and couldn’t wait on Vortex to replace the bad one! I said I’d buy a new (more expensive) one IF he would give me full credit for the bad one! So, finally, I came away with a 3 – 9 x 40 Diamondback that, so far, has worked as it should! The hunting load is the 225gr AB at ~2850 fps that shoots into MOA over 69 grs of CFE 223, ignited by WLRM primers in Rem brass. COL is 3.45″.

< On the hunt May, 2022… Oh, that red box? It had lots of smelly stuff for bears, including molasses on top. And that’s the .35 Whelen making over 4000 ft-lbs KE at the muzzle!

I’m expecting that this rifle and the .375 H&H will see most action during the spring hunt. And if no bear is taken then the license will still be good for a fall hunt that is twice as long in duration – without those nasty black flies and deer tics!

While I’ve previously owned an M70 Winchester (24″) in .375 H&H that went on both bear and moose hunts, no shots were fired on either species. That was many moons ago! That rifle was traded for another .375 H&H in a Browning A-Bolt, SS in a left-hand action (As explained many times over the years, I’m compelled to shoot from my left side due to a childhood accident to my right eye causing blindness in that eye.) That didn’t work out well because, while I loved the rifle in SS and the LH action, it was a very inaccurate rifle from most handloads due to the bore being off-center by .008″. That problem was resolved in returning it to the dealer, and for $100 I got a new Browning A-Bolt, identical to the .375 H&H, in .338 Win Mag that was turned into a .340 Wby by a rechamber job and adding a .375 H&H clip to the floorplate that replaced the .338 Win Mag clip. That became a great long-range moose gun for the Far North of our province.

On my first moose hunt using my first .338 Win Mag in the Sako FS, that preceded ownership of the .375s mentioned above, it took place in what was unofficially called “The Near North”, south of North Bay and on the Northwestern side of Algonquin Park, about a four hours drive NW of home in the Kawarthas’. My backup was an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 because ranges were rugged and short. “Close” only counts in horseshoes, but I came as close to shooting a moose calf on that hunt as my rifle was away from me while taking a “dump” in thick woods on the side of a ridge. All sign said there was a bull, cow and calf on the ridge we (four of us) were hunting. The bull and cow were consoring near the top of the ridge in thick bush during the night. Before daylight they parted with the cow and calf going down into the thick tree-filled swampy area below. The bull went “wherever”. I had a bull tag and there was another provided by the “outfitter-camp owner” – whom we only saw at camp – if we needed it! But the cow was frantic over our presence on “her” turf! She was galloping hither and yon with the calf (which went about 400 – 500 lbs). So, with my pants down around my ankles, and the .45-70 stashed against a sturdy fir tree eight feet away, at around 7 a.m. she decided to crash down from the ridge, through thick brush within seven or eight yards of me… but I couldn’t see her because of the thick bush… no matter, we had no license for a cow anyway! I carried on. But, in less than a half-minute the calf was doing a dance and song just above me trying to get past while my rifle was eight feet away! Quick decision time! With no one watching but God, I pulled my trousers up partway, rushed for my Marlin and the “calf” took off out of sight in the direction of my son, who also was out of sight somewhere around 75 to 150 yds to my right and downhill! While reaching for my rifle I’m yelling: “THE CALF IS COMING YOUR WAY”! He later said, “I heard it crash past me but never saw it!”

So I began my moose-hunting career with two powerful rifles that were relatively short and handy, but never got to pull the trigger on moose.

My Sako FS in .338 Win Mag was similar to this one above

The day following the above hilarious and frustrating incident, my son and I started the day with our two companions before daybreak on the same ridge. Walking through thick woods, after leaving our two vehicles by the side of the dirt road, we heard a loud splash in the unseen pond to our left (a beaver sounding an alarm!) that got our undivided attention, as the preceding day’s events had already heightened our collective nervous systems. You see, not only did I have a chance on the calf, but friend Dave had a close encounter with the same cow later in the day as it came charging in his direction as he was stuck in an island of alders down in the swamp – and he couldn’t shoot a cow even if he could have!

So, I had a plan for day 3… The other two guys would stay, one near the top of the ridge and the other down the other side in a tree stand that looked across an expanse of tundra for 400 yards before terminating in another heavy-wooded ridge. My son, Phil, and I would work the opposite side of “our” ridge and swamp where a lot of the action seemed to be taking place. (Incidentally, another group of hunters shot a bull on that “other ridge” across that 400 yd tundra near the end of the hunt. I had sat in that tree stand the first day of our hunt.) Early morning, on the day following my escapade with nature interfering with my hunt, I asked Phil to do a circle up over the ridge where I saw the calf and where momma moose had bowled-over brush and minature softwood trees to make a fast escape – or was it to intimidate? – and I would sit on a knoll at the bottom of the ridge and at one side of the swamp. He did the reconnaissance out of sight for about an hour, and then appeared on the far side of the swamp emerging from the trees. He joined up with me and couched down in front, with me on my hunting seat, as we discussed our next steps in wispers.

Suddenly, quickly, all in a rush we heard loud noises coming in our direction that sounded like a stampede! (Not that we’d ever heard a real stampede!) First the cow errupted out of the bush and trees in full gallop, stretched out like a race horse, coming directly at us from no more than 30 yards! And the calf on her tail! When she saw us, on went the binders as mud and brush fled before her… the calf bounced off her rear… then an abrupt 180 degrees turn and away she went with calf in tow! “SHOOT THE CALF! SHOOT THE CALF!” I yelled at Phil who was still crouched down in front of me! He stood and let fly two rounds from his .338 Win Mag in a 700 Mountain Rifle. “WAIT UNTIL THEY’VE SEPARATED”, I yelled just before he’d fired… they’d disappeared into the bush beyond… Then the search began that lasted another couple hours. No blood, other than the trickle down Phil’s nose! His load, btw, was 225gr Hornadys at ~2750 – 2800 fps. That day, my load was a 250gr Sierra BT at ~2700 fps from the 20″ Sako FS.

The above is funny in ways, and serious in others. But the takeaway for me was: Be prepared for the unexpected… and too much gun is about right for moose! They don’t all just stand around at 30 yards waiting to be shot through the lungs with a .30-30!

The first day of the hunt I was in that tree stand that made me question the effective reach of my load in the Sako FS with the 20″ barrel. Directly across I estimated 400 plus yards. Any angle from the shortest distance could have increased the range by 250 yds or more. Where the bull was shot by another group of hunters, it was about 100 – 150 yds beyond the edge of trees. Was that “our bull” that had been consorting with “our cow”? If so, it had to cross that open tundra. What if I’d been in the stand when it crossed? Questions like that make us more realistic in our choices of rifles and their ballistics… Or should.

I’ll not be chasing moose in those regions again, but when we went a distance four times greater from home to “The Far North” of our Province of Ontario for our next moose hunts, I decided it was time for a .340 Weatherby! And I was not mistaken in that choice of possibles.

And the .375 H&H may yet become a .375 Weatherby. But first it must pass tests as it is. 235gr TSX’s at 2900 – 3000 fps should get’er done on any bear that wants to eat me, I’m thinkin’…

Till the next…

Happy Easter: “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand’

“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities” (ISAIAH 53: 10-11)

BOB MITCHELL

Load ‘er UP!

At the tender age of eighty-seven, I still get excited over a box of shiny new bullets… especially for a new gun! I love making new loads, testing them at the range for MV and accuracy. And, once that’s settled, driving to my favorite hunting areas in hope of spoting legal game.

I’ve settled on hunting loads for the .458, 9.3 x 62 and .35 Whelen. Now it’s the .375 H&H’s turn. I’m sure you’ll agree that “variety IS the spice of life”! No hunter needs four distinct rifles for hunting the same three or four big-game animals under, more-or-less, the same conditions. But the alternative to boredom at any age is… what? Golf? TV? Gourmet food? Shuffle Board? Chasing skirts? Reading books? Knitting? …. on forever? NOT for a true-blue outdoors person in relatively good health!

< 300gr Barnes TSX in .375″ seated over 77 grs of RL-17, new Remington brass with a WLRM primer to be fired in my Zastava M70 with a 22″ barrel. Plus in the green box are three loaded with CFE 223 behind the 235gr TSX, three more loaded with CFE 223 under the 250gr Sierra, and finally three loaded with the 270gr TSX on top of a full load of CFE 223. All to be ignited with WLRM primers.

Want to guess what the results might be? Write it down so you’ll remember and I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks, God willing.

Plus, I’ve a mind for trying new “things” or making old “things” better!

Another “plus”: I’ve lost interest in small bores and sub-mediums, i.e – sub- .338 caliber. And since handloaded .45-70s left an indelible impression on my psyche that far surpassed anything less, I’ve adopted .458-caliber as my one-and-only true BIG BORE!

As per my last blog, the natural step down from big-bore rifles are mediums that include rifles from ~ .338-cal to .375-cal, and capable of ~ 4000 ft-lbs minimum at the muzzle from handloads. As with the .45-70 and .458 Win Mag, mediums offer the greatest possible versatility in ballistics from today’s handloading components.

We’ve gotten impressions from certain “gun writers”, whom we’ve respected for their experiences, honesty and astute judgments of the rifles and cartridges they’ve personally owned and employed in field use. But when a “gun writer” is testing a manufacturer’s rifle and/or ammo, and expected to personally shoot some suitable game with it, and give a positive report, we already know his analysis will not reflect any negatives on either the ammo or rifle. That’s a given…

That’s one major reason why I like to do my own handloads, test them at the range for velocity, consistency and accuracy, then, when and where possible, test them in media and only then go to my hunting areas.

A lot of time, diligence and effort is involved in that process, plus killing some game for any analysis to be complete and trustworthy. The results seen in the three pics following were from the same rifle and load.

< Three 250gr Nosler AccuBonds from my 9.3 x 62 made this group at 100 yds. C to C is 0.44″.

One shot killed this bear at 85 yds

At this muzzle velocity + 9 fps for correction to MV

And this is the rifle after the muzzle brake was added

At this stage, all I can and will do, God permitting, is try new loads, test them for MV and accuracy (and perhaps in media), go to the hunting areas, not expecting to shoot truck loads of game, but maybe, if I’m lucky, to shoot another bear or wolf before I’m done…

But my real interest is in finding out the potential of a particular rifle through the application of acceptable handloads. And there’s a certain consumption of time and money involved in that… no way around it!

Of course, the functionality of the rifle itself must be taken into consideration and evaluated. Needless to say perhaps, but often that may involve the replacement of a trigger (or work on it by self if qualified, or by a gunsmith) and free floating the barrel by the removal of some wood, plastic or other materials. Sometimes that also involves bedding the action – again by self or a competent smith.

Then what about the handling comfort of the rifle in maneuvers while carrying and shooting ? Hence, there are multiple factors involved in a particular rifle’s “friendliness”…. its “likeability”. And does it perform as expected with grace?

So those are just some of the more obvious characteristics that make a particular rifle endearing. Then for a certain few, the artful looks of a rifle is what gives it a permanent home in their safes or gunroom. Otherwise, it may never see the light of day except for photo ops or handling by invitation only. Obviously, I’m not one of those. To me, function is primary, and fashion is secondary.

< A final check of the area before “closing up shop” for the season. Everything that was not natural to the land had to go… this was private property, and that was my lever-action Marlin in .45-70.

In recently reading on rifles for hunting on the Internet, an OP asked what rifle would they recommend as a general purpose rifle for anything from hogs to moose for a friend of his who had been a big game hunter using a bow only to that point in time. The brand and model of rifle was of particular interest more than its chambering. So there was a division among the respondants: some recommended choosing the rifle first as any number of cartridges could suffice as a general purpose big-game rifle. Others said, no, choose the cartridge (stated as “caliber”) then find the “right” rifle.

For myself, what I found most interesting was the single recommended rifle that outnumbered all others together was the Tikka T3X, which is an “improved version” of my own Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62, which at the time (12 years ago) was considered “cheap”! And BTW, as I’ve mentioned more than a few times in my writeups, it’s one of few that I’ve had without a single problem, and if not the MOST accurate I’ve ever owned, it certainly is among the Big Bores and Mediums! And it’s very lite for toting and getting in and out of a tree stand! In fact, at this stage in a post-war with arthritis, it has become a bit too lite so I’ve added a brake and reduced it’s main hunting load by a couple of grains to 68 grs of RL-17, that still is MOA at 2583 fps/4237 ft-lbs. And recoil with the brake plus reduced load and eight cartridges (3 in the clip, 1 in chamber and 4 in a buttstock cartridge holder) is only 8 lbs total weight). The brake reduces calculated recoil by 20% claimed – and I believe that claim having shot those loads with the brake on. So compaired to 48 ft-lbs recoil from the 286gr at 2640 fps, recoil should be ~ 34 – 35 ft-lbs, or only 72% of the former 286gr load! My current goal is to keep every load for each rifle not over 40 ft-lbs. So far, if expectations go as foreseen for the .375 H&H, all handloads should be around that number. You’ll understand, of course, that I have enough experience with multiple rifles and their chamberings to know that 40 ft-lbs from one rifle will not “feel” the same as another rifle producing 40 ft-lbs recoil. Many factors are involved, including speed of recoil and fit of rifle to the shooter as well as so-called “free recoil”. But to have a calculated number in mind based on physics is nonetheless a suitable plan at this juncture of my life.

The biggest variable is the shooter himself/herself. We have different body shapes, weights, sensibilities, perceptions and reactions to pain that can be mitigated by several means: the clothes we wear may have greater or lesser padding in the right or wrong places. Our stance in offhand shooting. Do we pull the rifle tightly into the shoulder or not? At the bench: do we sit up straight or slouch? Elevation of scope over bore. Some say they like to “weld” their cheek to the stock… on a heavy “kicker” that’s a good way to loosening some teeth or at least some fillings. That’s “bench rest” style -NOT RECOMMENDED for the likes of a .458 Win Mag! For something like that: GET OFF THE BENCH AS SOON AS YOU HAVE YOUR LOAD AND SIGHTED IT WHERE WANTED! Practice offhand at the range (where permitted) or in a safely wooded area. Don’t tell the “Greens”, but I “kill” a lot of trees where I hunt. But they’re not DRT! Then there are some DRT trees that make for good realistic practice at variable ranges and angles.

< A practice shot from my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag in a favorite hunting area of Crown Land. That’s the exit hole made from a 350gr Hornady RN.

So when a bunch of supposedly “experienced and knowledgeable” hunters/shooters make loud noises over the use of “Lite” or “Super Lite” Tikkas for anything more than a 7-08 Rem the hair on the back of my neck stands to attention! Of course……… IF someone opts to spend their time, energy and $$ on toys like .243s and 6.5s, should we expect they’ll “like” the recoil of something like a .338 Win Mag? But IF a .338 Win Mag is the WEAKEST of a gunroom full of numbers like: a .338-378, .416 Rem, .500 NE, .458 Win Mag, etc, will they complain over the recoil of a 9.5 lb .375 H&H? Not if they’ve just had an enjoyable day at the range developing loads for their .375 Weatherby!

So this matter of “kick” needs some practical, balanced and honest thinking before someone potificates over “a .338 Win Mag is horrible in recoil”, as one poster stated it. My first .338 Win Mag was a Sako FS with a 20″ barrel. It was a beautiful rifle that I owned for several years and put just about every available .338″ projectile down its short barrel. Not even once did I feel uncomfortable from its “kick”. I was heavier and in better physical condition than today, but I’m sure I could deal with it’s recoil as well today as when 50! Indeed, it’s recoil was calculated at about 40 ft-lbs from a variety of loads. But I also owned a lever-action 1895 Marlin in .45-70 that ALSO was producing around 40-42 ft-lbs of recoil… and in a Marlin that’s more like 60 ft-lbs from a bolt-action repeater. The difference is in stock shape. But I got used to it also and carried that gun in hunting areas more than any other for several years.

As repeated over and over and over again…. how we deal with the recoil of a particular rifle, and handle it under challenging conditions it more related to mental conditioning than physical – which is NOT to suggest that the physical aspects are insignificant – far from it – but you could be a NFL linebacker and still whine over the “kick” of a .30-06 whereas the daughter of Phil Shoemaker in Alaska totes a .416 Rem Mag when guiding clients in big-bad bear Alaskan country! Weight and physical strength have little to do with it, but training, experience and mindset is at least 75% of it!

So, LOAD ‘er UP and go shoot something big and bad! Your adrenaline will be so high, you’ll not remember the recoil… if you’re at least a normal hunter!

But IF we develop some bad habits at the bench… and then complain about the “kick” of such and such, why shouldn’t we just improve our bench style and attitude instead of blaming the cartridge and rifle?

That was my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. Notice how far I’m from the scope – it had a good eye relief – and I was holding down on the forearm. Don’t let it bounce and it’ll come straight back. I never found that rifle painful to shoot, even with 500s at +2200 fps. Then, I never fired over ten or twelve rounds per session… always, I brought a second rifle to give a break from the .458. So I never feared that rifle, but I had a deep respect for it. It has been replaced by my current Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum. Pic on the header at top of page.

On the other mitt, if most of our bench shooting and hunting involves numbers like .223, .243 and 6.5 cartridges, are we justified in being critical of cartridges over .40-caliber and those who shoot them?

And if some hunter only shoots less than a half-box of .308 Winchester 150s per annum while hunting, then chooses to go “bigger” with a .300 Winchester Magnum… he may need some dental work after his first session at a bench!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Does it matter… ?

Does WHAT matter?

The subconscious….

The littlest but most important thing….

Trigger pull….

Familiarity….

Confidence….

Vision acuity….

Range….

And the list goes on ….

There are a lot of “little things” that hunters and shooters do by habit while often taking much of it for granted. But who hasn’t shown up at the range with a new rifle and load while leaving their targets back home? Or their staple gun? Of course, we focus consciously on what seems most important while leaving what seems less important to the subconscious. Did we bring that small bag on the kitchen counter top while being preoccupied with that new rifle? In terms of hierarchy, taking care of the new rifle, insuring it goes into its new padded case, then safely into the pickup so stuff won’t be piled on top, has top priority? But really? What about that small bag left on the counter top back home? Oh yes, I’d asked my wife to make me a sandwitch and put an apple with it, please, before she left to teach at kindergarten… and she did! Ooops! Priorities: my happiness or hers? No big deal? Yes, it is a big deal if the focus is more on my happiness in having “that new rifle” while taking her act of love and faithfulness for granted. Or…. taking her for granted after nearly 66 years together (our 66th anniversary on June 28 off this year).

My “then” new CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum.

Trigger pull… or is it “squeeze”? Whatever. Shooters who fuss with that mechanism “till it breaks like glass” from a light touch, squeeze, pull or yank, often spend thousands in $$ and hours to make it happen! It’s in their touch… it’s a wonderful , fleeting feeling! Are they as conscious of the feelings of others? That trigger, by the way, has NO feeling… but what about our daughters and sons?

It has often been said that familiarity with our hunting rifle(s) is paramount for most effective results – I’ve said so multiple times! Nothing wrong with that… BUT there IS something greviously wrong with that if it trumps familiarity with those closest to us! Do we listen… really LISTEN to them and grandkids, and wife, when they need to share or be part of our lives?

Does our family and others have confidence in us because we’ve a record of trustworthiness? Faithfulness?

Vision acuity… how deep, sharp and broad is it? Let’s be very sure that we’re NOT missing the obvious… what’s happening around us, within us and in the whole world, because what’s “out there” affects all of us in ways that may become degenerative in moral and spiritual values! It’s NOW happening! And let’s be certain that what’s “IN” US will influence those closest to us, or any associates, in a wholesome and beneficial way THAT WILL ultimately determine our legacy before both humans and GOD! It was written down long, long ago that such would be so! Let’s not despise ANCIENT WISDOM that may be closer to the truth than most of what’s said and written today! The WOKE system was predicted by Jesus Christ and his apostles as a SIGN of “the LAST DAYS”! So also the B.C. prophets like Daniel, Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Range… What am I living for? Just to finish out my days here in blissful harmony with the rest of the township, countryside, city, nation and world “going to hell in a handbasket”?

While I still like hunting, and the tools of the trade, yet my deepest affection is for GOD and His CHRIST! That’s why I often speak (compelled to) praises of Him and for Him – to the hundreds who read these blogs, and still privately with family, friends and even strangers!

When the weather isn’t nice – as during the winter months – I do my daily walk at the local mall. Recently, I noticed a senior man also doing his walk, among the crowds at times, at other times (late or early) with few people around. So recently I stopped him and introduced myself. Since then he’s been warm and friendly, and we’ve stopped and chatted about life and local and world conditions. He’s a decade younger than I but very concerned about the direction of Canadian politics and world-wide happenings. I shared with him what Christ and the Apostles had to say about “the last days”, and he agreed though not knowing much about the Bible. It was done in a friendly way, so I’m sure we’ll meet again and have further conversations over the erosion of health care in our hospitals and the worldwide prospects for future generations.

In the meanwhile, as I wait my turn to leave this world behind, or HIS RETURN, my strength is found in the truth of the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Christians in the city of Rome: “May the God of hope fill you with great joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Letter to the church at Rome, ch 15, verse 13.

Do you know there’s not one Christian in a hundred who knew that verse was in the Bible! No wonder that the majority of professed “Christians” don’t know exactly what they believe, or why, and are easy pickings for the “woke and liberal” masses! Christians don’t know their Bibles! Little wonder, as neither do a majority of theologians and the pastors they teach!

In the midst of those major concerns running through my mind on a daily basis, yet the “minor” and “little” details of every day living is often where intimacy with family and friends is most vivid… and that includes walks and talks with God. Do you know I had to learn that later in life! Yup, sitting in a treestand watching for a bear to show up at the bait 125 yds distant, on a beautiful mid-afternoon in late September, 2014, I snapped the following pics – paying attention to details.

And this happened within seconds of casually speaking with the LORD God: “Lord, it would be nice to see some wildlife!”

There are a couple of things you should know about this: 1) While having bear hunted these pastures for four previous years this was the first time I’d seen whitetails there, and there are actually two, a buck following the doe in the first pic, partially obscured by the brush (near the left side of the pic), and 2) 1/2 hr later a coyote appeared over my right shoulder at ~70 yds – also a first!

So it’s a mistake to discount the significance of what “the world” judges as “insignificant”, or of minor importance, while only the “BIG” matters get reported by political entities and the media. As reported by the ancient prophet ISAIAH, God said: “For my thoughts are NOT your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (ISA. 55: 8 – 9).

Simply stated, I’ve learned that the Lord God is interested and involved in the so-called “insignificant” details of life, like the best and safest handloads for my “new-to-me” .375 H&H. He knows better than anyone (including myself) what’s both BEST and SAFE! When I honestly and sincerely seek His advice, that will involve knowledge and research on my part: “Seek and you will find”, He said. But the multiplicity and variables in handloading data (that changes from manual to manual or book to book, and sometimes by the same company) needs a sharp mind and clear thinking! Wherever and whenever there is “CAUTION!” flashing in our conscious or sub-conscious mind, like a warning road sign on a dark and slippery night, heed it! At least until there is ample understanding of the issues involved! “Ask and it will be given to you”, He said! And, I say this with all due regard and respect: IT WORKS!

While I have been using BARNES #4 for my guide in handloading the 235gr, 270gr and 300gr TSX’s, I had the “strong feeling” after prayer that I should go online to see if BARNES had any updates for those loads. Sure enough! Immediately, the caption for the .375 H&H read: “New Loads”! For example, instead of 87.5 grs of W748 as max for the 235gr TSX, I read 85.2 grs as max. And instead of 80.5 grs of RL-15 as max, I read 81.5 grs as max. Why the differences and does it matter? Of course, experienced handloaders already know why: a different test barrel and different lots of powders. “No big deal”, right? But it might be for someone who doesn’t pay attention to CAUTION! Then, I had to extrapolate… I had no W748! Instead, I’m using CFE 223 with insight, knowledge and caution!

Yet in life, the vast MAJORITY of humanity has never paid attention to either common sense CAUTIONS or GOD’S – which are mostly the same! Should there REALLY be any excuses or questions over the MESS we’re in when long ago GOD (the TRUE ONE!) said, “You shall have no other gods before me; You shall not make an image of anything to worship it; You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for GOD will not hold that person guiltless; Honor your father and mother; You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultry; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony; You shall not covet… “ Exodus 20.

None, therefore are guiltless… “but God” thru his son, Jesus Christ, paid for our guilt, and those who receive that gift by faith in Christ are forgiven of ALL guilt and trespasses! It’s a GIFT, not earned but received by faith (trust) in Him. (Gospel of John ch.3:16) And see Paul’s letter to the Christians at Rome, chps 3 through 5.

So I know the details of my life are all included in God’s love… and that means handloads for a .375 H&H!

“The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

Though they stumble, they will not fall,

for the LORD holds them by their hand” (Psalm 37: 23- 24 NLB)

The “godly” are those who welcome God into their lives… They involve him, knowing they need him and his Son Jesus Christ. The “godless” are those who ignore him, and don’t involve him, and are in rebellion against the One he has raised from the dead and appointed “LORD over all”.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father”. (Philippians 2: 9 – 11, by the Apostle Paul to the church at Philippi in the 1st century AD)

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The ADVANTAGES of a SINGLE LOAD for each Rifle

Some hunters have claimed that works best for them. Yet, they may own several rifles – each one for a particular task with some overlap. As a possible example: a rifle in .223 Remington for small game and varmints, a .308 Winchester for general big game, and a .375 H&H for large game and DG.

For a dedicated hunter, rather than just a shooter, that would make some sense. A hunter may have limited time due to other commitments so can’t spend his days and weeks trying multiple loads for his various rifles; one good load for each may be sufficient for all the hunting he can afford both in dollars and time.

On the other hand, a single rifle using a single load for all creatures on a bucket list might be more challenging but still doable. If that concept should involve small, medium and large game, where the hunter is intent on using a single load for his pet rifle, that ups the challenge even moreso… but still within reason as it’s been done by many mature hunters who know their load, rifle and game exceedingly well!

< While many handloads from 300gr to 500gr were test fired at the range from this CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum, yet only one was chosen and used in hunting: the 350gr Barnes TSX at 2750 fps.

One such hunter was our oldest son’s father-in-law. While he owned several rifles, his favorite was a Winchester 94 in .30-30 using factory ammo. He’d killed deer, bear and moose with that rifle. And he never was a handloader, but he knew the game, the rifle, and could shoot! Of course, WHO he was and WHERE he lived were the keys. He was born and grew up in central New Brunswick that, at the time, was mostly forest and bush country. On top of that, his family poached game (as did most families of that time and place). At a very early age he had a real rifle in his hands, as did his brothers. They poached a lot of game during their youthful years. In later life as a married man with children he became a successful entrepreneur, and repented of his past misdeeds, but still clung to his .30-30 for hunting. And he still lived and hunted where the deer, bear and moose lived. A long shot was 50 yds.

Indeed, a hunter I ran into on a particular day during deer season, had one rifle for all big game, and didn’t handload. And he already had a whitetail on the ground. It was a well used ’94 Winchester with little blueing remaining on the metal and chambered in .32 Winchester Special. But that doesn’t make me an advocate of the ubiquitous .30-30 Winchester or .32 Special as a single rifle for all game. A number of years ago, when our second son was newly married and youth pastor of some churches on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy, he struck up a frienship with a young man who owned a fishing vessel, but also did some hunting of the plentiful whitetail population. He invited our son to hunt with him. One day as they were leaving a hunting area to return home, a healthy doe jumped into their path. His friend was quick in putting a 150gr into the neck of the doe! It went down but soon jumped up again… and our fearless son jumped on it’s back trying to cut it’s throat! After the rodeo was over, the wound from the 150gr bullet was examined. It was found not far under the hide, and if our son hadn’t manage to cut it’s throat, it would have survived unless the shooter had been able to quickly unload the remaining bullets somewhere into its vitals. His rifle was a .30-30 Winchester.

For a few years, my only big game rifle was a M70 in .30-06 for which I made handloads. Prior to that I’d owned two military rifles for hunting purposes: the first an Argentinian Mauser in 7 x 57, still in it’s grease. Cleaned up, it was the most beautiful and perfectly engineered rifle I’ve ever owned. I bought a box of CIL 160gr RNs, went to a gravel pit for sighting – in, then to the deer woods. As soon as I heard a buck bounding past at about 100 yds, through dark timber, the rifle was up and aimed… but no chance for a shot. Then, I realized a riflescope was needed! But I was not about to have that beautiful rifle multilated by having the bolt handle bent, removing wood, etc, to mount a scope! I took it back to the dealer (Army Surplus in downtown Toronto) and got another military castoff: a ’98 Mauser with laminated wood, used and chambered in .30-06… How’d that happen… I’d expected a 8 x 57! Till this day, I don’t know. Anyway, my handloading career began with that rifle and within a year it was traded at a “real” dealer – an elite one – for a lightly used Winchester M70 in .30-06.

My expectation was that “this” rifle would satisfy “forever” with nothing more needed for any game, large or small. And “many” hunters would concur with that assessment, being a handloader or not. An Argentinian Mauser in 7 x 57.

A single factory load of a 180gr could do how much if you didn’t want to re-sight your rifle for coyotes using a 125gr load? We know that a factory load of a premium bullet, like the 180gr Partition, should be good for a bull moose to +300 yds under ideal conditions: ie – broadside, little wind, not near a lake or river (the moose may travel 100 yds or more), steady rest, ample time – not rushed, etc. My M70 in .30-06 had a 22″ barrel so would not likely make 2700 fps from a factory 180gr… say – to be generous – 2650 fps with an impact velocity at 300 yds of around 2125 fps/1805 ft-lbs. With a hit through the lungs, that moose will not go down but travel some distance. Will it run… and in what direction? Another shot perhaps? Maybe two? One of the two might make a hit… but where? “Oh! It ran into those trees over there”! “What’s over there’?” “I dunno!” And so on…

The point I’m trying to make should be obvious…. I think. There ARE conditions over which we have no control – physical conditions: Snow, wind, rain, the terrain, distances, angles of the shot (“But wait until the moose turns…”?). What if the moose decides (something else we have no control over) NOT to turn, or turns to walk away in the opposite direction? Just maybe there’s no time to wait – the “trophy” or “meat” bull had just decided (on his own) to leave in a trot! Can we catch a moose troting away? How about a walking moose? Going away? And where HE wants to go – not where WE want! So now my .30-06 is looking more and more like, what? … a .17 varmint round in effectiveness on that fast disappearing meat or trophy bull?

If it were I, I’d want something in my hands that would make a bigger hole than a .30-caliber/ 180gr at 2125 fps/1805 ft-lbs at 300 yards! First off, hunting and shooting moose isn’t a precision sport! And the “What ifs?” are never ending… at least in my experience! A LOT has to go right! And that includes some of the “What ifs”!

And one of the “What ifs?” is, did I bring the right rifle? And foreshadowing that is: “Did I buy the right rifle?”… IF it’s a matter of “one rifle and one load”?

To put a face on this: It would be foolish to expect a .30-06 to do everthing a .300 Winchester Magnum can do! Maybe for some hunters the .30-06 is adequate because they have no plans for hunting anywhere or anything that would make demands for their .30-06’s that could NOT be performed! “What if” that moose was at 500 yds, on a windy day, would you take the shot if your .30-06 was loaded with a 180gr, factory round or even a handload? And “what if” you couldn’t afford $3000 for an outfitter who says “We’ll try for another on another day”? And “What if?” you’ve waited for years for this last chance on a bull, and it’s walking away? At 500 yds, on a windy day, with my .340 Wby in hand I’d have taken the shot… I kid you not! I was fully prepared, and that’s not mere arrogance!

Conditions: logged out areas, lakes, streams, brush and forest. I had hunted the area the previous year and was familiar with it. That year I found a moose rut pit that was fresh. Scouting prior to hunting is absolutely essential to success. The moose I shot the following year was in the area of that rut pit, and so were the cow and calf. I knew it was possible to actually come in contact with the moose that had previously made that pit. And I knew the potential variable conditions of the hunt. At 2:30 pm on opening day, wiith the cow and calf nearby, I shot the bull.

If we don’t know the probable conditions, go with the worst case scenario in mind, and that means in equipment, including the rifle and it’s load.

That .340 Wby was my dedicated moose-hunting rifle. While I had developed other handloads, the 250gr NP was the only bullet loaded for hunting. One rifle… one load! And for all my rifles the goal is the same: A single hunting load for each rifle. Yes, I test many loads but choose one for the purpose of the hunt for each rifle. Once that’s settled and sighted, I leave “well enough” alone.

But time, effort and $$$ are involved in finding that one ideal bullet and MV that perfectly matches the rifle for its intended purpose. Otherwise, it’s a guessing game… a game of chance!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL