If it’s not Kinetic Energy, then what else?

Recently, I was on a forum where long range shooting of game was being discussed, and a hunter-shooter asked a simple question that ended in piling on him with sarcasm, inuendo and down-right brow beating! He was even called a troll and “invited” to come up with “proof” of his “theories” because he used terms and words like foot-pounds (ft-lbs), ballistic coefficient (BC), sectional density (SD), etc.

What he wanted, in his question/request, was: What would it take to extend an effective shooting range on big game (like elk) beyond 400 yards to about 600 yards? He was comfortable to 400 yards, but didn’t like a lot of recoil so was making plans to extend the effective range of his 270 Win in using one of the extra-long, high BC .277 bullets, the 165gr with a .6 BC from a new barrel with a 1 in 8″ twist rate. Man alive! Had he attempted to tear down a hornets nest with his bare hands he wouldn’t have gotten stung more!

He was told in no uncertain terms that he was a “theorist” and not knowledgeable, despite a lifetime of hunting and evidencing both experience and knowledge of his game!

In addition to being told he didn’t know what he was talking about, he was informed that basic physics had little or nothing to do about anything, except he needed a good scope that had dials, an accurate barrel and practice, practice and more practice…. till he became expert in hitting targets at 600+ yards. And plus all that he must learn to dope the wind which demanded a lot more experience, so he should talk with guys who had a lot of experience in doping the wind! Never mind the charts or computer programs that give trajectory and wind drift at 600, as all that was only theory anyway!<This was a real load (handload) from my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win. I wanted to have an idea of it’s effectiveness to about 300 yards under “normal” conditions for my hunting areas. That was from a 405gr Remington that I’d had good experience with on bears. I was confident it could be effectively used on bear and deer to 300 – 350 yards, with that trajectory if needed. But according to some “modern day” wonders who shoot “long range”, all that’s a waste because it’s “theory”! BTW, I still have some of those loaded in a .458 ammo box.

Apart from some advise that was helpful and worthy, there had to be an endurance test in derogatory name calling and an attack mode. Then photos of “successes” at extreme ranges were posted by those who were congratulating themselves as “experts” in all of this.

The poor “guy” – no, that’s not right – the mature man and hunter with knowledge and experience simply was asking for some pointers for extending his “normal” max range of ~400 yards to ~600, and instead he was treated like a 6-year old kid who needed his knuckles whacked! “Typical of forums no matter the subject”, so I’ve been told by a professional on Internet applications. There are some exceptions, of course, but I’ve experienced that same kind of uncalled for drama!

The Bible advises me to stay away from people who use bad language, are always right and looking for an argument to proove themselves right and you wrong! (check this out: Proverbs 3: vs 30, “Don’t make accusations against someone who hasn’t wronged you”. And: Proverbs 4: vrs 23 to 27, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” – Book of Proverbs by King Solomon. (New Living Bible)

Keep in mind that the subject being discussed was particular bullets from certain cartridges that would adequately expand on “elk” at ~600 yards or more. Among other suggestions, a 6mm that would expand at that range was said to be sufficient. As I’ve checked 6mm bullets that might be adequate for elk, there’s a 100gr Partition (.243″) with a BC of .384 and SD of .242. It’s claimed by Nosler that 1800 fps will insure “some” expansion. 888 ft-lbs at 2000 fps from a 240 Wby Mag (or similar) at 600 might kill an elk if hit in the right place (spine, heart or head). But at 600 + yards several factors enter the equation for pin-point accuracy, not the least being the shooter’s familiarity with his/her equipment and the physical conditions. Atmospheric turbulance can become the “experts” nemesis.

Even at our range, the limit of which is 300 yards, swirling wind is a challenge to the best who shoot competitively. Walking back from the 200 yard berm with my sixty-plus year-old son a couple of weeks past, he spoke of the small orange flags that had been placed every 25 yards or so. They’d been placed there by a competitive shooter while we were walking out to check (and change) some targets. Some were pointing west, others east, and still others were headed south. That’s not uncommon at that range as it’s surrounded by hills east and west, and a built up “berm” behind the 300 yard plywood panels that hold the targets. That “berm” had to meet Federal regulations as there’s a farm beyond the ~ 75 ft-high wall of mud, sand and gravel. Any wind at all affects down range accuracy, even at 100. If there’s a 15 km wind, when shooting my .22 RF at 200 yards, I have to shoot several to account for up to a foot “drift” in either direction. A .22 RF is relatively slow in velocity compared to a 6.5 shooting a 140gr at more than 2x the velocity of my .22 (at 1400 fps), but at 600 yards+, is the wind going to be from one direction only? Competitive shooters of .223, 6mm, 6.5mm and .308 at our range put out the flags in a 15 km wind (less than 10 mph), no matter it’s direction, because experience has taught them that the wind’s direction at our range is as stable as a neurotic person on drugs driving an ATV!

< Our range – that was my Ruger No1 in .45-70 LT. And sometimes it did get shot all the way to that 300 yard berm.

So, taking into accound the wind – it’s force and direction – there’s little doubt that physics, expressed in numbers, graphically apply. And the larger the bore, with equal MV, SD and BC, the less they’ll be affected by atmospheric turbulance – Note: I did not claim “They won’t be affected”, but “the less they’ll be affected”. Other factors are the platform, it’s weigh and stability, rest, barrel profile, inherrant accuracy and any handloaded ammo. Another very significant factor is the scope – adjustments for elevation, range and windage. Then, on scene, a waiting process until everything is just perfect…. including the hunter’s patience, nerves and breathing. The trigger is squeezed, the rifle recoils and bucks (at least “a little”) and the perfect bullet for the job is on it’s way… to 600 + yards. At yard 350 the wind drops to zero… and the “elk” switches ends and is caught half-way “there” ! (With little wind, that happened to me when a whitetail buck decided to “switch ends” at only 65 yards… and it made a difference where the 165gr Sierra hit the buck – through the gut and into the offside hind leg. It didn’t go far, and I gave it a finisher at 10 yards… But, what if?).

We get the stories of the “experts” successes at long range… with photos, but never hear of any failures. So they must be true “experts”? Or are they experts at choosing their rhetoric? How many elk, deer or bear are wounded, never retrieved or accounted for? And they post pics of their setup with huge scopes and magazines that hang well below the action… is that a rifle you’d choose for rough country or mountains?

All I know for myself is: Of the few (very few) potential very long range (for me) shots on big game, it would have been difficult to miss a BIG bull moose broadside (as that’s the ONLY condition under which I’d take such a shot at not more than 500 yards using a secure rest). And also: the weapon I chose for any such hunt left NO DOUBT as to its ability to do its part, if I did mine!

<For anyone who may not know: That was my CZ550 in .458 Win Mag over my shoulder for a bull moose hunt in the “Far North” of Ontario, my home province, 1600 kms from home! The load was “adequate” to 400 yards – or so I believed because velocity wouldn’t have dropped below 1600 fps – the velocity limit set by Barnes for expansion of that bullet. I didn’t get a chance on moose during that hunt, but later I used the same 350gr TSX on a young bear at 100 yards. The bear travelled the farthest of any I’ve ever shot – in a semi-circle of about 75 yards! Impact velocity should have been around 2500 fps/4850 ft-lbs! On further examination of entrance and exit wounds, it was evident the the 350gr TSX hadn’t expanded, though full penetration was ~ 2-feet! So, had I used it on a broadside bull moose at 400 yards it likely would have given full penetration but never have expanded at ~1600 fps. Results would likely have meant a not-so-merry chase of a wounded moose that – no doubts in my mind – would have survived and escaped the hunter, with bucket loads of questions that never would have been answered until the bear hunt a year later.

So yes, I fully agree, there’s much more to it than a simple formula. There’s the bullet itself: is it suitable for the physical context of range, elevation, atmospheric conditions AND its impact velocity? Then, in addition, there’s the shooter: Is he/she capable or wise for taking a shot at “long range” under unknowable circumstances such as unstable atmospheric conditions that may occur, and reading the mind of the animal.

I was fully confident in the choice of that 350gr TSX that was leaving the muzzle of the CZ 550 at ~2700 fps. The powder used in the handload was RL-7. However, my confidence faded when I arrived home, where the temperature had dropped at least 20*F from when the load was created with the result of a 100 fps loss! SO I switched to H4198 that worked better and proved to be consistent under changing temps. And worse still when the bullet didn’t expand on that relatively young bear though I was using a “new” powder that gave a consistently higher MV!

At our range there’s a longtime member who has been an international competitive shooter of .223s and .308s. I’ve known him for a long time. He still shows up but only competes with himself because of arthritis and shaky hands. He still brings expensive heavy-barrelled .223s and other small stuff. He likes to talk, so I mostly listen. He knows a lot about accurate rifles and shooting them, which he can no longer do to get the best from them. That’s mentioned ONLY to stress that the best equipment for precision shooting is only as good as the shooter AND the physical conditions he/she is competing in… same as for any hunter! A better shootin’ rifle doesn’t make one a better hunter! And a beautiful wood stock doesn’t make a rifle shoot MOA or better. And a tricked out small-bore rifle with a $2000 scope, with dials all over it doesn’t make it the “best” rig for shooting a 1500 lb bull moose or brown bear in Alaska… OR Cape Buff in Africa. No PH or Alaskan guide would permit those nefarious stunts, and for good reasons! Let’s bring some sanity into this! There are elk, and then there are ELK! And there are shoulder bones, and those of an elk of 400 lbs are not the same as those of 800 lbs! And a bullet isn’t just “any” bullet… It has an identity and “personality” all its own, much like humans in a sense. They all behave their “own way” in particular conditions (and… so does a hunter!).

A short while ago in these blogs I published part of a statement emailed to me from the father of a hunting family. They’ed been using this “new wave” of small bore accurate and fast cartridges up to and beyong 600 yards on deer and hogs with both successes AND failures. The hogs were tough and big – to 400 lbs and more. Many of the bullets (no matter the brand) weren’t up to the task even with good hits. They switched one of the rifles to a .35 Whelen with 250gr Partitions, that they didn’t shoot as far, but up to ~400 yards on ~400 lb hogs without a single failure. One shot on each was more than plenty! Some of the details I didn’t reveal to protect his identy.

I’d much rather shoot a “big” hog at 400 yards with certainty in using an adequate cartridge-caliber -bullet than attempting a precision shot from a small-bore “target rifle” to proove “Ya don’t need a cannon to kill big game … and certainly not at extreme ranges. Any small-bore that shoots 100grs with precision is adequate!”

As to dedicated moose and bear hunters of Ontario, I’ve yet to meet even one that swears by a .243 Winchester. I recommended a .243 Win to our son “out west” in Canada for coyote, when his choices were a .223 and .243, because one day he might decide to hunt deer. Under the “right conditions” a .243 is adequate for some of the big western bucks, and most of it’s “open country” except the far northern regions. So if a deer runs for a half-mile after the shot it probably could still be retrieved. Most hunters, under “normal” conditions, who are not handloaders who shoot thousands of rounds per annum, can’t reliably hit a deer in the vitals beyond about 100 yards with the animal absolute still and broadside!

All media, regardless of type, hypes any event worth notice to a particular interest group, in order to be “first” in doing so… nonetheless true of the shooting/hunting sports. Increased attention and business for all concerned (including themselves) is the obvious goal.

Today, it seems that “everyone” wants to get in on this “new wave” of ultra-long range shooting of big game… some recommending 6mm (.243) cartridges. Incrementally, from that, one can go all the way to Big Bores. For me: “hunting” means hunting, not sniping to prove it can be done – sometimes with weapons (including bows and BP) that are borderline at best, both for the game, physical conditions and the hunter! I choose NOT to go there to prove I can do it as well as the next guy. But how many times must I fail before “proving it”? 99% of hunters are not shooting live game (any size, any where, any conditions) at 600+ yards!!

I’ve never been a guy who makes “fashion statements”. Firstly, I’ve rarely been able to afford it, but also I’m too pragmatic to buy overly expensive clothes and vehicles, especially to impress others. I’ve owned a few suites for decorum’s sake as pastor, but the tie came off as soon as I left the stage. I was always more comfortable dressing casual. Same with rifles. I don’t buy rifles as art. To me they’re tools for the job. The bigger the “job”, the bigger the tool! The smallest caliber/cartridge I’ve ever purchased for a mix of varmint, small game and deer was a Winchester M70 in .25-06, and I loved the cartridge but not the rifle – it was too “bulky” and heavy for that cartridge, so it went down the road after a couple of years when I’d typically tried nearly “all bullets” in .257-cal. It particularly liked the 117gr Hornady SP at 3175 fps.

< A clan get together in Central New Brunswick; fashion satements were not the order of the day. Each one did their own “statement”. It was a happening about 1/4 century ago for those of us who rarely saw one another. The lady in the middle with the blue shirt was the organiser who lived somewhere in the USA. She was a “pastor” and a 1st cousin, later deceased from cancer. Most of the others were cousins, whom I’d not seen for many years. I was on the far left with Dave, my oldest brother (in his sixties) at my left elbow (His wife peaking over his shoulder). He was a former captain and part owner of a 68′ fishing trawler on the East Coast. I was a pastor in Ontario in my mid to late 50’s, and he was the Maritime Rep for a gospel ministry among fishermen. He deceased in his seventies from diabetes – he’d lost both legs. None of us were trying to impress anyone else despite having not seen one another for several years. That was our heritage. The appreciation was a get-together where we could finally re-engage in sharing news and wishing each one God’ best and promising to pray for one another. Those are the very best of friendships!

There were good enough reasons (in my experience and thinking) in my choice of magnums and larger bores that throw heavier projectiles – yes, even to the so-called “premium” types. One of those several good reasons being: I didn’t have to buy another rifle to “PROVE SOMETHING” that family, friends and aquaintences would yawn over! “So dad, you got yerself another rifle… in 6mm? But that’s not you!”

I’d get a headache trying to explain that… and I don’t need any more aches or pains!

Till next time…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

“How d’ ya like yer eggs?”

Whenever my wife and I go to Cora’s Restaurent in Peterborough, I choose the breakfast menu. Cora’s is a franchise across Canada (and maybe into some of the northern states) created by a French Canadian lady out of Quebec – and the very least I can say is: It’s gotta be the best breakfast this side of heaven! Well… anyway, whatever waitress/waiter shows up at our table or booth ALWAYS asks: “How d’ ya like yer eggs?” And I respond: “Over medium”…. or, “Over easy” from my wife.

Somehow the cracking of eggs has become symbolic of “cracking heads” or joints and bones in the underworld… and by times even in the “upperworld”.

<One of these 350gr TSX’s leaving the muzzle of my .458 Win Mag at 2780 fps generates 6005 ft-lbs of kinetic energy at the muzzle and 57 ft-lbs of recoil at the butt end! (In my Ruger with the brake, that’s reduced to around 48 ft-lbs. But still not for “the faint of heart”!)

When applied to the rifles I choose for cracking bones, the first test is what it feels like to my bones! Now don’t get me wrong… If it doesn’t hurt me it probably won’t break big bones! So I count on my rifles being very, very capable of rearranging the framework and anatomy of the beast in my crosshairs! The price, of course, is spite and fury until that’s harnessed!

Let’s put a face on this to make it more than ho-hum…

Confronted by a big bull moose with huge antlers still in velvet, in the northeast of our province – a true wilderness area miles from “civilization” – I was comforted by the knowledge that the rifle in hand had been kicking any apprehension out of me every time I squeezed the trigger at the range in load development and practice. It sure felt like the 40+ ft-lbs of recoil must have been at least cracking some bones! It was the notorious 1895 Marlin in .45-70 firing a 400gr at +2100 fps! But… amazingly, no thought at all was given to my bones in the mentioned incident, but, rather, to breaking some moose bones if he took another step in my direction!

<This is borrowed from the Internet, but very similar to what I saw, except the moose was closer and turned more towards me. It was also in the month of May, not October.

It was a spring bear hunt that didn’t include big bull moose! But there’s something eerie about the relationship that exists between the hunter after big/dangerous game and his rifle that comforts when needed and hurts when he’s maturing it for it’s job of coming to his rescue when a big hairy beast is staring him in the face! It sorta like a “love – hate” thing! As Solomon wrote: “There’s a time to love and a time to hate”.

Now, I don’t wanna put an ugly face on my sometimes beloved Marlins in .45-70, but I came to ignore the pain they inflicted when I fed them too much protein! Of course, you’re right… they can be wimps as well as wildcats depending on their diet.

But… I ‘ve come to “love”…naw, that’s not it.. to “appreciate”, naw to that too. It’s much stronger than merely “appreciate”… scratching my head and rubbing my chin here, I think I’ve got it! Admiration, mingled with a powerful respect! Something like my relationship with my dad… In today’s world of La La Land, where false expressions (like hugs and pats on the back, Hollywood style) of public affection are cheap and rampant, there are a very few that I deeply respect and admire. My father was one of them.

If I can’t both admire and respect what a rifle can do, I don’t want it in my gun cabinet! That’s who I am. YMMV. (And, BTW, big-bore handgunners also must have those same genetics!)

And did I ever mention my shotgun? Yeah, I guess so… Which one, you ask? Of course, the ONLY one! Many, many years past I was an inveterate bird hunter – well, not all kinds of birds, but grouse in the hardwoods, which we called “partridge”. I shot “scores”, probably. They were “good eatin'”, so my wife thought, and me too. (Yeah, that shouldabeen “I too”, but doesn’t sound proper.) Anyway, it’s been awhile since I’ve done much birding. Yet, my 12ga is a smooth bore that could fulfill such duties, but it was purchased to replace a real ol’ timer, the 12ga bolt-action Mossberg with the “polychoke” on the front end. Adjusted to “Improved” it shot Challenger slugs real well.

Those Challengers, out of Quebec, are loaded with the world famous Italian DGS slugs (“Dangerous Game Slug”) used by military and police in various countries. As said… they worked great in my “polychoked” 12ga Mossberg. But that shotgun sorta died under the “womph” of those Challengers, so I needed a new 12ga adapted primarily for “tactical” purposes. The primary tactical purpose being in the case of not a home invader, but a bear intrusion into my space, being that hunting bears has become somewhat of a preoccupation. In guarding my stash of those Challengers for said enterprises, I took my new Savage/Stevens “tactical” 12ga, 3″chamber, to the range, and “let one off”! That exclamation mark wasn’t a mistake… That Challenger from that short-barrelled, light-weight Stevens tactical 12ga “rocked me”, hard! I just fired one, and using the peep rear sight and front “glow” sight with protective “wings”, hit dead on – at the fifty yard target! That was good enough and I packed it in… until I suspect a big bruin will intrude into my space… or I into his if wounded and in a bad place! Do I resent that 12ga and want to get rid of it? NO WAY!!! It sent me a message of just what I want for a nasty black bruin wanting revenge! Especially if I need to get into his space…

That Stevens 320 pump gun is quick and powerful with 490 grains of hard lead leaving the muzzle at an actual1550 fps from the 20″ barrel (the 24″ polychoked Mossberg made 1620 fps), and three more in swift succession… if needed! Weight is 7 lbs within 39.25 inches of length. TE = 87 at five yards, compared to 67 TE from my .35 Whelen shooting the 225gr at 2850 fps, (and 125 TE from the .458 shooting those 350 TSX’s). I’ll notice the difference when I pull the trigger… but perhaps not if 450 lbs of black fury is coming my way at 30 mph! Either one should work… both the Stevens pump and single-shot Whelen are equal in length and nearly so in weight and recoil, but… no contest IF a repeat shot is called for at “in my face” range! That’s where “tactical” and “cracking eggs”… er “bones” may make a life or death difference!

Too much drama or fantasy? Maybe… but then again, maybe NOT!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .338 RPM compared to the .35 Whelen

The .338 RPM hasn’t yet appeared on the market by Weatherby, but is simply the 6.5 RPM (which has been in production for a while) that has already been “necked up” by wildcatters as well as by Weatherby. But recently Weatherby has made it official along with specs adopted at Saami, so the PSI at 65K and resultant ballistics of a 225gr at 2820 fps is no longer a mystery. That is proposed from a Weatherby Mk V “Backcountry” with a 20″ barrel and weight of 6.2 lbs ready with scope, ammo, etc. The case (a necked up 6.5 RPM) is said to hold 83.4 grains of water – a bit less than a .338 Win Mag. Generally, the idea (having been reviewed by a sufficient number of potential buyers) has a positive rating. The goal by Weatherby is a rifle weighing less than the typical .338 Win Mag by a couple of pounds with near identical ballistics for hunters who want power with reach in typical mountainous regions. That’s attained from a 20″ tube at 65K psi whereas in the .338 Win Mag it’s standard ballistics are reached from a 24″ barrel at 64K psi. “But the same or similar ballistics is from a much lighter and handier package”, says Weatherby and hopefuls.

So one is tempted to ask: What does this achieve that is not already achievable in the Win Mag that’s been around since 1958? And the Weatherby Mk V isn’t a “cheap” rifle, as well as Weatherby’s ammo and components – when you can find them. My Sako FS in .338 Win Mag with a 20″ barrel came very close to those results from the powders of the day at less than 65K psi.

And then the “kick” from such a beast will be on the order of 60 ft-lbs (if the total package is 6.2 lbs) compared to about 40 ft-lbs for a typical .338 Win. Granted the Win will weigh 8.5 lbs (or should). Is 2 lbs going to make or break a hunt in the mountains?

<Odaray Mountain in the background of Lake O’Hara, located in SE British Columbia in the Canadian Rockies. This is a famous hiking area.

But this comparison is between the .338 RPM and the .35 Whelen firing the same weight bullet. As stated, the RPM is made to fire a 225gr at +2800 fps for any range, shooting in mountainous terrain – according to Weatherby’s promotional material. Depending on what brand and model of a 225gr will, of course, determine the outcome at both near and far distances. Since the avowed purpose of the cartridge is mountain game (wherever hunted globally) that could include some wildlife that attains 800 lbs or more.

My question then would be: What is the best short-range to long-range bullet that makes at least 2000 ft-lbs at up to 500 yards from a 225gr in .338-caliber? Since mountain hunting doesn’t always imply “long range”, the hunted animal may be no more than 65 yards from the muzzle when the trigger is squeezed. So whatever be the brand, it must be well constructed for high impact into a shoulder bone at close range of, say, 40 yards (impact velocity around 2750 fps) out to ~500 yards where the velocity has dropped to ~2000 fps/2000 ft-lbs at an elevation of 5000 ft in the mountains. At about 1200 ft elevation the retained velocity will be around 1870 fps/1748 ft-lbs. So atmospheric conditions (temps, elevation and wind) ALL will influence the story to be later told – not even to mention the hunter’s condition and abilities.

There is a Barnes MRX BT in 225gr with a .433 BC. Then there is a 225gr Nosler AccuBond with a much higher .550 BC giving it a distinct advantage in range. And the 225gr Partition at .454 BC. Since I’d choose the Partition, we’ll pit that against the 225gr, .358″ from my rifle in .35 Whelen.

<Those are three 225gr Partitions loaded in the lower right corner for my .35 Whelen, with the 225gr AccuBonds in the background. The Partitions will be kept for backup if needed. Only two more remain in the original box. Being unable to locate more, I’ve settled on the 225gr AccuBonds at about 2850 fps.

The .338-cal, 225gr Barnes at 2820 fps grants 1987 ft-lbs at 500 yds

The .338-cal, 225gr Nosler Partition at 2820 fps gives 2056 ft-lbs at 500 yds

Which would be your choice, and why?

Some would choose the Barnes, others the Partition and still others would favor the AB, all for their own reasons.

Mine would likely be the 225 Partition for no other reason than I have more experience with Partitions.

But whichever is chosen, any of them should give the desired results for mountain game at typical ranges if the bullet is placed into the heart-lung region.

Any of those two should be more than adequate for a 300 to 800 lb animal at up to 500 yards.

The knowledge that a minimal impact velocity of ~1800 fps is deemed necessary for some bullet expansion, limits the range to about 500 yards.

But the bigger issue for me, and likely for many others, would be the recoil without a brake. Therefore, I expect that Weatherby will include a brake on such a light rifle. That should bring recoil down to around 48 ft-lbs. Other than that issue, they’ll likely be snatched up by some adventurers with thick wallets and thick skins.

But… I wanted to know how my “cheap” .35 Whelen would fare (single-shot G3, at 7.75 lbs loaded with a 225gr AccuBond in the chamber and 3 in a buttstock shell holder) against this new .338 RPM in a fair fight under the same conditions proposed above – not that I might be climbing the Rockies anytime soon.

< This blind was for a bear hunt over bait at 55 yards out front. My partner shot a 400 lb black bear from here at 65 yards as it came to the pond for a drink, slightly off to the right. I was alone at this site for one afternoon/evening while he was absent and prior to him killing the bear an evening later. My intent was not to shoot a bear, as I did that the previous day at another site one mile away. I used a .45-70 for that 6-foot bear. On the day I was attending this site for observation purposes, I toted my CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag. It weighed (ready to shoot) about 10.5 lbs. Resting as it was, it was no burden to me – no more than my NEF .45-70 I’d killed the bear with on the previous evening. That rifle ready weighed 8 lbs. Both rifles were equally suitable for the purpose at hand.

The point of this is: a rifle’s weight and ballistics can usually be adapted to a great variety of situations. There’s little need to own a particular rifle dedicated to a single task… especially a powerful “Mountain Rifle” that could easily kill grizzly that when purchased barely weighs 5 pounds! In my mind, there’s something definately bizzare about that concept when considering the exchange of two pounds weight for 50% more recoil! OK, that’s 32 ft-lbs from the .338 Win (with brake) vs 48 ft-lbs recoil from the proposed .338 RPM (with brake). Just do the math! It’s quite apparent that Weatherby’s ploy is more sales… and who could blame them? Well… I could on the issue of complete honesty! Any rifle from any manufacturer could be made the same to do the exact same thing… if chambered in .338 Win Mag!

Here’s the complete story: At my last trip to the range this past Monday, August 1st, 2022, I loaded one grain more (70) of CFE-223 under the 225gr AB. Conditions were not perfect (sort of hunting conditions), but 3 went into MOA at a corrected average MV of 2865 fps without drama from cases that had already been used five times in the same rifle working up loads for the .35 Whelen.

Here’s the dope on that (if we are to believe Nosler):

MV = 2865/ 4101 ft-lbs

BC = .430 (Yes, I know that .421 was printed in their manual and .430 for the 225gr Partition – but some have said it’s much higher than that from their rifles – so on Nosler’s wedsite they give the same as for the 225 Partition – .430 BC. And it may be higher or lower from any particular rifle. My choice would have been the 225gr Partition but none were available in this area. (Zero is for 275 yards)

100 = 2684 fps/ 3598 ft-lbs/ +3.3″

200 = 2509 fps/ 3146 ft-lbs/ +3.5″

300 = 2342 fps/ 2740 ft-lbs/ -1.9″

400 = 2180 fps/ 2376 ft-lbs/ -13.6″

500 = 2026 fps/ 2050 ft-lbs/ -32.6″

*** All that from a “cheap” single-shot that shoots MOA and can basically do what the “new” .338 RPM from Weatherby is proposed to do! (The conditions for both rifles were 5000 ft elevation at 50*F and 50% RH)

In addition: It’s as light as I want with less recoil, and less than 40″ OL. And 1-shot is all the Weatherby can fire at a time – same as mine! Ha!

But this particular view commenced when reading about the .338 RPM, and I began to make mental comparisons with the results from the same weight bullet in my .35 Whelen, well knowing that a comparible 225gr in .338 would have a better BC and SD, but the .35-cal has a larger cross-sectional area by 12.6%. That means that the .35-cal would make a bigger wound cavity (all else more or less equal) and the .33-cal would give better penetration (all else more or less equal). Things don’t always work out that way but those are sort of rules of thumb. Whatever we believe, there’s not a lot of difference between the two except the .358-cal will be more efficient in the use of powder than the .338-cal assuming the best powder for each at the same or similar psi. Yeah, I know the SAAMI standard for the 35 W is 62,000 psi, but who is going to be present to test the PSI of “their loads” or mine?

However, the .338 RPM will use considerable more powder than the .35 Whelen for the same or similar results – meaning more recoil and, in the long haul, more expensive to feed. It will have a big appetite!

So go get yourself a .35 Whelen and pretend it’s a .338 RPM on a diet… that’s what I’d do, or doin’.

<Dieting?, this ain’t! This was FD Roosevelt’s favorite dish (the menu said so!) when living at their estate on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada – within 300 yards of the Maine coast. In 2017 my wife and I visited Campobello where we grew up and graduated from high school together in 1954. 2017 was our 60th anniversary and, among other activities, we had a meal at the former Roosevelt guest house (for American friends and politicians) – now an elite restaurant on the Roosevelt International Park — it’s a haddock chower (lots of haddock in creme and butter) with biscuits, and it was yummy!

A look out the window of the restaurant toward the main Roosevelt residence, now a museum.

See ya next time…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Which is better, a .375 H&H or .375 Weatherby ?

Better for what?

That’s sorta like askin’ “Which is better, a .30-06 or a .30-06 AI ?”

Depending on who you ask, and a whole lot of other details, a guestimate might be “Weatherby” because of the name. On the other hand the H&H is more popular by a country mile. There are probably good enough reasons why that is so.

< I saw one of these Sakos for sale recently at my favorite gun shop – in .375 H&H.

Yet, in checking Nosler’s #6 manual of handloads for the ’06 and ’06 AI, the grand distinction in firing a top load of a 150gr from their 150s (from 24″ barrels) is 3056 fps from 58 grains of propellant in the “regular” .30-06 Springfield, and 3075 fps from 60 grains of a different powder in the AI. Those were averages so it’s more than likely that at least one of the shots from the AI fell within the group of the “regular” .30-06, and at least one of the shots from the “regualr” .30-06 came within reach of the AI’s average! In truth – an animal would never notice any difference!

Likely, that would also hold true in any comparisons of our nominees.. at the same psi and barrel length. However, one must give credit if credit is due. So let it be: both now, henceforth and forever more.

In checking as many manuals available at my elbow that give a credible average of each, only two: Hornady Seventh Edition and Barnes No. 3, give data for each. I’ve only considered their 300 grain bullets, and Hornady’s reflect an advantage of 200 fps (2500 fps vs 2700 fps) for the Weatherby version (that was dropped for several years when the .378 was introduced, but has more recently been resurrected by Weatherby). On the other hand, Barnes No.3 grants only about a 50 fps advantage.

I do have some experience handloading three versions of the renownwd .375 H&H and none in the Weatherby version, but I have researched the matter and have reason enough to assume a maximum advantage to the Weatherby of 100 fps, all else equal (barrels and psi).

When it concerns the “Improved” version of any cartridge, or wildcatting it, there are several issues involved to make it truly “better than” the original.

< The long and short of it: The bigger the case and the more powder used requires a barrel long enough to efficiently burn all the powder and effectively use the increased psi.

Firstly, the barrel: It must be longer. My experience with three distinct barrel lengths in .375 H&H, reveals that the “general rule” of 25 fps per inch, loss or increase, isn’t a fixed “rule”. On the contrary, when a 26″ barrel was hacked to 22″ the loss was 170 fps = 42.5 fps per inch. Of course, there were some variables depending on powder and bullet, but that was an average. In the 24″, M70 Winchester, I never reached 2600 fps from any load for 300s. Although factory ammo ballistics were readily attained at 2530 fps, with a high of around 2565 fps. On the other hand, Weatherby advertises their 300gr from a 26″, .375 Weatherby at 2800 fps. But the 2530 fps (not “premium ammo”) from the H&H is given from a 24″ barrel. From my 26″ Browning A-Bolt in .375 H&H, I attained 2700 fps from a couple propellants (RL15 and IMR4320). So… it would appear to me, at least, that about 100 fps distinction is close to expectations, with equal barrels and psi, favoring the Weatherby.

Secondly: In “wildcatting”, usually higher psi is allowed. The .375 Weatherby is likely running around 65K psi, whereas the H&H is SAAMI approved for 62K psi. I asked my gunsmith to give my M70 a rechamber to the Weatherby version. He (typically) asked: “Why? You’ll get maybe 100 fps more and perhaps spoil the resale value of your rifle! And, as it is, it will do anything you need or want.” I headed his advise.

Later still, I became somewhat fascinated with the ballistics of the .375 RUM, also 65K psi at SAAMI. But that would have meant much more expense for rifle and components in addition to hastles finding a handy store for cartridge cases – and more weight and recoil. It’s not far behind the infamous .378 Weatherby in ballistics and recoil, with handloads.

< The humongeous .378 Weatherby cartridges.

So back to the drawing board…

Which is better? A .458 Win is better than both, but between those two it’s a toss-up depending on what one has in mind for either. Big and dangerous game are not generally shot beyond 300 meters (330 yards) anyway, so any distinction in effect would depend on the shooter’s ability to correctly place the shot and the animal’s cooperation.

And a .375 RUM generally has more recoil than a .458 Win. Yet when appropriate loads are used in each to 300 meters, the .458 will have a distinct advantage in terminal effect = 118 TE vs 93 TE. Those are the results from a .458″ Hammer 404gr bullet at 2590 fps, and a 299gr Hammer bullet in .375″ at 2900 fps from a .375 RUM.

And the .458 Win will likely weigh about 1 lb more than the typical .375 RUM when each is ready for action (That will surely help somewhat in the management of recoil of the .458).

But this discussion began with a comparison of the original .375 H&H with an “improved” version. My recommendation would be the same as my gunsmith – all matters considered: Why spoil the value of an historic icon by trying to “improve it” – for 100 fps? Though improvements are readily at hand anyway in the form of modern bullets and propellants.

<This is the Nosler AccuBond with a heavy jacket and bonded core. The BC of .485 will dramatically improve downrange ballistics over the 300gr TSX, for example, from any .375-cal, including the H&H.

The following ballistics could be possible from the above 300gr AccuBond in a 26″ .375 H&H with a good barrel:

MV = 2700 fps/ 4855 ft-lbs/ -1.5″

100 = 2524 fps/ 4245 ft-lbs/ +3.3″

200 = 2356 fps/ 3699 ft-lbs/ +2.6″

300 = 2194 fps/ 3207 ft-lbs/ -4.3″

400 = 2038 fps/ 2767 ft-lbs/ -18.5″

500 = 1889 fps/ 2378 ft-lbs/ -41.1″ – has “enough” potential for most thin-skinned large animals.

From a 9.5 lb rifle ready to shoot with scope and ammo, recoil should be in the neighborhood of 44 ft-lbs. With a brake that number should be around 35 ft-lbs, or about the same as a .300 Win Mag without a brake. I can’t see where anyone would need more than that for most soft-skinned game under most conditions. (And of course… it’s a capable rifle and cartridge for DG using appropriate projectiles at typical ranges)

That’s it from this brief and to the point analysis…

Being an analyzer depleats energy, so…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Mediums and Big Bores for Big Game Hunting – Why?

“Big Game” in the areas of my hunting world would include: whitetail deer, bear, elk and moose. Feral hogs have recently moved in but are not yet legal game.

That’s BIG GAME, not small game, varmints or predators which I also hunt at times…

Potential ranges in the “Far North” of our province might be up to a kilometre or more, and down to a handful of metres as the terrain is extremely variable. Black bear in those areas could include some that are huge since few are shot. They feed on calf moose and even some adults, along with beaver kits and adult beaver that they can catch on land. That’s in addition to anything else they might pounce on, like deer or rabbits. As well, bugs, berries and grasses help fill their avid appetites. Moose can go to 1400 lbs and elk to 750. Whitetailed bucks can hit 400 lbs.

Farther south into Central Ontario, the situation is not totally dissimilar, except there are more people and all that involves.

Southern Ontario is where most of the 13 million inhabitants dwell, with a mix of urban, suburban, industry and agriculture, spotted by small and large lakes, towns, villages and cottage country.

My hunting over the past +40 years, since 1980, has mostly been in Central and Northern Ontario, away from the masses. There is no hunting of antelope or mule deer in Ontario that is found farther west on the Prarie Provinces and/or Western Canada – otherwise, mostly the same species, but not necessarily identical in size. Some provinces farther west have similar terrain in their northern regions to Northern Ontario. And the western coyote is smaller than the hybred wolf-coyote of Ontario (now called by the MNRF: The “Algonquin wolf”, which, against sound science, is protected as a “rare species”, that is based on nothing more than political bias).

All that to help clarify my leaving sub-mediums (25 to 30 calibers) in favor of mediums (.338 – .375) and big-bore calibers for big game.

While not the same context, yet the following was received from a correspondent, not long ago from “David”:

“Bob, I recently built a .35 Whelen solution for a big game timber hunting rifle that can be used by my son. We hunt very big pigs in NC and bear/moose in Canada. I found that these trendy small fast bullet fads are not working for us.”

“However, we have had lots of bullet failures – from Nosler, Hornady and Barnes over the past five years. My conclusion is, at these very high velocities, a bullet has to perform perfectly to result in a quick kill, and worse than that, no bullet/load works perfectly at 50 AND 700 yards…”

“I bought an old 30-06, Rem 700 for the action, then a new stock, trigger and barrel chambered for the .35 Whelen (which had been recommended by a retired 84 year old gunsmith – bold italics mine). Using 250gr Partitions and Varget powder I’ve gotten 2645 and MOA of 0.70.”

“We took it pig hunting last weekend and devastated 4 very large animals weighing over 350 lbs from 125 to 381 yards. They just fell over.”

“Based on my ballistics calculator, this rifle will deliver a tremendous punch out to 400 yards – enough to drop any animal in N.A.”

And he praises the 250gr Nosler Partition.

My take away from David’s commentary/summary is exactly what I’ve been preaching for the past 1/4 century or more.

However else we may want to measure it, some of us have “discovered” through experience that smaller-bore rifles don’t compete well with larger-bore rifles in “punch” at any reasonable range on large game when psi, sectional density and bullet build and profile are equal. Construct any kind of physics we may want, but the final proof is found in honest observation of results in the field.

And I’ve had similar experiences with bears.

< This 286gr/9.3mm Partition fell to the ground on skinning a 6′ bear that was hanging from the tree my stand was located in. It was a head-on shot from 68 yards. One and done. The bullet fell from the right flank after penetrating from just below the chin, and retained 210 grains. It was fired from my 9.3 (.366-cal) x 62 Mauser at an MV of +2600 fps.

Let’s just do some physics: Assuming equal placement of bullets, and their construction, a 7mm (.284″) has a cross-sectional area of .063 sq. in. compared to a .358″ caliber with .101 sq. in. The 7mm has only 62% of the size hole it would make compared to a .358-cal IF shot into a hardwood tree! No doubt exists, when viewed objectively, that the pressure exerted inside that tree would be significantly more in a .358″ hole than a .284″ hole. And those wouldn’t be bored holes, but holes where the wood, under great pressure, isn’t removed from inside the tree but pressed against the existing natural hardwood structure of the tree. It’s nearly impossible to imagine that kind of pressure, though I suppose it could be scientifically calculated.

Several years ago, I did such a test in a 9″ white birch. Everything wasn’t exactly equal, but similar. The two rifles were a .340 Wby Mag firing a 250gr Partition at over 2900 fps and my #1 Ruger in .45-70 LR firing a 500gr Hornady RN at +2100 fps.

The bullet constructions were somewhat distinct, so also the profiles and sectional densities. But energies were similar at around 5000 ft-lbs. The range was ~ 15 yards.

Results: The 250gr Partition gave full penetration with an approximate bullet-size hole. The 500gr didn’t make a complete exit, but it’s nose was sticking out the far side of the tree. The big difference was in the “size” of the .458″ hole, and the fact that the hardwood tree was cracked both above and below that hole by upwards of 5 inches in each direction! And that wasn’t a dead tree but one that was very healthy! (I hope you’re not a tree hugger!)

A similar event had previously occured at a bear camp: My son and I, along with a friend and one of his friends were together at that camp. To while-away time before heading out to our blinds or stands, we did some chores, chatted, ate food and created mischief. Phil (my son) and I dreamed up the idea of bullet penetration tests into a stacked pile of maple wood (for the stove). These were big chunks – about 18 inches in length by 6 to 8 inches in cross section. The idea was to shoot into the exposed ends of the maple wood, and we each picked a chunk that was similar to the other. Distance from the muzzles to the wood pile was about five yards. Phil was shooting his .338 Win and I my first (unmodified) Ruger No.1 in .45-70. His bullet was a 250gr Hornady and mine (again) a 500gr Hornady (this time about 1900 fps). In this case a 250gr Partition wouldn’t have penetrated more than the Hornady as the wood “would” hold it together in form. He shot first… his wood was down a couple of layers under those piled on top. The stick moved back a few inches and was later retrieved. He split it open with an axe and found the bullet, mostly intact.

Of course, I didn’t wait for him to pull out his chunk of wood from the pile before I fired into mine. The piece I fired the 500gr into was also down under a couple of layers of maple and flew from the pile and landed about ten feet beyond. That bullet was never found as it was a mammoth task even for Phil to find his. But that was a lesson in the effects of momentum. Kinetic energy was nearly the same, but from the virtual and visual effects, the 500gr/.458-cal won the day!

That was a near maximum load from the .338 Win, and also from the Ruger in .45-70 (pre LR version), but had that 500gr been fired from the parent case of the .338 (a .458 Win Mag), we might never have found that chunk of harwood maple! So bore size (all else about equal) does make a difference… and sometimes a huge difference! (assuming proper bullets and placement).

Recently,I’ve been writing on this theme quite often, but I find it more than just interesting, but also informative and even inspirational, that numbers of hunter-shooters are returning (or turning) to the “ancient” .35 Whelen over fast-small and sub-medium, “long-rang” cartridges when game gets heavy and tough. Although, the .35 Whelen seems very capable at both roles.

<My Traditions OUTFITTER G3 single-shot in .35 Whelen. It sure likes that 225gr AccuBond at 2850 fps MV!

.35 Whelen: the 225 AB is calculated to make 1805 fps/ 1628 ft-lbs at 550 yards = good for an 800 to 1000 lb animal with a good hit.

9.3 x 62 Mauser: the 250gr AB is calculated to make 1852 fps/ 1904 ft-lbs at 550 yards = good for a 1000 to 1200 lb animal with a good hit.

.458 Win Mag: a 400gr “X” (I still have enough for a moose hunt) is calculated to make 1623 fps/ 2340 ft-lbs at 575 yards = good for a 2000 lb animal with a good hit.

All of the above MVs are based on actual results from my three big-game rifles. Ranges and results have been determined from their published B.C. s and ambient normal conditions for September-October in my hunting areas. And… results at the suggested ranges are NOT based solely on kinetic energy, but sectional density, momentum and bullet cross-sectional area are important factors as well.

But all of the above is obviously much more than I’ll likely need for the rest of my hunting life, and I’ve never shot big game at anywhere near 550 yards. However, those calculations would have been in effect when I did a lot of moose hunting in the “Far North” of our province. There were areas where a 600 yard shot was viable, and moose were crossing within that range.

Those are good enough reasons for me to like ’em! I don’t have to keep a dozen different cartridges fed with too many cans of powder and thousands of bullets… especially in these uncertain times.

And that’s the view from here …

Til the next….

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Getting Jaded with the “Usual”?

That’s normal for a society with an over-abundance of “stuff”!

Of course, this article will focus on rifle cartridges and the rifles that shoot bullets from them.

In following some Internet chatter on hunting rifles and bullets, I’m somewhat put off by how much of “the same” goes round and round! I mean, there seems no end to chatter these days over the various renditions of the Creedmoors in general hunting discussions. But that’s not surprising since there are tendencies in human nature toward overindulgence. Then getting jaded! We want something NEW, FRESH and EXCITING to keep us interested and upbeat. When life gets boring or depressing, humans tend to spend money if they have it, and credit if they don’t! Those are not praiseworthy facts of the “liberated” West.

As all that, in this space, pertains to rifles and their various cartridges in particular, I’m as guilty as anyone else! I may choose larger bore rifles, but it’s the “feeling” of missing something “special” or “a new venture on the horizon” that impels me, but reflection on reality helps put on the brakes!

< A rifle like this would more than satisfy and meet all my expectations. Wait a minute… I already have one like that! This one was for sale at my favorite gun emporium a few months ago. It was snatched up by someone soon after it appeared on the website. Yes, it’s a Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag. The tag said $1799.

Learning to appreciate the “status quo” is no evil invented by the devil to deprive us of happiness!

At another time and different circumstances, I could have been very happy to own and use a British .303 Jungle Carbine as my one-and-only firearm. It was offered for $35 from a friend in nearly new condition.

In visiting with our oldest son and family in Senegal, Africa, about two decades ago, as a licensed big game hunter he took me on a one-day hunt in the “outback” where they had lived and worked as missionaries for many years. While they were then living and working in Dakar, I had the unique privilege of visiting and sleeping in their former “huts” made of mud brick, thached roofs and dirt floors!

The hunt… Brent’s firearms were a very used and well worn single-shot .22 LR (that was used for protein gathering) and a Stevens pump 12ga that was equally “well worn”! It was loaded with Brenneke slugs when he could get to Dakar and afford them. Understand: that well used (before it came into his possession) .22 LR, single-shot cost as much in Senegal as a new centerfire .308 Win would have cost in Canada at the time. Then there were multiple governmental hoops to jump through to get possession of it even after it was purchased! Same deal with the 12ga Stevens. To become a LICENSED BG hunter was akin to becoming a licensed guide. He took me on my hunt to his “old”, remote “outback” for a day of “whatever” might come our way! Why didn’t he bring new firearms from Canada? Just about impossible – the import would have been delayed for months – bureaucratic red tape, paying off those in charge and “regular” import fees of about 100%, etc. After all that, they might “get lost” in the fracas… if you know what I mean!

< The Stevens in hand with Madi leading the way. I was trying to decipher what was plain and clear to him as he pointed to it with his stick.

Hey! Brent was content that he had a well-worn single-shot .22LR with which he shot multiple warthogs and various other “small game” for protein and recreation. I was there when he shot a young baboon with that rifle, within a troupe of fifty or so, at the request of the village chief for meat for a family of a dozen, including a couple of wives!

On our day hunt we were also accompanied by a resident of the village who was a friend and guide. Madi efficently demonstrated what it meant to see and read spoor. I managed to shoot a warthog that day with the 12ga and a Brenneke slug. It was young, lean and excellent eating. But, I was warned by my son to be prepared for a lion or woods buffalo in the immediate area that could be mean spirited. I’d never previously handled or fired that shotgun.

… back to “Getting Jaded with the Usual?”

What more could I say or add? Back home, in Canada, I did have possession of another rifle owned by our son – that he didn’t want to “loose” in import to Africa: a very nice M94 XTR in .356 Winchester that he had used, and would use again when they returned home permanently. With that rifle he successfully harvested last fall’s whitetail buck.

As we age, our circumstances change… and I think we become more appreciative of the opportunities we’ve had and not just those we might yet have. We are a relatively few who have been blessed so richly out of about eight billion others, a majority of whom don’t even have the freedom to hunt, or the means to do so!

Madi, our guide, was given a single-shot 12ga by our son when he came into the luxury of taking possession of that 12ga Stevens pump. I asked Brent how I could reward Madi for the day’s hunt. “Give a gift that will make it possible to purchases a few Brennekes for his single-shot 12ga. He wants to kill a buffalo with it” (for food). When Brent could get them from Dakar they were very costly. That single-shot had taken all manner of BG in the hands of our son. And it was “well worn” before he got it from a shop in Dakar. He said he liked it better than a .375 H&H that he’d borrowed from a fellow missionary on one occasion.

When younger, Madi and his brothers used home-made spears to kill buffalo after driving them into a pit.

Being born near the end of The Great Depression and a few years prior to WW2, it took several years for our family, and others, to financially recover during the 1950’s. By the fall of 1954 I was in college and had never owned a big game rifle. After graduation I married and still didn’t own a centerfire rifle – though I still had a single-shot .22 LR.

The account of how I came into ownership of my first BG rifle has been told a few times in some blogs that are archived, so I’ll not retell it here. But suffice to say that I actually bought a new12ga bolt-action, magazine shotgun for big game and small, as well for birds, prior to my first owned centerfire BG rifle. I was then in my twenties. In the meantime I’d used some borrowed rifles for deer hunting. My first two owned rifles were military castoffs: an Argentine military in 7 X 57 that was new in grease – one of the most beautiful rifles I would ever own. But because I needed to mount a scope, I just couldn’t bring myself to mutilate the rifle to accomodate a scope, so it got traded for a used military ’98 that was chambered in .30-06. That got a scope and was the first to experience my handloads. After that…. I’ve lost count! The first real sporting rifle (not ex-military) was a used – but in very good condition – Winchester M70, push feed, in .30-06. From there I got into magnums and Big Bores. All were handloaded. So, to quote King Solomon: “There’s nothing new under the sun”. That is, for me, I’ve no need or desire for another rifle – new or old! “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind.” – King Solomon

<A 7 x 57 Argentine Mauser

Am I jaded? Perhaps, but I’ve yet to experience the many possibilities that any one of those still in my cabinet could offer. Can’t say: “I’ve been there, done that” regarding even my two .22 LR’s. So little time… so much to learn… I’ve not even shot a grouse with a .22 LR… and my son has shot tens of warthogs with his single-shot .22 LR! Have you ever shot a warthog with one of your .22 LRs?

But in life I’ve learned this: One can satisfy, but ten can’t! That is… One God and Saviour (See King Solomon’s essay in Ecclesiastes – the Bible).

Are we still jaded? (jaded – “dulled or satiated, as from overindulgence” – New World Dictionary of The American Language)

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The .338 Winchester Magnum – What are its Positive Features?

For medium to large and dangerous game, it is a favorite. Why?

I’m not about to rewrite history or even to research it, but at least since Elmer Keith, with friends, came up with the .333 and used it successfully on some large and dangerous critters, .33-caliber has found a solid niche for “large and dangerous critters”.

And since Winchester presented the .338 Winchester Magnum for large and dangerous Alaskan fauna in 1958 (based on the .458 Winchester Magnum of 1956, necked down to .338″), it has proven to not only be timely but exactly what many hunters were looking for in not only hunting big and nasty Alaskan game in very challenging environments, but universally large and hazardous creatures.

.338 magnums have been one of my personal favorites, starting with a few .338 Winchester Magnums, and finally with a .340 Weatherby Magnum. And today, they still hold a lot of respect on my part.

<Sako must have gotten feeback from owners of their FS in .338 Win that the two-piece stock in the forearm couldn’t withstand the recoil longterm as this one (much later) has a one-piece FS. Otherwise it is nearly identical to the one I had owned.

The very fact that several other .338 magnums have appeared on the scene since Winchester’s, is proof positive that Weatherby and Nosler, et al, have chosen to “get in” on the action (pun intended – sort of). Research by those companies has confirmed that sales would be profitable. And that meant that many potential buyers were – and still are – looking for a powerful medium magnum despite negative press to the contrary.

Frequently, when I get a report on a favourite theme for the week, other than the .45-70 vs the .450 Marlin, the .338 Win is most popular. So, I’m writing again on .338 magnums as it seems that’s what many readers are interested in – the .338 Win in particular. I suspect some of this newfound interest in .338 magnums is due to newer hunters and handloaders rediscovering these cartridges, and especially the newer ones. An old adage says: “What goes round, comes round”, not originally intended in this sense, but it fits. Some want to discover and experience history: “Why was (and is) the .338 Win Mag so popular, and why is it so criticised today by our grandfathers who thought, and think, it was unnecessary?” That kind of questioning is not doubt but curiosity! And curiosity most often doesn’t “kill a cat”, but in this application it’s “I must try one of those”. It has largely replaced the .30-06 for dangerous Alaskan fauna. But with today’s proliferation of premium .338-cal bullets from 160gr to 300gr, a valid argument could be made that there’s really no need for anything else – did I really say that? – unless one makes regular trips to Africa for their mega fauna of the dangerous sort. But even then, where legal, it’s plenty for the lot of them using appropriate projectiles. If the 9.3 x 62 is sufficient, then so also would be the .338 Win Mag, except for the distinction in caliber which slightly favours the 9.3 x 62.< This one is also offered by Sako in .338 Win Mag, plus .375 H&H.

I’m a huge fan of powerful mediums, but IF I were to return to a .338 magnum as “my medium”, it would likely be the original Winchester version. As much as I liked the .340 Weatherby, it was reserved for special operations. It wasn’t deemed an “all purpose rifle”. A .338 Win Mag could easily become that in a relatively “light-‘n-handy” rifle using 160 to 210 grainers for most “things”, and 250 to 300 grainers for heavy and/or dangerous game…. though some choose the 210gr Nosler for “everything”! A friend did that on a big black bear at 3000 fps!

In my first .338 Winchester Magnum, a Sako FS with a 20″ barrel, I could still make factory specs from handloads. I loved that rifle, except it had a serious flaw in the two-piece stock, that had to be replaced by a fiberglass one as the forearm in two pieces wouldn’t hold “together” under maximum recoil . Other than that, it was handsome, powerful and handy. Finally, it was swapped (with both stocks) for a nearly new .375 H&H, M70 at a rifle show, with no cash exchanged. I thought that was “just” compensation for the loss of a rifle I’d “fallen in love with”. But, as it turned out, I never “loved” the M70 in .375 H&H! It was too heavy and bulky without much, if any, improvement in ballistics, and not nearly as handsome!

In the Sako FS I’d tried about all available bullets except the Partitions that I considered too expensive. Nevertheless, it went on a moose hunt to Northern Ontario that proved to be a very wet one! And the two-piece stock soaked up water like a sponge. I had to disassemble the stock, remove it from the rifle, and wipe water from inside and out, letting it dry over nights. The load it liked most was the 250gr Sierra SBT at ~2700 fps. But after the various dismantlings, I had zero confidence in its accuracy. Later, when the inletted metal strap that held the two-piece forend together broke, and the nose cap (held on by a short wood screw) fell down over the muzzle at the range, I decided it needed a new stock, so purchased a fiberglass Carlson – which cracked under recoil! That was replaced under warranty but I’d “had it” with that rifle! It was traded at a “shot show” for the .375 H&H. But in my spirit I was still mourning the loss of that .338. I’d kinda fallen in love with that cartridge-caliber. I thought it ideal for my personna, style and needs.

There were several reasons for choosing the 250gr Sierra for the moose hunt: It shot best from my rifle – highest velocity and best accuracy. Secondly: It had the highest BC of any 250gr at .587 from 2300 fps and above, which I thought was important since I wasn’t familiar with the area of the hunt and didn’t know possible ranges that might be called for in taking a shot. Third: It was highly recommended by Sierra at “full throttel”, even from a .340 Weatherby, due to the tapered .05″ jacket shank and .027″ mouth. Then, as mentioned, it was much cheaper for developing a load, and for practice, than Nosler Partitions. That was back in the mid 1990’s.

Several years had passed, and several trades and purchases, when I decided to get a .340 Weatherby. Again, the purchase of any Weatherby rifle was an expense I really couldn’t justify. So the plan was to purchase another .338 Win Mag and rechamber it to .340 Weatherby. I’ve told that story enough times already, so I’ll not reherse all the details again. The rifle was a new .338 Win Mag by Browning in the A-Bolt, SS, lefthand with a 26″ barrel. An ideal candidate for becoming a .340 WBY.

But as a .338 its ballistics were surprising: 2840 fps from the 250gr Hornadys. I had second thoughts over having it rechambered. That from 74 grains of RL19 and very accurate! Hmm… Anyway, I decided to go ahead with the intended project and never looked back. I kept that rifle for 10 years as a .340 and during that period it fired the 250gr Partition at an average-corrected MV of 2997 fps, and 1.25″, three shots at 100 yards. That was plenty good enough for a bull moose at 165 yards. As it turned out, that rifle as a .338 Win Mag would have done the same thing.

In the meanwhile, our son, Phil, purchased a Rem 700 Mountain Rifle in .338 Win and took it on that same moose hunt, loaded with the Hornady 250gr Interloc SP at 2735 fps from a dose of IMR4831. He finished off the moose with that – and the Hornady bullet did its job. I had a hand in the development of that load.

So after considerable experience in handloding three .338 Win Mags and one .340, I might be qualified to offer some suggestions and make a couple of recommendations.

My FIRST would be that a .338 Winchester Magnum has a deserved reputation as a Medium Magnum. It is highly respected in Alaska for their big bears and extra large moose. That in itself should errase any questions over its suitability for comparable creatures world wide.

< Ted’s Yukon grizzly. He used his 9.3 x 62 and a 270gr custom bonded bullet. Any good medium that makes 4000 + ft-lbs at the muzzle with a heavy bonded bullet should accomplish the same thing – including a .338 Winchester Magnum.

My SECOND would be that a .338 Win Mag should have a barrel length of between 23″ and 26″. Why? To get best ballistics while keeping recoil manageable. A 20″ might be handier under certain conditions, but ballistic potential can’t be attained for that cartridge, and both recoil and noise level will be accentuated.

My THIRD, and last, is that as a MEDIUM MAGNUM there are more options available in .338-cal bullets than for any others – suitable for small, medium, large and dangerous game, making it one of the best choices of a handful for a one-rifle travelling hunter after a variety of “trophies” from small to large and dangerous. And that is especially true for the handloader.

Sure, there are more powerful MEDIUM MAGNUMS, but, in my view, none as all-around friendly when we take into account recoil, economics and availability of rifles and components. Check out cost and availability of Weatherby’s rifles, loaded ammo and brass for handloads, as well as Nosler’s and any other pretender to the .338 magnum crown! Oh yes, there’s the Lapua and RUM… If you can find ammo and/or components. Make an honest evaluation based on costs and availability of rifles, ammo and components. I turned down a nearly new .338 RUM in favour of a 9.3 x 62 due to an honest comparison, and the fact that it’s ballistics were similar to my former .340 WBY. The difference in recoil between the two while a simple .338 Win Mag and after it became a .340 WBY was 42 vs 54 in foot-pounds of energy, or about 29% increase of the 340 over the .338.

But… YOU intend to shoot mega fauna farther away than the effective reach of a .338 Win Mag? Tell me about it! The 250gr AccuBond has a .575 BC, and at up to 2800 fps will still make 1862 fps/1925 ft-lbs at 700 yards – enough for a 1000 +lb animal… IF YOU CAN HIT IT IN A VITAL PART! No? Not as large? A 250 lb deer, you say? The vitals are within an 8″ circle… Once you get set up for the shot, with all calculations in place – in a dead still wind – will that deer be waiting on your next move? Oh! And you wounded it? Then what? Oh… but you intend to get the Lapua version of a .338? That might work to 750 yards… all conditions perfect… except the shooter? I see…

<That was about 400 yards from where I took this pic to the farthest trees on the horizon, in Northern Ontario on a moose hunt. There was lots of both bear and moose sign in the whole area, but we were a week too late. Other hunters had been in the area the previous week. And someone wants to shoot something (not you or I, of course) at nearly twice that distance? Really!

Till the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Being “FIT” for your hunt

Having a new laptop these days, I’m impressed with how fast it is compared to the “old”. And material from the old has been downloaded to the new, including my favorite YouTube and video programs. A couple of days ago as I went on YouTube, Billy Molles (Mountain Man) video of the Alaskan Panhandle brown bear hunts I described a few months ago were presented for view again – all two plus hours of two hunts by two different men in which both 10 ft brown bears ended up in a stream at the bottom of a mountain. It was a nightmare of retrieving the hides of each!

While the hunts and running commentary of Billy were memorable, yet the awareness of fitness was dominate throughout, and was a powerful theme in Molles’ presentation of events as they were happening.

Too often we may have experienced how unfit we were for the physical challenges of particular hunts. That shows up in various ways: fatigue, lack of strength for climbing rugged terrain or toting necessary equipment, heart pounding or shortness of breath. And that’s not a full list. The worst for me was slogging across a bog we didn’t know was there on a moose hunt.

My whole life from childhood to college was active with much involvement in the outdoors as a regular feature. Never was I weak or fearful of getting hurt, so I tended to push myself to the limit. I thought nothing of riding my bicycle for ten miles over rough gravel and dirt roads. I engaged in multiple sports like hockey, baseball and basketball. But when I followed my career in becoming a pastor, that involved a lot of sitting in a “study” (pastoral definition of an office), driving my car hundreds of miles per week, talking with people, and public speaking at lest a dozen times per week… not much time left for recreational activities. But I was rescued by two brothers who were university students at UNB, and given a break for a hunting week by the university. They invited me to hunt deer with them. While I lost a lot of weight during those years – which I couldn’t afford to loose – I survived and learned some necessary lessons on how to avoid burnout.

Later on, at my best I weighed 185 – 190 lbs at 5′-9″ out of the shower. And I could spend 8 – 10 hours a day scouting during a deer or moose hunt in “walking it up” in typical Eastern Canadian rugged landscapes. But then again, I added too much weight as a result of becoming Senior Pastor of a multi-hundred congregation with several assistants under me. Then I went on a moose hunt to N. Ontario with a few friends. No longer could I put on endless miles of trudging unfamiliar territory without sore muscles, weak and tired legs, and sweating like a prisoner being interrogated by the KJB. After another “burnout”, I finally realized that health fitness was the number one priority, no matter what else I was doing!

< I was 185 lbs stripped. With gear and rifle over 200 lbs. I did a lot of walking during this trip for moose in N. Ontario and never felt weary or out of shape. The 10.5 lb CZ550 in .458 Win Mag was never a burden. I was 72 at the time, closing in on 73.

It should go without saying, I know, but many men have died while hunting… and moreso from heart attacks and falls (due to poor fitness) than Cape buffalo and brown bears!

Apart from normal health concerns, being fit aids in successful hunting in these ways:

1) No anxiety over those concerns. We then can focus on the hunt free from worry over “not keeping up”, or having a heart attack, or unsteadiness that may cause a serious fall.

2) Toting a 9+ lb rifle days on end while holding it steady in aiming:

3) Being aware of sorroundings.

4) Being able to deal with a downed animal.

5) Confidence in being alone in the bush if circumstances are such.

6) Being sure of our location and finding our way to safety if need be.

7) It aids in helping us to maintain optimism in the face of negative circumstances. Negative people will find a way to be negative in the best of circumstances. But confident and optimistic people find a way to help lift the spirits of everyone in the worst of situations. If we’re not “fit” we’ll tend to be far less enthusiastic about conditions than we need to be.

As an added commentary on the above, I’ve been fortunate to mostly have partners who were helpful and optimistic, but also a few who could always find something to be critical of and negative about… Does that affect our own moods? In team sports (and I’ve played in several) it’s a given that “team spirit” is the most important element for winning! And that’s true today in pro sports! But it’s also valid in solo sports, such as tennis or boxing! So whether it’s sports, business or relationships – spirit or attitude can make the difference between success or failure – and both mental and physical fitness, or lack of it, can tip the scales in one direction or the other.

< These were very helpful partners in both bear and a few deer hunts, and a joy to be with! Brian on left and Ken on right.

Of course, the subject of “FITNESS” has been discussed, written about, and both courses and training given with programs developed for anyone, anywhere from childhood to old age. So I won’t attempt to improve on any of that here, except to highlight a few points for hunters:

Be AWARE of your conditioning and health needs – and that also involves the type of hunt, when, where and how. Some hunts involve one day at a time close to home with the companionship of family and/or friends. Another may be hundreds or even thousands of miles from home, in a strange environment, for large and dangerous game! We need to be FIT for any scenario!

Know your limits – How old are you? So, you’re not 21 anymore? Your body deteriorates beyond that… slowly but surely. Pro sportsmen and women are at their best in performance in their twenties! Their speed and agility go downhill after that! Exceptions? Sure, but few get contracts past 35. There’s a reason for that – they’re not what they were when younger. Neither are we!

Stay safe – not fearful, but wise.

Have a means of communication within “the group” and/or the “outside world” – I have a GPS, a cell phone and have used hand held radios for communication with a partner or team.

Don’t attempt “the impossible”- only God can do that!

Have a “support system” for getting in shape and staying there – I have a personal system that works for me. It involves extra walking and working out with weights 3 – 4 times a week. Then, of course, there are other routines and chores that go with living. When I frequent my hunting areas, I do a lot of walking that is challenging. I also maneuver my rifle a lot for pretense shooting of game.

This has been short but”sweet”, I hope… basic reminders without tedious details.

Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Eight Practical Loads for the .458 Winchester Magnum

The following eight loads consist of seven handloads I’ve developed for my rifle, which worked ideally, plus one Hornady Factory load.

My rifle is pictured on the header and is a Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag. The Hornady load hasn’t been fired from my rifle, but I chose it because it appears to be a decent load that actually fulfils its purpose.

Some have complained about the poor performance from factory products. However, some tests of those products do confirm their manufacturer’s claims. Likely, what happened in the past is that some factory .458 Winchester Magnum ammo wasn’t tested before it went to market, and was simply assumed to be both safe and adequate based on the amount of a particular powder loaded before seating bullets. It was also probably assumed that hunters would never notice any differences in effect from a 500gr at 1900 fps or at 2125 fps. In fact, recent tests of some vintage factory ammo, as well as some of more recent manufacture, by Ron Berry (Riflecrank) and “Jerry” (gunner500) on the 24hr Campfire, leaves no doubt that the fired factory products lived up to manufacturers’ claims – and is good ammo.

However, I’ve yet to fire a single factory product in any of my three .458 Win Mag rifles. I’m not adverse to that, but it has to do with the fact that I’m an inveterate handloader, and have no need to purchase factory fodder, or any interest in doing so.

<Some of the bullets I’ve handloaded for my .458s and .45-70s: L to R – 480 DGX, 465 hardcast, 450 Swift AF, 450 Barnes X, 405 Rem, 405 Win, 400 Hawk, 400 Barnes Buster, 350 Hornady RN, 350 Speer, 350 TSX, 350 Hornady with double cannelure, 330 Barnes brass solid, 325 Hornady FTX, 300 Hornady and 300 Sierra. This isn’t a full list.

Here are some others not included in the above:< L to R: a 600 Barnes Original, a 500 Hornady FMJ, 500 Hornady RN, 9th from L, a 400 Barnes Original, and 2nd to right of the 400 Barnes O, a 300 X.

And more: <These are 450gr TSX’s

The following seven handloads fired in my Ruger No.1H reflect something of the excellence of this cartridge in a suitable rifle – primarily its great versatility:

A 500gr at 2300 fps

A 450gr at 2400 fps

A 400gr at 2600 fps

A 350gr at 2780 fps

A 300gr at 2975 fps

A 250gr at 2700 fps

A 550gr at 1650 fps

And a 500gr Hornady factory DGX/DGS at 2140 fps

The last two handloads are reduced loads, and any above those could also be reduced by 25% to bring them in line with the potential of an 1895 Marlin in .45-70 shooting top handloads.

Following are some details of the selected loads presented above (there are several others that could have been chosen):

The 500gr Hornady RN (or DGX/DGS) – often this is selected for developing handloads and their accuracy, and for sighting-in a .458-cal rifle. Sometimes it has been used for hunting (I killed a bear with one), but often a “better bullet” is chosen for the actual hunt that involves DG. But it did give 20 fps higher velocity than a 500gr Speer AGS from an identical load of 81 grains of H4895 in Remington brass, ignited by WLRM primers and 3.58″ COL. Corrected to MV = 2297 fps for the 500 Speer AGS, and 2317 fps, corrected to MV for the 500gr Hornady.

< At 5 yards from the muzzle. Add 14 fps for correction to MV.

Since Hornady lists the same results for the 500gr RN and 500gr DGX/DGS employing the same powder and amount, I’d assume 2300 fps would be close enough for the 500gr DGX as for the 500gr RN from my test results, having yet to fire one (or more) from my new box of 500gr DGX’s.

The DGX bullets are excellent in my view, based on a test of their 480gr DGX that went completely through 15.5 inches of very tough media, impacting a ledge behind the setup, leaving a perfect imprint of the nose of that 480 DGX. By comparison, the 500gr Speer AGS was defeated at 6.5 inches into the media and lost its front core with 62% remaining (310 grains).

< The 500gr Speer AGS is on the far left. The one in the center was a 350gr Hornady RN, and on the right is a 350gr TSX that retained 350 grains after having penetrated 15.5 inches of the media and stopped just inside the last panel of the second box. It retained more weight than the 500gr Speer at 310 grains, and outpenetrated it by nine inches.

I only have 1/2 dozen of those 480s left so went looking for more without success, and came home with a box of the 500 DGX’s. These are bonded and the 480s were not. Since the unbonded penetrated the full test media without expansion, what could we expect from the 500s that are bonded? The Cape buffs should head for cover…

2300 fps from a 500 = 5872 ft-lbs KE at the muzzle.

The 450gr Swift A-Frame at 2403 fps: COL @ 3.53″; 84 grains H335; WLRM primers; Remington brass. This load hasn’t been tested in media (yet), but I’ve no doubts of its utility on large game – it simply doesn’t need more tests to prove itself based on feedback from African safaris, including PH’s. This is presented to show what’s possible from a Ruger No.1H, or a magazine rifle like the CZ550. Of course, in the CZ a second cannelure must be created midway between the manufactured cannelure and the bullet base. Or, because the 450 AF’s jacket is relatively “soft”, one could use a LEE crimp die that will make a groove for crimping, and/or a tool that makes cannelures wherever we need ’em. Though not specifically called for in a single-shot, I use my LEE crimp die anyway for those 450gr Swifts (under the 550gr Woodleigh box above).

A 400gr Barnes X-Bullet at 2590 fps: I still have eight of those, and saving them if ever I should do another moose hunt… which is unlikely. However, I’m still in the game for a possible big bruin! I already know the load I’d use, so I’d practice with a bunch of other 400s (Speer, Remington, Barnes, etc), use a couple for sight in and reserve the rest for the hunt.

This bullet had, and has, such a reputation that is was pronounced “the best” for all-around hunting of BG from a .458 Win Mag by none others than Finn Aagaard and Phil Shoemaker! And I would add my vote to theirs.

Just do the math! At nearly 2600 fps and a B.C. of .457, and a sectional density of .272, we have an energyof ~3300 ft-lbs at 400 yards!

So, I’ll hang onto mine until I sense I’ll need ’em for a bear or moose… or until I can get my hands on some of those new 404gr Hammers that have replaced the long-gone 400 X’s… Thanks to Sir Ron on the 24hr campfire!

COL for the 400gr X-Bullet at 2590 fps from my 24″ Ruger No.1H barrel was 3.61″. Powder was a “max load” (for my rifle) of H4198. I’ll not give the load as it may be too much for some rifles, especially if they use a shorter COL. I’ll simply say: “It was borrowed”, wiith some extrapolation on my part. The primer was what I always use in my .458 (WLRM).

The 350gr TSX: Don’t discount this bullet as a bit light for dangerous game like lion or large buffalo! It has been very effective on both! I know of one cull of Australian water buffalo that took over 100 by a Canadian, and he pronounced the 350gr TSX at about 2650 fps MV as effective as a 450 AF and better than the 420gr CE at max ranges to around 200 yards. Close in, the 450 Swift was best, followed by the TSX and CE (the 420 CE was no better than the 350 TSX at close range, he said). I killed one bear using this bullet at 2750 fps. It zipped through from frontal chest to right flank so quickly that it didn’t have time to expand much. And the young bear didn’t know it was dead until nothing worked anymore.

< I load the 350gr TSX to a COL of 3.44″

The 300gr TSX: And don’t discount this one either! It’s one of my all-time favorites! With the increased scarceness of component bullets these days, if all I had left were some 300gr TSX’s, I certainly would’t feel forsaken or undergunned! At up to nearly 3000 fps it can take anything coming it’s way, including buffalo, lion, the big bears and giant moose, etc! It’s main fault, of course, is a rather poor profile for long-range shooting. But at 2975 fps from the muzzle, it’s still going over 1600 fps at 400 yards. Nearly1800 ft-lbs (whatever we might think about KE) from a .458-cal bullet that will still expand and retain near 100% of its unfired weight, isn’t going to be laughed at by a mature elk or moose! It has been successfully used on grizzly at “in your face” range, and DRT!

The 250gr MonoFlex: In my rifle it is sighted dead-on at 150 yards. As said already, it’s a reduced load at about 2680 fps. It could be pushed out the muzzzle at over 3000 fps. But the purpose of the load is for bear and deer where I mostly hunt these days around an hour’s drive from my house.

It’s a mono bullet without lead, and has a smallish cavity with a red-pointed poly tip for slightly improved ballistics at range. Yet, it’s also a very tough bullet, made especially for lever-action Marlins in 450 Marlin and .45-70. Said to be by Hornady “made for large game like moose and elk”, and big bears. I’m pushing it quite a bit faster than a Marlin lever-action could make – that’s obvious. From bench tests that I’ve recently done on a bunch of .458-cal bullets, it’s as tough as the best! Obviously, despite the pointy tip, it has a very poor B.C. of only .175 – but even then it’s BC is better than a shotgun slug! For my intentions, it’s perfect!

The 550gr Woodleigh: I didn’t need a bullet this heavy with a bonded core. Yet, I wanted to test its potential in media at a variety of speeds, and at the current load’s velocity it could be useful on bear at the ranges I hunt them – 50 to 150 yards.

The 500gr Hornady factory DGX/DGS: Dr Ron Berry has done tests that reveal Hornady’s claims are exact: 2140 fps/5084 ft-lbs KE. There’s really no need for anything else if an African safari for elephant, rhino, hippo or Cape buffalo is on the agenda.

RECOIL of the various loads above from my 10.6 lb rifle (with a few cartridges in a stock ammo holder). My rifle has Mag-Na-Porting so I’ll put those approximate results in brackets:

The 500gr Hornady handload = 66 ft-lbs (56 ft-lbs)

The 450gr Swift AF handload = 61 ft-lbs (52 ft-lbs)

The 400gr Barnes X handload = 57.5 ft-lbs (49 ft-lbs)

The 350gr TSX handload = 55.6 ft-lbs (47 ft-lbs)

The 300gr TSX handload = 51.4 ft-lbs (44 ft-lbs)

The 250gr MonoFlex handload = 28.4 ft-lbs (24 ft-lbs)

The 550gr Woodleigh handload = 32.9 ft-lbs (28 ft-lbs)

About recoil: Many factors influence “felt” recoil: The above numbers can only be compared with one another because they are all from the same rifle, same basic weight for all loads, and how I hold it.

<This was my CZ550 in .458 Win Mag. The Burris fixed 4x scope had a long eye relief of 5″, and often for a relative long shot the sling went over my right elbow, acting as a brace for increased steadyness.

Generally, the physics of these loads is adjusted to the ballistics. A relatively “slow” moving projectile will give a sense of a heavy push from a heavy rifle, whereas a “fast” relatively light bullet from a “light” rifle will give a quicker – sharper recoil effect even though the numbers say the recoil should be less than a “big bore” shooting a heavy bullet. The difference in “felt” recoil? The recoil from a heavy big-bore rifle shooting a relatively “heavy” bullet is spread over more time.

Hoping this provides some insights into the exceptional serviceability of the grand .458 Winchester Magnum.

Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Single-Shot big-bore rifles for dangerous game?

Dangerous Game… How shall we identify and describe them? Some identify the “Big Five” of Africa and the Big Bears of Alaska as DG, but surely there are others! What about muskox, bison, wolves, mountain lion, moose and elk… and the North American black bear in particular? It’s apparent from records, plus uncounted incidents, that the black bear is potentially a very dangerous animal not to be taken lightly! As to size, many not only exceed the weight of leopards, but lions as well! 250 lbs might be average for a not yet fully mature young adult male, but many seven to ten year olds have surpassed 500 lbs and others 700 lbs.

< This one was well over 500 lbs with guts out!

Some think that such heavy black bears are toting too much blubber, but I’ve witnessed some heavy bears “move out” from a bait site and in two bounds were hitting about 30 mph. One behemoth that was regularly hitting my primary bear bait site kept all other creatures at bay – nothing else, small, medium or large, came within sight or hunting range. He came at night and left lots of markings that this was his turf, and for no others! But the bait disappeared on a regular basis. He left claw markings on trees that my tall partner (over 6′) couldn’t reach by stretching on tip toes. But, without explanation, he appeared to have left the country. Shortly thereafter, I was at a local gun shop where a large man was telling the shop owner of a very large bruin that was killed by some local hound hunters in the vicinity of my bait setup. I asked a few questions and he said the bear was weighed with guts out at 567 lbs – which means: that bear’s live weight exceeded 600 lbs!

Then, Bill Vaznis’ book: Successful BLACK BEAR Hunting, on page 8, gives the following description of a New Brunswick black bear (my home province): “According to the third edition of The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats, Joseph Allen killed a nightmare of a bruin near Millstream in 1976 after it killed his pet German shepherd. The bear measured seven feet eleven inches from nose to base of tail and tipped the scales dressed at 902 lbs. Its live weight was later estimated to be 1100 pounds!” There’s no mention of how the bear was killed by Mr. Allen, but it’s assumed he used a rifle or shotgun. Millstream is a little more than an hour’s drive from where I was born and grew up.

The point of this is to define and identify dangerous game. Even a cow moose can be very aggressive and dangerous in the protection of a calf… except they seem to know better when a bear is involved! And a bull moose is notorious for attacking anything, and I mean anything, during the rut, even automobiles, transport trucks and trains!

Several years ago, on a major highway north of Superior, a married couple had been driving their motor home all day and decided to pull over for a rest as darkness fell. Sometime before daybreak they were jarred awake by something crashing into their RV. This continued for some time from various angles, while they tried to discern what was ramming them! They attempted to turn on some lights but nothing was working, including the motor! Finally, as daylight started to emerge, the wrecking stopped. With a lot of trepidation, they went outside and could hardly believe the wreckage on their motor home… headlights were missing, dents, scratches, holes and other pieces missing! But the moose tracks all around the vehicle was unmistakable. Finally, a police cruiser stopped and they were rescued!

So, what then is a “dangerous animal”? In my strong opinion, it’s any creature that could kill me! Or you.

Now, as to our question: Are single-shot, big-bore rifles suitable for hunting dangerous game?<This was my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. As seen here, it weighed a little over 8 lbs, and just over 38 inches in length. It would fire a 500gr Hornady RN at 2200 +fps and a 450gr Swift A-Frame at 2300 +fps. So it wasn’t lacking power for any living creature, including elephant with a solid 450 or 500gr making upwards of 5430 ft-lbs. But the issue is: Would it have been suitable?

The best document I’ve read on this issue was written by Randy D. Smith. In fact, I read it at least twice a few year ago, and, then again recently. In my view, it addresses every possible concern. And, I must add this: His favorite single-shots are Rugers in No.1. Additionally, his favorite among them is a Ruger No.1H TROPICAL in .458 Winchester Magnum, which he uses for multiple North American BG, downloaded to equivalent “hot” .45-70 loads. And he amply describes why he chooses that particular rifle and cartridge. (Pic of mine on the header.)

He does not recommend them for dangerous WOUNDED game if followup in thick bush is involved, especially if hunting solo. But then, he points out the several fallacies involved in putting full trust in a repeating magazine rifle, which I recently addressed as well.

It’s a good read, and I think you’ll not find better anywhere on this subject.

To summerize:

1) The Farquharson falling-block type action is the strongest of any because of that solid block of steel in the breech – the type adopted in the No.1 Rugers. More metal is involved than in the bolt-action type.

2) Because of the above, the largest bores and pressures can easily be handled.

3) Doubles (break action) can’t safely handle the pressure that the falling-block type can, nor the number of shots longterm without issues.

4) Even bolt-actions may begin to develop some weaknesses from “over abuse”.

5) The Rugers have been chambered in several Big Bores, including the formidable .458 Winchester Magnum that with its extra-long “freebore” allows seating of bullets as far as possible depending on their lengths and weights, with about .25″ to .30″ seated in the case. There’s obviously no magazine constraint to COL. That means it can easily match or exceed the ballistics of the Lott – upwards of 6000 +ft-lbs at the muzzle!

But then, as with Smith, others and myself, it’s often useful and easy – for several reasons – to download ballistics to the level of factory .45-70 loads. For example: a 300gr at ~1886 fps, or 400gr at 2000 fps or even 1330 fps. In a Ruger No.1 (or any .45-70), at 2000 fps/3552 ft-lbs, given a well constructed bullet like the 404gr Shock Hammer, or even a 405gr Remington (if you have some) can do the job on anything in N.A. within 150 yards or so. Of course, the 404gr Hammer bullet can also make upwards of 2600 fps/6064 ft-lbs from the muzzle of a 24″ barrelled .458 Win Mag – with some knowhow.

If I could have only one bullet for my Ruger No.1H, it would be the 404gr by Hammer. Started at 2000 fps, at 150 yards it still has around 1780 fps/2814 ft-lbs – plenty for the largest moose at that range. If a big bear might be met, and on agenda, I’d up the MV to around 2400 – 2600 and fear nothing within range.

In practice, if we get’em here in Canada, I’d load ’em to about 2250 fps for bears or lesser game. That will still give over 1800 fps at 250 yards/~3000 ft-lbs, more than enough for anything I’ll hunt from now on to eternity.

In practice, and Smith concurs, using ballistics like that, rarely is a second shot ever needed as we become more conscientious in the use of the first shot. Also, the number of times I’ve fired a second shot at a game animal was rare indeed. We develop a mindset akin to bow hunters and those who use BP. Though, reloading a Ruger No.1 can be relatively “fast” compared to those. And with practice, in keeping a second round “at hand” (different methods for that), one can load a Ruger No.1 by feel and not by sight.

You know the arguments for loading followup rounds: a semi is the fastest, a lever is second, a bolt is third, and a single-shot the slowest. Yet all of it can be, and has been, debated. Some claim they are as fast with a bolt-action in an aimed second shot as a semi, and others claim a lever-action has no advantage over a bolt-action, and so on it goes… Some claims are stunning indeed… until faced with a bull elephant charge, or a grizzly in your face! Emotions play a much larger role in reloading a rifle than most understand. I’ve watched at least one professional fumble his ammo, dropping it on the ground after firing three at, or into a “dugga boy” from a bolt-action repeater. Later he pulled the trigger on an empty chamber as a result of too much emotion in running after the wounded buff. And all that in the presence of his PH and assistants. But he’s still a TV personality!

Then other “stuff” happens: floor plates open (that happened to me on a bear hunt that dumped the load on the ground after bouncing off the lip of the plastic chair I was seated on with a loud “racketty -tak – tak” that would awaken any sound-sleeping bear a mile away!), sights fall off, cross-hairs disappear; then the forbotten JAM!!! That also happened to our “TV personality” – all from an M70 Winchester!

Sooo… it’s true after all is said and done, that the ultimate safety for the hunter of DG, and any entourage, is between his/her ears, not what he’s holding between his hands!

No rifle is perfect. Any can fail – and have! I was unloading my CZ550 in .458 Win Mag at the end of hunting light. There was one in the chamber, and three in the magazine. It was getting dark and I was backup for my partner, Ken. There was also another observer. I pointed the rifle at an embankment a few feet away, and had to move the “safety” forward to release the bolt for opening to extract the one in the chamber. When I thumbed the safety “off” the rifle went “BOOM!” What if…? <This is a different time and location, but the same rifle that went “BOOM” when the safety was pushed “off”! The problem was the set trigger that when adjusted to remove the “set” feature, according to book instructions, made the rifle vunerable to fire when the safety was pushed off. It had never previously malfunctioned. So, with additional “work” I insured that would never happen again… but who knows? NEVER PUT FULL TRUST IN ANY “SAFETY”, NO MATTER ITS MAKE OR MODEL!

A lightweight Big Bore sporting rifle (.40-cal to .577-cal) is an anomaly! That means at least two obvious and serious faults if ballistic potential is also the goal:

1) Physical abuse of the shooter.

2) Weakness in the structure of the rifle.

3) Period.

There’s simply NO WAY to make such a rifle comfortable to shoot, and there’s NO WAY that such a rifle can be as strong as it needs to be if shot regularly in the long haul at its full potential!

And there is some ambivalence and hypocrisy in the industry. As more demand (lust?) has developed for light rifles, so has complaints over recoil. The result? Smaller bores and sleeker bullets that are purported to do the same jobs that were formerly assigned to even .30-06’s, 300 magnums, etc. Now, I’m reading on the Internet things like: “Which has the most recoil, the .243 Win or .260 Rem?”. And this is common, and growing! And the market provides (and often is dominated by) what shooters and hunters seem to think is adequate or even “best”. And, in my view, it’s the result of an overindulgent generation who “want their cake and eat it too”! They want the “biggest and best” with bragging rights but without the pain!

But in life, pain is unavoidable! And I’m not necessarily speaking only of physical pain. There is pain from loss: of a job, of abilities (as we age), of a family member or loved ones, of respect that we may have enjoyed at other times and circumstances. There are aspects of pain that’s healthy and for our good to keep us from living undiciplined and ungrateful lives, or becoming narcissists!

<I had full confidence in using the single-shot Ruger No 1 in .45-70 LR when hunting the bruin that did this to the blind. That bear was a brute, mean, ruthless and crafty. He came in behind the green chair, unheard, when I was seated in it. The bush that hid him was about ten feet from the chair, and I was alone. When I stood to take the pic, he chrashed through the brush as though it wasn’t there. And that was calculated to frighten me! He did the same act the week prior when I had a partner beside me! A week later, I did get a shot on him but he was on the move. In a followup the following day I found where he’d spent the night watching his back trail. There was matted down grass with a patch of blood about a foot wide. My friend, Ken, followed pin pricks of blood through thick briars on hands and knees while I stood guard with my 1895 Marlin in .45-70. The spoor petered out in thick tangles that made further progress impossible. All evidence suggested that he survived.

So learning to shoot a Big Bore in a single-shot might move us out of “our comfort zone”, but so what? There are a lot of things in life that “make us uncomfortable”: getting a degree or three, raising children, overcoming a disability (I lost sight in my right eye at age six, and I became somewhat shy of other kids and meeting new people. I worried over meeting a beautiful gal that would love and accept me, or becoming a public figure, playing sports, etc. All of that was overcome despite the physical loss – and, actually, it helped develop me into a stronger, somewhat fearless person, by the grace of God.)

Taking on the challenge of a single-shot Ruger No.1 in a Big Bore, such as a 450/400, 404, etc, might very well be good for an otherwise awkward or somewhat shy person if they’re not a cripple or have a debilatating disease: a) It’s a fresh challenge, b) Learning something new about ballistics can raise their confidence, c) It disciplines mind and body, d) It opens up new possibilities, etc.

Why is it that current culture believes that when “I’m not comfortable with that”, it should be rejected as bad or unhealthy – as in a request, a change from the familiar, or any other challenge to present circumstances or thinking?

One challenge overcome or defeated trains us to face others, and so on.

Walking alone in the bush with a single-shot rifle was the experience of many who conquered their fears and developed “The New World”.

At the age of 86, I’m facing challenges that nobody wrote a book on “How to face life at age 86″… neither did they when I was 6, having just lost an eye. And nobody is going to feel sorry for you/us! So let’s get up, get dressed and go on with living… Life is tough sometimes, for everybody. So, lets grow up and stop complaining over “small stuff”!

Say, is there a growing pandemic of “every man for his own interests and not those of others”? (2 Timothy 3: 1 – 5)

Til the next…

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL