Do You Go with the flow in Rifle Choices?

Some people like being different, but most don’t.

What do I mean? Conforming to styles and culture within a rather small community setting is comfortable and more or less expected. Oh sure, some diverge from the main stream, but nothing viewed as extreme is likely to be applauded even though some are prepared to be thought of as “odd” or outsiders. Yet, in a large city environment, differences may be tolerated even if not liked. Still, within particular urban groups or settings, conformity is somewhat practiced within age groups or cultural settings.

But lets step outside cultural settings of particular ethnicities and religous groupings, and join a shooting club or range where there’s a mix of hunters, shooters, handloaders, bowmen and skeet/trap shooters. Any particular individual might do all five of those activities, but rarely so. Most that I’ve known at the range, where I’ve been a member for nearly 4 decades, have a special interest in one or two of those activities, and three at the most. For example, my attendance at that club is 100% at the rifle range as primarily a hunter and secondly a handloader, and thirdly a shooter. Most in attendance there, especially on week days, have the same interests but possibly in a different order: a handloader, shooter and finally a hunter.

Shooting and testing handloads in my former CZ 550 in .458 Winchester Magnum. They got used in hunting.

The point of all this being that range members accept differences and expect them. I know two men quite well of a group of four (one recently deceased), who meet regularly at our range on early Wednesdays for just having fun in getting together for shooting rifles and drinking coffee in the clubhouse. But the rifles they bring are varied and different. In fact, any one of them might show up on any Wednesday morning with a new or different rifle than they ever previously brought. On man, Mike, is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, now 82 years old and he likes old military arms that includes black powder! He’s one of the two I mentioned above, and of my generation, yet we appreciate different styles of rifles even as handloaders. The other gentleman referred to is somewhat younger, and bought one of my .45-70 reloading manuals many years ago and took his 1895 Marlin on a successful bear hunt as a result. Here I was shooting one of Mike’s smoke poles! Hey, why not, he’s a friend! But that was the first and last time I’ve fired one of those.

The point I’m making is that it’s okay to be different! At our range that’s expected. Another gentleman I’ve known for several years used to show up at the range on Mondays or Tuesdays, like I do to avoid the crowd on weekends. But I never knew he was going on safaris to Africa until recently. He’s a quiet man that sticks to business, not involving himself too much with others. I’ve known for a while that he shoots a .30-06 and a .375 H&H, and he makes handloads for each. Since I’ve been shooting my Zastava 70 in .375 H&H a lot at the range over the past two years, I approached him and asked about his handloads. He then told me about his African trip he’d just returned from, pulling out his IPhone and showing pics of the animals he’d recently shot on safari.

So we make friends of those with similar rifle and hunting interests as well as with others who just like to do something different while having fun and fellowship in their small diverse groups.

I’m writing this because not only have I been a shooting club member for many years, but because I’ve come to appreciate both the differences and similarities of people who just enjoy firearms for their own reasons, while giving room and respect to all for their own reasons.

Simply stated: we don’t need to conform to someone else’s like’s or dislikes, but go with our own while being open to accept others with their differences, or in spite of them.

On the forums, where firearms is the theme, some men will turn on others, whom they don’t know or have never met, with vulgar language and abusiveness because they disagree over some petty points of view. In real life, where we rub shoulders with men in arms, or on safari or a hunt club, we can learn to agree to differences and even become friends.

Some like magnums, some don’t. . . . “Vivre la diffe’rance!”

Let’s avoid all “holier than thou” attitudes! Or, to avoid the religious connotation, the attitude of: “I know it better than you do”. . . . thing.

When and where any open discussion is taking place on religion, politics, firearms or growing grass, dominant personalities will dominate. How often have I seen it in churches where an open membership is discussing changes of any sort, that two or three, or four at the most, will hold the floor and argue amongst themselves while the rest are the gallery.

Dominant people are like dominant bears – they are controlling! And if they can’t, they bite and devour! The rank and file feel threatened to conform – often against their better judgment.

As a living example of where I’m going with this, I had a friend who was a hunting partner in several ventures (not all) for about a decade. He was also a Conservation Officer (CO) with relatively little experience in big game hunting, and about a dozen years my junior. His first experience with me in hunting was bear, which he’d never previously hunted. While he showed respect for me in what I knew about bears and hunting them over bait, he didn’t own a rifle so asked my thoughts on that matter. I don’t exactly recall my suggestions, but the .30-06 was certainly mentioned as he was not a handloader, and there was no end to good factory ammo in .30-06 that would be suitable. I’d started my own handloading career with a couple of .30-06’s.

When he announced to me that he’d opted for a .270 Winchester, I was baffeled because he knew zilch about a .270 Winchester. . . . about as much as I knew about a .221 Remington Fireball!

And the .270 Winchester was about as common in our neck of the woods as a .357 Magnum handgun, which is to say. . . . “What’s that?”

So what happened was that he’d also asked a “professional” whom he’d known, who was a trainer in the use of firearms, as well as a tester of would-be new hunters for licenses to hunt as well as ownership licenses of firearms. This gentleman knew of a private auction coming up that contained a custom .270 Winchester that belonged to a deceased friend.

So, my friend bought the auctioned .270 Winchester knowing nothing about the rifle, and about as much about a .270 Winchester – taking the “professional’s” view as superior to any other – after all, I was an “amateur”! To this day, my friend still owns that rifle – as far as I know, and has killed a couple of bears with it. . . . that is after his first attempt on a huge bear when the rifle refused to fire when he pulled the trigger! That bear took off never to be heard of or seen since.

It has never been handloaded, and I was the first to shoot it at our range for sighting in of Federal Premium 150gr Nosler Partitions. Accuracy was OK but not stellar, and MVs were erratic between 2700 to 2800 fps. My point is: that it’s an OK rifle but nothing special in looks, handling, accuracy or ballistics – just average and certainly nothing special for this neck-of-the-woods.

My friend chose it because of the recommendation of someone who was a “pro”, being an official “pro” himself. His regard for “officialdom” trumped his regard for “amarteurish” experience at ground level, without any serious research on his own.

I’ve owned one .270 Win rifle, a Remington 700 SS as an investment, figuring I could make money on it, as it was a good buy at $400. In the meantime I bought dies, brass and bullets to make and shoot handloads. In my view, I liked it better than my friend’s custom .270 Win. Probably, the fact that I’d made a variety of handloads for it, and it was both handier, lighter and with a synthetic stock had something to do with all that. One fall it did go deer hunting and the action froze in freezing rain! I traded it for full value on a LH BDL Rem in 7 Rem Mag, so the “deal” paid off and that was my first and last .270 Winchester. Am I negative on them? No, not really, but in that class of rifles, I’d choose a .30-06, .308 Winchester, or even a .280 Rem because they can shoot heavier bullets for game larger than whitetails.

My point? I was never locked in to what others had to say about cartridges and rifles. I did my own research, getting to know what and where I’d be hunting, and choices of firearms were based on that – not on Internet or second and third-hand opinions.

In consequence of all that, cartridges like a .270 Winchester has had no place (not for long anyway) in my inventory of hunting rifles. Instead, I’ve gone to Big Bores and Mediums that produce larger holes in flesh and bone, with no questions or doubts over performance if I do my part, even at ranges where the .270 Win supposably excels.

And, as a bonus, any of those can reach out effectively to any reasonable range on the creature being hunted.

That is to 400 – 500 yards in most cases – if really needed to, with no other option. But over the last decade my hunting focus has primarily been predators: bear, wolf and coyote-wolf hybrids, with minimum deer hunting thrown in. For bear, I can use anything I have left for big game. For deer, wolf and wolf-hybrids, my .35 Whelen gets the nod.

But truth be told, if I were to choose just one among all I’ve used and owned, a .300 Winchester Magnum could have, or even now meet the need. Over time, I’ve owned eight .300s, six in the .300 Winchester. A second choice might be a .338 Win Mag.

Why those choices when I don’t currently have either in my locker? Because I have a .35 Whelen that can basically do what they do.

What loads in my single-shot .35 Whelen? Well, currently I have suitable handloads for: the 180gr TTSX (@ 2900 fps), 200gr Hornady SP (@ 3000 fps), 225gr Sierra (@ 2900 fps), 225gr Nosler AB (@ 2840 fps), 250gr Hornady SP (@ 2550 fps), and 310gr Barnes O (@ 2400 fps). I’ve also these bullets: 250gr NP, 225gr “X”, and a few remaining of the 200gr “X” which I killed a bear with many years ago using my Rem 7400 (semi) in .35 Whelen at 2835 fps. Range was 100 yds. Impact velocity about 2584 fps/ 2964 ft-lbs. A going away 1/4 shot into short ribs, exit through offside big shoulder bone about 2″ in diameter – bear went, maybe 7 – 8 yds – no bawling.

<

100 yds from my ground blind up on the ridge this side of the bait barrel. Bear ran uphill, to the right of the barrel, to where the right lower corner of the pic is -about 20 ft, and was dead right there.

Why not my .375 H&H or .458 Win Mag? Both are great for really large and/or dangerous game, or hunting bear from a blind, but for tramping through thick and rough terrain for hours on end they’re about 2 lbs too heavy. I’ve already gone on record several times in stating my .35 Whelen is my “walk-about rifle” – that can reasonably do what a .300 Win or .338 Win could do. True, with sleeker bullets available today for both of those, they potentially have a greater effective reach, but the .35 Whelen, with the right bullet and load, can handle elk or moose to 500 yds.

.35 Whelen – with a 22″ barrel

225gr AB/ BC = .430/ SD = .251

MV = 2840 fps/4029 ft-lbs

100 yds = 2627 fps/3447 ft-lbs/ +2.94″

200 yds = 2424 fps/2935 ft-lbs

300 yds = 2230 fps/2483 ft-lbs

400 yds = 2044 fps/2088 ft-lbs

500 yds = 1869 fps/1744 ft-lbs/ -39″

The 250gr NP at 2700 fps has similar KE numbers, and is not quite as “flat shooting” but has a better SD at .279 and BC at .446 giving a better TE number of 51.5 – near ideal for a 1200 lb moose if hit right.

MV = 2700 fps/4046 ft-lbs

100 yds = 2507 fps/3487 ft-lbs/ +3.3″

200 yds = 2321 fps/2991 ft-lbs

300 yds = 2144 fps/2551 ft-lbs/ – 4.4″

400 yds = 1975 fps/2164 ft-lbs

500 yds = 1814 fps/1826 ft-lbs/ -42.7″ (TE = 51.5)

• 1814 fps impact velocity should be adequate for expansion on heavy game like elk and moose.

• Though I’ll never need it again for such work, yet the point is made that the .35 Whelen is not lacking for such tasks, including for brown bear within reasonable ranges.

The former Remington 7400 (semi) in .35 Whelen was a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, I had to sell a couple of rifles at that time due to a cash crunch, and the Whelen went to a very thankful deer hunter. It was a little on the heavy side being a semi, and all-up with ammo, scope and sling came close to 9 lbs.

My TRADITIONS G3 Outfitter in .35 Whelen, with one loaded and 3 in a stock cartridge holder, comes in at 7.75 lbs. Plus, its overall length is only 39.25 inches, including the 1.5″ brake, making it very handy and relatively light fror treking over hill and dale, and in tight places. Recoil, including brake, of the 250gr load is ~35 ft-lbs – about the same as a .300 Win Mag. Depending on loads and rifle weight factors, the recoil of a .300 Win runs around 35 ft-lbs, and the .338 about 40 ft-lbs. By comparison, my 300gr load for the .375 H&H is ~45 ft-lbs, or 29% greater than the .35 Whelen while still being 2.25 lbs heavier and 4″ longer – and it doesn’t have a brake, but does have a 22″ barrel.

<The scope is a Diamondback Vortex 3 – 9 x 40mm.

A powerful single-shot, that’s capable for almost anything anywhere! Bullets, powder and brass galore, and recoil being a non-issue! What’s not to like? As an all-arounder, 4000+ ft-lbs energy at the muzzle from 180s, 200s, 225s and 250s! Want it lighter? Remove that scope and use a 4X by 20mm, and put the extra ammo in an ammo belt around your waist. Then it would be about 7 and 1/4 lbs.

How does that compare with your .270 “what”? Oh yeah, that’s also a Winchester creation, borrowed from the .30-06, so it must be OK.

Unconventional? Who cares? I don’t! With that 225gr AB at 2840 fps, and at 7.75 lbs ready with one in the chamber and 3 in the stock cartridge holder, it’s also a perfect “mountain rifle” for logical guys and gals unconcerned with conventional ideas!

Til the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Comparing .338 magnums, which is best?

I’ll not go into the background of .333 to .338-cal cartridges, as frankly that holds little interest for me. The first .338 cartridge that I knew about was the .338 Winchester Magnum, and shortly after I got into handloading for rifles it was an early acquisition. I’d owned and handloaded two magnum rifles prior to the .338 – a 7 Rem mag and a .300 Win Mag.

The .338 Winchester Magnum came in a Sako FS carbine with a 20″ barrel. Having researched articles, stories, comments and handloading data from manuals, I knew its potential and therefore figured it might loose up to 100 fps from a top load in a 24″ barrel. Knowing myself and my handloading experiences thus far, I was quite certain that 100 fps loss could be cut in half. So a 250gr at around 2650 fps was nothing that any North American large beast could ignore if hit right with a good bullet, and within sensible ranges.

This is a .375 H&H in the same make and model, except it has a 22″ barrel, not a 20″.

After having tried all bullet weights available at the time: 200gr, 225s, 250s and a 275gr from Speer, I settled on the 250gr Sierra BT. It gave the highest MV and best accuracy, and I had no qualms over using it on game to moose size – in fact, it was an up-coming moose hunt that also prompted me to choose it.

The rifle itself had some serious flaws, that I’ve written about in previous blogs not to be repeated here, but the point is that I learned a great deal about making suitable handloads for a .338 Winchester Magnum.

Several years later another .338 Win Mag came into my possession as a replacement for a new Browning A-Bolt in .375 H&H with an off-center bore that couldn’t be made accurate enough as a hunting tool for large game. It was replaced by the dealer with a near identical A-Bolt SS in left-hand action chambered in .338 Win Mag. My plan was to have it rechambered to .340 WBY – which happened following a year’s use as a reloaded .338 Win Mag. As a .338 WM it gave unheard of results from its 26″ barrel. A book load of RL-19 under a 250gr Hornady SP Int. recorded 2842 fps when corrected to MV – at less than MOA. I was beginning to have second thoughts about having it made into a .340 Wby.

<Here it is as a .340 Wby Mag.

The upshot of those experiences, plus assisting our second son with handloads for his Rem 700 in .338 Win for an upcoming moose hunt that we would share, gave consistent results for both 225 and 250 grainers expected from a 24″ barrel. All in all, I feel confident that Nosler’s current published results for their 250s from a 24″ test barrel are close to expected results at a high MV of 2780 fps/4290 ft-lbs.

On average, that’s close enough to a 250gr from a .375 H&H. Depending on the bullet and powder, I’m getting 2800 to 2900 fps from 250s in my 22″ Zastava M70 in .375 H&H. Just from those few experiences, plus dozens of others, I’m convinced that some equal-length barrels are significantly faster than others when fed the same loads. As an example, I’ve owned a total of 4 Browning A-Bolts SS in LH actions with 26″ barrels chambered in .300 WM, .338 W.M., .340 Wby Mag and .375 H&H (with the off-center bore), and they all (including the .375 H&H) produced velocities about 100 fps faster than expected given the loads used.

From a careful analysis of the NOSLER 9 manual on the various .338 magnums there are some surprises, anomalies, expected and non-expected results. The up-shot of that in-depth analysis is that if I wanted the best overall .338 magnum, I’d be very hard-pressed to improve on the results that my Browning A-Bolt SS (LH) gave when rechambered to a .340 Wby Mag. Over the 5 yr period of ownership, I fired ~1000 handloads through that rifle, about 1/3 of which were 250gr Nosler Partitions at an average of 2997 fps from RL-22 into an average of 1.25″ at 100 yds for three. That was my moose hunting load. The 250gr Hornady SP Int. was more accurate at about 2850 fps, but I chose the 250 Partition for the hunt without regrets. If it were today, it might be the 250 AB with a much better BC, but I doubt it.

In Nosler’s 9 manual, if you compare the .340 Wby with the .338 RUM and Lapua, from the 250s to the 300s, there’s little difference that matters – they’re all in the same ballpark, except the .340 Wby is more efficient. Honestly, I NEVER noticed its recoil before, during or after the hunt. All bullets went where intended into the bull that was an estimated 1100 lbs from the boned-out meat results.

Range was an estimated 165 yards. I made that estimate from years in the field after pacing off distances. I was also a former dedicated golf player and could read ranges quite well. And the hunt was long before I owned a range finder. Anothe example: I judged the distance at my favorite bear-bait setup in Haliburton Highlands on a downhill slope as 100 yds before I ever had a range finder. After my wife gave me a range-finder Christmas gift, I checked the distance of that bear-bait site at 97 yards.

<Several bears shot there.

So, that 250gr NP leaving the muzzle of my .340 Wby at ~3000 fps, impacted that 1100 lb bull broadside at 165 yds through the lungs at about what the .338 Win Mag 250gr NP is advertised at an MV of 2660 fps/3927 ft-lbs. Ergo: the .340’s advantage was 165 yards before a .338 Win Mag gets started from factory fodder. Does it matter? Well, yes in several ways: Hits harder and dumps more energy at all ranges. Then, at the .338 Win Mags effective limit on elk, moose or big bears, the .340 is effective to at least another 100 – 150 yds beyond that! It’s right there with the Lapua that burns more powder and makes more noise and “kick” for essentially doing the same thing! Make mine a .340 Weatherby!

Of course, the 33 Nosler will also make more noise with its ports and burning more powder than the .338 Win Mag while doing much the same thing: Make mine a .338 Win. And, oh yeah, at 5 – 6 lbs, ouch and OUCH!! Far worse than not only a 8.5 lb .338 Win but also the same weight .340! But it needs that can – an extra 10″ of OL to about 50″ OL! Does that make it “sweet” for the woods or mountains? “But it burns more powder than the .338 Win from that larger case, so it must be BETTER, right?” Yeah, right, if you live in a fantasy land!

Depending on who you are, if you need or want a .338 magnum, in my humble opinion, choose one of the classics: the .338 Win Mag or .340 Wby. I see two .340s at my emporium. The .338 Win Mags don’t hang around for very long . . . . In fact, I’ve yet to see even one of the new 33 Nosler rifles for sale at EPPS.

I repeat: “Depending on who you are”. Our son, Phil, and I have spent many days hunting together, and many hours talking rifles, ballistics and hunting, as well as testing handloads at the range where we both are members. For our first moose hunt, Phil purchased a Remington M700 SS with synthetic stock in a mountain rifle chambered in .338 Winchester Magnum. He got one shot at a running moose using a 225gr handload that left him with a bloody forehead. Our last moose hunt was to the “Far North” of our province where I used the .340 Wby to bring down the bull. Phil had that same .338 Win along, this time handloaded with a 250gr Hornady SP Int. at around 2735 fps. The bull lying flat on the ground was still breathing, so I asked him to shoot it between the eyes. He did from about ten feet and that finished matters.

Phil’s a big man who outweighs me by a hundred pounds at least, but he has a tender heart for which I love him dearly! Some time ago he sold his Ruger No.3 in .45-70 and later still his .338 Win Mag. Today his deer rifle is a Creedmoor 6.5, and for a big bore he has a Traditions G3 Outfitter in .44 Rem Mag (same rifle as mine in .35 Whelen). He was in the process of wringing them out at the range using both handloads and factory ammo, but an impending move has put a temporary stop on it until they’re settled in a new area. We love and accept him for all that he is, not wanting him to be someone else. He also loves rifles, handloading, shooting and hunting, and purchased a Garmin Xero, which is under my care until they are settled again. I wouldn’t want him to be different than he is, or change for my sake.

I think that some will not be comfortable with the recoil of magnums in .338″ class unless they have a place and time to put in the practice requisite for adept shooting. I understand and get it.

But I do have a problem with some on the net who insist that the recoil of such magnums can’t be handled by the average shooter to the effect they’ll flinch or bat their eyes throwing them off from excellent or even good marksmanship on game animals regardless of range. Or, that the small bore rifles today with long-range asperations of taking large game is more easily accomplished with those streamlined bullets manufactured for those with such a vision.

I, for one, firmly doubt that for physical not ideological reasons.

Like idealistic geopolitical beliefs among the elite that have seriously messed up democratic societies, it is an illusion that denies several key issues in real life hunting, regardless of time and place of unmanufactured circumstances. From where I was standing in this bog, to the farthest point was just over 400 yards according to a GPS satellite reading. Would you take such a shot from ground level on an elk or moose without elevation and a steady rest? Regardless, I’d want at least a .300 magnum.

Regardless of the platform, a small bore rifle can only shoot small bore and relatively light-weight projectiles. Yes, they may hold their flight pattern and velocity to a greater distance than in times past, but they are still limited by their smallness and weight: i.e their terminal effect (TE) and/or energy.

Studies/research have found that the most common calibers and cartridges used by the most successful elk hunters in the USA at 600 to 750 yards are 7 mags, 300 mags and 338 mags. There are several reasons for that in this order:

1. The shooter

2. The rifle

3. The cartridge-caliber

4. The bullet

5. Physical conditions

If there’s a failure/breakdown in any of those 5, it’s a BUST big time in attempted shots on elk-size big game and larger at so-called “long range”.

FIRST: the shooter. Give him/her the best of everything, but if he can’t shoot, no matter the cartridge, it will be a bust! Certain African countries require that before they hand out PH licences for Dangerous Game the candidate must undergo rigorous training under the demanding scrutiny of a veteran PH with years of experience in actually killing dangerous game, like charging buffalo and/or elephant.

The license to kill an elk at 600 to 750 yards should first require that the hunter should kill at least a few (say 4 or more) at up to 300 yds!

<This “neck of the woods” is a part of Haliburton Highlands. I wasn’t aiming my CZ550 in .458 Winchester Magnum at an elk or any other creature, but at a particular point about 75 yds away to check my stance in holding the rifle steady. Also, as I recall, I had licenses for bear and a moose calf, as well as for wolf and small game. It would be rare to get a shot on game at 300 yds or more in this location, but 250 yds was possible on the trail that brought me up here on the ridge. I’ve climbed this ridge dozens of times. Then it descends down in the direction my rifle’s pointing to a stream that follows a rift at the bottom that opens up a significantly large area before climbing another ridge. The stream flows into a fair-sized lake. The rifle was loaded with the 350gr TSX at 2750 fps. That load was good for very close work or to about 400 yds. I did use that 350 TSX on a smallish bear about 1 mile from this location. Even 250 yds would be a rare shot in this part of the world because of very rough terrain in the form of sharp ridges, cliffs, high hills, varried water sources including multiple lakes and streams that flow into or out of them. Haliburton Highlands is renowned for it’s ravines, cliffs and lakes of varying sizes, and its wildlife. Then there are car and house-size boulders just sitting wherever they’ve decided to sit. No, they’re not attached to an underground granite mountain or foundation. Thus, I don’t need a rifle for slaying elk or moose, or any other creature at 500+ yards, but one that will anchor a beast right then and there . . . if it wanders off even 50 yds, it might never be retrieved or even found. A 1000 lb moose over a cliff or at the bottom of a ravine? You’ll need all the help and luck you can get and then some!

I want stopping rifles, not just rifles that kill after a few shots and 200 yds later!

SECOND: the rifle. Entirely apart from the caliber and cartridge, there are rifles that are capable of shooting their chosen and best loads better than MOA consistently. If I considered myself capable of consistently hitting an elk or moose in their vitals at over 600 yards, I’d insist on a rifle that could pull that off, not sometimes if lucky, but each and every time!< That .35 Whelen load was my bear load for 2022. The above target was at 100 yds. From a vital hit, it was capable for the largest bear in our woods to 400 yds – and about the same for an 800 to 1000 lb moose.

Few rifles need apply!

THIRD: the cartridge-caliber. This was the whole point of comparing the .338 magnums. IF the shooter and the rifle are up to it, there’s NO legitimate question over the ability of .338 magnums. Back in 1958 the .338 Win Mag was both designed and built for hunting and killing the larger soft-skinned game of Alaska in particular and the world in general, many of which are also dangerous game.

Roy Weatherby expanded the neck on their .300 Wby Mag to take .338″ bullets in 1962 to compete with Winchester’s version of a powerful magnum for game to 2000 lbs. That was the debut of the renowned .340 Weatherby Magnum discussed above. One of the best for such purposes!

4. The bullet. Some say, you start with the bullet and build your rifle around it. Well, we certainly have never been so rich in bullets as those available today. But that’s backwards for the average hunter who chooses his/her rifle and cartridge-caliber, with assurance that the “best” bullets can be acquired to suite the missions of that rifle.

I chose another .375 H&H in early 2023 with a belief that suitable bullets could be found to serve my purposes. My first hurdle, in regard to .375″ projectiles, was to find a source for the 300gr SBT that would ultimately become my 1st choice. Because they were not immediately available in this area, I experimented with others, mostly from Barnes, settling on the 250gr TTSX in the interim. However, within the past several months some 300gr SBTs began to show up so two boxes have been purchased, separated by about six months from different sources. So for the second half of last year’s bear hunt (the fall) I developed a load for the 300gr SBT that is very satisfactory at a mean of 2674 fps into MOA.

<The expanded bullet, from rear end to front were screen shots of a 300gr Sierra BT shot from a .378 Wby Mag at 3033 fps into some water jugs from 50 yds. The fellow who did this had also shot an elk with that load and he said it worked perfectly. After also testing the 300gr Nosler AB at a similar MV into an identical water jug type test, he favored the results from the 300 Sierra BT over the 300gr Nosler AB.

I had thoroughly researched the 300gr Sierra BT many years ago after I traded the 338 Win Mag in a Sako FS, plus $100, for the nearly new Win 70 in .375 H&H. It shot so well in the .375 that while testing some others, I settled on the 300 SBT as my hunting load. I’d also read an extensive report by a fellow Canadian, who lived in the Territories of the far north of Canada, who used a lot of different .375-caliber bullets in testing on live game – the large and dangerous sort – and pronounced the 300 SBT the best of the lot by far and away! Of course, Partitions and X-Bullets, and modern renditions of the same, plus others like A-Frames, etc, were not yet in production or were unavailable. But, nevertheless, his in depth report convinced me of the quality and performance of the 300gr Sierra BT. I recently went on a search for that material and got a message that the website was no longer available.

Of course today’s pundits declare that anything short of the “best” should not be used on dangerous game or on a hunt that costs more than a buck or two.

In spite of such opinions (that mostly lack convincing evidence) I purposely chose that 300gr SBT for my bear hunts of 2024, and in no way did I have second thoughts at 15 – 20 yards from that ~500 lb bear coming in my direction.

The 300gr SBT on the right of the 300gr TSX. It allows more room in the case for powder.

FIFTH: the physical conditions of the hunt. This is the wildcard! There’s a certain amount of unpredictability involved in the conditions of a hunt. Unless someone has only chosen to hunt in certain places on nice days, he knows what I’m talking about! Hunts in Alaska are likely the greatest proof of that claim of unpredictible weather and variable conditions. In any case, you know there’s going to be lots of rain (or freezing rain or snow) with high winds in valleys or mountain tops, and in tents that at times sound and feel like they’re about to leave this earth! Then to sit in the open on the side of a mountain glassing across a valley to another mountain 5 miles distant for search of animal life needs not only a steely constitution but god-like patience! Then what about the well-chosen tools for the chase, how fit and durable are they? That includes outerwear and boots! And the rifle? Some claim nothing but SS metal and syn stock – like my .35 Whelen.

You/we may get one shot on a 10 ft brownie worth $30,000, in a rainstorm with wind at 40 – 50 knots!

That’s certainly extreme for most, but that’s the point! Can we predict conditions for a two-week hunt in a strange place away from home base? On a deer hunt I was stuck for three days in a lakeside cabin with three others with power cut off and trees coming down from a hurricane. No, that was not the same hurricane as the one on a moose hunt! We hunted moose during hurricane seasons.

So there’s idealism, and then there are hard realities over which we have no control!

My philosophy has always been to have control of what matters in my life, by the grace of God while learning from failures and mistakes of judgment. In regard to hunting and its tools, I aim (pun intended) to not repeat the same failures and mistakes of the past, so help me God!

That mindset has reinforced the original notion to go prepared for the unexpected and potentially dangerous turn of events, rather than the ideological and “safe” ones. No, I’m not paranoid!

Thus and so forth, I’ve learned to handle and deal with rifles of “overmuch power” for confidence sake in facing unexpected circumstances that could spell “double trouble” in a flash like a lightning strike! When philosophic idealism crumbles, pragmatism must instantly take charge to save our “skin” or that of others!

If I’ve learned anything worthwhile in 60+ years of hunting. . . pragmatism trumps philosophic idealism every time!

Summary: After experience and/or pragmatic evaluation, choose the best “medium” (a .338 ?) for larger than whitetail deer or potential dangerous game. Don’t try to make a “small-bore” more than it is. . . regardless of how high-tech a bullet might be, if it’s from a “small-bore rifle”, it will never do the work of a medium or large-bore.

There are sub-medium magnums (i.e. 7mm to .300) that are competitive, and I’ve used them, and they are better overall than “standard” cartridges in those calibers, but it’s a matter of range and degree when matters work out as planned – but what if that elk is farther away or at a bad angle, should the shot be taken? It may be your only chance on the “trophy of a lifetime”. . . . or should you have practiced and learned to shoot that magnum with a bit more recoil?This rifle is one I cherished for a long time. In my view, it would be near impossible to improve on it as a do it all without compromise! It’s a SAKO 85 Black Bear with a 22″ barrel in 9.3 x 62. With best handloads, it’s as capable as a .375 H&H or .338 Win Mag. My favorite rifle for over a decade was my TIKKA T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62, and it was the most accurate big-game rifle I’ve owned. I recently gave it as a gift to our oldest son, Brent, with brass and bullets and other reloading accessories.

But the typical objection seems to be: “What if I’m toting a .338 magnum and the “trophy” is standing at 50 yds?” My advise then would be: “SHOOT IT!”

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

A Big-Bore Rifle for All BG Hunting. . . ?

That’s for general purpose big-game hunting that may not include Alaska or Africa. . . . though they are obviously not excluded from such a scheme.

There are numerous mature hunters who use just one rifle for all hunting of game: small, medium, large and dangerous. At least one man, with whom I’ve exchanged comments, uses his .375 H&H (Ackley Improved) for all hunting, including Africa. It’s the only big-game rifle he owns. Yes, I with others have designated .375 magnums as “mediums”, not Big Bores. But I’m making a point that a powerful rifle of that stature may indeed be useful for all game hunting. . . . especially if one is a handloader.

<This is the site of last year’s bear hunt – both spring and fall. After 2 years of hunting the same dominant bruin, I finally saw him on the last day of the hunt on Oct 15, 2024 at 3 pm. I had refreshed the bait setup and was walking slowly along the edge of the ridge in the background. At about the spot where the tip of the barrel is pointing to in the background I stopped, and was looking across the area directly below me at the thick timber opposite at ~ 75 yds where I’d expected the big bear was coming from. Then I turned back toward the bait setup with the intent to leave, and wispered this spontaneous prayer just above a whisper: “Lord, it would be nice to see him.” I took a step toward the tote and noticed a slight movement of “black” out of the corner of my left eye. I turned in that direction and sure enough that big, magnificant, dominant bruin was coming in my direction. I watched him until he was just below me at ~15 yards with the crosshairs of the .375 H&H on his back. I had no intention of shooting him . . . . but just in case of matters going awry, I was ready. I knew he smelled me as he was used to my scent after two years, but he never looked up at me and never showed nervousness or fear – just covering that distance in about 30 seconds with broad shoulders and steady strides. I had no chance to get a pic. . . . just turned and walked away before he reached a spot that might have meant a confrontation.

The .375 H&H was max loaded with a 300gr Sierra BT at 2675 fps. The point of this is once again to give kudos to the .375 H&H for its great flexibility. Indeed, it is a prime choice as a one-rifle for all big game anywhere on the planet. How big was that black bear? Around 500 lbs – easily. I never felt “over-gunned”.

Understand: Since I knew early on that he was the dominant bruin of the area, I had no plans to shoot him, but did hope to see him and get a pic. Since it was a solo hunt in a wilderness area, my plan was for a bear of less than 200 lbs that I could deal with on my own. Also, I’ve revised my original estimates of the bears weight, distance and time since the original impressions. After having replayed it over and over in my mind, and having revisited the site, I realized I was being too conservative on the bears weigh and distance he covered, and how close he actually was to me when I turned and left the scene.

Others use their +.40-calibers for all big game hunting. When I finally got my first 1895 Marlin in .45-70, and explored its potential as a handloader, I rarely used anything else for big game.

Even today, there are those who still demonize the powerful (when handloaded) .45-70 as old and inadequate for anything beyond a hundred yards for deer, hogs, bear and what not. And if they own one it’s rarely brought into the daylight, and never tested with handloads capable of killing elephant. And there are at least a couple of American companies producing loads for the Marlin or single-shot .45-70 rifles that have the ability to do just that: Kill elephant!

Like some other “ole-timers”, they insist on relegating them to the “trash” heap! One of my ten .45-70s, an 1895 Marlin, went on a moose hunt with me to the “Mid North” of our province as backup to a .338 Win Mag – A SAKO FS with a 20″ barrel.

The .338 Win

bullet: 250gr Sierra BT

SD = .313

BC = .587

MV = 2700 fps/4046 ft-lbs = 114 TE

250 yds = 2344 fps/3050 ft-lbs = 86 TE/ -3.1″

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Marlin .45-70

bullet: 400gr Colorado Custom

SD = .272

BC = .305

MV = 2100 fps/3917 ft-lbs = 176 TE

250 yds = 1540 fps/2106 ft-lbs = 95 TE/ -6.76″

• Limited to 250 yds as most moose are shot inside that range.

• The bold numbers show the distinction in force (momentum+ CSA (cross-sectional area)

• To 250 yds the 1895 Marlin is the better choice despite what a majority might think!

• The slightly more arched trajectory of the .45-70 isn’t a “big deal” on moose-size game!

• TE is terminal effect.

Of course, any large bore can be treated in a similar manner, assuming adequate bullet weights and styles. But really, none can compare in that sense with .458-caliber in sheer numbers, styles and weights. Because of the great versatility of my .45-70s, they got used in more big game hunting than all others combined, including my magnums: 7mm, .300, .338 and .375. I rarely hunted (except moose in the “Far North” of our province) where the reach of the magnums was needed. But being a “gun nut”, and liking “too much gun”, rather than “just enough” (explained in past blogs), I had to have at least a couple.

Some time ago, I did a profile (similar to that above) of my Marlin/.45-70 handloads for moose to 300 yds against the then recent purchase of the Win 70 in .375 H&H that replaced the Sako FS in .338 Win Mag (story of that has been told in several past blogs). To my “stunning surprise”, the .45-70 equaled the .375 H&H in “smash” (TE) at that range. . . and not only that, but my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 beat the .375 by a significant margin! And that before I had a new Ruger No.1 in .45-70 “improved” by my gunsmith giving it a long throat (LT).

This past week I did a ballistic profile of my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win Mag using a 400gr Barnes X-Bullet with a .457 BC (Yep, I know they’re no longer in production – but they still exist in my collection). From my Ruger No.1H in .458, I’ve attained 2590 fps without damage or trauma (recoil at 51 ft-lbs from my Mag-na-ported Ruger No.1H). With all relevant data included, my computer says that’s 2743 ft-lbs at 500 yds! TE = 123: equivalent in Terminal Effect (TE) to a .338 Lapua starting a 250 Nosler AB at 3000 fps MV arriving at the 100 yd mark with 2810 fps/4382 ft-lbs! THINK about that! That’s more than just an indication of something! It’s proof of how versatile a .458 Win Mag can be compared to the .338″ Lapua – which is considered by some as the penultimate magnum for large game at distance – elk at 500yds for example! At 500 yds, a .338 Lapua Mag has a TE of 80 using the 250gr AB at an MV of 3000 fps – the same MV as my former .340 WBY that I shot a bull moose with using the 250gr Partition.

Let me tell you, it’s been hard to swallow the fact that I only need one rifle for everything I hunt (or ever could) from a 60 lb wolf hybrid to an elephant, and it could all be done with two 400grs – one a “soft” and the other a “solid”. Of course, that’s been preached by Dr. Ron Berry for some time on the 24hr Campfire.

Since I will (if God also “wills”) be hunting wolf and bear again – at least that’s my plan – I won’t be needing a load for elephant! But I already have a repertoire of suitable loads for the .458 that can handle those chores: a 405gr Rem at 2085 fps, or a 250gr Hor MonoFlex at ~2700 fps, and a 300gr TSX at 2750 fps. Those are all good accurate loads that’ll work in my hunting areas. And recoil for all is modest at best. The hottest would be the 300 TSX at 2750 for ~38 ft-lbs including the Mag-na-ports – less than my .375 H&H. The others are in the low to mid 20’s. The weight of that rifle ready to hunt is only 1/2 lb more than the .375 H&H that I used for the bear hunts of 2024.

The Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum.

The point I’m hoping to make is simple and obvious: If any hunter is a mature handloader, he/she already knows how to make reduced loads by choosing lighter bullets and pushing them at no more than moderate velocities. Doing the same with a big-bore rifle reduces felt recoil and makes them more fun to shoot. More fun in shooting also entices using them in several types of game hunting. Make a date with your “big boomer” for a deer, hog or rabbit hunt, using modest loads. Liking a Big Bore comes from getting to know its various personalities, its feel, handling and disguises, till WE become more flexible with them. I promise, it will not hurt your feelings, and it may even come to like YOU!

So much to do in so little time. . . .

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

RECOIL: its Positives and Negatives P2

In P1, I introduced the theme in a general sense, reflecting more on potential negatives than positives, but still leaving the reader with hope of conquering any fears that may be unfounded.

In P2 we’ll investigate a bit more deeply and suggest some recoil effects that can positively be mitigated making a more powerful rifle seem no more threatening than a “common” traditional big game rifle, like a .30-06.

I’ve previously mentioned that it’s mostly a matter of the mind and emotions. I went on to catalogue my own experiences, so that even today at age 89, I entertain no fears of being hurt by max recoil of even a .375 Wby Magnum, as my own .375 H&H maxed-out at ~2700 fps from a 300gr is in no way intimidating with recoil around 45 ft-lbs.

(How could it be that a .375 H&H, especially with a 22″ barrel, can produce 2700 fps from a 300gr without blown primers or ruptured cases? As I’ve explained in past blogs, my Zastava has a “fast barrel” that in the use of the best new gun powders produces an extra 100 – 150 fps. It’s also true that with 45 yrs of handloading experience of rifle cartridges from the .22 Hornet to the mighty .458 Winchester Magnum – in several versions of many – I know when “too much is too much”, or when “enough is enough”, without going into the details of all that just now – I’ve done so in several past blogs and it’s not pertinent to the present theme.)

<From the 300gr Sierra using StaBALL 6.5. I’ve reduced that load by one grain for a mean 2674 fps/4763 ft-lbs into MOA.

In the past, going back at least a couple decades, powders like: IMR 4064, IMR 2520, H4895, RL-15, W760 and H4350 were common powders recommended and used in .375 H&H cartridges – even in factory products. While some of those are still in use and/or recommended by older generations of handloaders, there are better for handloaders today. I now use Big Game and CFE223 for the 250gr TTSX and 250 SBT (not necessarily in that order) and RL-17 and StaBALL 6.5 for the 300 TSX and 300 Sierra BT.

Those two distinct bullet weights are primary for any use I’ll have for a .375 H&H. Each of those (250gr and 300gr) can serve dual purposes:

• the 250 Sierra at 2950 fps for sight-in, practice and general hunting of medium game.

• the 250 TTSX at 2850 fps for potential N.A. dangerous game.

• the 300 Sierra at 2675 fps for any large soft-skinned game, and target shooting at long range.

• the 300 TSX for load development and practice.

I’ve fired each of those in load development and practice – enough to manage their recoil effect while at the same time keeping an eye on the target. Then the action is worked for chambering another round and brought to bear on the target again for another shot if necessary. The importance of keeping eye contact with the quarry can’t be overstressed. Yet recoil has a significant bearing on that. That’s why the .375 H&H is often suggested as adequate power for Africa’s “dangerous five”, while still being able to maintain control at a recoil level that allows good balance in getting off a second or third shot on a charging DG . . . . . or one escaping in the opposite direction.

As said: That’s around 40 to 45 ft-lbs in calculated recoil effect. Yet the sense of that amount of energy is dispersed throughout the whole body, not just to the shoulder, but also to the head and neck, arms and hands, back and legs. So how the rifle is held as well as its “fit” and balance are all factors in how, where and how much of that energy is distributed. Other factors are how we are dressed, as well as our stance and/or seating positions relative to shooting.

We should quit bench shooting as early as posible or when we have “the load”, and it’s sighted in at the 40+ ft-lbs class of recoil. Or, if needing practice, as in a real-life scenario, if allowed at a private or public range, use different positions for hitting targets at variable ranges. For instance: Standing, offhand, kneeling and/or using sticks. I don’t recommend prone from rifles built for elephant! Best yet: should you own a farm or land where it’s safe to do any of that . . . or the land of a friendly neighbour with whom you could share some of your bounties. Realistic practice is a key to confidence in shooting big game and/or game of the hazardous sort.

From what I’m reading and hearing, a common complaint of PH’s and guides is that many hunting clients often bring new rifles that they’ve not practiced with, are afraid of the recoil, and therefore is too powerful for them to manage its benefit, and may even be detrimental to their success.

Biological and psychological factors must not be denied! Some can manage 100 ft-lbs of recoil, and I’m not one of them! We must know our limits and be honest about it. Sure, any healthy male can shoot a .458 Win Mag once and boast about it. (I’ve regularly managed up to ~80 ft-lbs without trauma or angst.) But can he do it 100 X in practice for an African hunt and still hit the bullseye on a target at 50 yards from offhand? If not, then I’d recommend a .375 H&H if dugga boys or eles will be that class of targets.

The difference is 65 ft-lbs vs 45 ft-lbs. If 40 – 45 is max after “the load” is done and 100 to 200 live rounds are shot well in practice, with no ???? , then take that rifle if the projectiles are suitable.

But if you insist on taking that big-bore gun, there are ways and means of learning to shoot it without a nasty flinch:

<From my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. Corrected to MV add 14 fps = 2212 fps/5432 ft-lbs from the 500gr Hornady RNSP. Recoil = 75 ft-lbs. I once shot a bear with that load mere feet from the rock ledge the Chrono is resting on. The blind is out of sight in the photo, but was 40 yds from this setup just past the upper right corner of the pic.

1. As suggested, use downloads for practice.

2. Gradually work up from “soft loads” (light bullets to heavier bullets) incrementally, and even then less than max loads for all of them.

3. Allow several months for eventually developing an “adequate load” for the intended game, that is also suitably accurate. Have a sufficient number of those projectiles for both practice and the hunt with some reserves.

4. Keep in mind that recoil energy in ft-lbs is not necessarily the same thing as “felt recoil” by the shooter. “Felt recoil” is more subjective than objective. That is how the “kick” of any rifle is perceived by the shooter. As mentioned, there are several factors involved in perceived recoil: “Fit” of the rifle to the individual being the number one issue – including its weight ready to hunt. My .375 H&H with a 3 – 9 x 40mm Burris scope, plus 3 cartridges in the magazine weighs exactly 10 lbs. Slightly heavy for toting in rough country, but the effect of recoil is reduced to a level that I’m comfortable with in using the load of a 300gr close to 2700 fps – basically a .375 Wby Mags’ physical recoil. If it were 9 lbs ready, instead of 10 lbs, the recoil level would be about 49 ft-lbs. In past years that would have been a bit less than the recoil of my .340 WBY at 54 ft-lbs. But that was 27 yrs ago. . . I not the same man! The goal I’ve set for myself at this stage (89) is 40 ft-lbs recoil, and I’m handling that with ease. 45 ft-lbs from my .375 H&H at AI potential is “up there” but not abusive, and I don’t fear it. Of course, at “the bench” it still requires proper management for it to not intimidate: i.e.

• Pulling it tight to the shoulder WITH BOTH HANDS!

• Holding DOWN on the fore end (with the “free hand”) so it doesn’t “bounce” on the rest!

• NO benchrest style allowed!

• Don’t “crawl” the stock.

• If a scope is used, get one with extra long eye-relief of over 4″. The one on the CZ550 in .458 was a Burris 4x with 5.5″ eye-relief.

The main positives are:

1. When we can manage it to our satisfaction were it doesn’t intrude into our performance in hitting “the target”.

2. When we can shout it out: “Hey, I’ve conquered “this thing” and my fears, and can now use it whenever and for whatever!”

3. Being able to choose and use any rifle without second thoughts.

4. Actually buying and using the “best” rifle-cartridge combo for a particular hunt of jumbos or brown bears, without a feeling of guilt in previously having to choose “second best” due to the recoil issue.

Hoping some of this is helpful and makes sense to someone . . . . .

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble” – Psalm 46:1

Recoil: Its Positives and Negatives P1

There’s one empirical fact: “There’s no free lunch”!

And there’s good news: there are ways and means to manage it!

But, no getting around it, the more powerful a rifle is, all else equal, the more it’ll let you know about it!

It’s all about that “equal and opposite reaction” thing!

There’s also a dictum that says: The more we use it, the less the physics seems to be bothersome.

Look at it this way: Turkey hunters use the most powerful 12ga loads of 3″ – 3.5″ cartridges, and if they kill a “trophy” turkey, they’ll praise those loads (that they’ve practiced with), and never complain about its “kick” because they knew the load needed to be powerful enough to cleanly take that “special” bird! But one thing is certain, that apart fom sighting in and practice, they’re not fired for fun and games!

Many hunters complain over the recoil of a .300 Win Mag, yet it’s far better for a moose of 1200 lbs past 400 yds than a .30-06, as one example. The .30-06 at 400 yds firing a 200gr AB at 2700 fps is down to 2147 fps at 400 yds/ 2047 ft-lbs about right for a 1/2 ton moose broadside through the lungs. The moose will trot off a bit and likely fall over. If not, there will likely be time for a followup shot – then if not, a rodeo is underway!

The 300 Win Mag has a 300 fps advantage starting out at 3000 fps for the 200gr AB, which should add another 200 yds for the same terminal velocity (2143 fps/2039 ft-lbs) at impact. Does that matter? Well, it should if the moose is at 500 yds rather than at 400. . . and obviously any moose at 400 yds will get hit significantly harder from the 200gr AB than from a .30-06 firing the same bullet 300 fps less! That math is simple and should be well understood before going afield!

Same deal for an elk at 500 – 600 yds!

But the recoil will be the same from the 300 mag whether shot for bambi at 50 yds as for a moose at 600 yds! That’s what some hunters like to complain about! “It isn’t needed at 50 yds”!, they shout! “A 7-08 will do the job as well as a .300 Win Mag at 50 yds for deer, elk or moose!” True enough, if you know everything about everything on the hunt before it happens! But is that always the case in all hunts everywhere? No sudden surprises? No moving to another location on the same hunt, perhaps for a different species of opportunity?

Okay, so a brown bear shows up on a caribou hunt! Would I be comfortable in stopping a brown bear with a 270 Win?

As I’ve personally stressed, perhaps a thousand times in these blogs, I choose to go prepared with “too much gun” rather than barely enough for matters to work out perfectly. If they’ve “worked out perfectly” that may have been caused by what some consider “too much gun”!

Think about it! Do you want just enough gas in your vehicle to get to your destination, or some reserve? Do you keep just enough food in the cupboard for a day, or enough for a week, plus spares “just in case” a hurricane goes through? What about insurances?

I much prefer to have more than enough insurance for the unforeseen, than being skimpy hoping that disaster doesn’t strike! We went through an unannounced hail storm in late 2023 that caused $27,000 damage to the house and 1 vehicle. I didn’t make a claim on mine because it would have cost more than it was worth! We thought the wind was going to take off the roof!

SAME with HUNTING!

Yes, that means a bit more recoil, but because that’s been my style since near the beginning it all seems natural to me. When I shot my moose with the .340 Wby, I never noticed the recoil up around 54 ft-lbs, or thought about it before, during or after the hunt. And I’ve continually fired rifles with more recoil than that. . . . my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT, for example, up there around and even surpassing a .458 Win Mag. And I don’t consider myself an extra ordinary male in strength or endurance! I’ve never been over 9.25″ in bare-feet height, and never over 215 lbs out of the shower – which was 30 lbs too much.

But it is a mental game before anything else. It’s what we tell ourselves. . . before and after the fact, not what others have to say about it!

I’m still shooting rifles with more than average recoil, but they can be tempered by handloading. I don’t shoot my .458 Win using the heaviest bullets over max loads anymore, as I’ve experienced that and it’s not needed for anything other than testing bullets. But even then, bullets can be tested in a comparative manner with others at reduced MVs.

MV from a 465gr hardcast = 1551 fps = 2483 ft-lbs. BC = .318, SD = .316. All from my .458 Win Mag.

50 yds = 1459 fps/2197 ft-lbs = 115 TE

100 yds = 1373 fps/1946 ft-lbs =101 TE

175 yds = 1258 fps/1634 ft-lbs =85 TE

200 yds = 1224 fps/1547 ft-lbs =81 TE (If hit in vitals, plenty for the largest moose extant!)

RECOIL = 25 ft-lbs!! from my Ruger No.1H with 1 in chamber and 4 in a stock cartridge holder.

Both the .35 Whelen and .375 H&H, however, have been max loaded for bear hunting over the past couple of years. As measured in ft-lbs of “kick” they run over 40. In closing in on 90 yrs, I’m not afraid of them, though I don’t shoot nearly as often today as in the past. The secret is twofold: I know what to expect, and I know how to shoot them both from the bench and offhand. That comes from the experience of many decades of firing Big Bores and magnums, including the “mediums”. If I didn’t have that background, I’d likely be shooting a 7-08 as a centerfire rifle, plus my two 22 LRs. And my 12ga would be long gone!

After a few years of borrowed rifles for deer hunting, my first owned was a military Mauser in 7 x 57. The 7-08 is a basic twin when handloaded, and they’ve held an attraction for me. As described in past blogs, I actually owned a Win 70 Featherweight in a 7-08, and made handloads for it that impressed me. And it went deer hunting, but was an investment piece so it got traded on something else. The deer load was a 162 Hornady BTSP at ~2800 fps. I was ready to squeeze the trigger on a big buck, waiting for it to cross the road in my direction when a pickup spooked it! I tracked it a bit in the snow but lost it. Recoil was never a consideration – calculated at ~20 ft-lbs.

That load was adequate for a moose of ~1/2 ton at 200 yds (2191 ft-lbs). Many are shot closer, but not all. In Northern Ontario ranges could extend to +1000 yds in clearcuts. I hunted there for 4 seasons and collected one adult bull moose, with a cow and calf nearby. As told previously, my rifle was the .340 WBY.

In such a scenario, the last thing to be concerned about is the recoil of the rifle that could cause a lot of negatives to happen if it became the main focus:

• It spoils the fun!

• It can cause a miss!

• It can cause an accident!

• It can result in wounded game!

• It can result in bad feelings among friends!

• A blame game could erupt!

A dictum for an African hunt is: Take the most powerful rifle that you can shoot well. A .375 H&H on left of a .30-06. The image gives us a sense that the .375 H&H is considerably more powerful than a .30-06. And rightly so! The .375 dishes out about twice the recoil of a .30-06.

Many consider a .375 H&H to be such a potential rifle for the average hunter. Recoil runs about 40 – 45 ft-lbs depending on the load and weight of the rifle. Even that will take some getting used to for someone already confortable with recoil from a .30-06. Nothing can replace practice, practice and more practice in becoming proficient with a .375 H&H if the client hasn’t had adequate previous experience.

Till the next: P2 Managing Recoil – its Positives and Negatives.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

REFLECTIONS . . . . .

I do quite a bit. But reflections without the balance of resolves leaves one restless.

In other words, as we enter a new year, we may reflect on the past year and according to some it’s the best time to make New Year’s resolutions – promises to self, and perhaps to others, of turning the page on the past and being determined to improve our performance in the year ahead.

As said: I reflect a lot, but too much dwelling on past mistakes or sins can also paralize any hopes of improvement. Reflection should also include positives: the good that happened in 2024 in which you were a part and perhaps even the agent – sans hubris.

Then, too, what did I learn – even from mistakes – that has caused me to grow in some positive way? Intelligent people are always learning regardless of age. A retired lady from the U.S. Air Force, who was a high-ranking officer with an earned PhD in a particular field of communications, at age 83 visited a Halifax, Nova Scotia University giving lectures on continuing education. She was also the creator of one significant computer language (I forget which). I heard two of her lectures from St. Mary’s University as I was a pastor in Halifax at the time, and she made such an impression on me that I have never forgotten her!

Like everyone, I have leanings toward particular fields of knowledge, and at 89 I still have a thirst for greater understanding of the Universe at large, and our part that we call home in the Milky Way Galaxy, one of millions of other galaxies. With an estimated 400 billion stars in our own, and many with planets, how many have the potential of life? God knows as he put them all there. Through the use of several home-built telescopes up to 12.5 inches in diameter, I’ve spent literally thousands of hours observing the moon, planets, nebula, individual stars, star clusters, globula star clusters, double stars and other galaxies. . . . . and reflected and pondered and studied what that was teaching me about the Creator. The greatest effect was humbling and a greater knowledge and appreciation of The Creator, who loves even me, knows me, helps me and walks with me in star gazing, walking the woods or shooting a bear!

And I reflect on being grounded here, on this Planet we call Earth. With all its troubles and woes, certainly for some much more than for others. And we all wonder what’s next in the current context of wars, inflation and the restlessness of the masses. No human can straighten it all out and make sinfulness, corruption, greed, lust and self-serving go away! How then should we live. . . . should I live?

In the interim, I’ll use every means at my disposal to preach HIM as Lord and Saviour for those who believe Him and put their hope in Him!

Now, I’m not against Trump! But he’s not God – and there’s NO human that is! Or NO government, or assembly of governments! But there will be (and has been) many attempts to resolve all this by a world government (The UN?) and/or a world ruler! The UN is the laughing stock of free honest people!

In the meantime, apart from preaching, caring for my wife and encouraging the weary. . . well, I’ve plans for handloading, shooting and hunting, if my Father above thinks it’s good for me.<This was the marketing image of the Zastava M70 in .375 H&H. It caused me to go to the store and check it out. Slightly used and in excellent condition, so I bought it.

The .375 H&H is fascinating. . . . . . there’s much yet to learn. While discussions and debates are forever ongoing over the best rifle and cartridge for a one-rifle-safari in Africa, several claiming a .416 is best, or at the very least “better”, yet in sheer numbers it’s the .375 H&H – at least in the more recent videos I’ve watched. Sometimes the rifle cartridge isn’t mentioned in older videos, but the more recent ones usually inform the viewer what the hunter is using. In those that have indicated – there seems more awareness these days that viewers are keenly interested in what was used to shoot dangerous game in particular – I know I am! Occasionally, closeups of cartridges on belts, in hands or in the magazine can be identified. Of course, by times a double is used for elephant in particular and the PH will mention the cartridge he’s using and/or that of a client.

In the last few weeks, with no hunts available for me due to an early winter, I spend the last few hours before bedtime watching recent (2023 – 2024) African and Alaskan hunts. But I must confess, I much prefer the African ones, especially now with drones being used for aerials. The sheer number of African animals, seemingly always in view, along with the scenery is stunning. Having visited Africa once related to my son’s and his wife’s missionary work, and having experienced an African day hunt, if I had the money and were younger, Africa would be my choice for a safari.

What would I choose to hunt, and with what rifle if it were a single rifle for everything? Good question! I’ve pondered it, if based on cartridges for a “trophy” bull elephant down to the smallest antelope. The most powerful I’ve used in hunting here in Eastern Canada is a .458 Winchester Magnum for both bear and moose, and that wasn’t inappropriately chosen because the .458 Win is extremely versatile given the right handloads. For the moose hunt, the .458 was a 22″ Ruger 77 with a tang safety, loaded with the 500gr Hornady SP Interloc at ~1900 fps/4008 ft-lbs. It was my back-up for a .338 Win Mag. I didn’t get a chance to use either mostly due to weather conditions of the back end of a hurricane going through the area. But I did later use it on a black bear hunt in shooting a smallish bear at 75 yds employing a 350gr Speer at 2345 fps/4273 ft-lbs. It was going away and it got hit behind the ribs making exit behind the head taking out several vertebra and the back of the head. That load would have been good in Africa to a couple hundred yards on PG. But then for DG, I’d have chosen a 500gr at ~ 2100 – 2200 fps. Those two hunts were separated by about 1 year and in distinct areas at least 100 miles apart.

The problem with that idea as a single rifle for an African hunt is switching from one load to another if a “trophy” zebra shows up at 250 yards while tracking a rare bull elephant. The problem would be the load for the elephant (500gr) would not have the same POI as a faster, lighter bullet for the Zebra!

Is there a solution? Dr Ron Berry (with the help of some friends) has been working on that for at least a couple of years. He is responsible for the development of the 404gr Shock Hammer monometal that sheds its petals as it penetrates and expands. It has proven itself on Cape buff. The need then became for a 400gr solid with a flat point to match. That has now been produced by McCourry and associates. The problem with that idea is they have significantly distinct ballistic coefficients which assures distinct POIs. But DG are not shot at 250 yards! And the 404 Shock Hammer has a .419 BC that will shoot flatter (and faster if wanted). So that could be worked out, I think, by keeping the 400gr solid in the chamber – that would be sighted dead-on at 100 yds, and the 404gr started a bit faster (100 fps) giving a slightly farther zero for PG.

<My Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum.

Let’s see:

400gr solid/.458

SD = .272

BC = .273 (educated guess)

Zero @ 100 yds

MV = 2450 fps/5330 ft-lbs

50 = 2316 fps/4764 ft-lbs

100= 2187 fps/4248 ft-lbs/ 0.0″

150= 2062 fps/3776 ft-lbs/ -1.83″

200= 1941 fps/3446 ft-lbs/ -5.71″

• The above non-expanding flat-point load could still be effective on PG to as far as the hunter could correcty place the shot, assuming a meplat of about 70% (.32″).

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

404gr expanding/.458

SD = .275

BC = .419

MV= 2500 fps/5606 ft-lbs

50 = 2411 fps/5216 ft-lbs

100= 2325 fps/4848 ft-lbs/ 0.0″

150= 2240 fps/4501 ft-lbs/ -1.31″

200= 2157 fps/4173 ft-lbs/ -4.52″

250= 2076 fps/3864 ft-lbs/ -9.6″

• As an expanding bullet the 404 Shock Hammer, having not been adjusted for long-range shooting, would still be effective for PG to as far as the hunter could correctly place the shot.

• In effect, then, the .458 Winchester Magnum could effectively be used as a one-rifle safari choice for both DG and PG without using the heaviest bullets for DG and lighter bullets for PG which would mean a break in the action for resighting the rifle. A domestic example is my load of a 405gr Remington and the 400gr Barnes Buster. Using the same load for each, the 400gr Barnes shoots about 50 fps faster and hits 0.60″ higher at 100 yds.

QUESTION: Therefore, does a .375 H&H have any logistical advantage over a .458 Win Mag as a single rifle choice on an African safari for both PG and DG in using a single 300gr bullet for each?

Answer: In the past, yes, but not anymore due to the proliferation of multiple choices of the best in .458″ premium bullets in “softs” and “solids”, in the same weights that can be shot to the same POI using the same powder charge. Of course, in reality that may mean a slight adjustment in powder charge.

If the .375 H&H has any advantage it would be in the weight of the rifle if made lighter, and in recoil. Generally, it will do on African game what a .458 Win Mag can accomplish, except in the matter of a “stopping rifle” – which without question the .458 is, and generally speaking the .375 H&H is not.

Usually, the heaviest bullet used in a .375-cal is 300 grains, and in .458-cal it’s a 500gr.

A 300gr at 2650 fps =4678 ft-lbs at the muzzle and 113.6 ft-sec momentum.

A 500gr at 2250 fps =5620 ft-lbs at the muzzle and 160.7 ft-sec momentum.

Also: The .458″ projectiles have 50% greater cross-sectional area than .375″ projectiles, regardless of bullet weights.

Plus: There are more bullet weights and styles in .458 than in .375, thanks to the ongoing popularity of the .45-70.

<In this particular lineup of sixteen .458″ bullets, nine were originally made for the .45-70, but all could be used in a .458 Win Mag for distinct purposes at varying speeds. Thr 405gr Rem. is no.5 from left, and the 400gr Barnes Buster is no.8.

So in answering the question: Which would I choose as a one-rifle safari for PG and DG, in an equal fitting rifle of equal weight, it would be a .458 Winchester Magnum.

Another question: Would I ever recommend or choose for myself a .375 H&H for an African safari if: I didn’t own a .458 Win, or for an alternate safari for PG? Answer: In a New York minute! But a .458 Win with a suitable load of a 300gr, 350gr or 400gr could handle any PG hunt all by itelf! And it wouldn’t need to weigh more than 9.5 lbs ready, or hurt more than a top-loaded .338 Win Mag in doing so. . . . . or a 12ga magnum turkey load. . . .

The matter of action type would be another question for another time.

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

If I were to Choose a .416 Magnum

I’ve actually thought about it a few times. Not seriously, you know maybe for an intellectual exercise, or perhaps even from a semi-serious curiosity piece . . . . Who knows for sure, but my long-time big-bore pieces have been .458- calibers: ten in .45-70 and 3 in .458 Win.

So what I’ve done is analyses (plural form) through research of various handloading manuals, plus what users have to say on various web sites. Back in 2010, I did a comparison of my CZ 550 in .458 Win Mag with other Big Bores, including several .416’s, and wrote it up in my blogs. Plus, I did a reloading journal on the .458 Winchester Magnum based on personal results in which I also did some comparisons with my favorite .45-70s and the .458 Lott and came to the solid conviction that the .458 Win Mag was not only the overall best rifle cartridge in that caliber, but the overall best among all rifle cartridges that could be legitimately regarded as “Big Bores” in an African context for the likes of “The Dangerous Five”. My former .458 Winchester Magnum in a CZ 550. It has a 25″ barrel and a full-length Mauser action that allows a 3.8″ COL along with adequate freebore. The scope is a fixed 4x Burris with 5″ eye relief.

“The best” in that context is not intended to necessarily mean “the most powerful”, but rather the best overall in consideration of costs and availability of product, as well as in overall utility and performance in variable contexts and conditions. For example, .458-cal has a far greater number and variety of components available to the handloader, and therefore at more reasonable costs than any other big-bore rifle from 40-caliber to 60-caliber – so increasing its potential usefulness over any others. Depending on how it’s loaded by handloaders, and if the rifle “fits” the shooter, recoil isn’t necessarily more punishing than any other Big Bore – in fact it can be less than an equal-weight .416 magnum, depending on chosen loads.

If, for example, someone were to choose top loads directly from NOSLER’s Reloading Guide 9 for both a .416 Rem and a .458 Win, the 400g for the .416 and the 500g for the .458, and if the rifles were the same weight at 10 lbs each, and without brakes, the .416 Rem would produce 58 ft-lbs of recoil and the .458 Win at 53 ft-lbs. Of course, that particular load for the .416 Rem is just over 2500 fps, which is more than common, and the one for the .458 Win is not quite 2100 fps, which is a poor example for the .458’s true capability. But the point is made that a particular load for any .416 may kick harder than a certain load for equal game in a .458 Win. So to suggest a .416-magnum caliber is preferable to a .458 Win based on less recoil doesn’t necessarily hold true in every case. And if such a choice is made on the belief that a .416 will be lighter and better handling than a typical .458 Win, the potential buyer should handle them side by side before proceeding wirth the purchase. If the barrel contours are the same, the .416 barrel will be heavier (if the same length) due to less metal being removed for the bore.

So, if I were to choose a .416 magnum what would be my reasons, and which would it be?< This Ruger No.1H has been offered in several Big Bores with 24″ barrels: .416 Rigby, .416 Rem, .458 Win and .458 Lott, plus some others. The .416-calibers will be the heaviest if they have the same contours as the .458s. Mine is in .458 Win (pic on the header).

In checking what’s available at my local emporium, where I do most of my research online, and in-store shopping, I see twenty- eight listed under the “dangerous game” section of rifles currently available:

Some examples:

• Sako 85 Brown Bear – 500 Jeffery – $4800 – excellent condition

• Brno 602: .375 H&H – $1500, very good.

• Musgrave 83, .375 H&H – $2750, excellent.

• Win 70 Super Grade, .338 Win – $2399.99, new.

• Win 70 Custom, .416 Taylor – was $4500, now $2995, very good.

• BRNO 602, .416 Rem (Charles Taylor) – $3599, v. good.

• .458 Lott, Dakota – $5995, excellent.

• Jarret M49 Pro, .416 Rem – $5799, excellent.

• McMillan G30 Prestige, .416 Rem – $4899, v. Good.

• Dakota Arms 76, .416 Rigby – $7899, excellent

I’ve obviously not given the complete list, BUT there’s not one .458 Winchester Magnum listed, and there hasn’t been for several months. The last .458 Win Mag was an M70 in like-new condition for ~$2000 and it was gone the next day!

When I look at this list of .416’s (above) the Winchester custom shop .416 Taylor is the creapest at around 3G. I’ve a friend who ordered and purchased a .416 Rem from the Winchester custom shop.

We don’t know how many .458 Winchester Magnums are “out there” because hunters-shooters-collectors are obviously holding onto them. What do they know that they’re not telling the general hunter-shooter public? My guess is biased, but, like me their .458 Win Mags will be the last to go before they’re buried!

Why so many .416’s showing up at EPPS super-store? If I were to purchase one, for reasons I can’t yet imagine, it would be the cheapest on that list, the .416 Taylor.< This is the Winchester Custom Shop .416 Taylor.

Why? Well, that’s obvious – it’s the cheapest but it will do whatever the others can do as well. Plus, it’s the only one to date that I’ve had any serious thoughts about – it can be made from .458 brass. But then, I asked myself, “Why would I do that?” I couldn’t come up with a good reason to spoil the King of cartridges. . . Just to say: “I’ve got a .416!”?

But how do I answer the oft-quoted rational of .416 Defenders? “It can do what a .458 can, and also a .375, so you only need a .416 to replace both of those.”< The McMillan G30 Prestige in .416 Remington.

Uh-ha! Not quite! Both the .375 and .458 calibers have each the greatest variety and number of bullets available than any .416. And the great .458 Win has far more available than even a .375-cal that’s useful/practical for any hunting worldwide!

And if it matters to anyone, upwards of 6000 ft-lbs of energy is on tap from a .458 Win for knowledgeable handloaders from some of those premium projectiles! 5000 ft-lbs was the standard in the era of ivory collection from the largest of bull elephants!

Yeah, I know that anyone living in the right place and under particular cirsumstances can make their own from cast lead, but those are rare individuals. I was able to purchase some cast bullets ready made – some worked quite well and some didn’t. I’m speaking, therefore, of factory produced component bullets, brass and powders – bullets in particular. And I’m counting nine different propellants at my fingertips that have been successfully used in my .458 Win Mags – and that’s not all that’s available and useful.

I haven’t recently counted the sheer number of projectiles I have within arms length in .458″, but they include: 250g MonoFlex, 300g TSX, 300g Barnes O., 325g FTX, 330g Barnes Banded, 350g Speer, 350g TSX, 400g-X, 400g Speer, 400g Barnes Buster, 400g Hawk, 405g Remington, 405g WW, 450g AF, 450g – X, 450g TSX, 480g DGX, 500g Speer AGS, 500g Hor DGX, 500g Hor RN Solid, 500g TSX, 550g Woodleigh Weldcor and 600g Barnes RN Original. No way could I shoot all those in the time I have left here. . . BUT what a selection to choose from! Then Barnes has a few more made particularly for the .45-70 not on this list that could be useful.

Not a complete list, but several .458-cal bullets that I’ve used in handloads for testing and hunting purposes from my .458s and .45-70s. Another lineup containing some of the same and some different.

Why then should I turn to any .416 rifle? A Weatherby for bragging rights perhaps? Too much money, too much weight, too much recoil and too few reloading components! But if somebody needs to make some kind of statement? Then have at it! I’d still choose the Taylor. Brass? I’ve got plenty of .458 Win that is easily necked down by 0.042″ in a single step. Africa and laws? Headstamp? At 89 (in a few days) I’ve no plans.

In actual fact, I’m only speculating with no intentions for a .416 Taylor or Weatherby or any in between.

.458 Win is my gig in a BIG BORE. (The .375’s are not BIG BORES.)

Anything else is. . . . well, interesting for a discussion.

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Depending on the BULLET Used . . .

More time is spent at my desk in comparative analyses (plural form) of bullets, trajectories, KE at impact from comparable rifle cartridges than any other activity except in the writing of blogs. Well, almost, as I spend a couple of hours daily in reading news of the world’s deplorable state from sources other than the legacy media. And I talk with God about anything and everything from a Biblical perspective – which is His view and purpose.

Anyway, I’m not in a bundle over the mess that humanity is in because I know in the end – which is drawing closer with each news’ story – it will all terminate with God in charge, not mankind! And that through Messiah (Christ) Jesus who will traumatize the naysayers – who thought He was gone forever, or never really existed – and had their hopes 100% set in man’s finite ability to save the sinking ship! Ha!

But . . . . in the meantime I have one foot in Heaven and the other on Earth! The one that’s on Earth (temporary) works with and discusses rifles and what’s shot by them and in them. S0 . . . . .

Let’s compare a couple of MEDIUM BORES: The .375 H&H and .340 Wby.

I’m doing this because I just did that on my computer’s ballistic program, and because I was curious having owned each.

I once hunted far away places in the northland of our Province of Ontario, 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) from home. The main object was to kill a bull moose, but I also had other licenses for bear, deer and small game.

My first trip there was with a young man the age of my first two sons – about 35 – 36 year-olds. I was 62 closing in on 63. I took two rifles: My Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT and a .300 Win Mag as backup, just in case it was needed for extraordinary long shots. I did a lot of walking over old logging roads away from our camp site. My young friend rode around on his ATV without a muffler! I could hear it from about a mile away – and I’m sure any moose did as well! There was a confusion of old logging roads, clearcuts and timberlands intermingled with small lakes, bogs, ridges, valleys and streams. Moose could have been anywhere in that mix.

But as my friend apparently found pleasure in his new muffler-less ATV, I spent 5 days walking and becoming familiar with the landscape within 2 to 3 miles of camp. In an area not more than 3/4s of a mile from camp, I came across a fresh rut pit. Bingo! I was toting my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT loaded with Barnes Original RN 400gr at about 2300 fps. Those had a thick jacket that curled over the RN that only exposed a relatively small dimple of lead – far different than what they later produced as a 400gr. I had confidence in that load (with a .302 BC) to 200 yds +.

MV = 2300 fps/4698 ft-lbs

50 yds = 2167 fps/4169 ft-lbs/ +1.85″

100 yds =2028 fps/3690 ft-lbs/ +3.4″

150 yds =1915 fps/3256 ft-lbs/ +2.9″

200 yds = 1796 fps/2864 ft-lbs/ +0.02″

TE at 200 yds = 128.5 – plenty for the largest Alaskan-Yukon moose.

• But there were numerous clearcuts where ranges could exceed 600 yds, making my pet Ruger No.1 far from ideal in that vast area if a bull decided to cross these open areas at anything beyond 250 yds. My 300 Win Mag was perhaps good enough for 400 – 450 yds, but it never saw daylight out of its case! The reason for that was moose sign within 300 yds of camp.

Yep, that rut pit I stumbled on was in mixed bush not more than 300 yds from camp, and that was the last day of the hunt – and I was worn-out from five days of tramping not only old rough logging roads, but thick bush as well. But that’s not the end of this story . . . .

A year later I was back there, that time with our second son Phil. And I was prepared for any case scenario with the .340 Wby Mag in hand as the primary rifle, yet still having the .300 Win Mag along as backup.

And you might know the rest of that story as it’s been reported in several blogs. I chose to camp where we’d camped the previous year and look for that rut pit as I figured that bull would likely still be in the vicinity with a cow, plus a good chance of a calf.

The day before the hunt could start, we scouted the area that I knew quite well from the previous year. My son caught sight of a cow near the lake about 400 yds from camp – he drew my attention to it around 150 – 200 yds from us. It saw us and quickly disappeared into thick timber. At least we knew that if a cow moose was that handy, so it was also likely that the bull was nearby. The following day – oppening day – all three were together (bull, cow and calf), and I shot the bull with the .340 at about 165 yds.

That was 1/4 century ago, and I sold the .340 a couple of years later. Now, with my .375 H&H that I’ve been toting for “My Bear” in this year’s spring and fall hunts, and the encounter with him on October 15 of this year – a mammoth bear of 400 to 475 lbs – and deciding not to shoot him (reasons in previous blogs), I’m wondering how the .375 H&H load might have compared to the .340 Wby load for moose in the “Far North”. So I’ve done that on my computer ballistics program and will share results with you here.

In some ways I regretted giving up the .340 but wondered if the .375 H&H would be comparable in particular situations, such as that moose hunt, or the .340 being comparable to the .375 H&H in my bear hunt this Sept-October?

What do you think?

Let’s see!

First up: the .340 Wby Mag

Bullet: 250gr Nosler Partition

BC = .473

SD = .313

MV = 3000 fps/4995 ft-lbs

20 yds = 2960 fps/4861 ft-lbs/ TE = 136 (20 yds was the range to “My Bear” on Oct 15/24)

100 yds =2831 fps/4361 ft-lbs/ TE = 122

165 yds = 2680 fps/3985 ft-lbs/ TE = 112 (165 yds was the range to the bull moose, shot with my .340)

200 yds = 2615 fps/3795 ft-lbs/ TE = 107

300 yds = 2434 fps/3288 ft-lbs/ TE = 92

400 yds = 2261 fps/2836 ft-lbs/ TE = 80

500 yds = 2094 fps/2434 ft-lbs/ TE = 68 (I consider 50 TE at bullet impact as adequate for any Canada moose.)

*************************************************

Next: the .375 H&H

Bullet: 300gr Sierra SBT

BC = .480

SD = .305

MV = 2675 fps/4768 ft-lbs

20 yds =2638 fps/4635 ft-lbs/ TE = 156

100 yds =2494 fps/4144 ft-lbs/ TE = 139

165 yds =2381 fps/3775 ft-lbs/ TE = 127

200 yds =2321 fps/3587 ft-lbs/ TE = 120

300 yds =2154 fps/3091 ft-lbs/ TE = 104

400 yds =1995 fps/2650 ft-lbs/ TE = 89

500 yds =1842 fps/2261 ft-lbs/ TE = 76

ANALYSIS: Velocity and KE are higher in the .340, but momentum and bullet diameter are higher in the .375 resulting in a greater terminal effect (TE) in the .375 H&H.

Momentum is significantly greater from the 300gr in the .375 H&H vs the 250gr from the .340 Wby.

.375 example: at the muzzle, 300gr at 2675 fps = 802,500/7000 = 114.64 (momentum)

.375 example: at 500 yards, 300gr at 1842 fps = 552,600/7000 = 78.94 (momentum)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

.340 example: at the muzzle, 250gr at 3000 fps = 750,000/7000 = 107.14 (momentum)

.340 example: at 500 yards, 250gr at 2094 fps = 523,500/7000 =74.79 (momentum)

• The momentum average is a consistent 7% greater from MV to 500 yards in the .375 H&H.

• Cross-sectional area of the .375 bullets is 22.6% greater than .338 bullets.

• Sectional density is similar with a slight advantage to the 250gr/.338 @ .313 vs .305 for the 300gr/.375 H&H.

The Zastava M70 in .375 H&H. It has a 22″ barrel and a LH action.

All in all:

First off, note the TE of that 400gr from my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT at 128.5 at 200 yds compared to both the .340 at 107 and the .375 at 114! Of course, that load was on the heels of a .458 Win Mag! Sometimes I question my sanity in letting all my .45-70s get away from me! Of course, that was a special .45-70 with a long throat in a Ruger No.1. . . . and it could have made up to 2400 fps from that 400gr. A Marlin, on the other hand could easily make 2100 fps from a 400gr. But still, such being the case, at 200 yds it would be doing 1600 fps from a 400gr! KE would have been = 2274 ft-lbs with a TE of 102, in the ballpark with both the .340 and .375 at 200 yds, and significantly better at any closer range!

But hey!

The encounter at 20 yards with “My Bear”, holding my .375 H&H loaded with the 300gr Sierra SBT at 2638 fps/4635 ft-lbs impact, with crosshairs on his back, gave confidence, but I never felt “over-gunned”!

Close enough to what I saw at 20 yards on October 15 of this year (2024). Not my photo as I couldn’t get my camera from its case hung by a strap around my neck. But a shout out to Love Photoroom for their contribution to my blog.

Some other “bits ‘n pieces”:

• Some say that the 300gr Nosler Partition, or 300gr TSX, or maybe an A-Frame would be much more suitable than the 300 Sierra. I say “maybe” or “maybe not!” That depends on the game we’re shooting, and at what range. If I were hunting Cape buff at less than 150 yds, perhaps I’d be better served with one of the others, but for a soft-skinned bear I seriously doubt it! I’d gladly use that 300 Sierra on elk or moose, so why not on a 400 – 500 lb bear? That 300 Sierra has a very good reputation on such mammals. . . . it has a .050″ jacket.

• The fact is, of course, that any of the medium class calibers (.338″ – .375″) that produce 4000 ft-lbs + at the muzzle are fit for the largest bear anywhere on this Planet! Within range of course, using a suitable bullet, and the 300gr/.375-cal was not made for bambi, though no harm is done in using it for such an application as well as for PG in an African scene.

• I’ve pitted it against a .340 Wby using a 250 Partition. However, there are sleeker and heavier bullets in .338-caliber that would show better results – the 250gr AB being one with a much improved BC of .575. However, personally, I’d never need it (or use it) due to the distances I’ve shot big game – never over 200 yards! For smaller predators than bear – like coyote – and groundhogs, yes much longer, but never for deer, moose or bear.

• With the super-abundance of suitable rifles and cartridges, plus better bullets and powders for handloaders, we have never been so rich in choices for any hunting purposes from long range to short, and from large and dangerous to small and inconspicuous critters.

• So a .375 H&H, like the .30-06, is more useful than ever, so many have chosen it for all – not just big game hunting – but ALL hunting. Like a hammer, it has multiple uses – and it also hits like one! Even these fearsome beasts have fallen to it by the thousands!

Till the next. . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Nostalgia, or What’s really Best in Rifle Cartridges – P1

Currently there are three threads on the 24 HOUR CAMPFIRE .COM that answer some questions related to our topic. They all appear on the “Hunting Rifles” section of Hunting and Shooting. They are: “The case for smaller cartridges”, which is hot right now and near the top of that section. Then two separate questions as topics proposed by myself with an interval of a few weeks between them: “What is your favorite rifle?”, as in type, style or brand, irregardless of cartridge, and: “What is your favorite medium-bore: .338 – .375, and why?” The first of those two has had a very good response, but somewhat stalled by now. The second and last of those two is ongoing with excellent responses.

I do that sort of thing from time to time to get a current handle on trends in the market place, and also to gain knowledge on the thinking of American hunters and shooters, as well as their experiences, since they have set the groundwork and tone for sporting rifles not only in North America but largely throughout the free world. Then, on my part, analysis is done and their essence reported in various blogs.

Analysis is filtered through time frames, various American and Canadian cultures, regions, and ages of the hunter-shooters, when known or based on what they have said about themselves and their experiences.

For example: As to total numbers of African safaris, the vast majority of them today are by U.S. hunters since WW2. They have expedited that enterprise and kept it growing to where it is today, despite setbacks and negative politics and media. So, as one Canadian among several, I go where the Americans talk and share their African experiences. That’s one field only, there are several others:

• Deer hunting which is the dominant species hunted throughout North America. And while moose are technically “deer”, yet most hunters and writers are making references to “white-tailed deer”.

• Elk: On average larger than the largest whitetails or mule deer.

• Moose: The largest of the deer species. Like most species they are classed by region, with the largest (on average) listed as Alaska-Yukon.

• Bear: generally listed as blacks, grizzly and brown bear.

• Varmints:

• Predators:

• Small game:

• Birds:

• African game including DG:

• Exotics: from other nations mostly, but some have been imported to parts of North America.

That’s a formidible list, but the likelihood of any one hunter from any part of the free world hunting and shooting the full list of potentials is preposterous! So we’ll stick with what is more “normal” for the average North American hunter, and then discuss rifles only that might/will fit the occasion.

From the three threads on 24 HOUR CAMPFIRE .COM referenced above, it’s very obvious that the vast majority of American hunters hunt and shoot white-tailed deer as their no.1 game animal, and by extension so is it within Canada.

Depending on region, the largest whitetails on average come from Canada’s “far north” in the Prairie Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and perhaps Alberta. Large whitetails can surpass 400 lbs, though depending on regions farther south in North America, the average whitetail (including does) actually shot will be less than 200 lbs. Nonetheless, any individual hunter may come across a buck of 250 to 300 lbs – quite common in my hunting area of Central Ontario. The largest of which might be found on agricultural land if it’s not over-hunted. Otherwise, in more remote wilderness-type areas, some real monster bucks abide where hunting pressure is low. Urban hunters aren’t prone to venture far from major traffic routes.

US hunters, south of our border, looking for a bona-fide trophy buck usually head for one of the three Prairie Provinces using a qualified outfitter – not a bad idea.

So what rifle cartridges and rifles make acceptable deer guns? There are simply too many to list, but depending on region and expected class of deer, anything from a .223 Rem to .30-caliber is most common, except for muzzleloaders and older type “big-bores” such as found in lever-actions. I’ve favored rifles from 7mm to the historic .45-70, depending on expected ranges. Bullet construction and placement are, of course, keys to success. But a great deal also depends on style of hunting: stand vs tracking and “still hunting” impose their own demands on success. I’d use a single-shot with confidence in stands or blinds where visibility is usually better after the shot to see if the deer dropped at the shot or ran off in one direction or another. Tracking and still hunting usually implies forests and brush where visibility is more limited, I prefer a bolt-action or lever-action or semi for a faster follow-up if uncertain or needed. In thick bush a deer may drop at the shot and be lost sight of, or run off a few yards and then lost sight of. . . and in some cases all one sees is a flashing white tail that suddenly disappears! We just keep shooting until the tail disappears! A semi is best, followed by a lever-action for more bullets in the air before that white tail vanishes! Then a follow-up begins.

Credit:Wikipedia

I was in a gunshop in Toronto in the 1980’s, looking for some bullets to handload in my M70 in .30-06 for a deer hunt. A large man, somewhere in his late 30’s was at the counter talking with another deer hunter. The large man behind the counter was sharing a recent deer-hunting experience. A huge buck was bounding towards him through thick bush after a volly of rifle blasts nearby. His rifle was an Euro-make semi in .30-06 with 180-grainers loaded in a ten-round magazine. He nearly emptied the magazine before that monster buck came to earth in a crash landing. There were more holes in the buck than most “experts” would declare needed. And on buchering he found bullets in the carcuss that were not from his rifle! An adrenaline-charged 300 to 400 lb buck whitetail may defy the brilliantly crafted prose of the “experts” over the best ammo for “whitetailed deer”!

I’ve kept that in mind to this day, having also experienced a similar scenario in shooting a monster buck using a bolt-action Winchester M70 in .30-06 using 165gr “Premium” (at the time) bullets.

ELK : have never hunted them though they’ve been legal in parts of Ontario for about twenty years. From everything I’ve seen and read, this is potentially the largest animal commonly hunted in the USA. Though Shiras moose are larger on average, but far less common. Depending on the region, elk sizes can go upwards to 800 lbs – about twice the size of the largest whitetails. While, as in the case of whitetails, the average elk shot by anyone other than those hiring a guide will go about half that weight. Nonetheless, a dedicated elk hunter with meticulous plans will go “all-out” for success on a “trophy”! Apparently, a lot of elk (any) are shot annually using .270s, .308s and .30-06’s by the non-trophy type, the common “Joe”, if you will, just like the average deer hunter who doesn’t get too excited over “size” but shoots come-what-may, legally.

credit: Louisiana Sportsman

As to rifles and cartridges, the .338 Win Mag (and anything in a similar class of rifle) is said to have been crafted by Winchester for such critters as elk, moose and big bears, as well as similar sized and dispositions of game in Africa. There’s absolutely no question in my mind as to the wisdom of any elk hunter choosing a .338 Win Mag, or rifle of that class, for any elk under any condition. And that includes ranges to 600 yds using a 250gr AB (.575 BC) at up to 2800 fps. And no harm is done if the elk shows up at 50 yds. I consider the .338 Win Mag with a 24″ barrel as one of the premier cartridges extant for any larger soft-skinned game world-wide! Aside from a .300 Win Mag and a .458 Win Mag, the .338 Win Mag has the greatest and best selection of bullets for handloads. Of course, for the handloader of comprable cartridges in those three calibers, the same could be claimed. While having personally owned all three cartridges in a variety of rifles, but never at the same time, I’ve often thought that three M70s chambered for those three cartridges from Winchester would be ideal as a battery for all the worlds game, including the dangerous sort. Then, hey, add the fourth in the .264 Win Mag, and that would make all other cartridges obsolete except maybe a .22LR and a 12ga.

I think Winchester did it right way back in the 1950s. YMMV.

Then, on the other hand, this .350 Rem Mag could easily handle most elk chores firing 250s at 2700 fps!

MOOSE: The largest moose on record, and on average, are the Alaskan-Yukon variety. We have the Canada Moose that can go to 1400 lbs, while the average adult (male or female) in Ontario runs 1100 – 1200 lbs, again depending on region. A pair of bull moose locked in mortal combat died locked together. They were found by hunters and reported to the MNR. When found by CO’s they were separated, but the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) wanted to weigh each so they called in a helicopter that lifted each for weight. They each weighed nearly the same at ~1400 lbs. So they’er out there in our province, just like individual people that are well above average in height and weight. I was recently amazed at seeing a photo of the tallest basketball player in the world: a 17 yr-old in a high school in the USA at 7′-9″!

Extraordinary, for sure! But the same word aptly applies to some of the animals we hunt! I very much agree with and like the late Bob Hagel’s dictum: Don’t go prepared for the best case scenario in choosing your rifle (cartridge), but go prepared for the worst. (A short version, paraphrased)

My basic premise for a moose rife was what I’d choose for a large bear (black, grizzly or brown). Or visa-versa: What I’d choose for a large moose, I’d choose for black bears – not knowing pre-emptively their disposition or size.

To put a face on it, the lowest on a ladder that I’d go would be a .300 Win Mag (or similar), and have. For a bull of ~1200 lbs, aim for a minimum of 2500 ft-lbs at bullet impact from a bullet designed for penetration and bone breaking. From a 300 Win Mag firing a 200gr Partition at 3000 fps, 2500 ft-lbs comes at 350 yds, and 425 yds from the 200gr AccuBond.

Based on statistical results in Ontario, the MNR recommends 2 ft-lbs of KE at impact for each pound of live moose. Of course, the vast majority of moose that are killed in Ontario happens at ranges less than 200 yds. And 400 yds is a very long shot for the average hunter-shooter. The extra-long range shooting of big game is just not there in most of our province. But in the “Far North” ranges can open up considerably to 500 – 600 yds, where long-range magnums must be paramount if a serious moose hunter in that vast terrain. Even resident moose hunters of south-central and Southern Ontario have little to no idea of the vastness of Northern Ontario, until they get there! Ontario could easily swallow up most of Western Europe, as well as 6 or 7 of the states of America that border it!

A living example: I knew a fellow moose hunter at our range who practiced using handloads in his 270 Win with 150gr Partitions. He too went annually with a group of moose hunters to the “far north”. I was using some pretty heavy artillary compared to him. He wanted to know why I was practicing with rifles like a .375 H&H or .338 Win or, “horrors of horrors”, a .340 Wby Mag., all the while boasting of his accurate .270 Win, of which he’d yet to shoot a moose beyond a couple hundred yards. That went on for a couple of years until about the third season he’d taken a shot on a moose around ~300 yds, hit it and lost it! During that time, I’d guessed I was in the wrong places for moose hunting as I’d yet to even see one, but I still maintained that he ought to be using something like a .338 Win Mag.

Well, on this particular fall season he had a new rifle that he thought better for longer shots – a 7 Rem Mag. I didn’t see him again for 2 or 3 years when he showed up with yet another new rifle in .338 Win Mag and he had to tell me how great it was working for him on moose approaching 400 yards! Naturally, I asked about the 7 Rem Mag, and he quickly dismissed it with “It was no better than the .270”! His words not mine!

So, from the time we’d first met at the range discussing “moose rifles” till his excitement over this great discovery of the .338 Win Mag being the greatest moose rifle ever was about 5 seasons! In the meanwhile I’d shot a moose a bit farther north using my .340 Wby. It’s hard to beat a powerful .338-cal for that kind of thing if ranges could turn out to be too far for rifles that could only cleanly kill moose inside 200 yards without hassles.

Our second son, Phil, on our moose hunt to the Far North of our Province of ONTARIO. He and I were both much younger 1/4 century ago! That was his “moose gun”, a Rem 700 in .338 Win Mag. I got it on the ground where standing using my .340 Wby, and he gave it a coup-de-grace where you see that dark spot right-of-center above the eyes

BEAR guns: Rifles actually. . . . though I have toted a 12ga a few times as back-up. Like in the case of moose rifles, an awful lot depends: a) on the shooter, and b) the bear, and c) the conditions.

• The shooter: This could take a book to reherse the differences in shooters, but I’ll try to break it down to at least four types: 1) Nervous types – inexperienced and uptight. 2) New to bear hunting but experienced deer hunter. 3) Experienced and confident. I think it should be obvious that this type will be more relaxed and in control of thoughts, awareness and reflexes. He/she will be aware of surroundings and conditions, and be well prepared for whatever happens. 4) Eager-beaver type: experience doesn’t matter that much as they learn on the job and want things to happen “right now”. They focus on the objective and are not distracted by details. If they’ve brought the wrong “gun” they’ll admit it to themselves but remain determined to make “it” work regardless.

So there are different types of personalities who hunt big game, including bears – sometimes “big bears”. This is a situation that calls for some lattitude and tolerance as to an appropriate rifle. To suggest a .338 Win Mag for each of them just won’t cut it!

One of the best among many. It’s a Marlin in .45-70. This was my last, but a total of four had been designated “my bear gun” over a couple of decades. Nothing was better.

Depending on the kind of hunt (varies according to region) Type 1 personality is relatively insecure but wants to learn. He’ll ask a lot of questions from different hunters and other sources. His tendancy will be to accept advice from those with experience and are moderate in their choice of cartridges and the rifles they’re chambered in. This type will initially tend toward what’s moderate but acceptable, like a 7-08 Rem, and never should hunt solo until they’ve gained adequate experience and expertise.

Type 2 : Will begin to accept the possibility of using a different rifle and cartridge than the one he’s used to in deer hunting. Something a bit more powerful perhaps, like a .300 magnum or .35 Whelen. This will add to their knowledge, anticipation and excitement.

Type 3: He already has enough experience in a variety of settings and in the use of various firearms for mixed game, varmints and birds, so he’ll make a sound choice for his bear hunt whatever the conditions – that he fully understands will make certain demands on him. A .338 Win? Maybe? Maybe not! It will be his/her choice with knowledge and confidence. Hey, Mr. Man what about a .358 Winchester in a BLR?

Type 4: Eager-Beaver says: “Just get me there and I’ll get me a bear even if I hafta wrestle it to the ground!”

What type are you?

I fit with Type 3 – and I’ve often wanted a .358 Winchester in a BLR, but never succeeded in finding one! A friend had a BLR in .308 Win that I recommended and made handloads for, but I preferred the larger caliber in .358″ based on the .308 Winchester. But both experience and time (like 4 decades) have taught me not to mess with inferior cartridges for an “any case scenario” bear hunt (will be coming up soon in a short series).

Should you be a new reader of my blogs, this was “my bear gun” for 2024 – a .375 H&H loaded with a 300gr at 2675 fps. When that big, majestic +400 lb black bear approached me at 20 yds, I never felt “over-gunned”!

End of Part 1

Till the next: Part 2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Too Much Gun?

It’s been an endless tradition for rifle aficionados to debate when “enough is enough”, and to counter point when “too much is too much”, as though such arguments could resolve any related issues. The 7 PRC or .33 Nosler would never have made it past the drawing board, let alone hunters reviving the .35 Whelen or holding onto their cherished .338 Win Mags IF really “too much is too much”! According to some, all one really “needs” is the ubiquitous .30-06 for all the world, and just in case one runs into a tyranosaur from time to time, perhaps a big bore with solids might have a very slight edge – but even that is questionable.

In spite of such an extreme view, more shooters and hunters purchase, hunt with, and shoot for fun and games, rifles with an excess of energy well over 3000 ft-lbs at the muzzle. This was my 2nd .458 Winchester Magnum. It’s a CZ 550 with a 25″ barrel, a magazine that holds 5 plus one in the chamber, and a fixed 4x by 20mm Burris scope. Nothing but my handloads were shot in it: My two hunting loads were the 350gr TSX’s at 2750 fps/5879 ft-lbs, and 500gr Hornady SPs at 2283 fps/5788 ft-lbs. It went hunting for moose and bear and weighed 11 lbs loaded.

One could make the argument – and it has been and will continue to be their main point – that they’re not needed, but “gun nuts” must own them to see what they’re all about out of curiosity and a “must have” disposition. No doubt, greed is a potential factor, as well as covetousness and jealousy. Those are all symptons of a decadent society, but still there are many with a sense of not only “want” but “need” . . . . and I’ve found myself among that latter group who see “more than enough” as about right for particular hunting situations.

And, of course, such a mindset was firstly honed by wealthy Europeans who wanted, and could afford, a taste of the wild in India and Africa. Then there were some adventurers with the same spirit who had to make their own way, but became famous if they survived. We all know the names of a few, including the journalists who wrote their stories. They used what was available as firearms, and in some cases individual firearms were especially crafted for the wealthy.

Without going into more historic details, there were reasons why companies like Holland and Holland of London created the .375 H&H in 1912. And that was predated by the famed 9.3 x 62 Mauser in 1905 by the Berlin gunsmith Otto Bock. There were German settlers in East Africa who needed a reliable and powerful rifle shooting sturdy bullets to defend against wild animals that raided their crops as well as human intruders with the intent of killing, stealing and or any other mayhem and mischief that bad people could inflict on the unwary and innocent.

Outside of Europe and Africa, the powerful 9.3 x 62 was rarely heard of, and no major interest was invested in North America until a couple of American writers extolled its virtues and the SPEER bullet company made a 270gr bullet in 9.3 mm. The SPEER reloading manual was the first to bring it to my attention, and one load of N203 gave an MV over 2600 fps/4054 ft-lbs+! That got my attention! A .366″ caliber shooting a 270gr at +2600 fps was about there with a .375 H&H, in a handier rifle with less recoil. But that was several years prior to my purchase of the Tikka T3 in 2011, just about when the idea of the Euro 9.3 x 62 was becoming hot in North America.

Getting ready for the start of a fall bear hunt, Sept 1st, 2013, on private property. The rifle was my Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 loaded with the 286gr Nosler Partition at 2622 fps/4365 ft-lbs.

Why?

I can’t speak for everyone else, but that was a replacement for all other medium-bores, and the .340 Wby I’d formerly owned. Let’s see, the .340 Wby Mag was for ventures to the “Far North” of our Province of Ontario in moose hunts. Ranges could be very long to short – in your face for a big bull in a marsh, edge of a lake or in a clear cut. There was absolutely no way to know before the fact what the conditions might be, or the size, disposition and condition of a bull moose under multiple possible scenarios!

Why a 9.3 x 62, a .338 Win Mag, a .35 Whelen, or a .340 Wby. . . . . ? Because they have power to spare under most conditions! More than enough for many or most scenarios. For sure, but just right for ANY!

I’ve never been a fan of “adequate”! I grew up in those circumstances during and after The Great Depression, and “adequate” transportation meant someone elses vehicle or a taxi, adequate running water meant running to someone’s property with a bucket hopeful of finding the well not dry! Adequate skates meant worn-out and out-of-date skates that didn’t fit! And so on. . .

I don’t believe in “adequate power” in an automobile to get from point “A” to point “B” . . . I believe in more than enough to pass a long line-up of traffic behind a slow-moving transport truck that hasn’t enough power to pull that heavy load up-hill without a potential “train-wreck” behind it because someone, anyone, needs to get to an appointment on time – so they chance a pass at the wrong time with a relatively “econo-minded” motor that is just “adequate” under normal conditions! Phewww . . . I can now take a breath!

A .30-06 can muster +3000 ft-lbs from decent handloads. That’s adequate most of the time for a majority of North American hunters. . . . accompanied by a healthy dose of jurisprudence. That was my experience with it until a set of circumstances defied my jurisprudence! It was my only big-game rifle, and after that “set of circumstances” I moved on to some serious magnums and Big Bores, and have never looked back or questioned that decision.

“juris” = law; “prudence” = wisdom.

I’m not a lawyer, though some have claimed I could or should be. So be it or not, there are laws of physics and laws (rules, principles) for living. They need to be understood and applied with wisdom! “Too much” is a principle that’s just right if we want to do more than just exist! Then we can live at a level that allows a measure of freedom and the ability to help others.

I apply that principle (law) to life that includes hunting under all conditions that might involve “surprises” and unforeseen or unknown conditions that could turn potential danger into deadly disaster!

<That’s the late Dr Don Heath, PH and wildlife biologist facing a real charge from an angry bull elephant. He shot it with his 9.3 x 62 and dropped it in its tracks using a solid fit for such dangerous business.

When I saw “my bear” for the first time last week, I had less than 1/2 minute to make a quick decision. From the time he emerged from the bush till he was just below me at about 20 yards, took 20 to 25 seconds! I had my scope on him at 20 yards and he was still coming in my direction, all +400 lbs of his grandeur! I left quickly but quietly. Had I remained 2 more seconds there would have been a confrontation! What would his response have been, and mine? While I doubt he would have charged, yet he’s a wild creature that at his size and weight could have covered the remaining distance in a couple of bounds. More than that, he didn’t get that size and condition in a few months, nor based only on the diet I’d provided . . . .

Seven to ten pounds of birdseed, marshmallows, licorice and syrop. The same scattered on the ground, plus some apples and/or anything of interest to a bruin’s palate.He emerged at the blue X ( about 65 yds from me) and I had the scope on him at the red X, 20 yards from me. He wasn’t running or bounding or nervous, but just a confident, steady walk.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he’d killed some younger bears to become dominant for the area, and likely more than a few deer and two or three moose calves. . . . . So? How close was I to becoming a statistic? Of course, no one but God knows as He was in control anyway, and I well knew it, but just the same I was as confident as any mature hunter might be toting the rifle that was in my left hand – the .375 H&H loaded with the 300gr Sierras at 2675 fps. I had it pointed right on his back, between the shoulders at 20 yards, but he was still coming, having never broken his steady pace.

Was I intimidated? Yeah, a bit, but not fearful. I was calculating every second without losing control of thoughts or emotions. When I knew I must shoot or leave, I left without him ever seeing me – though he knew my scent and probably smelled me, which to him meant bear grub in the tote 25 yds away.

What are my thoughts and feelings immediately after and now, over two weeks later? One of my best hunts ever – if not, then the greatest! It was two years in length that culminated in a close encounter with that magnificent beast, almost nose to nose, that God not only permitted, but orchestrated from beginning to end for His glory and my edification.

I’m thankful for the experience and the lessons learned that reminded me He IS that close and in charge!

As to the bear? I wish him well and many more years to become a great-grandfather, as I am!

And a final note to “My BEAR”: If perchance he has “Internet”, this is my final word to him: “Watch out for those nasty moose hunters – they’re dangerous and shoot bear on sight!”

Till the next . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL