What did you use to take your first animal of other species?

[Blkram]

In continuing the vein initiated by 358Goat; What rifle or weapon did you use to take your first animal of other species?

Me, I used the following on:

• black bear: Winchester 94 in 30-30 (my Dad's rifle when I was 21)
• moose: Parker Hale in 30-06 w/ open sights
• buffalo: Sako Finnbear Deluxe in 300 Win Mag - first animal taken with a scoped rifle (a rifle gifted to me by my father)
• mule deer: Browning A Bolt in 280 Rem - first animal taken with my own handload (Hdy 162 gr BTSP), in the first rifle I bought myself
• stones sheep: Rem 700 Classic in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
• elk: Winchester Model 70 in 270 Wby
• grizzly bear: LH Rem 700 BDL in 338 Win Mag
• mountain goat: Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag
• caribou: Marlin 375S in 375 Win
• rocky mountain bighorn: LH Sako AV in 7MM STW - first animal taken with a custom rifle
• wolf: LH Rem 700 in 300 WSM
• pronghorn: LH Sako AV in 7MM STW
• red stag: LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 Creedmoor - first animal on an international hunt and first guided hunt
• fallow buck: LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 Creedmoor
• nyala: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag - first animal taken with a PH's suppressed rifle
• impala: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• bushbuck (cape): Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• kudu (cape): Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• warthog: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag

I can vividly recall the details of each of these hunts!

 

[TackDriver284]

Blackbuck : 7 STW / Rem 700 Sendero / 140 Ballistic Tip
Impala : 7 STW / Rem 700 Sendero / 140 Ballistic Tip
Axis : 7 Mag / Sako M995/ 150 Ballistic Tip
Nilgai: 338 Lapua / Sako / 250 GameKing

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Blkram, I have to hand it to you brother, these are great thread topics and fun!

My first cartridges:

Rattlesnake - .22 LR
Ground Squirrel - .22 LR
Cottontail - .22 LR
Badger - .45 Colt
Coyote - .243
Bobcat - .30-06
Cougar - .22-250
Russian Hog - .243
Mule deer - .300 Savage
Whitetail deer - .30-06
Mouflon ewe - .270
Aoudad ram - .30-06
Elk - 8mm Rem Mag

 

[Guy Miner]

With a 22 Marlin 39 Mountie at age 7 I was terrorizing the muskrats, ground squirrels, jackrabbits, cottontail, rockchucks, probably illegal birds, coots... I thought it was small game hunting... No, I was an unleashed young rifleman with blood lust! Poor critters! Dad and Grandpa were quite indulgent. This was all on a big local ranch, or a big local farm. Both the farmer and the rancher were tickled to have their "pests" reduced a bit... Okay, more than a bit. I'd come back to the ranch house or farm house mid-day for a sandwich, fill the canteen, and ask if I could have another box of 22 shorts then head out again... Sometimes I had additional juvenile delinquent company... Sigh... Good old days? I have that rifle now, it may be astounded that I turned the corner and became such a conservationist and such a dedicated rule follower... Church, Boy Scouts, and the Marine Corps did that to me. But at 7, I was kind of a wild-child hunter/poacher with a 22 Marlin...

Guy

 

[Blkram]

Blackbuck : 7 STW / Rem 700 Sendero / 140 Ballistic Tip
Impala : 7 STW / Rem 700 Sendero / 140 Ballistic Tip
Axis : 7 Mag / Sako M995/ 150 Ballistic Tip
Nilgai: 338 Lapua / Sako / 250 GameKing

Axis deer and blackbuck are two of my Bucket List animals!

 

[Blkram]

Blkram, I have to hand it to you brother, these are great thread topics and fun!

My first cartridges:

Rattlesnake - .22 LR
Cottontail - .22 LR
Coyote - .243
Cougar - .22-250
Mule deer - .300 Savage
Whitetail deer - .30-06
Mouflon ewe - .270
Aoudad ram - .30-06
Elk - 8mm Rem Mag

It's fun to learn what others have used and what they have hunted!
And fun to recall those memories!

 

[Firebird24]

Many of my firsts were with archery equiptment. . .
First elk w/ a rifle .300 wm rem 700 bullet?
Pronghorn .30-06 win model 70 bullet?
First trip to Africa .300 wm rem 700 and 200 gr tbbc handload
First whitetail-7mm-08 rem 700 140 gr Sierra pro hunter handload
Mtn goat-.300 wm rem 700 180 nosler AccuBond handload

 

[RL338]

With a 22 Marlin 39 Mountie at age 7 I was terrorizing the muskrats, ground squirrels, jackrabbits, cottontail, rockchucks, probably illegal birds, coots... I thought it was small game hunting... No, I was an unleashed young rifleman with blood lust! Poor critters! Dad and Grandpa were quite indulgent. This was all on a big local ranch, or a big local farm. Both the farmer and the rancher were tickled to have their "pests" reduced a bit... Okay, more than a bit. I'd come back to the ranch house or farm house mid-day for a sandwich, fill the canteen, and ask if I could have another box of 22 shorts then head out again... Sometimes I had additional juvenile delinquent company... Sigh... Good old days? I have that rifle now, it may be astounded that I turned the corner and became such a conservationist and such a dedicated rule follower... Church, Boy Scouts, and the Marine Corps did that to me. But at 7, I was kind of a wild-child hunter/poacher with a 22 Marlin...

Guy

As kids my brother and me wore out several Crosman air rifles on all kinds of “pest” around the farm.

 

[clearwater]

Ground squirrels, Dusky, Spruce and Franklin Grouse -Remington Model 12 pump 22 rimfire, age 10 to current
Wild Pig- FN 7x57. Stalking thru the tunnels they make in the tule reeds is something else. Coonhound went first.

 

[Blkram]

Many of my firsts were with archery equiptment. . .
First elk w/ a rifle .300 wm rem 700 bullet?
Pronghorn .30-06 win model 70 bullet?
First trip to Africa .300 wm rem 700 and 200 gr tbbc handload
First whitetail-7mm-08 rem 700 140 gr Sierra pro hunter handload
Mtn goat-.300 wm rem 700 180 nosler AccuBond handloadView attachment 27095

My first mtn goat in '98 with the Rem 700 LSS in 7mm Rem Mag. 10 1/2" billy taken at 20 yards.

 

[Guybo]

In continuing the vein initiated by 358Goat; What rifle or weapon did you use to take your first animal of other species?

Me, I used the following on:

• black bear: Winchester 94 in 30-30 (my Dad's rifle when I was 21)
• moose: Parker Hale in 30-06 w/ open sights
• buffalo: Sako Finnbear Deluxe in 300 Win Mag - first animal taken with a scoped rifle (a rifle gifted to me by my father)
• mule deer: Browning A Bolt in 280 Rem - first animal taken with my own handload (Hdy 162 gr BTSP), in the first rifle I bought myself
• stones sheep: Rem 700 Classic in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
• elk: Winchester Model 70 in 270 Wby
• grizzly bear: LH Rem 700 BDL in 338 Win Mag
• mountain goat: Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag
• caribou: Marlin 375S in 375 Win
• rocky mountain bighorn: LH Sako AV in 7MM STW - first animal taken with a custom rifle
• wolf: LH Rem 700 in 300 WSM
• pronghorn: LH Sako AV in 7MM STW
• red stag: LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 Creedmoor - first animal on an international hunt and first guided hunt
• fallow buck: LH Browning X Bolt All Weather in 6.5 Creedmoor
• nyala: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag - first animal taken with a PH's suppressed rifle
• impala: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• bushbuck (cape): Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• kudu (cape): Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag
• warthog: Ruger M77 Mk II in 300 Win Mag

I can vividly recall the details of each of these hunts!

My hats off to you sir or anyone who has hunted and harvested that many different game animals, that's no doubt quite an accomplishment, congratulations!
I started out young with a BB/Pellet rifle killing all kinds of birds and looking back there were many that i probably shouldn't have shot. I also killed my first squirrel with a pellet rifle. Took my first rabbit, dove and duck with a Revelation single shot 20ga, i still have the 20ga in the safe. First deer i killed was with a 12ga shotgun, my first coyote with a 25.06 and first coon was with a 22LR. I still have those guns in the safe and added a few more over the years.

 

[preacher]

SE Texas deer- (doe-M1 Carbine) (Buck-30-30)
Feral Hog- 30-30
Cow Elk- 30-06
Mule Deer- (doe 30-06) (Buck 300WM)
Desert Mule Deer Buck - 300 RUM
Pronghorn Antelope- (Buck and doe 280AI)
Coyote- 240 Wby
Blackbuck, Black Hawiian - 257 Wby
Corsican - 280AI
Axis- 308
Mouflon- 260 Rem
Texas Dall- 7mm08
Aoudad- 338 RUM
Fallow- 6.5x284
Zebra, Hartebeast, Oryx, Kudu, Blue & Black Wildebeast- 35 WAI
Warthog- 375 H&H
Impala, Blesbuk, Springbuk- 300WM
Scimitar Horned Oryx- 6x47mm (necked up 222 Magnum)
Gemsbuk-340 Wby
Spanish Goat-270Win

 

[Blkram]

SE Texas deer- (doe-M1 Carbine) (Buck-30-30)
Feral Hog- 30-30
Cow Elk- 30-06
Mule Deer- (doe 30-06) (Buck 300WM)
Desert Mule Deer Buck - 300 RUM
Pronghorn Antelope- (Buck and doe 280AI)
Coyote- 240 Wby
Blackbuck, Black Hawiian - 257 Wby
Corsican - 280AI
Axis- 308
Mouflon- 260 Rem
Texas Dall- 7mm08
Aoudad- 338 RUM
Fallow- 6.5x284
Zebra, Hartebeast, Oryx, Kudu, Blue & Black Wildebeast- 35 WAI
Warthog- 375 H&H
Impala, Blesbuk, Springbuk- 300WM
Scimitar Horned Oryx- 6x47mm (necked up 222 Magnum)
Gemsbuk-340 Wby
Spanish Goat-270Win

Nice variety of game , and cartridges!
Mouflon is also on my Bucket List.
Will be going after the black and copper springbok next May in South Africa. At the moment, it looks like I'll be using the PH's LH Rem 700 in 308 Win for that hunt.
My wife has the Black Hawaiian, Texas Dall and Corsican rams on her Bucket List. And she will be after a white blesbok and black Wildebeest in SA next May; also with the 308.

 

[preacher]

Thank you sir, the Lord has definitly Blessed me with favor/opportunities to travel some/hunt while there. The Springbuk and that Black Wildebeast and Burchells Zebra, "to me" are just the Epitome of South Africa Game. "A Must" kind thing, lol. The "Texas Slam" is a nice and "used to be" very affordable quest, for Exotics. Right after Elk, Axis are the most beautiful and best tasting deer, again, to me. Lots of times, back when I was going to Texas alot, I would take an Axis or Fallow doe(Ewe) just for the meat, in addition to whatever trophy animal i was after. The Aoudad/Any of the Rams too nasty to eat! ha

 

[JD338]

WT Deer 30-06
Antelope 30-06
Black Bear 30-06
Caribou 280 Rem
Mule Deer 338 RUM
Elk 338 RUM
Moose 338 RUM
Hog 44 Rem Mag (S&W 629 Classic)

JD338

 

[Blkram]

Thank you sir, the Lord has definitly Blessed me with favor/opportunities to travel some/hunt while there. The Springbuk and that Black Wildebeast and Burchells Zebra, "to me" are just the Epitome of South Africa Game. "A Must" kind thing, lol. The "Texas Slam" is a nice and "used to be" very affordable quest, for Exotics. Right after Elk, Axis are the most beautiful and best tasting deer, again, to me. Lots of times, back when I was going to Texas alot, I would take an Axis or Fallow doe(Ewe) just for the meat, in addition to whatever trophy animal i was after. The Aoudad/Any of the Rams too nasty to eat! ha

I really enjoyed the fallow deer we ate on our trip to New Zealand, as well as the springbok and nyala in South Africa.
I have often read that the axis deer and blackbuck are two of the finest venisons one can find anywhere in the world. Definitely looking forward to those tasty vittles!

 

[preacher]

Last time I was there, 2002, we shot a fat Impala ewe and the Afrikaners cooked it all day long in a big smoker! Served with tons of Boer Vorst (sausage), and steak! Those Afrikaners eat more meat than anyone I ever met, ha!

 

[IdahoCTD]

The first squirrels, rabbits, snakes, bobcat and coyote were all with a 22LR.
Wild hog 243win
Javelina 300wsm
Axis deer 300wsm
Mule deer 338 win mag
Columbia Blacktail deer 270win
Sitka Blacktail deer 300wsm
Whitetail 375-358 STA
Elk 308 Baer
Moose 300 win mag
Kudu 375-358STA
Impala 375-358STA
Blesbok 30-338 win mag
Warthog 358STA
Gemsbok 375-358STA
Caribou 30-338 win mag
Iguana .22pcp
Wolf 300wsm
Antelope .50 muzzleloader
Black bear 7-300win mag

 

[preacher]

375-358 STW! I bet it ran with (or mabe more) the 375 RUM?

 

[IdahoCTD]

The 358 STA necked up. I use to shoot 250 Sierras 3080fps. Its about 10grs less capacity then a 375 Rum.