A young hunters bucket list

[Europe]

I thought I would share a letter ( not an email ) I got from my granddaughter . I am condensing this as her letter was four pages long.

She wants to hunt the following animals with her Weatherby Camilla 7mm--08/150 gr Swift Scirocco combination.

Elk-U.S.
Ibex-Spain
Red Stag-New Zealand
Moose-Canada
Caribou-Alaska ( and wants this hunt to include Grizzly )
Kudu-Namibia
Fallow-Argentina

AND--she wants me to help her accomplish this by being in the base camp of each hunt.

I dont doubt that she does in fact want to accomplish this, but I also believe she is trying to keep me active and not just give up and whither away. Since she is working and going to school, this would take a few years to accomplish, but she believes we can do it in 10 years. I told if it took 10 years I would be over 90--and I thought you would love her reply--especially you Cole. "whatever, thats just a number, start helping me plan grandma--please"

I thought you die hard hunters might enjoy this, especially you older fellows.

She obviously likes hunting horned/antlered animals lol

Anyway, my "help" starts here- I never ran a 7mm-08. Is there anything on her list that "more" ( rifle or bullet ) would be better and if so what. We might need to buy her another Camilla in a larger caliber rifle

 

[DrMike]

Love her spunk, April. I consider the 7-08 marginal for grizzly. However, my gunsmith has taken a couple of grizzlies with his 7-08 AI loaded with Berger bullets! They worked well for him. Still, I prefer a little more "oomph." A friend with whom I hunted for some years carried a 7-08. It worked well for moose and elk.

 

[truck driver]

Everything she/you have listed I have never killed or hunted except for Elk ( hunted only ) and my opinion isn't one that is from experience but I would try to work her into something in 30 Caliber with a removable muzzle brake that she can use while target shooting and remove during hunting.
We all know shooting from a bench can be brutal with some calibers while shooting off hand is less noticeable for felt recoil.
I really enjoy shooting my 300wm compared to my 338wm and my 30-06 even more which doesn't have a recoil pad on it. Granted I weigh over 250lbs and have a large bone structure which helps with recoil but I still feel it and at times more then I want to with the 338wm but the most of the 30 calibers I have shot were reasonable except for the 300 Weatherby and it could be brutal in my opinion.

 

[FOTIS]

you gotta love it!

 

[Europe]

Thank you Fotis and Dr Mike--the letter ( and desire/determination ) did put a smile on my face.

Rodger, since the 7mm-08 is a 30 caliber, albeit a 308 which is even milder than a 30-06, are you thinking some of these animals ( excluding the grizzly ) need a heavier bullet ? Thank you for your contribution

 

[IdahoCTD]

I tend to agree a grizzly would be better with a .30 caliber or larger shooting 180+gr bullets. Everything else would be fine with the 7-08 but I'd tend to lean on the heavy for caliber bullets like 160grs. If it comes down to accuracy of the 7-08 versus HP of a larger caliber that she doesn't tend to shoot quite as well take the accuracy for the grizzly too.

That is a pretty cool list she has and I think you should do your best to help her achieve it April. Since your already in Spain the Ibex could happen fairly easily/quickly.

My hunting buddies brother shot this bou with my rifle on Tuesday.

 

[Europe]

I tend to agree a grizzly would be better with a .30 caliber or larger shooting 180+gr bullets. Everything else would be fine with the 7-08 but I'd tend to lean on the heavy for caliber bullets like 160grs. If it comes down to accuracy of the 7-08 versus HP of a larger caliber that she doesn't tend to shoot quite as well take the accuracy for the grizzly too.

That is a pretty cool list she has and I think you should do your best to help her achieve it April. Since your already in Spain the Ibex could happen fairly easily/quickly.

My hunting buddies brother shot this bou with my rifle on Tuesday.

Nice Caribou

Thank you for your thoughts, appreciate it. The only thing in the Camilla above the 308, is the 30-06 and it is only in the Mark V ( Fotis correct me if I am wrong about this ), but that would allow a 180 grain bullet, which might be a better choice fir the Kudu as well. And your right the Ibex should be first and the best time to hunt them is Nov through March, so maybe Thanksgiving when she is out of school--if so that is one lol

 

[IdahoCTD]

Kudu are pretty tough, moose can be as well but they don't tend to flee with a hole through the vitals like kudu unless there is water close.

If you still have a 300 H&H kicking around and she can shoot it then that would be a perfect AK caliber. Load it down to '06 levels if need be.

 

[mjcmichigan]

I like Nathan’s idea, get her shooting Grandmas gun (300 H&H)

3006 shoots up to 220gn to the best of my knowledge, but I do think I read some mention of a 308 caliber Woodleigh at 240gn for a 30-378 Wby, but maybe 3096 doesn’t have enough volume to launch a 240gn

Great list, love your grand daughter already. Wishing her a lifetime of memorable hunts


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[Europe]

Kudu are pretty tough, moose can be as well but they don't tend to flee with a hole through the vitals like kudu unless there is water close.

If you still have a 300 H&H kicking around and she can shoot it then that would be a perfect AK caliber. Load it down to '06 levels if need be.

The 300 H & H is an excellent idea, as she can handle that caliber but the stock on it does not fit her. You are making me think that maybe I can buy a Camilla stock and have it put on my 300 H & H, giving her my rifle, sort of, the stock she loves and a step up in caliber and it might cost less than the mark V to do it.

I will research it. If need be I could just have a stock made for it--you have got me thinking for sure, thanks

thank you Mark

 

[Blkram]

April,

Good for her!
On all accounts!

This goal should keep you both going!

You could get her another Camilla rifle and have it rebarrelled to either the 338 Federal or 358 Winchester, shooting 200 or 225 gr bullets at modest velocities. Either cartridge would work well for the larger species on her list, out to about 250 yards (including grizzly) and give her a matching rifle that she is comfortable with, and will not beat her up. My daughter used my BLR in 358 Win for her first big game animal, a mulie buck.

Hope you both get to enjoy the adventures and the memories!

 

[Europe]

Gil, thank you, another good idea. Actually a 358, 200 gr, would be less recoil than the 300 H & H, (as would the 30-06, 180 grain for that matter ) but your right she would have matching rifles. The 358 would be enough for grizzly, moose and kudu and they are usually under 250 yards--inland grizzly being the possible exception

Great ideas thanks guys

 

[truck driver]

Thank you Fotis and Dr Mike--the letter ( and desire/determination ) did put a smile on my face.

Rodger, since the 7mm-08 is a 30 caliber, albeit a 308 which is even milder than a 30-06, are you thinking some of these animals ( excluding the grizzly ) need a heavier bullet ? Thank you for your contribution

April yes to your question. Because the Camilla is a short action stock it wouldn't work with a long action caliber rifle. But since Howa who makes the Vanguard for Weatherby and sells the M1500 barreled action separately you could get one in a larger caliber and get a Boyd's stock with the same trigger pull length as Her present rifle. They might even make a youth stocked rifle though I'm not sure.
Even better yet since Gill suggested a 358 you could just buy the BLR that Fotis is selling and have the stock cut to fit her.
You can do buy a shorter stock for your 300 H&H and have it fitted for her also so that is also an option which would be a win win situation for both of you and I can't think of anything cooler then for her to hunt with your rifle even if it's in a different stock.

 

[Anonymous]

I love this. Get that gal on some critters!

Personally, if she shoots that 7-08/150gr Scirocco combo well...nothing on this list stands a chance.

Interior grizzly hunting (where you'd also hunt a caribou) tends to be open country and the shooting is pretty deliberate. She'd also need a guide as a non-resident which means she'll have some help on standby with artillery in case drama unfolds. Her guide will be much happier if she turns up in camp with a straight shooting rifle she's got field experience behind rather than something that'll knock her out from under her hat. I think a 7-08 is just fine.

The Scirocco is a good bullet and at 7-08 speeds can be counted on to drive deep on the bigger critters on this list.

 

[noslerpartition]

April, I hope that my grandchildren will still be able to hunt at all. With my elder son just being 14 it is some time to go...

Can't say much about the calibers, but I can imagine the smile the letter put on your face!

Looking forward to following the progress of that adventure here...

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[Thebear_78]

Agree 100% with hodgeman on this! There is nothing she can’t do with that 7mm-08. She will have a guide if doing griz anyway, let the guide lug around the big boomer. Thee is nothing up here I wouldn’t hunt with similar firepower. I might want more for coastal brown bear but I could make do if the 7mm/08 was what I had in hand.

I think the bigger cartridges give more of a mental comfort over actual field use. Placement definitely trumps horsepower. Not even the meanest griz can shake off a 150 scirocco to the vitals.

Where people run into problems with bears is starting with an angry/injured bear. Once you get their dander up they can be very hard to put down. When shooting an unaware bear in a hunting situation things tend to go much easier.

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[truck driver]

April if you want to get her a larger caliber I see where Weatherby is making a MarkV Camilla and it's in the longer action which is offered in 30-06 which as you said would be less recoil then the 300 H&H but they are pricey at suggested $3000.

 

[Guy Miner]

I'd hunt 'em all with a 7-08 and 160 gr Noslers.

Does she need a crusty adopted uncle/guard dog? I'm up for the job! What travel! What adventure! My goodness.

Guy

 

[69gto]

It sounds like you have a fine young lady for a granddaughter and wanting to have her 80 year young grandma go with her and give her guidance should make you proud. I agree with Guy on the Nosler partitions. John

 

[SJB358]

So, I am a biggeer cartridge kinda guy, but in all honesty if I was hunting with a 7-08 and that awesome Scirocco, I would be just fine with any animal on the list. I have 0 experience with the big bears, and myself would want a bigger rifle, but Phil Shoemaker has guided a few hunters using 7-08's and 270's and reported that hunters usually killed them just fine, and he is standing on their back side with a 458 Win Mag. Wasn't that long ago, a 270 Winchester or 30-06 loaded with plain old bullets killed everything. A 7-08 with an excellent bullet is really a 7 Rem Mag with a little less energy. So, saying all that to say if she is comfortable with the set up and shoots well, I can't see her being disappointed or needing more.

Guy and other mention Partitions and a few other bullets, but whatever shoots well from her rifle will straight smoke animals. My mentor runs a 300 Win Mag cause it has worked well for him for 150 years or so :mrgreen:

I suspect if he hunted with a 30-06, 280, what have you, he'd kill just as many elk, but he has extreme confidence in his set up and believes it'll work every time.

I wish her a ton of luck and if Guy falls short on the Uncle duty, I would gladly help take pictures for her!