Enough Gun

[6mm Remington]

I was lucky enough to be in a gentleman's house a while back where he had two gorgeous grizzly bear rugs on the wall. Both of them were taken in the Bob Marshall Wilderness here in Montana when we could hunt them. (Hopefully that will happen again in the NEAR future.) I asked him what they were shot with and both of them were killed with a .243 Winchester. I believe they were each one shot apiece. Pretty small for the critter but it can work.

I'd like to use a 30-06 or 280 as a minimum for the bears and critter listed. With good bullets and good shooting they work. I will probably never own a 375 but I do dream of a 45-70 in a Marlin lever action as being the cats meow!!

 

[Oldtrader3]

I killed an Armadillo with an .375 Ouch & Ouch!

 

[Ryan46]

No apologies necessary Mr. Miner as I always enjoy reading you’re post as well as all others. I read far more than I post. I can only sit here in Alabama and be envious of the abundance of game animals you guys have to hunt. All we have where I live are whitetails and feral hogs. Really nothing that cannot easily be taken with a .30-30 at modest range. However, I like to still use the cool spitzer boat tail bullets with high b c and drive the bullets in my .308 and .30-06 to max vel when hunting. I am just wondering do you guys who live in Alaska and the great northwest of the U.S. and Canada. Really realize how beautiful and scenic the land is there. Or just take it for granted? Where I hunt the landscape is mostly like a jungle. I usually don’t have to wear warm hunting clothes until after Thanksgiving. Again I really envy you guys. God bless

Happy Shooting
Ryan46

 

[DrMike]

Ryan, I am fully aware of how blessed I am. I grew up in Kansas and spent quite a few years in TX during doctoral and post-doctoral studies before moving to northern BC. I frequently give thanks to God for permitting me to live where I do. Truly, I can say I am living the dream. On the other hand, I didn't find it too shabby when I began graduate studies in NYC and later moved to TX, or when I conducted post-doctoral studies in CA. Each place I've lived had its own beauty and its own charm if I was willing to open my eyes. Still, I thank God for the opportunity to have lived in BC.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ryan, sounds like a trip "out west" somewhere for you is long overdue!

Sometimes it gets expensive to hunt as a non-resident, but short-term fishing licenses are inexpensive and a guy can explore much of the same country, using trout chasing as a great excuse! That and photography.

I know full well how blessed I am to live where I do. Deliberately pulled up stakes and moved here a long time ago, to be close to "my" mountains.

Guy

 

[Ryan46]

Doc & Guy, thanks for your replies. I have been out west a few times but never on a hunt. I am retired from the 20th Special Forces Gp. (Airborne) and from my job (I am 67 years young).
I have been to the great States of Idaho, Utah and Colorado they were for military training. I have been to other countries. One in particular, I think the name of it was California, I wasn’t too fond of.
I have been to Idaho 4 times and fell in love with it but the roots were too deep here in Alabama. I have asked my wife many times but she refuses to consider relocation. I spent 10 days on top of a mountain in Colorado at an altitude of 12,000ft, man those sunrises and sunsets are a vision that no camera can capture the majesty of what the eye sees.
I do not foresee any more trips out west because of money issues. I had shoulder replacement surgery 3yrs ago and am facing back surgery in a few weeks. I have seen the pictures of my spine and the lumbar region of it looks like a “train wreck”. I think my neurosurgeon will also have to have a masters in engineering to repair it. Anyway thanks guys and God bless.

Happy Shooting
Ryan46

 

[SJB358]

Ryan thank you for your service first off! On enough gun, I've got to hunt Idaho, Oregon, and BC and I can't remember much that couldn't have been taken just fine with a 270 Winchester. I love my 338 Win Mag because I feel like it's a little more than enough which feels about right.

 

[DrMike]

Ryan, I do hope you get opportunity to make it out west for a hunt one day. I appreciate the problem of spinal injuries. A spinal injury got me issued out from the Corps for medical reasons many years ago. I, too, appreciate your service to the country.

 

[Guy Miner]

Yup. Agree. I hope you get out west for a hunt, or at least another look-see trip.

Respect, Guy

 

[salmonchaser]

Ryan, I guess it would be easy to take it all for granted, growing up in Alaska and Oregon. As a kid I could ride my bike to salmon and steelhead fishing, or out to a friend's farm to hunt. Almost every year since we left Alaska when I was a kid, I've been back. I recognize I've been blessed and get reminded of that every time I guide someone on their first salmon fishing trip. My guess is most of our forums northwest members recognize how lucky we are.

If you're ever close to coming to Alaska get in touch with me, regardless your itinerary, and I'll try to help you out, or Oregon and Washington for that matter.
Back to your original question.
Dad killed 6 grizzly (interior), 3 caribou a year, one moose a year, at least one dall sheep and one goat, some wolves, a couple of black bear with a 3006. When he was working up at Barrow in 1959 his native guide let dad shoot a polar bear with the guides rifle, a 222 Remington.
I've killed one grizzly and think a fast 33 is ideal. In fifteen years of guiding fishermen, I have never been forced to kill one but have pepper sprayed two. Guiding I carry the 454 always, pepper spray and depending I may take the 45/70 or the 450 bushmaster. On Kodiak or the Alaska peninsula a 33 or .375. Or the 35 Whelan. The interior, like the.bear said, a rifle you will Cary all day, in your hands.

I hope you make it some day, you deserve it.

 

[salmonchaser]

Thank you for your service and I do hope you make it to Alaska.
I missed the last couple of posts, not unusual for me when I get excited about a topic, jumped in on the wrong page. My lovely bride also refuses to relocate, I always figured Washington was temporary and I would retire on my property in Oregon. I'm still in the northwest, still lucky, and my ruptured disks are still cooperating.
Don

 

[Oldtrader3]

Ryan, I also want thank you for your service. I moved out west when I went in the Army 53 years ago and stayed out here. I also hope that you do get a chance to come out west for a hunting or fishing trip, I know that you would enjoy it.
Charlie

 

[SJB358]

I have a high school friend from Upstate NY who I grew up with. We hunted and fished as much as we could. We grew up with one dad with a 30-06 and the other with a 270 Win. To us, those two were all a guy could ever need.

My buddy recently started going to Alaska to start to learn to be a guide. He said after his first year in Alaska the 338 Win Mag is the 30-06 of Alaska and the 375 is pretty high on use as well. Said there are some others seen but those two seem like the most popular by a long shot.

We are both the same age, I went in the Marine Corps and he worked in his families business and still does, but he got a chance to learn to be an Alaskan guide. I told him to ring me in two years once I am retired from the MC!

 

[nvbroncrider]

That's why I built my 338-06AI I wanted to have enough gun but one that would permit me to shoot it effectively. It will almost match a 338 WM with much less recoil. I have a 280AI that is very sweet but if I want a little extra insurance down range on tough critters the 338 gets the nod.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Ryan46 I am in the same boat as you living in Iowa. My Mother asked me how the scenery is out West compared to Iowa, I told her Iowa is a S*** Hole compared to the Western Mountain States. Iowa has No Mountains, very few lakes & very little public ground. Iowa is also like a checker board with roads every square mile, in squares. We use to shoot one million pheasants a year but those days are gone now with fences being taken out to farm another row of corn, the destruction of habitat is unthinkable. I take one trip a year out west on DIY hunts for Antelope, Mule Deer, Elk, Bear. Yes they are affordable with with a group of 2-4 people. As far as enough gun, Layne Simpson once wrote shooting a bullet of 180gr at 3000 FPS there are only 5 animals in the world he would need a bigger gun. So a 7mm Mag 175 gr load in a 26 inch barrel is close enough or any 300 Mag. I'm in his Camp & with my Model 70, 1939 prewar 300 H & H, I would hunt anything in North or South America with it, Yes even Brown Bear. Chose the proper Bullet for the Game to be hunted is all you have to do. As far as your health Ryan Antelope & Mule Deer are easy to get to in some areas. TC

 

[PJGunner]

"As far as your health Ryan Antelope & Mule Deer are easy to get to in some areas. TC"

Antelope in New Mexico is fairly easy as the hunts are before the rut. I did one with an outfitter and had mine down the first day. Ground was easy walking on the stalk and the .270 did the job. For speed goat a .243 or something similar would be more than enough. I have a bad right knee so steep high altitude walking is out of the question.
This same outfitter has a cull elk hunt for cow elk that is not unreasonably priced if you do a 2on1 hunt with another hunt. A 1 on 1 is only $100 more so not all that bad. I've done both and it's not a bad hunt for bunged up old dudes. We have a small group, one an open heart patient who can't do the strenuous stuff anymore, me with my bum knees (the left one is going bad) and a third who came along for the ride and will go again on the next hunt. That hunt ran me just a hair under $3K for everything, the hunt, tip for the guide, motel for me, the wife and two dogs, butchering the elk and gas for the trip to and from. Lots of elk, shots running from 80 yards for one hunter to 350 yards for one of mine. Most shots are at moving animals but only one was running flat out scared. One this hunt the outfitter has had a 100 percent success rate. You can PM or E-mail me if you want to know more.
Paul B.

 

[DrMike]

Sounds like my sort of group, Paul. :mrgreen: I'm enjoying slow, slightly addled elk and moose as I grow older.

 

[REDGREEN]

375 H&H rules! I have killed a bazillion gophers with one. Great off season practice. The 458 has flattened a few as well. Overkill, maybe. Fun? Definitely. Moose, bear and elk fall down when they go bang.

 

[salmonchaser]

Dead is dead, though the largest caliber I've killed a varmit with has been the 338. I've missed a song dog with the 375 and the 577. Forgot, I've killed porcupines with the 450 bushmaster and .375.

Ryan, if you can pull a trip west and or north, your 3006 will serve you fine. Poor Scottie doesn't even own one.

 

[DrMike]

Poor Scottie doesn't even own one.

There ya' go, picking on the young Marine. I'm sure he can take it though. I've killed coyotes with a .356 Win and squirrels with both a .356 Win and a 7mm RM. It is good practise to tag something once in a while with hunting rifles. However, I've never tagged a rock chuck with a .375 H&H. I'm out of the running there.