Thanks guys for the advice and ideas for my 30-338. Now i got another question my dad is planning on guiding in the Rockey Mountains up by Fort Saint John B.C, he will be on horse back so he needs it to be light but have enough punch to take down a couger to grizzey bear. I have ask some people and what has been recomnded is 45-70 govt and a marlin guide rifle. I would like to know what you guys think of that option or what else is out there.
Guiding rifle
- Thread starter BigT3006
- Start date
- Nov 4, 2004
- 24,889
- 7,776
BT,
The Malin 1895 Guide rifle in 45-70 is a quick handling rifle with a lot of power when stuffed with the heavy loads. Accuracy is awesome, my best group going .400" at 100 yds!
JD338
The Malin 1895 Guide rifle in 45-70 is a quick handling rifle with a lot of power when stuffed with the heavy loads. Accuracy is awesome, my best group going .400" at 100 yds!
JD338
gerry
Ammo Smith
- Mar 1, 2007
- 6,759
- 1,415
When I guided here on the coast of B.C. I used my 35 whelen which is great. Now I have a stainless Ruger 77 Hawkeye 375 Ruger that feeds and functions flawlessly. The guy I worked for carried a Ruger 77 MK II in 338 and it performed well in all sorts of situations including stopping badly hit charging grizzlies. I would go with the Ruger in a 338 WM as first choice and a 375 Ruger as a second choice if you do much research on what guides use you will find that the Rugers are very popular which tells you something.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,169
- 5,630
The Marlin is an excellent rifle for guiding. On the other hand, Gerry has given you sound advice concerning the 375 Ruger. Other guides in this area do quite well with a 338 WM. Anything along these lines will work well for those tight situations when you have one chance to change the outcome of a contest.
Rem Jim
Handloader
- Jan 7, 2012
- 677
- 3
Hey Guys - i got them there Bears covered - got my 375 H&H prob loaded with 300 gr A Frames and back up with the 45-70 loaded with Beartooth 525 gr Piledrivers ! Cheers RJ 
gerry
Ammo Smith
- Mar 1, 2007
- 6,759
- 1,415
Rem Jim":1zya4622 said:Hey Guys - i got them there Bears covered - got my 375 H&H prob loaded with 300 gr A Frames and back up with the 45-70 loaded with Beartooth 525 gr Piledrivers ! Cheers RJ
I would love to see you try to carry both at one time :shock: both would be great guns Jim
Rem Jim
Handloader
- Jan 7, 2012
- 677
- 3
I would pack the 375 in my hands and the 45-70 over the shoulder - neck with a loose sling ! How Kool would i be ! 8)
A
Anonymous
Guest
I don't know any guides carrying a Marlin "Guide Gun"...several have the .375 Ruger and use it with good results and several more have .338 and .375s of different flavors.
A couple of guides I know who work in SW AK use a .416 but that's probably over the top for the Rockies in BC.
A couple of guides I know who work in SW AK use a .416 but that's probably over the top for the Rockies in BC.
A savage M99 or Browning BLR in 358 win are fast to the shoulder, pack a lot of punch and slide in and out of a scabbard with ease.
Otherwise, I think the Ruger in .375 or 338WM would be a good bet. If he really wants to go retro, CDNN has a saddle ring Win M95 in 405 win for sale. Bet he'd have the only one in BC.
Otherwise, I think the Ruger in .375 or 338WM would be a good bet. If he really wants to go retro, CDNN has a saddle ring Win M95 in 405 win for sale. Bet he'd have the only one in BC.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,169
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Bet he wouldn't!
dragger201
Beginner
- Feb 12, 2012
- 49
- 0
I wonder how much that big claw extractor has to do with the Rugers having become popular as guide guns. When I hunted in bear country all I would carry was a pair of Rugers......M77/338wm(can still remember the load 210Nosler Partition, 73grIMR4350, CCI LargeRifleMagPrimer) and a Ruger SBH .44mag(240gr Speer, 23gr Her.2400, Large Pistol MagPrimer).
WARNING!!!These were the max loads listed in mid 70's editions of the reloading manuals. I worked up to them in .5 gr increments. The sevice life of the .44mag brass was 3 reloadings. On the .338wm brass I had the occasional WW brass that would have some shiny in the area of the ejector. Never happened with Rem. brass.
WARNING!!!These were the max loads listed in mid 70's editions of the reloading manuals. I worked up to them in .5 gr increments. The sevice life of the .44mag brass was 3 reloadings. On the .338wm brass I had the occasional WW brass that would have some shiny in the area of the ejector. Never happened with Rem. brass.
CatskillCrawler
Handloader
- Jul 30, 2011
- 1,205
- 2
My ex Bro-in-Law was a guide in SE Ak for 22 years from Skagway to Ketchikan. Mostly on Admiralty Island. He's moved on but we still have conversations about going back. This topic has come up a few times. He never knew of a guide who used a lever action at work during his tenure. Bolt actions in 338WM, & 375 H&H (no 375 Ruger back then) dominated the scene with the occasional 30-06. 300WM, 340Wthby, and 416 Rigby thrown in. He carried a Husky 358Norma which was re-tagged with another name I've forgotten.
- Thread starter
- #14
Well I guided in BC for a lot of years, and the Yukon, NWT and Alberta and the big thing that many forget about these areas and in particular that NE part of BC is the enormous diversity of game you can be guiding for. While the Marlin guide gun is a good piece of equipment and suitable for some locations, it would not be my choice for that area.
As I am sure Dr. Mike knows, in some of those guiding territories north of Ft. St. John you can be guiding for the biggest list of species anywhere in North America. Stone sheep, goat, mulies, whitetails, moose, elk, caribou, grizzly, black bear, wolf AND plains bison can all be hunted in that country.
There are situations when guiding that may require you to finish a grizzly at 10 yards or a goat at 300 yards with an arrow in its ass. As mentioned by a few knowledgeable guys on here you would be best served with something like a .338 Win. Mag. or the .375 H&H/Ruger. There is a reason they are popular cartridges with guides in Alaska, BC, the Yukon and the NWT.
As for the Rugers. They are popular with guides because of the CRF action, they can take a licking and they are affordable. Guiding a hunter or two for multiple species on a horseback hunt does not leave a lot of time for babying your guide rifle.
As I am sure Dr. Mike knows, in some of those guiding territories north of Ft. St. John you can be guiding for the biggest list of species anywhere in North America. Stone sheep, goat, mulies, whitetails, moose, elk, caribou, grizzly, black bear, wolf AND plains bison can all be hunted in that country.
There are situations when guiding that may require you to finish a grizzly at 10 yards or a goat at 300 yards with an arrow in its ass. As mentioned by a few knowledgeable guys on here you would be best served with something like a .338 Win. Mag. or the .375 H&H/Ruger. There is a reason they are popular cartridges with guides in Alaska, BC, the Yukon and the NWT.
As for the Rugers. They are popular with guides because of the CRF action, they can take a licking and they are affordable. Guiding a hunter or two for multiple species on a horseback hunt does not leave a lot of time for babying your guide rifle.
As much as I like the 45/70 for me personally. Most guides have bolt actions in 338, 375, 416 and I know of two who use a 458 lott when guiding or protecting people who are fishing. If I carry two guns however one is a rifle and the other is a shotgun which can be used for protection or for birds or small game for dinner. If on horseback the 45/70 always comes along
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,169
- 5,630
I'm guessing that the 338 WM predominates in the scabbard of most guides in this area, although a few carry a 300 WM or a 300 Wby.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,650
- 5,410
I dunno much about guiding - and I like the .45/70 Marlin - but I think it would be a pretty specialized gun, most suitable as a shorter range thumper.
Wouldn't a guide have to be prepared to take a longish shot, say to stop a wounded bull elk from getting away into a nasty canyon, or into the black timber? I'd think some kind of a powerful, accurate, reliable, relatively light bolt action would be the thing to have. Maybe a .30 - .35 cal, with the ability to reach out and smack at 300+ yards as well as taking on heavy work at close range...
Versatility and rugged reliability would be good attributes of a guide's rifle I'd think.
It's Africa - but a fellow who posts over on 24 hour campfire is an African hunting guide. He owns two rifles, both Winchester Model 70's, in .30-06 and .375 H&H. Seems like a good combo.
Just rambling thoughts while the coffee kicks in this morning. :grin:
Wouldn't a guide have to be prepared to take a longish shot, say to stop a wounded bull elk from getting away into a nasty canyon, or into the black timber? I'd think some kind of a powerful, accurate, reliable, relatively light bolt action would be the thing to have. Maybe a .30 - .35 cal, with the ability to reach out and smack at 300+ yards as well as taking on heavy work at close range...
Versatility and rugged reliability would be good attributes of a guide's rifle I'd think.
It's Africa - but a fellow who posts over on 24 hour campfire is an African hunting guide. He owns two rifles, both Winchester Model 70's, in .30-06 and .375 H&H. Seems like a good combo.
Just rambling thoughts while the coffee kicks in this morning. :grin:
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
BigT3006":167glnhp said:
I prefer the 225 gr bullest for the .338 WM at about 2800+ fps and really good accuracy. This load is a great elk load out to as far away as I want to shoot it. I have owned a .338 WM for 40 years and recently (a few years ago) switched to the .340 Weatherby which is just more of a good thing. Many people on this forum also swear by and use the 210 Partiiton bullet in the .338 WM, I do not think that you can go wrong with either bullet
