Pondering 2017 fall hunting rifles...

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
17,495
4,681
What do you guys 'n gals intend to use this coming season?

Last year I kept life real simple and used the same 30-06 Rem 700 CDL for everything. But this season?

Forest grouse - .22 Marlin 39A, I've got it scoped again. Should be perfect, if I don't use my shotgun.

Black bear - opens August 1st - intent is to try to call one for my son to pop at modest range with the .30-30 Glenfield! :grin: But I'll have a rifle along as well most likely. Maybe "Dad's Bear Rifle" the .375 Number One will re-appear? I sure like that thing...

Mule Deer - have two tags! Buck & doe! Same short season in October though. It would be real easy to just grab the 30-06 or 25-06 Rem 700 CDL... But this is going to be in Really Open, long-range type terrain and I keep looking at the very seldom used .300 WSM Winchester Model 70 with that 4.5-14x Leupold... Just sitting there... It's accurate as all get out with a couple of different loads...

Elk - I think I'm going to be hunting an "any elk" area, here in Central Washington. Thick cover. Thinking the Number One WILL go for that.

Or I could just do it all with the .30-06 again... :mrgreen:

I'm just pondering at this point. How 'bout you?

Guy
 
Antelope......no clue
Deer............no clue
Elk..............no clue

No help huh?
 
If my 35 Whelen AI M70 Fwt is ready by then, I will probably use it, just so I can get some time in the field with it. If I don't have time to get it sighted in and some load testing, I'll opt for my M70 Fwt in 308. My youngest just finished her Hunter's Ed, so I'll be sitting in the backseat until both my girls tag out anyway.

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Probably do an early bow hunt in the Snoqualmie Pass area, then to Wyoming and Oregon. The choice for me is hard, as it will either be my 300 WM or my 300 WM. Why would I ever mess with over 40+ years of success? In case I have a weak moment I might carry the Mashburn, but who knows? I would really like to take an elk someday with a bow, I haven't done that.
 
Fotis - I'm sure you'll figure it out!

Maybe a huge Weatherby for antelope and a tiny, fast Weatherby for elk?

Just for fun!
 
I'm hoping to use my 8X68 to tag some game this fall. My 35 Whelen has never drawn blood--yet. So, it may get carried along this year. I hope to work up loads for some of the smaller cartridges so they may be taken out before the year is over.
 
Really looking forward to hunting with a suppressed 308 this fall. I'm hoping to get my can out of purgatory before august 10. I might still use the shorty 308 even if the suppressor paperwork hasn't come thru yet.

Other than that it will more than likely be the tried and true 300 RUM.




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dangerous game--450/400 N.E. double
large plains game-- 300 H & H bolt
small plains game--6.5 swede bolt

dove, 20 gauge auto

capercaillie --probably the 6.5 swede bolt, but maybe an over/under ( rifle over shotgun )

Best Regards

Jamila

I am sure there is a thread here someplace but I am about to board so will say this here. Happy Fathers Day gentlemen, I hope each and everyone of you had a wonderful day. My sisters and I bought dad a saddle
 
I'm probably going to break my season into a couple of chunks...

Early season- .300WSM
Late Season- 6.5 Creedmoor

The early season has a moose tag in it, the late season is when the caribou migrate.

For grouse and ptarmigan and such- I've got a new .410 O/U I'm going to try out...barring that- whatever i've got along.
 
Deer- .270 Winchester & 7mm Dakota for back up.

Cow elk-.35 Whelen & .375 H&H for back up.

Javelina- .257 Roberts,.25/06 or maybe my .275 Rigby.
 
Mule Deer/Elk/Black Bear/Wolf here in Idaho in October - My baby - Win 70, 270 win, Leupold VX6 2-12X42 cds, 129gr Barnes LRX

Northern BC Moose Hunt - Weatherby Vanguard DGR 375H&H, 270 Barnes TSX, VXR - 2-7X33.

My wife will have at least and Idaho general deer tag, but if she draws could also have a trophy elk tag and antelope. For anything she hunts, will be the rifle I am building for my 10 year old son right now - Remington 700 6.5 Creedmoor, Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40, probably 125 grain partitions.
 
Elk................................................. 340 wby using 240 grain North Forks
Mule deer..........................................300 wby using 180 grain SP's
Whitetail in Sonora TX........................7x57 using 140 gr. AB
Maybe a 7mm mag for another whitetail
maybe a 30-30 during a stalk

Mathews drenalin for Oklahoma whitetail.
 
elk archery i switched this year from trying to draw a premium permit to try and draw a different premium permit same results. no permit
mule deer ruger m77 in 280
white tail doe special permit ruger 280
bears depends either 300 mag or 338 rum
sitka blacktails 300 mag.
cougars whatever i have in my hands
 
Mountain Goat - 35 Whelen - 200 gr AccuBond
Moose - 35 Whelen 200 gr TTSX or 250 gr Norma Oryx
Antlerless mule deer hunt (bucks will be open as well) - 270 Win 150 gr Ballistic Tip or 150 gr Speer Hot Cor
Blacktailed deer - 260 Rem - 130 gr AccuBond or 140 gr Ballistic Tip

Back up for my young cousin's grizzly hunt -35 Whelen - 250 gr Norma Oryx.

I'm going to talk him into using the 215 gr Woodleigh for his 303 British for the hunt, it will be on a river full of salmon with thick brush everywhere. I imagine we will fish for coho there and when a bear shows up the fun will begin. I told him we are going to do a lot of practice for the hunt :lol: If it was in the open more above treeline or in the berry patches the 174 gr Woodleigh would get the nod.
 
Archery season elk, black bear, and mule deer buck in a special area I drew a buck tag for. Martin Hunter recurve.

Just to have during archery season as bear season opens shortly after archery season. Ruger 1B 30-06.

Rifle season elk and mule deer with a wolf tag in pocket also!! Winchester Model 70 280AI.

Coyotes and wolves after general big-game shuts down. Ruger 1B 6mm Remington.
 
Well we may fool around a little this fall instead of just lugging that old Model 70 every where we go in the boring
"30 Govt" loading. Or messing around with a tryed and true
.270 in my new Tikka...... That is simply a deer hunters dream rifle. I am thinking of hunting with my 2nd Tikka, the little Sweede W/ 129gr SSTs, this fall for deer, which looks like we are hunting early season in New Brunswick, and a trip up to Labrador for Caribou with the airplane. Finishing up in Northern Saskatchewan in Nov, besides our normal season here. Also since I have 2 Moose Hunters that drew tags yesterday, I will need to pull our old 35 Whelen out; and blow the dust off it. (y) I have a bunch of premium bullets loaded for it to include Kodiaks for Alaska,Nosler ABs for long range stuff,6/8 boxes of Partitions etc. But for Maine Moose I simply found boring old Speer 250s to work perfectly for the shots we get here in the Big Woods. Also have a bear hunter coming that never brings a gun, my "lender" is the little 7/08 which is fine from a stand, but he wants a heavier bullet (that he does NOT need !) so I will probably "give in" and let him use the model 70..... :wink: Good Luck to all for fall season 2017. Hope everyone is safe and successful.
Earle
 
This year is about making a few things right so to speak.

That .340 wby I mentioned was a gift from a friend who is no longer with us and his wish was that I enjoyed it as much as he enjoyed his own. He lived in Alaska and hunted everything with it including bears. He was also keen on the 240 grain NF and had a Leupold VX7 2.5-10 on his rifle. In honor of him I put the same scope on mine and developed a load using the same bullet.

It's taken several animals, 4 deer and three smaller game animals. Not really worthy of the gift or the rifle in my opinion. This year I'll be elk hunting after a 11 year hiatus and that rifle is my starter.

That 300 wby is a fantastic rifle that never really had the chance to get something nice. Plenty of whitetails but, nothing all that great so it will serve as a back up on that elk hunt and if possible, I would like to use it for a mule deer if the opportunity exists.

That 7x57 was a custom rifle given my Dad when I was just a child. At the time it was a .257 AI which is a great cartridge. However, dad only dabbled in reloading, basically picking a load from a book and that was that. The rifle never really was consistent. A few years ago I got off my duff and started to learn to reload. In doing so it was noticed that the case neck would bulge. Not really a good idea and my gun smith friend recommended a new barrel. Since the action is a 1936 Mexican mauser I was not in favor of staying with the .257 AI due to pressure levels. So, it was returned to what we thought it to be in the first place, a 7x57. I've got a load underway and will use it on a whitetail hunt.
 
For deer, I'll be using my Traditions Vortek for the early M/L season. We'll see how that goes.

Unless something happens to change my mind, I'm planning to use my Henry H010CC .45-70 for rifle season. I want to get real comfortable with that gun and the loads I have worked up for it. I'd be real excited to put the smack on the buck I wanted last year with it.

If I get into late M/L season and just have a doe tag to fill, I may use my Cabelas Hawken. Haven't had that out for a few years now. Not sure how well my aging eyes would handle the open sights, tho.
 
c. schutte said:
This year is about making a few things right so to speak.

That .340 wby I mentioned was a gift from a friend who is no longer with us and his wish was that I enjoyed it as much as he enjoyed his own. He lived in Alaska and hunted everything with it including bears. He was also keen on the 240 grain NF and had a Leupold VX7 2.5-10 on his rifle. In honor of him I put the same scope on mine and developed a load using the same bullet.

It's taken several animals, 4 deer and three smaller game animals. Not really worthy of the gift or the rifle in my opinion. This year I'll be elk hunting after a 11 year hiatus and that rifle is my starter.

Charles,

First let me advise the members of the forum that Aleena ( Jamila'a mother ) gave me permission to use her account to make this post as I am not a member of your forum.

The person that gifted Charles with the rifle was my grandfather, so wanted to acknowledge Charle's kind words. Charles, as well as another gentleman were both well liked by my grandfather. Thank you Charles for not only the kind words but for doing everything that you can possibly do to honor the man who gifted you the rifle. Thank you!

As you may have heard I have my business here in Africa up for sale and when it sells I will move back to Alaska. I enjoyed my time here, and will leave with many memories. Just so you know I went from the one plane that my grandparents started me with, to three, so Africa has been good to me. I will always remember my first lion hunt and thinking o.k. I have hunted lion and coastal grizzlies, I can die a happy woman.

I am sorry to hear that some things dont change and that some of the nonsense Kelly, Pat, and Aleena experienced is now being directed at Cheyenne. I dont know this but it would not surprise me if the same malcontent is involved in trying to destroy Cheyenne's life.

I would like to thank the forum for allowing me to "speak" too Charles, here and to thank him for his kind words. Best of luck on your hunt Charles, and best of luck to everyone on there fall hunt's

with respect, Charlee
 
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