If you could afford it, or have hunted in B.C. and the Yukon for a mixed bag, what would you choose for a rifle, cartridge and sights, IF, you were limited to one? I am interested in everyone's opinion(s) whether you have been here or not, detail is helpful.

That is an easy question, for me at least.

I would reach in the safe and grab my Remington 700 Classic chambered in 338 Win Mag. It wears a Leupold 2.5 X 8 scope and shoots Nosler Partitions quite well.

The only thing I might do would be to change to an H-S Precision fiberglass stock before I went. I have already done this to an identical 700 Classic chambered in 300 Wby Mag and I really like that H-S stock.

R F

I agree, I would reach for my .338 win mag as well. I have a 3-9 x 50 Leupold scope and would use 225 grain Nosler Accubonds.

Hope you are going, sounds like a great hunt!


Marianne

quote:

Originally posted by kutenay:
If you could afford it, or have hunted in B.C. and the Yukon for a mixed bag, what would you choose for a rifle, cartridge and sights, IF, you were limited to one? I am interested in everyone's opinion(s) whether you have been here or not, detail is helpful.

If I could do another BC/Yukon trip, hunting, it would be worth getting my P14 redone to 338. It has iron sights on it now, rear aperture type. I would probably leave it that way. Currently it has the original stock, slightly modified, I like the handling but would be willing to change to new wood, close to the original as it is now.

And a canoe!

Kutenay, you started a pleasant topic, and an appropriate one for a man of your life-long experience in the Canadian wilderness.

I suppose I'd go with my favorite Model 70 .300 Win. Mag. with a 24" bbl. and McMillan stock loaded with 180 gr. Nosler Partitions at about 3100 fps. and zeroed for 250 yds. This rifle has a 3.5-10x Leica on top, and I always take along an identical spare scope.

I could just as easily take my .338 Win. Mag., though, with a 2.5-8x Leupold, loaded with 210 gr. Nosler Patitions at 2900 fps. and zeroed for 200 yds.

I'd rather not take a lighter rifle than one of these two, not with that kind of investment on the line.

AD

Allen, I will disagree a little. I have in the back of my mind a rifle that I will have built when I can. If D'Arcy Echols will, I would like to order a light (in leau of hunters edge tech) LH Legend chambered for the 30-06 scoped with a Leupold FX 6X36.

I would like a 7 3/4 to 8lb, all up, hunting rifle to do a lifetime of hunting with, and wouldn't hesitate to pack this rifle on such a hunt. Loaded with 165 grains TSX bullets, I'm sure it would be up to the task.

Now, if the 06 is not possible I'll order a 300 Win Mag and lose no sleep over it.

Chuck

Chuck, I think such a .30-06 would be a great way to go, no question about it. Light, handy, accurate, reliable, great in and out of the scabbard and on the mountain.

The late, great Bob Fontana told me about one of the biggest grizzlies one of his clients ever took. One shot with a .30-06, and I guess that bear went down, rolled up in ball and that was it. No fuss!

AD

Kutenay,

No brainer is one of my 30-338 mags, with a 180-200 grain bullet. It would do it all especially considering I am out of state ( country ) and would require a guide of some sort.

Slightly more challenging on my part is a 280 Rem or a 7x57. If I was going to do it, this would challenge me more. A sheep/grizzly/moose ( maybe caribou ? ) would make me work a little harder to punch the tags, and if Jack O'Conner can do it with a 270 win and 130 grain bullets 50 years ago, I see no reason 150 grains and a 280 Rem handloaded could not repeat the excercise 50 years later. The smaller 7mm and a grizzly without backup assistance from a guide or a difficult shot at a ram without the aid of a mag velocity would make the a once in a life opportunity for me.

I am not real intersted in caribou as I have hunted a pretty fair amount of these and unless a trophy rack is added to the equation or possibly a woodland version its just a bonus to the hunt.

But honestly its not about the gun, it would be the quality of the experience and the new friends I meet along the way, and a non repeatable period of my life I was enjoying. My most ragged servicable rifle in my rack that shot 2 MOA routinely, and delivered 1200 lbs of energy @ 300 yards would fit the requirement. I most certainly would stack the deck in my favor but in my mind the hunt is more important than the trick hardware I haul along for the experience.

Don't interpet this to mean to I would take along junk, but my most memorable elk was my first cow I shot with a model 94 Winchester chambered in a 32 Win Special. Fairly long shot that required three solid hits to secure my game and to this day I remember this as one of my best hunts, it wasn't easy and I had to work and do my part right to secure my ( non) trophy, it included the stalk as close as possible, and good shooting on my part.

Edit: I missed the optics comment but a 2x-7x variable, and I like Leupold or such would work; requirement is it doesn't fog up, and is reliable, there are a several options that fit the bill, a straight 4x would be my min.

Bolt rifle, 300 RUM, Leupold 2.5X8 or Swarovski 3X9, 180 gr. TBBC or SAF.

My Savage synthetic stainless in .338 WM, 230 grain FailSafes, 2X7 Burris compact, 8lb. loaded. Good topic.

I would use my .338-06/VXIII 2.5x8/laminated stock. If I was buying for the trip, a M70 in .33winmag, same scope, maybe synthetic stock.

For my choice it would be my CZ 550 fs in 9.3x62. 250 gr. for long shots with a 1.75x6 luppy...and for inside 200 yds. 286 gr. using the new Talley peep site.....

First choice would probably be a Ruger77 in
35Whelen. Scope: Leupold VariX III, 1.5-5x.
Backup/open sights, I'd go with the Ruger or
install Williams front ramp, hooded, with white
bead. Rear open guide with shallow V blade.
Barrel lenght cut to 21"

2nd choice, Ruger77 in 280Rem. Scope = same.
Open sights = same.
Also with 21" barrel.

As dj says this is just for fun ok! If the lodgings were heated then I might take my old Winchester M 70 300 H&H. It is sighted in with 165 gr bullets now. If some heavy animals were on the ticket then I would load 180 Accubonds. It has a Vari-X111 3.5-10 on it in Burris Signatures.

It's the one in the center of the picture.


If it were going to be wet I might bring a SS M70 7mm WSM. If there was a lot of climbing involved then I would bring a Kimber 270 WSM.

Allen, that wouldn't be the same grizzly that is on the same tape you took your grizzly on? Also, what rifle was Bob packing on that bear hunt with you?

Chuck

Depends on the weather forecast ... if wet or wet and cold ... a pre64 Win M70 in .338 WinMag. Has a great synthetic stock and a 3-9x42 Zeiss. Would probably use 225 gr Barnes X's as the rifle will shoot those at 1 1/4" at 200 yards and they'll work on pretty much anything including bear.

Otherwise I'd go with a CZ 550 American in 9,3x62 mounting a 2.5-8 Leupold. Would use 286 Nosler Partitions.

There was a time in my life when I had a gun for every hunt I thought I was going to go on.

As time has passed, I've whittled that selection down to 4 guns.

I've hunted Alaska 5 times. And though your hunt you have described would vary a little, it's not enough to cause me concern over my choice of rifle.

I own 2 338 Win Mags. One of them is a Stainless Classic, the other was a "Boss" that sits in a wood stock. Both are accurate, and function well.

But the Stainless/synthetic rifle is light, and it can handle all sorts of abuse that the type of hunts you are describing can offer. It wears a Leupold 3x9 VariX II.

My handloaded 210 Noslers leave the barrel at 2900 fps and depending on how much coffee I drank before I got to the range, they'll group into less than an inch. They shoot flat enough, and I haven't recovered one yet, so I don't see the need for a heavier bullet.

That's the rifle I take for just about every hunt I go on anymore, and I think it would work in the Yukon as well as it has for me in Alaska, and here in the Pacific Northwest.

I guess I've become boring as I've reached my mid-40's, but the 338 Win Mag just works for me. The only rifle I see myself needing now is something for Cape Buffalo, and that's the only animal I have a desire to hunt in Africa.

- I'm building the "right rig" now : A rifle in 8x68S (probably the A.I. version; - reamer from Pacific) consisting of a McMillan Lazzeroni thumbhole stock with a FN M-98 (Husquarna 640) action, that has a Farrel base and Leupold QR rings with a Nikon Monarch 3,5-10x50 with illuminated mil-dot reticle and with a Schultz & Larsen 26" barrel with Värberger VEG recoil/sound suppressor (;it will be my "long gun").
The only "downside" I can see is that the 8x68S may be difficult to get off the shelves in Canadian stores (??)

Chuck, that other fellow on the tape was using a .338 Win. Mag., and I don't know of what make.

When I hunted with Bob, he always carried a light, and I mean REALLY light Sako in .375 H&H with a fiberglass stock. That rifle couldn't have weighed much over 8 lbs., complete! For ammo Bob used red-box Federal 300 gr. loads. That package gave him what he needed -- a lightweight powerhouse that would stop a grizzly. I think Bob used that rifle in Africa on his first safari as well.

AD

Brno ZG-47, 9.3x62, Leupold 2.5x8 in Warne detachables.

Kutenay, a friend that guides in the Spatsizi area uses a 6.5-06 almost exclusively... with Jensen bullets everything has been "bang, flop." He prefers it on grizzlies over his 375 as with the Jensen its been more decisive for him though if a client is along he carries the 375 for their assurance (smile).

I'd take my 300 WSM or 30-06.

Winchester 70, .300 Weatherby, 180 gr Grand Slam or Nosler Partition, 3.5-10 x40mm Leupold VX-III.

HUnting BC would be a dream hunt for sure! You guys have a tremendous amount of game. I'd love to do a combo sheep & griz hunt. Moose for a bonus........and maybe throw in a big mulie

I'd take along my LH weatherby MArk V in 300 wby topped with a Leupold VXIII-2.5-8x scope. Or else I'd have a synthetic stoked,stainless LH M70 Classic made into the same caliber with the same scope.

I take my CZ American in 9.3x62mm topped with a Swarovski 2.5-10x42mm..I would probably use a premium bullet in either 250grn or 286grn depending on the bag...

I would take either my .338 Win or a .300 Mag. If sheep were in the bag, then I would favor the .300 mag.

I would take both my 338 Rem Ultra Mag and my 300 Win. Both rifles have Leopole scopes. The 300 has a 4x12x40 and the 338 has a 3x9x40. With the 300 I'd shoot 180gr bullets, with the 338 I'd be shooting 200gr bullets.

Kutenay, nice topic. I'm torn on this one.

As you know my first love is sheep hunting, and for that I would take my super-light 280AI that Gaillard, Kendall and McPhee put together.

However, as an all-arounder I would without hesitation use my Leeper-built 358 Norma long neck on a M70 classic stainless action with Pac-Nor barrel and Brown stock. It wears a VX-III 1.75-6 with Premier #4 reticle in Leupold QR low mounts. With 225 triple shocks at 2950 I can't think of a circumstance in BC (make that anywhere!) where it wouldn't be about perfect. And for everyday use after moose and elk in grizzly country the 250 North Forks at 2800 are comforting to have up the spout. The more time I spend around bears in the bush the more I like the 358. I think it's a good compromise, flatter shooting than the 375 but a bigger hole than the 338s. If it was a bit lighter it would get the nod for the sheep as well!

Right now I'm planning for a caribou hunt in Alaska in 2006 were there is a chance I might have to defend myself from brown bears - and my rifle that I'm readying is a Ruger MkII Stainless Synthetic in .338 Win Mag with a 3x9x40 Vari-X II. It's had a little trigger work and a new recoil pad. I also just bought 2 boxes of Federal Premium 210 gr. Nosler Partitions on closeout from Natchez Supply.

That said, if I am really good this year, Santa might find it in his heart, or credit limit, to bring a Kimber Montanta in .325 WSM with a 2.5x8 Leupold VX-III for my stocking. However, he is waiting on production to gear up, bugs to be worked out, waiting lists to shrink, and some more field reports to trickle in before he makes a final decision.

Jbabcock, you and I are about the same age, so maybe our perspectives on guns are aging at about the same rate. I prefer 210 Noslers @ 2900 in the .338 Win. Mag. myself. That bullet penetrates way out of proportion to its weight, for whatever reason. I was on a hunt with Bob Nosler some 13 years ago, and Bob called the 210 Partition the "flagship bullet" of their product line. I don't know if that's still the way he feels or not, but that was high praise coming from him.

I'm with you in that I just don't see the need for so many differrent cartridges and rifles. There was a time when I had to experiment with everything I could get my hands on, and I treated a safe full of rifles sort of like a bag of golf clubs -- there just HAD to be a specific, exact rifle for every single big game animal and every hunting situation -- just like a special club for every hole and situation in golf.

The more I've hunted, the more I've seen the value in consistency and sameness. Two or three rifles in solid, versatile chamberings can take in ALL of the world's big game hunting. The less fuss and confusion, the better. I'd rather have a handful of quality, reliable rifles that I'll really use rather than a safe full of mediocre stuff that'll seldom make it out of the safe, much less to the range, and even less to the field.

I have noticed that most award-winning, globe-trotting trophy hunters only use a select-few rifles, even if they own big gun collections, and even then they mostly rely on one main rifle. I know one of these guys that has gone thru at least five barrels on his .300 Weatherby over the course of four decades, and he and that rifle aren't through yet!

AD

Allen,
I completely agree with you.

My brother is the best hunter I know. He lives in Nome Alaska, home of some of the best Grizzly hunting the world has to offer. And it's not uncommon to see 65" Bull Moose taken every year. Toss in a bag limit of "5" Caribou a day and you are as close to heaven, on this side of eternity, as you can get.

He uses 1 rifle for everything, a beat up Mark V chambered in 300 Weatherby that wears a Leupold 2x7 VariX II. It's currently on it's 3rd stock, now wearing a McMillan. There isn't much blueing left on that gun, but it's killed more game than all of the rest of my families guns combined, and that's alot of animals.

I've seen him make simple shots, and incredible shots, all because of familiarity with said rifle. That gun has killed 5 Grizzlies for him, and has backed up a number of other hunters.

That's a lesson that it took me a little longer to learn.

I know your favorite rifle is the 300 Winchester, and I would be just as happy with that rifle as my 338. Both will handle 95% of any hunting task a person will encounter.

Kutenay loves his 338 Winchesters, because they just work.

When my brother hears people talk about the merits of this gun, or that gun, he just smiles and say's, "I shoot a Weatherby...".

Hey Savage99, Where's the middle of six?

Take the 35 Whelen with 225 to 250 grainers and moderate recoil, it will do all you want to. Then top it off with a good 2x7 or 3x9 and your ready for some fun.

Craven

Never been to hunting to B.C. Probably never will but I can dream. If the chance came I'm in the same camp as Allen. In fact I think my .300win is very similar to his. Mine is shooting 200 grain noslers though and wears a Leupie M8 6x.

Chuck, I don't know if a 30-06 is still doable, but some in that cartridge class do exist.

When are you putting in for Wyoming Antelope with me?

Bart

quote:

Hey Savage99, Where's the middle of six?

I had the same question

Bart, I need to do it sooner than later. Maybe I can swing it so that I pick up a completed Legend and then header on out to hunt pronghorn with you. We need to get you up here as well. I've promised D'Arcy a whitetail hunt up here, but I seem to be running in circles with work right now, and am pushed to get myself the time to hunt.

I realize the 06 might not be a possibility, but I'd be oh so tickled with a 300. With all of this 338 talk maybe it's time for another one of those. Hmmmmmm...............

Kutenay, if I were going tomorrow, I'd take my Leeper 7MM. It's an absolutely fabulous rifle, the finest I've ever owned, and I know it'll get the job done.

Chuck

I hunted last Fall near Atlin B.C.for moose, caribou, goat and wolf and used my Echols "Legend" .300 Weatherby loaded with 200 grain Accubonds @ 3060fps topped with a 3.5-10 Leupold. I agree wholeheartedly with Allen in that I would rather have a few really reliable-accurate top quality rifles than a whole closet-safe full of rifles that rarely see the light of day.

If I were going to start from scratch and wanted a newer action and a synthetic stock, I think the ideal rifle for a North Country mixed-bag hunt would be an Echols "Legend" in .338 Win with a 23 or 24 inch barrel, lightweight "EDGE" stock, loaded with a good 210-225 grain bullet and topped with a 2.5-8 Leupold VXIII. This rifle would weigh 8.5 pounds loaded and ready to go, carry four rounds in the magazine, be handy and lightweight, and pack plenty of punch in the odd chance you had an unpleasant run in with a grizzly. It would also fit nicely in a saddle scabbard. Alternately, the same rifle with the same barrel length, stock and scope chambered to .300 Win and loaded with a good 180-200 grain bullet would do just as well. (I like my 26" barreled .300Wby, but if I were to do it over I would go with the .300 Winchester and a shorter barrel).

If a person were the romantic type and wanted a more traditional wood stocked rifle, I think a pre'64 Featherweight chambered to .3O-06 (180 grain) or .338-06 (210 grain) stocked with a trim, lightweight piece of walnut by Al and Roger Biesen (or by any really good stockmaker) and scoped with a small variable or fixed 4X would be the quintessential North Country rifle.

We should have more topics like this!

Chet

I would take one of my .358 STA's scoped with a 4.5 X 14 Leupold Vari X 111. 225 grain North Forks at 3200 fps or 270 grain North Forks at 2950 fps should cover anything encountered. They have been with me to Colorado, Alaska, Alberta and Africa and completed all tasks with aplomb, jeepers where did that word come from. Good shooting.

Chet,

There was a Gun Shop in Lewiston Idaho, (Lolo Sporting Goods was the name I think ), that I used to visit whenever I was in town. They always had a few of the Biesen's rifles on the wall.

I always asked to fondle them...

Beautiful rifles, by Master Craftsmen. They always struck me as being rifles that were built to hunt with.

Chet, I use my Echols Legend .300 Win. Mag. with D'Arcy's standard 24" barrel contour more than any other rifle, but I have another one in .338 Win. Mag. that is starting to see a more and more use, and it'll be going to Tanzania this season. The next rifle I get from D'Arcy will either be a .300 or .338 with one of those new lightweight stocks. This sounds like just about the ultimate all-around package for my taste.

AD

quote:

Hey Savage99, Where's the middle of six?

"It's the one in the center of the picture."