While reading a certain book for the fourth time last night I came across a section that spoke briefly about Chadwicks Ram and the chambering of the rifle that Chadwick killed it with. I don't know why it stuck out to me this time, but does anyone know or have a guess as to what it was (the caliber/chambering)? Assuming the information I have is correct.

Chuck

I believe I recall Chadwick had stated his favorite rifle was a .404 magnum shooting 300 gr bullets. Imagine it was not fun to carry up and down mountains - must have weighed 10 pounds. There was an Outdoor Life article in which he wrote about the ram, in which I THINK he said he wasn't impressed with the ram becasue he was meat hunting and the horns made the body appear so small. I'll have to dig it out and read again.

Thanks for spoiling the fun! Actually I was kind of suprised. I don't know why, just was. Guess sheep rifles don't have to be downy light, launching laser beams to work.

Chuck

P.S. I read it in Jack Atcheson's book. One of my favorite books, which is why I'm reading it for the fourth time.

Chuck

I have seen the head on many occasions while visiting the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody Wyoming. It is absolutely magnificent. Moreover, the Rifle that killed the Ram is displayed alongside the mount. It is a .404, but I don't think it is a Jeffry. It is a mauser action to be sure, and I seem to remember the name Hoffman or something like that.
There are also maps there that show the exact route that was taken on the hunt, as well as exactly where that sheep was shot. In addition, there are numerous photographs from the hunt. If you are ever in Cody Wyoming I strongly suggest that you stop in at the museum and take a look at it.

Equally impressive,and sitting right next to the Chadwick Ram the last time I was there, is the world record Desert Bighorn Sheep. It was not shot by anyone, but rather was picked up by a farm worker. It too is absolutely magnificent.

And of course, you could spend days walking around the impressive gun museum there. Last time I was there they had a special Colt showing, and it was also magnificent. Everything about that museum is magnificent and well worth a trip to see.

Blue

I think the Hoffman you are thinking of was the gunsmith who created the rifle, Frank Hoffman. I beleive he hailed from Ohio somewhere.

I haven't been to the Cody museum for several years now. Maybe this summer while I'm back in SD I'll have drive a bit further west!

The taxidermist that remounted the Chadwick Ram came down to Sonora and hunted with me this year and he is an AMAZING taxidermist! It was fun talking with him about some of the animals he has mounted over the years. He killed a record book typical with us.

Drummond

Found my copy of the February 1937 Outdoor Life article. Here's Chadwick's account of the events which took place in August 1936.

"I fired from a sitting position, and as he was directly below me, and almost straight down, I aimed a bit low. I was using a telescope sight for the first time on game of any size. The bullet struck the ram low in the body without hitting any bones and the ram left in a hurry. Roy and I took after him. All the sheep ran swiftly down the valley for a short distance and then started to climb our side of the mountain. The wounded one soon began to lag behind, and while he was running down the valley, I took four more shots at him before he disappeared. One of the bullets struck him lightly in the hip. I shouted to Roy, who was able to make much faster time than I, to give him a finishing shot. I felt that the sheep was so badly wounded that he eventually would die, perhaps suffering for hours or days before he did.

Roy was fast outdistancing me in the chase. When a man gets to be 62, he has to move a little more leisurely than when he was young.

The wounded ram was unable to keep up with the others on the upward climb, allowing Roy to get near enough to get in the finishing shot. The bullet passed through the sheep's body, back of the shoulder and above my first one. The animal dropped down into a deep ravine. When we got to him, he was dead.

Even then we were not too enthusiastic about our prize. His body was small, at least for such a pair of horns. The big surprise came when we put the tape on him. The left measured 52 1/8 along the outside curve and 31 1/4 between the tips. The circumference of the horns at the base was a little more than 15 inches."

Roy was carrying a Mod 54 Win in 30.06 and Chadwick the .404 magnum.

At the risk of boring everyone to tears, I will add a little Chadwick trivia.
I the mid 50's when I was a lad, I used to go to the little village of East Braintree, Vermont once a week to get groceries. There used to be a regular character around the village by the name of Chadwick. It was rumored that his father sent him a $1000 a month for support, and just to stay out of trouble. This Chadwick lived directly across the street from the store, and when the curtains were open in the house, one could see that the living room was full of mounted big animals from all over the world.
A few years ago, visiting the Cody museum, I saw the Chadwick ram display. A note about Chadwick said that he had a house in East Braintree, Vermont. Since East Braintree has only a handful of residents, I am fairly well convinced that this Chadwick that I used to see wandering about the village must have been the son of the famous hunter.
End of boring, trivial nostalgia!!!

Royce

Iteresting stories for sure. Another to add to the pile. A friend of mine doing a research artical for a book on wild sheep talked to one of his relatives. They said that a bunch of grandpas stuff was in the attic. There he found the gun sheath and notes and pictures of the hunt. He has an original negative of the sheep back at camp and was kind enough to get a picture made for me. It is a little grainy and there are cratches on it but what do you expect from a 70 year old negative.

Alex

Too add a bit to the story, it wasn't quite as described in the original magazine article. I worked with Roy Hargreave's nephew for a few years, and got "the rest of the story".

Chadwick's shot at the ran was not a mortal wound, and Roy Hargreaves tracked it down alone. Roy stalked and shot it. Chadwick, however, was the paying customer so it was "his" ram.

As for Roy, he spent his life guiding, and years later died in his sleep while in camp. He was buried in the mountains he loved. Not a bad way to go!!

I have heard pretty much the same thing and it is not the only tale of guides-hunters in the B.C. bush I heard in my years of working in forestry. I think that many of the guys on the forum might be a bit shocked at the attitudes held by many working professionals toward some famous hunters and writers.

If, I remember correctly, Hargreaves is buried in the Wilmore as is his former sidekick, Curley Cochrane and a few other noted old bushwhackers. Boy, those were the days, I remember my father and other guys telling me of the fishing and hunting in B.C. before WW II. I think that a lot of us were born too late........

I too have heard the same story as related by RickF. My Grandfather hunted with Roy for a month back in 1948 and Roy told him the full story of how the sheep was only lightly wounded and Roy was the one that had to track it and finish it.

According to Jack O'Connor in "Sheep and Sheep Hunting", the rifle was - "a .404 Jeffrey Magnum built by Hoffman Arms Company." O'Connor also says that "He had it rigged with some sort of complicated mechanism so he could manipulate the bolt rapidly. I cannot imagine a much worse sheep rifle. However, I was told that Chadwick had a thing about Grizzlies." He then goes on to tell the same story that RickF mentioned.