Walking out the other night. Deep fireweed and other short growth about waist high. Grizzly less than 50 yards coming up my backtrail.I normally carry the STW when hunting in the southern part of the province. Going to use my 338 from now on. This was just East of Big White for fellow west coasters.I ended up passing within about 25 yards to get by him. Pretty scary but being they are the top of the food chain he never even raised his head above the fireweed till I was about 75 yards past. Obviously not worrierd about anything, he was just turning over logs and rocks not a care in the world. I say him but I think it was a big fat sow. No cubs.

Glad to hear things worked out okay.

We had a big boar grizz come in on us last year while we were boning out an elk. I backed him off with a couple shots in front of him with the STW and managed to keep him at bay long enough to finish the chore and load our packs. I never felt the slightest bit undergunned with the 7STW. Had he pushed things, I have no doubt the 150 grain bullet would have done the job.

The definitely are big scary critters at close quarters though!

I have no doubt the STW whould have worked, I just want a little more peice of mind. I had the Fed. Prem. 160 Accubond in the gun. I normally shot 160 TSXs at close to 3300.

THere's a lot more griz in the Okanagan than most people realize. Monashee

MTM

That 7STW is capable of propelling 175 and 190gr bullets at velocities the 7x57 couldn't even dream about! Everyone knows the 7x57 has accounted for huge numbers of bigger than grizz game around the world. Heck you can scorch the game with the fireball muzzleflash if you chop the barrel!

I hear ya, I know it'll kill very well. I'm on my third and have shot quite a few animals with the round. I know it sounds silly to those who live down south and east but in B.C. you could run into a Grizzly any time. I just feel better with a bigger gun in my hands. Hunted here foe 25+ years, taken more game with a 338 than any other. It just plain works. mine is a custom Mod. 70 Classic with 23" barrel and Mcmillan featherwieght stock just over 8 lbs. scoped. Comfortable to carry and comforting when in the bush.

Yup, Mike is right and I agree after having packed rifles in a great many chamberings all over BC and western-northern Canada for 46+ years. I feel exactly as he does, have six .338s and my "working" one just being finished is exactly like his, except my sights are different.

I also like my 9.3x62 and .375H&H rifles in Grizzly areas and after being involved in about a dozen kills of these big bears, and being a major .270-7mm fan with about a dozen fine rifles so chambered, I still want the bigger rifles when hunting until they begin to den.

You only need to suddenly encounter one Grizzly at 10 yds. when you are alone and far from help and you WILL quickly agree. It is not just killing, it is stopping with one hurried shot, as that is all you will get.

well speaking of these big bears and 338s, what is the opinion of a 338RUM? Or the 375 Ruger?

What would be a good rifle configuration for those in grizz areas?

I ask because I'm looking at another build for next year and I have nothing larger than 30 cal.

I like my 375H&H and have no qualms about how well it would work against a brownie. I also have a 600 OverKill. That would be cheap insurance!

One of my closest friends and hunting pards shoots a .338RUM. and I have shot it and loaded for it....not overly impressed and I can handle it, but, do not see any real benefit to it.

The .375 Ruger is a very fine round, he has one as well, built by Ralf Martini on a 1933 Oberdorf "Banner" action he talked me out of and I like it...but, in a rifle built for mountain hunting, it boots ya pretty good, more than my .338WMs do.

My "ideal" cartridge for serious BC hunting would be a .338/.375 Ruger with 250 NP Golds, in a Dakota or ZG-47 action, with the Echol's type 4+1 magazine and a Lilja or Gaillard sts. barrel, Micky stock, Recknagel irons, these new Williams bases, Ragnar rings and Leupy VX3 1.75x6 MHD scope.

I seriously considered having Martini's build me such a rig, but, at my age and with my wife's medical conditions plus the number of fine rifles I have now, it is just not a sound way to spend what few shekels the taxman leaves us.

So, to me, the best BC hunting rounds are the .308Norma-200NP, .338WM-250NP, 9.3x64-286NP, buddy has one of these too, on one of my ZG actions built by Ralf and the .375Ruger-300NP. My other favourite here is the excellent but rare .358Norma-270 Northfork.

You do not absolutely NEED these, but, in a rifle of 8.5-8.75 lbs, these are the rounds that make that creepy feeling you get when you step into steaming Grizzly scat go away....

Bigger rifles,such as my custom Browning Safari '64 vintage with Weibe dropmag,etc. about to be built and my two custom .375 H&H P-64s, one a shorty made for Grizzlies by another buddy of mine and MTMs, are usually a little heavier than you want to pack all day in BC's terrain. So, there are lots of options, the .338WM is just available and works without a lot of fuss and bother.

Harry Marx of Hi-grade Imports has a 35 Whelen in a Model 700 with three piece safety done up by Sterling Davenport. One of you Cannucks better buy it fast and put it out of my mind.

Sincerely,
Thomas