Anyone know of a custom snowshoe maker where I can get a pair of 12"x72" snowshoes , and I don,t mean all tail ...... I know they need a good tail ,, but some models are all tail need to be able to support 300 lbs .... I have seen huistorical pictures of them . ..........

weve got nearly a foot of snow at my place in Glennallen and I,m thinking I need to be able to cover some ground this winter trapping and fur hunting .......
Also ,, anyone got any thots on the 264 Win mag , 1in 8.5 twist for a wolf rifle ?????
I,m thinking to get a velocity around 2900 fps . but the least ammount of wind drift I can ....140 gr bullets ... Anyone know if the Sierra 142 gr match king will blow up on a wolf or coyote ???

Not sure about the beeeeg snow shoes. I know in years past mushing sled makers would make snowshoes.

As to a wolf gun, if you want long range wind resistant, a 22-250 fast twist launching the 75 gr a-max would be something I'd consider.

......... I,ve talked to a few guys who have lost wolves to the 22 calibers , which I was going up in diameter .. Another ? was wether the A MAX will pack up and make a mess of the fur . and lastly I have heard the fast 22,s will ruin a fox hide .... I,m thinking the moderate velocity and super efficent bullet will help both on long range windy conditions and hopefully not blow up a fox on a lung shot ....................??????

One of the guys I hunted with has shot several wolves with the 22 mag. He says the wolves have a tendancy to look back as they run off. So a shot to the head as they are look back over there shoulder does them in. He hunts with a semi auto Marlin. A hit anywhere in the head will drop them.

He gets with 200 yards by chasing them on his snowmachine though.(Which is legal in some areas before I get flamed).

There was another hunter who posted somewhere on one of the forums I frequent who had a 6.5/300 mag made up for Wolves.

I have used the shorty snowshoes and weighed in at 200+ pounds. So I dont think you would have to go too big on the shoe to get one to work for 300 pounds.

quote:

He gets with 200 yards by chasing them on his snowmachine though.(Which is legal in some areas before I get flamed).

Just curious, but where is it legal to do that? Not flaming, just curious.

I talked to a punk in Shaktoolik who killed one with a screwdriver in the ear via that method (chasing until collapse). The same kid bragged that he'd sunk 16 belugas that year with his 30-06 before he got one tied off to the boat. And the elders there complained that aircraft flying over the ocean was the cause of the declining population. Not to hijack, but it still gets my blood pressure up.

I think a 264 would be a fine wolf rifle, nice bullet weight with good speed. I can't comment on the bullet choice.

Bob

When I was .in Salcha for a winter even the Alaskan model shoes wouldn,t hold me up on the dry show ... by the time I get fully dressed , with rifle ,and a small pack I,m nearly 300 lbs..... With an animal to pack out I would definatly be .......... The 25/06 would probably be a good round also ... or alot of others also , even a 243 ....

Try some old school style sno-crafts or Lunds. You can usually find them on ebay.

I've got two pairs of Iverson's, and both are large.
They are in Shingleton, MI, in the UP. They are traditional snow shoes made of wood.

Don

No help on the snowshoes but I have some time shooting a 264. I have shot the 140 Sierra Gameking with good results. It holds together on whitetails but it does make a good size hole in fox and coyotes. I have only shot the Match Kings at paper but have been told they sometimes do not expand acting like a solid and sometimes blow up on contact. I now use 130 Barnes tsx and do not get great damage at exit.

....... Thanks for the replys all .... I will search E bay ect .. I have decided on the 260 Rem and the 110 gr Barnes Banded solid ... As long as that bullet shoots well ... I,m hopeing to hear back from GS Custom also on the 110 gr .264 SP bullet ....

Predator control areas it is legal to pursue Wolves with a snowmachine. IIRC

Thanks! It's all good, -Bob

I looked over thr Iverson web site and they have 2 types of 12x60 " snow shoes ... Thanks again

I used to spend a lot of time running around in your area and it is just not real deep snow country. To find out more about the real big shoes, Joe Delia of Skwentna was the guy to talk to. He had super big snowshoes for the deep stuff that they got in that area. Historically, very long snowshoes were used here in the Interior for the occasional winter moose hunt but according to my 80 year old friend, those 6' shoes were used maybe once or twice a winter and only for a special hunt in deep snow.

..... I actually like snowshoeing ,, I know most people use sno goes , but still need the shoes for some things ..................................... With the weather the way it is , it,s a big ? as to wether there will be lots of snow or little ............. .. Seems I have heard of Joe Delia ,,, does , did he run the Iditarod ????? I know Skwentna / Trapper Creek , gets quite a bit of snow , I may also hunt , trap down toward the Thompson pass area so Haveing good shoes is a must ............. Now that I actually live up here there is a ton of stuff to learn ........................

For my first pair of Iverson's, I bought a frame already bent, and some rubber lacing and laced them up myself. The second pair were already made and have rawhide lacings.
When I was in the UP one time, I went by the Iverson shop. The "factory" is owned and run completely by women; not a man in the place.

Don

......... One thing I,m thinking of trying is to deck a large pair of wooden shoes , 12"x60" or larger with some material so they are like the modern mountaineering shoes ... I think it would give greater flotation .....Possible rawhide ......

I have an OLD pair of 12 x 60 and I broke one of them about 15 years ago. They were the perfect deep dry feathers snow shoes and very light and gracefull so I did not want to do a splice doubler repair. I contacted Iverson and they said if I sent them the good shoe they would duplicate it which I did and also had a spare pair made as I was afraid this style snow shoe was a lost art. They did a VERY good job with them. They are a real treasure. The next year they were offering the same shoe on the market. I would assume they knocked off patterns of my shoe.

I do NOT recomend deep snow shoes with any thing but open lace web. When you are walking in the deep dry snow like we get here in Alaska the snow tends to fall in on top of the shoe and if it is covered with any thing thats not open weave you wind up packing snow on top of them and that DOES NOT WORK !! In some snow conditions you even have to give a little half shake with every step to shake snow through the web. I have 3 different shoes 12 x 60, 10 x 50 trail style and 10 x 40 rounded tail. I don't like the big round bear paw style as any mileage with them and your hips go to hell and they are clumsey compared to the long shoes. For the foot bindings take off the buckle straps and leave the "toe hoop. Take a good car size inner tube and cut giant "rubber bands" from it. Place one of the "rubber bands" over your foot like an ankle bracelett, put your foot in the hoop then stretch the band over your toe and let it go back under your toe to the binding hoop. It should now be around the back of your heel holding foot foreward in the binding. It is quick and easy to get in and out and if you crash and burn you are not locked to a shoe. If you fall over when in deep feathers snow it is almost impossible to get back up if your shoes are strapped on. Walking in these feathers with monster shoes takes some learning and you cant just strap them on and go knock off some miles-- You will be one sore dog. It is alot different than dense, condensed snow they get down below and the spring sugar snow can be a real work out education also.

Thats a great tip for the binding ... I saw a pair of 12x60 shoes @ 6th ave Outfitters last year ... They looked like they would provide a little more floatation than the 10x56" shoes I had .....