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Ladies and Gentlemen: I am in the process of assembling a rifle for sheep hunting in Canada and Alaska. Having no experience in this realm, I have whittled the cartridge selection down in my mind to a 7x57 Ackley, 30-06 Ackley, 8x57 Ackley and 8mm-06 Ackley. I will be making this rifle pretty light, around 7.75-8.00 pounds total weight with scope. Presently, I am shooting a heavier 7x57 Ackley for hunting here in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the lower 48 states. If a grizzly bear presents itself, while I am sheep hunting, will all those above cartridges work on the bear? Also, on an interior grizzly hunt, what cartridges and bullets have worked successfully for you? Sincerely, Chris Bemis | ||
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Chris, Out of the choices you've provided I'd pick the 30-06 Ackley. With a premium 180 gr bullet you can easily make any 300 yard shot even if you only get 2800 FPS from blowing out the shoulder. An interior grizzly weighing 300 pounds is a big bear so the '06 should work nicely. The 8MM's certainly would work but if I was to move up I'd go to the 338WM. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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you're .06 AI will work out well. yes when you sheep hunt grizz are abouts sure enough. Do not underestimate the weight of an interior grizz-they weigh much more than 300 lbs if you come across a big boar-be prepared and as always practice to perfect your shot-your choice of the .06 is packable and will suit you just fine. | |||
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Yale My vote goes to the 7mm Rem. Mag. .. It has worked for me on all those Animals.. When Your Buck'in the Wind or the Shots are long the 7 Mag is Strong.. AK | |||
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Thank all of you for your input. Dear AK: What bullets have you used in your 7mm mag. on interior grizzly? I'm getting near 7mm mag. velocities from my 7x57 AI, using full case and some compressed loads of Re-22 and IMR-7828 with 140-175 grain bullets. So, I may already be in the ballpark with my 7x57 AI. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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Yale Failsafe 160 gr.. How long do you think that barrel will last pushing it that hard.. Lets say I wanted to out do your 7x57 Imp with the 7mm Mag..I could.. Volume is on my side .. Is it a good idea.. AK | |||
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any of your choices are fine. Shoot a heavy bullet constructed well. I love my Avatar Too Fellas. | |||
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if you are getting "near 7mm mag. velocities" from a 7x57 AI, then you are incredible over pressure. What chronograph and loads are you using? You are going to be a several day hike out in BFE on these hunts. If you overstress your rifle, action, and brass to the degree you alude to, then you are asking for trouble and WILL have problems. The only question is when. If it happens 6 days into a backpack hunt, then you could be totally SOL. This is something you seriously need to consider. The hunts are are talking about are far different then hunting in PA and almost any other place in the Lower 48. If you lock up your rifle in PA on a deer hunt, you walk to your truck, drive home, and get another rifle from the safe. If you blow up your rifle in PA, someone can get you to a hospital. Blow up a rifle deep in the Alsakan Range, and you could bleed to death. Best case is you would suffer greatly until you got out, likely days later. Someone getting 7mag velocites from a 7x57AI on a suburban rifle range is irresposible. Doing it with your guide laying beside you on a remote mountain range is very selfish and shows no concern for others. If you insist on taking these chances yourself, then you owe it to your guide to tell them before you show up what you will be doing. That way they can take precautions to protect themselves. A 7.5-8 pound rifle is very heavy and far more than a rifle of these calibers needs to weigh. Nothing worng with it, but anything but "pretty light." A good Alpine rifle in the calibers you mention can weigh 5.5-5.75#. I don't know how much hunting you have done far from civiliation, but do it enough and you will have gun/ammo problems. Wildcats means you are SOL. Nothing wrong with them, but know going in that you are adding risks to the trip, so be OK with it before you do it. A regular .30-06 or .280 will in practical terms do what your wildcats are doing, and you can find ammo. Well, at least for the '06. | |||
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Must agree with Marc though getting rescued from the bush is a little better these days with the advent of sat phones and GPS's. I'd bring a rifle that you can cartridges for up here and Sportsman's Warehouse has a huge inventory of them year round. I'd stay away from using a wildcat where you are in a remote hunting location such as Alaska. "We band of 45-70'ers" | |||
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Agree with the above totally. Pick a cartridge that will handle both. Something like a .300 winnie would be perfect. | |||
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A 30-06 with a proper bullet will do the job if you do your part. Hear and forget. See and remember. Do and understand. | |||
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In case I met a big bear...I would carry my .358 Norma magnum...it still would reach out fine. While not an optimum sheep rifle, I like this cartridge as an all around number...and works just in case you need the power. Or my .30 Newton which is basically a .30-338, except not belted...then you could have light rounds for sheep & flat shooting & 200 gr loads if needed. I like my .358 Norma in Grizzly country & often carry it. Best Regards, Tom | |||
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Ladies and Gentlemen: Thank you for your opinions. Had a bunch of 30 calibers, 30-06 to 300 Weatherby, and just don't feel the love. So, a lightweight 8mm in some configuration will probably be the grizzly gun, and the 7x57 AI will be used to knock off sheep. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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Why not simplify your life and build an 8x68 and shoot 200 grn premium bullets Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Dear Mr. Dettorre: Just about in your camp, but a slight modification, maybe, from the 8x68. I'm thinking about a 8mm-338 Win. Mag. with a Lilja #2 barrel. Redding has that cartridge in their custom dies stable, and Dave Manson will make me a suitable reamer. That velocity with a 200 grain bullet at over 3100 fps, if verifiable, would make it a tremendous killer in my opinion. Thank you for your opinion. I will look into the 8x68 availability as an option. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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Yeah, what Marc said +1 --- take a 270 win, 30/06, or 300 win. Ain't no "AI" ammo in Alaska. DRSS & Bolt Action Trash | |||
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Yale, a 200 gr. will not do 3100 out of a 8mm-338. Get a 338 and don't look back. Nothing wrong with wildcats just load them to senceable levels. As others have said even interior Grizzlies can be very big/tough. Yes a 7mm bullet in the lungs will kill them, its just sometimes they may not know it for a minute or two. | |||
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For what its worth. SOund advice on all of the above. I hunt with the .338 X 06 in my Encore handgun using 180gr Nosler Accubonds and 210 Partitions. Recently re-chambered that into a .338R CE which is a rimmed version of the old .338 Gibbs. Weighs 5.2 lbs and is affectionately named " BangFlop" Neal | |||
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I would avoid the wildcats. It is a 50/50 shot the airlines will temporarily lose some or all of your bags. i would go with a tried and true .30-06 with a 180, 190, or 200 gr. premium bullet like the n.p. and not over think the whole thing. the sheep you can take with almost anything , the bear i like .30 cal and heavier calibers and heavy for caliber bullets. m.h.o. Cold Zero | |||
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Buy you a Ruger stainless 338 win mag and use 250 gr Nosler Partitions.I would not fool with a wildcat up here.I would use factory ammo.Its one of the toughest most accurate guns for the money you can find.I have a bunch and they all shoot under an inch at 100 yards.It will always shoot and has the least recoil of any 338 I have tried without a brake on it.I have shot 3/4" groups at 200 yards with mine and it out shot my Winchester model 70 stainless with a boss on it. | |||
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Here's what I did: call up Melvin Forbes at NULA, and put together a .30-06 with a Leupold scope, sight in with Federal 180gr TSX (better than MOA). Class act all the way, no muss, no fuss. One guy to call if anything goes wrong who cares AND has the skill to make thing right. Mate that with the .30-06 for a non-sexy rig that gets'er dun! Maybe I'm getting boring as I get older, but where a rifle is concerned, I want a tool, not a project/hobby. Don | |||
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Many of your ideas on Ackley's is flawed! Especially the 30-06 Ackley Imp! My reasoning; Most of us on this site are bonified gun nuts. To some of us, it is more self satifying to hunt with a cartridge which, to us, is out of the norm. And I won't knock the 30-06 as I've owned various ones for over 32 years. The Ackley, while being a wildcat is one of the most easy to get along with or without. By that, if the airlines does loose my home brewed, carefully tweeked ammo, I'll simply buy the local brand of 30-06 an I'm back in business, as many of you have suggested. Yes, I'm sure I'll have to sight it in, but if my rifle were a 30-06 and airlines did indeed loose that ammo, I'd stand a good chance of having to sight that in as well. Think through what you're writing before bashing something.  | |||
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Dear Big Al: I'm a little lost. What are my flawed ideas on Ackley's improved cartridges, what am I bashing and what did I not think through? I've re-read your post four times, and as a fairly skilled lawyer can usually translate, shall we say less than clear communication, but again I am at a loss concerning what your criticism is. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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Yale, Not you sir! I was referring comments made by Marc-Stokeld, M70Nut, AZGuy and Cold Zero. They make a point about "wildcats" in general which makes sense; not with the 30-06 Ackley! Only somewhat with your 7x57 AI, 8x57 AI as it "might" be difficult, not impossible, to find that ammo up in AK. Granted it has been over 27 years since I lived up there. For the record I would fully support your choice for a premium bullet in 30-06 AI as I have one and am planning on a very similar hunt myself; Dall and Interior Grizzley. 818 yds, Rem 700, 26" SS lilja, Nosler 180 BT | |||
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I am a custom gunamker and can barrel an action with the best of them. I'll put my measured TIR's side by side with any maker and not be ashamed in the least. I am fully aware of the true Ackley round being slightly shorter on the shoulder to ensure a crush fit when chambering factory ammo. I am also fully aware That there are untold thousands of them with "Ackley" and "AI" on the barrel that are not chambered to the original design. I also know that if the rounds producing the velocities described by the poster of the question that started the thread were sent to White, then one of two things would be proven. Possibility 1: The velocities were far slower than claimed. Possibility 2: The rounds generate chamber pressures that are grossly higher than responsible reloaders load to. Actually, both could be proven to be true by White Labs. I will put my money where my mouth is on this one. If 5 rounds are sent to White and they prove to be at the claimed velocity at normal operating pressures, then I will pay for all testing, and throw in enough money to load another 100 rounds of the same ammo. That can then be shipped to AK ahead of time to help ensure smooth sailing while traveling. I have hunted in more US states and more countries around the globe than the majority of people, and I know how bad it can be when there is no ammo to be had. The extra 100 rounds that I pay for will reduce the odds of a baggage cock up interfereing with the hunt in question. So it is time to put up or shut up. Mr. GSSP, before you jump down my throat, I would urge you to heed your own advice and think through what you are writing before bashing something (namely ME!). Assuming you know the extent of another's knowledge is not a safe way to keep your face free from egg. Will you send me a cute little PM like Mr. Yale did now? | |||
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Dear Big Al: Thanks for clearing the deck, I am now cognizant. And yes, a non-30-06, 338 Win. Mag. round places me at a disadvantage if my ammunition disappears, but I will see if I can plan ahead for that contingency. I just like developing my own stuff, like a modified 351 Windsor Ford engine I used in drag racing years ago in a 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator. After a bunch of experimentation, I outran 428 big block Fords, amongst other iron. Snapped six u-joints during those many races though. Have to pay the price of admission sometime. Back to guns: I have some 7x57 AI loads that I worked up with Reloder 22 and IMR-7828, if you are interested. Not too pleased with the IMR-7828 SSC, though. Got some neat velocities almost exactly the same as in Parker O. Ackley's volume I. I'm still reloading the cases with no head expansion or primer pocket expansion. I started out in a way trying to disprove Mr. Ackley, and am now a disciple. Just send me a private message. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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In 1974 I built my second wildcat in an AI cartridge. SInce that time I have had just about all of them and still have many of them. Reason I went to the AI because of the cool looking shoulder and the fact that I get less case stretch and a more positive shoulder to head space off of. In most cases I have increased velocity without noticing any change in my case life. Mr Ackley's own words attest that not all of his ideas improved the original chambering. Rocky Gibbs did not like the Ackley shoulder angle of 40 degrees and made his 35 degrees. To get the Gibbs cartridges to produce the published ballistics one must exceed normal chamber pressures to get it done. That is why I have gone to a case that can handle the pressures if need be. But again I load down well below what I can safely use because Gibbs himself said load to safe pressures and good case life. Again its the rim on one end and the cool looking shoulder on the other that trips my trigger. Part 2: I arrived at a hunting destination in 96 to find that our guns apparently were traveling on a different flight. Since the air charter was at the airport to take me to the bush, I had him walk to the agent with me. After a brief discussion my wife and I were in $250. a night room and eating prime rib and lobster on the airlines. Noon the following day our guns arrived. I always travel with a 30-06 backup. Its sighted in with factory 180 grain bullets. I carry ammo for my guns in every piece of luggage in the event that a piece of luggage is lost. Not much one can do about the gun being lost though. For those wanting to hunt with your wildcats in Alaska, feel free to contact me ahead of time in Kodiak. I am very sure I have the normal run of wildcat dies to replace any ammo that may be lost or damaged. Probably have it to you the next day on Gold Streak next day air to Anchorage. We do what we do because we can! If we all followed someone elses ideas then there would never be anything new and improved. For what its worth Neal Cooper Kodiak, Ak and I am in the phone book. | |||
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Marc, Cool you jets man! Sorry I came across as attacking you and the others. I'm not attacking you personally. I "attacked", if that is the word you wish to use, your bashing a 30-06 Ackley and while re-reading your 1st post, not carefully enough I might add, I see you and I actually agree. Go figure! I don't know how much hunting you have done far from civiliation, but do it enough and you will have gun/ammo problems. Wildcats means you are SOL. Nothing wrong with them, but know going in that you are adding risks to the trip, so be OK with it before you do it. A regular .30-06 or .280 will in practical terms do what your wildcats are doing, and you can find ammo. Well, at least for the '06. So with that in mind, I think we can agree. Now lets discuss the 30-06 Ackley Imp. I have zero experience with the others, so please don't take the discussion there if possible. I think you challenged me to send 5 of my 30-06 Ackley rounds to White House testing labs. 1) I test my rounds via an Ohler M33 for velocity and I follow Ken Ohler's directions precisely, so if they are not what I claim them to be then it needs to be taken up with Ken Ohler. I also watch all the standard pressure signs but especially mic'ing the case head to .0001". My current load is 2 grains less than the point where I hit stiff bolt lift. I'm also on my 5th round of reloads of a batch of Winchester brass and primers pockets are still acceptable, to me. 2) I have NO DOUBT my pressures are higer than "normal operating pressures"; that being SAAMI. With that in mind, I feel my ammo will not come up to your challenge, if that is what you wish to call it. It's late, I have an early morning. I'll see any replies tomorrow at work. Good night! | |||
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i have hunted enough times in ak. and other mtn. destinations to even be able to guess how many times the airlines have lost my gun case, duffel bag/s. there is no telling when you may need to be able to replace your ammo or use a replacementgun. the situation is not getting any better for the bags either, it is getting worse. i do not hand load and would not take a wild cat caliber on a trip of this type if i did. even if some rare stores carried the caliber you wanted to use. Cold Zero | |||
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I took a 338-06 on my Dall sheep, Griz hunt and it worked great...on both animals. IMO mobility is the critical factor on this type of hunt. Bring a rifle that you can cary all day...in difficult enviroments. ****************************************************************** R. Lee Ermey: "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." ****************************************************************** We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, Which purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a President, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we'll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke!!!!! 'What the hell could possibly go wrong?' | |||
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Dear Roscoe: I have come to a similar conclusion about firearms portability in the mountains, particularly after climbing a 14,000 foot hill in Colorado a few years ago. Your advice is well taken, and I thank you for it. I'll probably go with a slightly hopped up 8mm, since I can get a pretty small contour barrel with the .323" groove. From my research, it appears that the 8mm like your 338-06 lands a bigger hit on a grizzly than my all purpose 7x57 Ackley that I am using for lots of other things. After being within 15 feet of large black bears while at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico as a visiting scout in 1978, and watching them sprint at full speed, I definately want to hit a grizzly using a powerful rifle. It was absolutely amazing to see how fast they can run. Three of us were sprinters in High School track at the time, and there was no way even as 15 year olds, that we could have caught that bear. He could have easily caught us, though. Lilja will make a #2 in 8mm and Pac-Nor a Lightweight contour in the same caliber. This lighter barrel really drops the weight. Also, Borden Rifles makes the Rimrock fiberglass stock which comes in at under 2 lbs. All this and a lightweight Leupold 1.5-5x scope should give me a really portable and powerful rifle in 8mm in one of my 1908 Brazilian Mauser actions. It appears, also from my research that the big velocity jump doesn't happen until you get into the magnum case capacity for 8mm. This may be irrelevant since the 8x57 Ackley or the 8mm-06 Ackley are probably pushing a 200-220 grain at ample speed to kill a grizzly effectively. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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I don't see where anyone bashed the 30-06AI, if anyone needs to settle down it's you GSSP. The man asked for some advice and that what we gave him, take it or leave it. "We band of 45-70'ers" | |||
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Chris, I think you are on the right path with a #2 barrel. That is very similar to what my 338-06 wears. I also prefer a 20" length on my carry guns. That shorter barrel provided good balance which makes carrying a rifle much easier. I never use a sling on a pack hunt so any rifle over 8.5 LBS becomes a burden after a few days of walking. I have a rifles inc LW Strata that is almost too light...about 6.5 LBS...I save it for the extreme hunts. ****************************************************************** R. Lee Ermey: "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." ****************************************************************** We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, Which purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a President, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we'll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke!!!!! 'What the hell could possibly go wrong?' | |||
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Re barrel life and accuracy: while qualifying for a M 1 Garand I noticed an elderly shooter with a 1903 Springfield next to me shooting at simulator targets equal to 600 yards but he was hitting the bull on the majority of shots whether in slow or rapid fire standing ,kneeling or prone.He said he'd fired over 50,000 rounds thru his rifle in practise and competition and had only 6 inches of rifling left near the muzzle.His shooting jacket had 2 emblems, United States 1950 & 1951 National High Power Rifle Champion.So when you question someone about bore life think of this man with his 1903 Springfield with 6 inches of rifling & still able to hit the X ring. | |||
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Dear scr83jp: Interesting point that you describe about barrel wear. I have seen an original pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 in 220 Swift with at least 4" of throat gone that shot like a house on fire. Glad that you brought this up, because I did not peruse the AK Range opinion earlier. My question is how can I burn up a 7mm barrel with 54-60 grains of powder in my 7x57 AI compared to the much larger amount of powder used in a 7mm mag., which goes through the same size hole? Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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Yale: Have you noticed that most Alaskans have mentioned the .300WM and .338WM, while folks from the lower-48 have mentioned all sorts of calibers used over there? Some of the reasons why Alaskans recommend the larger calibers: 1. The .338WM, .300WM, and .30-06 are the most popular cartridges in Alaska, and ammo for these can be purchased an any of the local gun stores. 2. You may find ammo for some of the metrics you have mentioned, but you will have to look hard. If for whatever reason you lose your ammo, something that is very possible in Alaska, your hunting partners, guide, etc., may not have extra ammo of the same caliber. However, there is a good chance that there will be ammo for the three calibers I mentioned above. 3. Interior grizzly bears may be smaller than coastal bears, but some are large enough. For example, several years ago a guy from Anchorage killed a 9' 6" interior bear near Fairbanks. | |||
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Yale if you want a nice light sheep rifle i would take a serious look at a Rem 700 titanium in 7mm SAUM. You will get identical velocities as a 280AI and the rifle is very light. While the SAUM will probably be dead in a couple of years just buy 500 cases and that should cover it. Cases could also be made off of the ultra mag but it would be a pain. They also make the titanium in standard cartridges ie; 30-06 and 270win. | |||
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Dear Fgulla: Thank you for your idea, but I am an 1898 Mauser nut, so it must be a Mauser action. I like old Remington 700's, having used my 1968 700 ADL in 243 Winchester to shoot three deer here in Pennsylvania as a youngster and adult. I am having a 1940 98k Mauser that I picked up three months ago barreled with a #1 Lilja in 7x57 Ackley to be used as a mountain rifle. I'll probably stock it with wood, but may also try the 2 pound Rimrock fiberglass stock. That 7x57 AI should get pretty close in velocity or at least close enough to the 7mm SAUM. That will take care of sheep. As to grizzly, I don't know, but the 175 gr. Swift A-Frame, North Fork or Barnes TSX may be enough for an interior grizzly. Not knowing the answer to this question is causing me to also build a lightweight 8mm with a heavier bullet. I'm sitting on the fence in deciding between an 8x57 AI with a 200-220 grain Swift at lower velocity, but possibly adequate velocity for bear, or the much faster 8mm-338 Win. Magnum. I'm just not a 30 caliber fan; had 30-06's through 300 Weatherby's, but just didn't get excited. Also, had (2) 338 Win. Mags. and no interest there either. Nothing logical about this, so I am glad that 8mm bullets are still in production, and that they will probably work for the application that I desire. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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a .323" bullet-mmmmmh I was going to say that you are a bit odd when you turn down both proven and highly "toutable" calibers  but I own a 8x57 as well.don't kid yourself when you say "interior grizz", they get pretty immense in size and move like damn fast! that 7x57 of yours needs to be on the backburner-if all conditions are right an you have a backup sure you use it but if not take something bigger in the bushes. you can come across some "boo-boo" size anything but..........them big ones will surprise you. I use to think I can down anything with a .270 until I crossed tracks from a big bull moose to a grizz track that swallowed up my boot. He was hunting the same game I was - many yrs. back. just food for thought. | |||
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Dear Grizz007: What do you use on grizzly in Alaska? My interest in the 8mm reflects Remington's albeit commercially failed attempt with the 8mm Remington Magnum. I think the engineering was excellent, a larger than 30 caliber bullet going at or over 3000 fps would be able to kill everything in Alaska. On the other hand, the marketing left something to be desired. My interest is if a 200-220 grain Swift A-Frame for example will kill a grizzly better at 2400-2600 fps from an 8x57 AI or at 3000 fps from an 8mm-338 Win. Mag. or does the increased velocity matter. The logical reason for choosing an 8mm, is that I can get a lighter barrel and still use a powerful cartridge. Lastly, I was informed by someone with impeccable integrity, that his father killed 300 elephant in Rhodesia while they were crop raiding, all with an 8x57 Mauser and solid bullets. Like you, I am impressed with bear. I saw a large black bear sprint at approximately 40 mph, while camping as a Boy Scout in Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. So, no, I do not want to go into the woods after a grizzly with a 7x57 AI. And since I have no experience with hunting game this large, I am seeking experience from others who have, like yourself. Even Jack O'Connor did not see the 270 Winchester or 30-06 Springfield as great woods guns for moose or grizzly, but felt that they were adequate for that game while it was in the open. Thank you for your advice. Sincerely, Chris Bemis | |||
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