Build a rifle for sheep or bears?

[coyotemaster]

I grew up by P.O. Ackley, he knew Bell quite well. He said Bells favoite caliber was he 7x57 Mauser (.275 Rigby).
I had him build me a 7x57 in 1981.
View attachment 127664 PView attachment 127665 View attachment 127666 View attachment 127667

What a beautiful rifle--outstanding wood!
Bell( according to his book) had 4 rifles he favored and you're correct he used the 7x57 a bunch. He shot solids all the time and claimed the 7mms bullets didn't bend when hitting huge bones where the 6.5s would I don't guess he was concerned with the higher BC at 50 yds.
He had several .415 Rigbys as well but was adamant about short bolt throws--- doesn't do to short stroke on a charging buffalo.

 

[sp6x6]

My 7-2 oz. 338 NM 300 otm

 

[sp6x6]

High country muley hunting In grizz country

 

[deerkillerdown]

So I go back and forth, I'm looking at hunting sheep in an area that is crawling with Grizzly, it's also an area that had a reputation as challenging to access, I have my gear list and I'm working in it and it's naturally ultra lite but then I come to the rifle!
I had a rifle planned out on paper that would be on the light side of stupid and probably chambered in a 6.5 SS, awesome on paper till I started thinking about the inevitable run in with bears, I don't like the idea of standing there with a 5 lb 6.5 with a bear deciding how badly my being there is offending him.
I have zero intention of putting my life on a can of bear spray, ya, we'll be packing it but really I'm putting a big hole in something if it comes to it, the last guy locally that got killed blew a whole can into the bear and he died and the bear had spray all over it when they killed it!!
Another guy I know of ran out of spray by the time he made it to the truck, he sprayed the bear, got thrashed, made it a ways and the bear kept coming back for more as he hiked out, he lived but was messed up!
So to the question, do I build an ultra lite sheep rifle and then carry a Ruger Alaskan in 454 OR build an 8-9 lb 300 of some kind and pack just that?

For me if I was making the decision your facing. It would be a 300 with a 454 or 500S&W on my hip. I would definitely have a back up !

 

[Rhino Hunter]

High country muley hunting In grizz countryView attachment 127828

Looks like a good place to hunt elk too.

 

[Hubby45]

@sp6x6:
Great photo.

 

[memtb]

Nice photo and rifle! That wouldn't work for me though.... if I put it down, I'd probably lose it! memtb

 

[Rhino Hunter]

Nice photo and rifle! That wouldn't work for me though.... if I put it down, I'd probably lose it! memtb

What rifle? LOL.

 

[theosmithjr]

I have no experience with this..but my own personal fears...and from the "man" teddy roosevelt... .carry a big stick!,.. if and when I ever get to sheep hunt I would want no less than a 300 personally...the idea of running into a big bear scares me

And rightfully so! You're in HIS TERRITORY, NOT yours! Wise man. Fear does different things to each of us; respecting and listening to your GUTS is just plain & simple COMMON SENSE! 2nd chances with Mr. GRIZZLY don't happen. Only humans make mistakes! Mr Grizzly kills and EATS his mistakes! WORD!
Theosmithjr

 

[RH300UM]

And rightfully so! You're in HIS TERRITORY, NOT yours! Wise man. Fear does different things to each of us; respecting and listening to your GUTS is just plain & simple COMMON SENSE! 2nd chances with Mr. GRIZZLY don't happen. Only humans make mistakes! Mr Grizzly kills and EATS his mistakes! WORD!
Theosmithjr

Well said!
Bears have no fear! Especially sows with cubs! To watch a sow fight a boar twice her size and change his purpose is testament to this.

 

[deerkillerdown]

I would definitely go with a 7mm mag. It's like shooting forked lightning. If you want to see some long distance shooting. Look up gunwerks. Optics are definitely important to so you need to consider that in your budget. Gunwerks also has a YouTube channel so you can watch what the 7mm mag is capable of. Good Luck in your decision!

 

[seattleman1969]

High country muley hunting In grizz countryView attachment 127828

That'll always snap you back to "living in the moment"!

 

[theosmithjr]

I posted this over on the Long Range Shooting section thread - (Recoil - What Recoil). While the thread, obviously was about recoil, I thought that it may be somewhat relevant here. My rifle, 9 pounds 1 oz., fully loaded and slung, it still within a reasonable hunting weight. A 250 grain TTSX @ 3130 fps mv, will make a pretty decent long range capable cartridge....while giving pretty good performance "up close and personal" ranges. My wife's rifle, sub 9 pound, while not showing great accuracy....which could be improved upon with some modifications, would also "fill the bill"! A 225 grain TTSX @ 2950 fps mv, will also "gitt'r done" both up close and at distance.

As a factory cartridge, in a relatively decent weight hunting rifle....the .338 WM, is hard to beat. For both a longer range sheep cartridge, and as a pretty decent "stopping" rifle! JMO. I think that either would meet DXHI's criteria as a "Big Stick"!

Quote from Recoil - What Recoil is below!

I see that some seem to think that bigger caliber, harder kicking rifles come with a sacrifice of accuracy. While I'm sure that there are much more accurate rifles than ours and much better riflemen than me, for sub 9 pound "sporter weight" rifles ( my wife's is box stock) I think they do pretty well. Mine is generally 2" or a little under @ 300, her's is generally around 2 1/2" @ 300....both with 3 shot groups.

Prior to past hunting season, I verified the 300 yard zeros on both rifles, only firing two rounds.mine was a bit off, so I made a small adjustment. My wife's was close, so I just dropped it 2 clicks. The photo, is of my 2nd two shots after adjustment, and shows the wife's 1st 2 shots. Her 2 shots are about 1 7/8" Center to Center, mine about 1/2" Center to Center. My first 2 shots (prior to adjustment) was just over an inch. I don't generally take a photo of our targets....but I was kinda proud of those two shots! memtb

Hey, your wife can hunt with me, ANYTIME! Thanks for Sharing the pics. Woman can make some of the best shooters! I love getting a Lady whose never fired a weapon; walk her thru the basics, then give her 5 and get behind the S. SCOPE. MAN I've been truly AMAZED, MORE THAN ONCE at what a VIRGIN Woman Shooter can do 1st time on a bench. Years back I taught a Lass to shoot my .220 Swift. Then I took her Groundhog hunting. OMG she was crackin Head shots, Jerkin em outta their holes like she been doin it all her life! And at 400+ yards! I was very Impressed!
Theosmithjr

 

[Lasiter]

I've never hunted grizzly bear and probably never will unless I hit the lottery and someone develops a miracle drug that will repair my injured back and legs. I do however black bear hunt and carry enough gun to get the job done; 35 Whelen or .358 Winchester. If I were to go grizzly hunting I'd be carrying nothing less than a .338WinMag or one of the .375 guide guns, or something along that line for the hunt. And.....I am smart enough and do learn from others.

Now I get a bit riled up when I read all about the 6.5's with bullets that are promising or show promise! I'd like to suggest that instead of asking a forum that is all about Long Range Hunting, perhaps you might want to go ask some of hunters who have been mauled or injured by a grizzly bear instead!

I live in a little, small town in Rhode Island, so what would a small town ole guy know about bear hunting. There is a group here in town and that goes to Alaska every year; a drop camp where they stay for a week or two. I hunt and shoot all of the time and was curious about what caliber rifle to hunt grizzly. I saw one of the hunters and asked what he was hunting grizzly with. The hunter told me that he was using a .300WinMag.. My next question was, "Isn't that a little light for grizzly?" The reply was, "Oh no that's more than enough to drop a grizzly, my father has been using one for years!" Many years later we heard that one of the hunters had been mauled by a grizzly and he was in serious condition in an Alaskan hospital. Remember this is a small town, the hunters were all respected members of our community. Months after his injuries I was able to speak with the hunter. He told me that after shooting the grizzly, he waited about 90 minutes and he and the group he was hunting started tracking the bear. He said that all of a sudden the bear charged at him from the alders, he was able to get one shot off at close range and when he attempted to load another round his rifle jammed, the bear was upon him and bit the end of his barrel tearing the rifle from his hands. The mauling went on for some time during which he was mauled on his stomach, buttocks and head. The other hunters were afraid to shoot the bear while it was attacking because they feared hitting him. The hunter was in a tent being attended by his companions for three days because the weather prevented any kind of rescue. Eventually he was liter carried 3 miles over tough terrain to a helicopter.

The rifle that the hunter was using was a very accurate, Browning in .300WinMag. When the hunter tried to reload for the second shot, he tugged so hard on the bolt that the extractor failed, and it ripped through the base of the casing. That left a chamber with a fired round in it, the next round jammed up between the spent casing, magazine follower and the bolt. Now when the hunters go up for their annual hunt, all four hunters are carrying controlled feed, ".338 Winchesters". Oh and the hunter went back the next year to the area where the incident took place and found the remains of the bear that had mauled him. When I asked him how he knew that it was the same bear, he said he knew because the teeth marks matched those in his head; and, he does have two large scars there to prove it. My thoughts on a handgun are that I'd rather rely on my rifle to get the job, and that if I am into my handgun then I am in real trouble. And....I always do carry a Glock20, 10mm when bear hunting.

So if the OP wants to take the 6.5 with bullets that have promise have at it; however I suggest that he talks with someone who has actually been there and done it before making a choice. Personally I'd rather be carrying something that I was confident in than asking myself, when the ---t hits the fan, if I was carrying enough gun to get the job done!!

Mauser controlled feed with that big claw extractor has been preferred by some African guides and hunters for about a hundred years. Some modern gun writers and hunters scoff. Buff, Lion, Grizz -- take your pick.