Ideal Wolf Hunting Rifle

[rooster740]

I am not in Alaska but I am around a lot of shot wolves. I really like the 243 for these animals out to 1000yards, after that it is big gun time. I shoot the 105 amax (still fine tuning) and have the best accuracy with the 95 smk with RL 22. The gun is bone stock so I can not go big on bullets until it is rebarreled. I used to shoot a 25-06 with 115 Bergers but that gun is being turned into a 26-06.

 

[Shootin4fun]

I've used Searra .85 gr. HPBT Game Kings for 40 years and have found them to be devastating on deer. Have killed more then 50 with them. gun)- - - - - - - - - -

gt40

That's great to hear! Being old school HP, I thought they might be too explosive for deer but I have noted similar accounts from others of the Sierra 85gr HPBT because it is my pet target load. They are insanely accurate; 1" groups at 300 yards are not uncommon (3040fps mv) out of a stock Xbolt. I was going to use my hotter 85gr TSX load for deer this season (200fps faster), or develop a SST or BTip load, but now you've got me convinced that the HPBT will be just fine. I'm sure they would do a number on the wolfs too.

 

[Shootin4fun]

I am not in Alaska but I am around a lot of shot wolves. I really like the 243 for these animals out to 1000yards, after that it is big gun time. I shoot the 105 amax (still fine tuning) and have the best accuracy with the 95 smk with RL 22. The gun is bone stock so I can not go big on bullets until it is rebarreled. I used to shoot a 25-06 with 115 Bergers but that gun is being turned into a 26-06.

A 243 at 1000 yrds with enough energy to kill a wolf? Jeesh, maybe I didn't need to buy that 7 RM last fall!

 

[rooster740]

A 243 at 1000 yrds with enough energy to kill a wolf? Jeesh, maybe I didn't need to buy that 7 RM last fall!

They are not super creatures. One hole in and one hole out of the chest of a 95-120 lbs. dog. That is 8 -10 inches of penetration on a wolf body. This is an animal that you do not want to blow a huge hole out of unless you like to sew. Take a .5bc bullet at 3000fps and make a wolf not be able to breath with a light rifle that shoots light little bullets so a guy can carry many pellets and shoot them out of a rifle that does not recoil at all! That is my idea of a dream come true! Everyone has their favorite bang banger and that is cool also, I am a sissy when it comes to recoil and this caliber just works for me!
Happy Hunting

 

[Shootin4fun]

Take a .5bc bullet at 3000fps and make a wolf not be able to breath with a light rifle that shoots light little bullets so a guy can carry many pellets and shoot them out of a rifle that does not recoil at all! That is my idea of a dream come true! ... I am a sissy when it comes to recoil and this caliber just works for me!
Happy Hunting

+1 on that. I shoot my 243 20:1 over my 7RM. Naturally, the 270win falls in between. Gotta love the 6mm - 7mm range of bullets though. I first bought my 270 for longer range target practice than a 223, then someone clued me into the wonders of the 243. Too much fun! Now I understand how lethal it can be on deer, pig as well as varmints.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

A 7.5 lb (estimated) 6x284 with a Broughton 5C light varmint contour shooting 110 non expanding solid copper pills with about a .55 BC @ 3200 fps should be good wolf medicine to a 1000 plus on a fairly calm day.

Hope to be posting pics soon!

 

[Outlaw6.0]

A 7.5 lb (estimated) 6x284 with a Broughton 5C light varmint contour shooting 110 non expanding solid copper pills with about a .55 BC @ 3200 fps should be good wolf medicine to a 1000 plus on a fairly calm day.

Hope to be posting pics soon!

Non-Expanding?


t

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Non-Expanding?


t

Yup , MTACS

 

[Outlaw6.0]

Yup , MTACS

What makes you want to use a solid? Seems like you might end up tracking them for a ways.


I've been toying with the idea of testing out the 115grn D-TACS in my 6-284.... if I could ever find them.



t

 

[MontanaRifleman]

What makes you want to use a solid? Seems like you might end up tracking them for a ways.


I've been toying with the idea of testing out the 115grn D-TACS in my 6-284.... if I could ever find them.



t

Less hide damage and I wouldn't mind a couple "getting away". A guy might shoot 10 or 15 of them before he filled 5 tags

 

[threejones]

Less hide damage and I wouldn't mind a couple "getting away". A guy might shoot 10 or 15 of them before he filled 5 tags

Now you're thinking! FMJs suddenly seem like a viable option in my old 308.

 

[Railroader82]

I don't live in Idaho but if I could choose the ideal wolf rifle it would be my Browning automatic rifle chambered in 25-06! That's plenty of punch! Also 5 rounds ready to rock with your trigger finger! You have several bullet weight and style choices from I think 60 gr to 120 gr. I've rocked several deer and two antelope with mine.

 

[Railroader82]

Oh by the way I've got browning auto in 243 and 308 as well! I wouldn't hesitate to take either! Of course in the thick stuff my BAR short track 308 would just be perfect on the big bad wolves!

 

[CONatureBoy]

This is awesome! I just built a 6.5x280 ackley just for this purpose. I chose this caliber because of all the bullet selection currently available and the nosler brass rocks. With this combo you get 264 win mag performance but 5 rds in the mag instead of 3, which is huge when you consider you may have more than one target. The platform is a remmy 721 trued and the bolt handle welded. I chose a Mcmillan A3 sporter in edge for the stock and one of our barrels in a #6 kreiger contour. I was really considering shooting the 130 scirocco's because they will not destroy the hide if they exit, but I'm also running the 130 Berger VLD's. My total weight is under 11lbs. Now its just a waiting game till I leave Feb 16th for Idaho!

6.5 x 280 AI sounds like a really neat caliber for this kind of work. I built a 264 Win Mag with a 1:7.5" twist barrel specifically to shoot Berger EOL 156-grain bullets, with wolves and antelope in mind. (Great bullet for long range and strong crosswinds, which you expect when hunting both of those critters.) I launch the EOL at a little over 3,000 fps without getting near a hot load. Expect you'd get similar results with the same barrel on the 6.5 x 280 AI. To extend the comparison: my 280 AI sends a 180-grain VLD at 3,000 fps, which is as much as you can generally expect from a 7mm Rem Mag (same case as the 264 Win Mag). Likely the same deal here. If I had known the 6.5 x 280 AI existed, I'd probably have chosen it.