I've been kind of keeping mental track of shooting at various distances over the years. A lot of years. About 60 or so.

When hunters came back from a trip, they would eventually get to the details of that single most important shot taken. Back in the 1950s and '60s, I think most of them tended to tell it like it was. Maybe the truth continued on even well into the 1980s. I has been in the more recent years that widespread truth has been thrown out the window. I primarily blame Bill Clinton and

We have noticed that you tend to choose heavier hunting bullets in each caliber. For example, using 180-grain loads in a 30-06 instead of, say, 150 grain. Why is that?

My response: Anymore, I suppose I'm in the minority here. The knowledge of what velocity could and can do was probably promoted by Roy Weatherby more than anyone else. During the 1960s, when he was becoming quite famous among riflemen, a 150-grain bullet in the 300 Weatherby Magnum was considered a devastating load. Today it would be 180-grain loadings, so at least that

If I got a license to hunt elk in your part of Idaho, how long a shot would I be likely to have?
Raymond L., Iowa

That's tough to predict. As a local resident, who might have the time and inclination to do some pre-season scouting, especially just the week prior, you may be able to reduce the length of the shot. But as an out-of-state hunter, without a professional area guide, there are shots at elk that go beyond 300 yards. I have my own rules and, if the rangefinder indicates a distance in excess of

In recent years, hunters have seen their choice of bullets increase about four fold. They're coming from every direction. Some manufacturers claim certain bullets to be particularly well suited for very long ranges, which I regard to be anything beyond 400 yards. As for me, 400 yards is a full 100 beyond the range of what I will take a shot at elk. It's a matter of self-discipline. I want to be clear about this right up front... I think these 500-yard shots and beyond at elk, which we all have seen promoted over the past decade, are beyond lousy hunting practice. On the other hand, I regard shots of up to 500 yards to be acceptable on pronghorn, if the buck doesn't have the opportunity to run off and hide in the event of a non-fatal shot.

I began to shoot in match competition at 600 yards in the mid-1960s. The 1000-yard stuff came later. The idea that a person can take a hunting rifle -- even of varmint-rifle weight -- into the field, sighted in dead on as much as 300 yards, or equipped with

I have a question regarding rifle choice. There are several different brands and models of bolt-action rifles that I have looked at recently, and have narrowed the choice down to two that I like very much. I quickly passed on the economy models, because they just didn't measure up in quality. I want something that is worthy of at least some pride of ownership.

My question concerns choice of caliber. I want to include elk capability for the future, but plan on mule deer (with the possibility of whitetail) immediately. Both of the rifles I am interested in are available in 30-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum. I have read the comments on all of the cartridges mentioned on your website, and will be comfortable with

I have noticed your fondness for the 458 Winchester Magnum, and am also a fan. For many years I marveled at its accuracy with a variety of hand loads, from 350- to 500-grain bullets and several suitable powders. And then one day it dawned on me that every one of these loads, when approaching the maximum recommended charge in several loading manuals, was slightly compressed. Perhaps the beauty of the round comes from the case being just the right size to reach design pressure (53,000 CUP) at the same time that there is enough powder to be slightly compressed.

Hunters who don't understand maximum penetration and the absolute requirement that the bullet must get in there and destroy life-supporting vitals, will not appreciate the velocity of the 458 with 450- or 500-grain bullets. However, the deep and reliable penetration of 500-grain bullets, with their sectional density of 0.341, is much more effective at this job than cartridges such as a 505 Gibbs or

I have what you might call a dilemma. I have the limit of being able to handle the recoil of a 30-06, but that's about it. Even then, due to an old sports injury and three subsequent surgeries, I have to think through a tendency to wince, which is just short of a flinch, to stay on target with a mental and physical follow through.

I have a friend in Alaska who has invited me to hunt moose. I think the 30-06 is a little light for the job, and am hoping for a suggestion.

Greg W., Nebraska


A 30-06 will do the job. Be confident of your

Since the turn of the last century, 6.5mm cartridges have been popular and efficient game-getters in Europe, but not so in the U.S. until after World War II. Even then the 6.5s were slow to catch on here, due to a lack of good expanding bullets for hunting. The most popular of the bunch was the 6.5mm Swede (6.5x55). Then, in 1958, Winchester came out with an All-American 6.5; the 264 Winchester Magnum. The Model 70 Westerner had an appropriate 26-inch barrel.

For a few short years, the 264 Win Mag captured the imagination of western hunters, who often had to

Again today, March 4, 2015, I read yet another article that referred to a cartridge as being good for wooded areas because the bullets "bucked brush" so very well. This is pure crap; nothing more than incorrect imagination forming in the writer's mind, followed by so many other writers who blather the same bunk.

There is no brush-bucking cartridge or bullet, period. I was intently involved in a three-man study of this over a period of 26 months. We shot everything from centerfire 22s on up through to the 470 Nitro Express. It's easy to say this: "Some bullets, particularly those lightly constructed for killing varmints, simply don't make it through any kind of brush; not even

y wife is a dink. She weighs 106 pounds dripping wet, and is quite recoil shy. Even so, she has a great spirit for adventure and wants to accompany me sometime on a hunting trip. Most of the time that means deer; either whitetail ore mule, depending on the location. The problem is, she is a little uncomfortable even with the modest recoil of a 243. She tried a friend's 7mm-08, but that was clearly too much. I want to avoid the use of a muzzle brake, so am wondering which direction to go. Do we go with a 243 and just load it down somewhat, or should I look into having a mercury recoil reducer installed in the stock? Also, what do you think of the Savage 11 Lady Hunter?

Doug, Montana

Mercury recoil reducers add quite a bit of tail weight to a rifle. Their effectiveness has been a subject of ongoing debate. I have a full 16-ounce reducer installed in the stock of a Ruger No. 1 in 375 H&H that I use as a loaner and trainer rifle, and it's fairly comfortable to shoot. Other than that, I don't have much experience with them.

The thought of milder handloads for a 243 Winchester could result in

I enjoy your website. It's refreshing to read what I regard to be honest appraisals of various cartridges. At one time, before I knew any different, I thought the 270 Winchester could do just about anything. The writings of Jack O'Connor were before my time as an adult, but they sure have stuck with the modern hunter. Using a 270 on elk in Colorado, where I thought and was told that most shots are at 150 yards or less, left me unprepared for a 260-yard shot at a magnificent bull. I hit him alright. We could hear the impact, and the guide watched through binoculars. It was a good shot. I can even tell you that it was 150-grain factory loads that had been recommended for elk.

Due to the terrain and undergrowth, it took a couple of minutes to get to where he was. The last my guide saw was the bull striding away at a fast pace. We found blood, and the guide was able to track it for something like a mile by reading disturbed ground and brush. It was an early morning shot, and we gave up at dusk. The next day he employed another local who had a team of dogs. We called off the search at a little after noon, having been unable to relocate

I may have the opportunity to go to South Africa on a plains game safari this coming year. It has been suggested that I choose just one rifle for this adventure, so I thought I would ask for your advise.

James, Massachusetts


There's a wide variety of plains game in South Africa, from very small antelope through zebra, and even the huge eland. Most can be handled well with the classic 30-06, but I'd opt for more. In the event that you will have an opportunity to hunt eland, which may present itself quite by surprise rather than as the intent of the day, have a 338 Winchester Magnum and some very well constructed

I read what you wrote about the 8mm Remington Magnum, and am in total agreement. I have one of those old BDLs, and it is my first choice for elk. Some shots are taken at extended ranges, 300 to 350 yards, and the solid thunk of that bullet strike echoes back with authority. Recoil is about in the same zone as a 338 Winchester Magnum in a same-weight rifle; a little more than a 300 Winchester Magnum, but not much. I wondered what went wrong with the cartridge as the buying public saw it, and I remember those remarks by gun writers about recoil. The gun writers killed it.

I have been using 220-grain Sierra GameKing bullets with great success, their bullet number 2420. I am using IMR 7828 powder.

Tom W., Arizona


Remington cannot be held blameless for the failure of its 8mm Magnum to become a popular round. I wonder if marketing and advertising personnel thought it would be a case of the 7mm Remington Magnum all over again? The heavier recoiling Remington rifles of the era had a problem; a solid rubber recoil pad that was about as soft as a truck tire. Seriously; look at

A great amount of "class" has drained from hunting equipment, especially rifles and scopes. It has been replaced with unnecessary technology, which has also become a substitute for skill. Fine bolt actions with wooden stocks are still the preferred choice of traditional hunters using a magazine-type rifle. For some on a dangerous-game hunt, especially in Africa, a double rifle defines class. And then there are those who prefer, at least at times, to do the job with a single shot.

One of the great hunters of our time, at least up until his death in the 1970s, was Jack O'Connor. Also a great gun writer, he influenced countless thousands of hunters and riflemen of all ages, including myself, through decades of writing books and articles, especially for Outdoor Life.

O'Connor became a resident of Lewiston, Idaho, after being

The setting of parameters apparently sometimes works insofar as getting people to think in terms of reality. There has been a fair amount of feedback regarding what is perceived by some readers to be a slant by this website to lean toward more powerful rifles than are absolutely necessary. Our response to them, in general, is for the specification of "absolutely necessary" in quantitative terms. So, we have been presenting scenarios that call for a reasonable answer on their part. One of them is, "Would you choose a 30-30 for sheep hunting in Alaska?" Visualizing shots that can extend beyond 300 yards, and are seldom less than

I watch, or at least start to watch, many hunting programs and documentaries on television. A common irritation that will get me to change channels quickly is the onset of adult individuals, usually the hunter and a companion, or the hunter to the camera, is 5th-grade mentality whispering. Like it's some kind of secret. I'll say this once... any highly trained, true professional law-enforcement officer knows that

The shop received these comments in an email correspondence recently, which are being passed along to readers:

"I bought a new 270 because I always wanted one, and that made me happy. I sighted in the 270 from a bench and it shot well, and that made me happy. I practiced a lot with the 270 and it didn't kick much, and that made me happy. I shot a good mule deer with it the first year, and that made me happy. I shot an elk with it the second year but couldn't find the elk, which made me unhappy. A group of us found the elk the next day but it was spoiled, which made me unhappy. We discovered that the shot had been well placed, which made me unhappy about using the 270 on elk. I lost a lot of sleep, but I learned a lesson. I traded the 270 for a 300 magnum, which I plan to use successfully on both deer and elk, and now I am happy again. I wish your gun

Do you ever hunt with a handgun? If you do, what do you use?
John P., Michigan

I'm not a strong advocate of hunting with a handgun, although a fair number of people are fairly successful at it. I would recommend being equipped with plenty of power, because there is an effect that handguns impart that is totally false. For example, find someone who has a rifle chambered for the 44 Magnum and go to the range. Check that drop and impact at 100 yards. Surprisingly weak, isn't it? There really isn't much power there; at least not compared to a true hunting rifle cartridge. Some of that has been put into our heads by Hollywood. The black-powder 44-40 can knock someone off his horse at an incredible distance, and shoots just shy of as flat as a pancake. Right? Hell no. It has a trajectory only a little better than a rainbow, and a horse will likely get as mad as the dickens if shot with one at 50 yards. A hit rider, on the other hand, would probably

Bill,

Thank you for saving those Bear Claws for me. Perhaps you knew I'd come around, perhaps I was just lucky.



This boy was taken at a bit over 200 yards. The first shot was a bit

I have a question about what you would pick for two rifles to take on an African safari. The hunts will be of the more traditional style, and may involve a lot of miles on foot. There will be Cape buffalo as the main goal, and several types of plains game including kudu and zebra. Eland may or may not be in the area.



From my own rifles, I'd quickly grab the Remington 700 Safari KS in 458 Win Mag. It has a 22-inch barrel, is light in the hand or over the shoulder, well balanced, and shoots very well. Plenty of recoil, but that's not an issue for the relatively few shots required on the entire safari. A little extra protection from the bench makes sense. I generally load with 450-grain Swift A-Frames at 2250 with IMR-4895, but there are other good powder choices. For followup shots, 450-grain Barnes Banded Solids. Carefully consult the Reloading Manuals