western hunters ?

REDMISTMD · June 8, 2000, 10:40 PM

So Ive been reading in the forums about all the African hunting and eastern hunting and alot of questions and topics from members in the eastern U.S. Why doesnt anybody talk about the kickinn hunting in the west or about the different cartridges we use out here.They are deffinitly different.We, well most of us , use a large magnum.A combo cartridge in the rocky mtns is one used for deer and elk its nice to have one or two big guns maybe three for those of us who love hunting big game.So who out there is from the west or the rocky mtns.

MAD DOG · June 8, 2000, 11:36 PM

I am in Arizona, and hunt with a 30-06 most of the time. I also have weapons in calibers from 22LR and .223 on up through a recently acquired .458 Win Mag Ruger #1.
The 30-06 has served me well from the Canada border down to Arizona in the western states, hunting everything from Coyotes to Elk.

I have my eye on a really cool heavy barreled 25-06 for varminting right now, but that may have to wait a while, or I may need to do a trade to get it. Sigh. My venerable 22-250 may have to suffice for the rest of the season.
I love the 25-06 for game up to the size of deer and antelope, it shoots flat and kills quickly.
So many rifles, so little time.

UtahTrapper · June 9, 2000, 10:58 AM

I live in North-Central Utah and mostly predator hunt and do a little varminting. My favorite gun is my Browning A-Bolt II Stainless Stalker .22-250.

Calif Hunter · June 9, 2000, 11:24 AM

I have several rifles I use here in Kalifornia. A 22 mag for short range squirrels and jackrabbits, a .223 Savage heavy barrel for longer range varmints, a 30-06 for most other stuff and a 300 Weatherby for elk. I actually use the 30-06 most of the time since it's a pound lighter than the 300 mag. And a .22 LR Remington 597 for plinking. (Everyone has a Ruger 10-22 and I wanted to be different.)

Erik · June 9, 2000, 12:02 PM

I'm in Colorado.

I'm going with three other guys this year. One is bringing a .375 H&H. (He claims he has got to "justify" buying it. He usually takes either a .30-06 or a 300 Win Mag.) Two are bring 7mm Mags. I'll have a .30-06.

Most hunters I know here use .30-06s. Second place goes to the .270. Third the 7mm Rem Mag. Fourth the 300 Win Mag. Interestingly enough, the older and more experienced the hunter, the less likely they are to use the magnums. At least among those I know.

Ron Ankeny · June 9, 2000, 02:03 PM

Wyoming here. The 7mm STW was the rage a couple of years ago, now the Ultra Mags are the newest fad. I hunted big game for 25 years with a 30-06 or .270 then switched to a .30-.338 custom rifle. The .300 mags do have an advantage, but I draw the limit at about .300 win mag. Yeah, I am a wimp...but I don't flinch. Use a 22-250 on varmints and predators.

anodes · June 9, 2000, 02:25 PM

I love AZ! I also love the .22rf, .223 rem and 30-06. This year (to be different) I'll try my Win 94BB in .375 Win against those pesky Elk as I missed out on spring bear.

When it comes to varmints, I hate crows! Double 10ga for that, until recently when I started using .22rf and .22WRM.

I usually plink every other weekend with .22rfs, .223s, 9mm and whatever else is ichin' me (usually .30 carb.).

I've heard it said that the .25-06 is the top Mule dear cartridge, I have my doubts as anything called "ultimate" usually isn't. Any mule hunters with opinons on that?
anodes.

MAD DOG · June 9, 2000, 02:40 PM

25-06 with bullets of 100gr at 3200 fps or 120 gr at 3000 fps is like a deathray on mulies and white tails.
Plays hell on yodel dogs too.

Jay Baker · June 10, 2000, 02:28 PM

I'm in southwest Idaho. I've used a Ruger .338 W.Mag., on elk for many years, although killed one nice bull with a .280 Rem., 160 gr Nosler part., with my handload. I've hunted elk in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and here, in both outfitters' camps, and throwing down my own camp.

Roughly, I've seen more .30-06s than anything else, but a lot of people also like the various mags: 7mm/.300/.338/8mm. On one Colorado outfitted hunt, my buddy and I took a .375 H&H custom rifle along, as a backup. Didn't shoot it at an elk, but several of the dudes in camp got a "kick" out of shooting it.

I don't think a person could go wrong with a good .30-06. Accuracy and bullet construction is more important than a few more FPS.

yorec · June 10, 2000, 03:50 PM

Wyoming here. I use a .270 win most of the time and a .300 WM when that seems light. A .22lr or .223 rem goes with me when I varmint hunt, but you can also find me in the feild with anything from .22 mag to a 12 gauge depending on my mood and target.

Art Eatman · June 10, 2000, 05:23 PM

anodes: A heckuva lot of mulies have been eaten on account of a .270 or a .25-'06. No doubt about it.

The first-ever mulie I shot was with a .30-'06. I hit him a couple of inches behind the heart, and maybe two or three inches above it. 90, maybe 100 yards. He sorta humped up and looked insulted. He started up a hillside, but fortunately not in a big hurry. I ran in on him and broke his neck at around 50 yards.

The last mulie I shot was at around 30 yards; I hit his neck about six inches below his head. The doggone bullet didn't exit! He was paralyzed, but I shot again to end it.

I dunno. Whatever works is good, but I sorta have a "feel" that a .30 on mulies is better than anything smaller...And I may well quit my 150-grain bullets and stay with 165-grain or even 180s.

I won't argue if somebody says I'm overly picky about wanting stuff to fall in its tracks and stay there.

Damfino, Art

Paul B. · June 11, 2000, 12:53 AM

Art. For years I used the 150 gr. Sierra in the .308 Win. and 30-06 exclusively. Now I use the 165 gr. Speer SPFB in the .308 and the Sierra 180 gr. SPFB in the 30-06. I also use the 200 gr. Speer SPFB in the .300 Win. Mag. as well.
A hunting buddy got a custom 25-06 and used 100 gr. bullets at first. He then went to 120 gr. bullets. Both were for Mule deer. He's not too happy, as the 25-06 tears up too much meat, in his opinion. Fact is, that's why I dropped the 150 gr bullets in my .308 and 06.
As to what I hunt? Anything I can draw a tag for, and in Arizona that can get tricky. I'm trying for elk and deer this year.
I have hunted in Nevada, Oregon, Utah, California, and Korea.
If any of you Arizona people are near Tucson, maybe we can get together for a shoot at the local range or something. If you are interested, give me a shout.
Paul B.

MAD DOG · June 11, 2000, 12:41 PM

If I were limited to only two rifles to do it ALL in the western states, I would take the 25-06 and the 30-06. As far as meat destruction on deer goes, the 25-06 can be easily controlled through proper bullet selection. try using bullets that do not fragment quite so much. The Barnes X bullets are a good choice.

If limited to only one caliber, then the 30-06 would be it.
The Sierra 165 grain Game King with about 50 grains of IMR 4064 behind it is my personal favorite bullet/load for the 30-06.
I use this on everything from pigs and coyotes (and yes, the occassional jack rabbit) on up through Black Bear.

This naturally excludes Alaska, where there are Big Brown Bears that preferrably require more medicine than can be readily dispensed by the 30-06.

Paul B. · June 12, 2000, 05:46 PM

Mad Dog. When my buddy got his 25-06, there were few premium bullets available for .25 caliber. In fact, if memory serves, about the only one you could get was the Nosler, and they were impossible to get in the rural Nevada town I lived in at the time. (early 70's). Fact is, it was a 168 mile trip, one way to get almost any reloading supplies, and going the other way, about 127 miles one way. We would save up the pennies and make a day of it, believe me. Even then, Noslers were not that easy to find. You'd have to make the trip, special order the bullets, and then make another trip to pick them up. We finally got a local hardware store to stock up on some of the components for us, by the mid 80's, but before that, it was a royal pain in the posterial region for us reloaders.
Paul B.

June 8, 2000, 10:40 PM	#1
REDMISTMD Member Join Date: May 17, 2000 Location: west jordan, utah U S A Posts: 55	So Ive been reading in the forums about all the African hunting and eastern hunting and alot of questions and topics from members in the eastern U.S. Why doesnt anybody talk about the kickinn hunting in the west or about the different cartridges we use out here.They are deffinitly different.We, well most of us , use a large magnum.A combo cartridge in the rocky mtns is one used for deer and elk its nice to have one or two big guns maybe three for those of us who love hunting big game.So who out there is from the west or the rocky mtns.

June 8, 2000, 11:36 PM	#2
MAD DOG Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona. Posts: 853	I am in Arizona, and hunt with a 30-06 most of the time. I also have weapons in calibers from 22LR and .223 on up through a recently acquired .458 Win Mag Ruger #1. The 30-06 has served me well from the Canada border down to Arizona in the western states, hunting everything from Coyotes to Elk. I have my eye on a really cool heavy barreled 25-06 for varminting right now, but that may have to wait a while, or I may need to do a trade to get it. Sigh. My venerable 22-250 may have to suffice for the rest of the season. I love the 25-06 for game up to the size of deer and antelope, it shoots flat and kills quickly. So many rifles, so little time.

June 9, 2000, 10:58 AM	#3
UtahTrapper Junior Member Join Date: June 8, 2000 Location: Highland, Utah, USA Posts: 4	I live in North-Central Utah and mostly predator hunt and do a little varminting. My favorite gun is my Browning A-Bolt II Stainless Stalker .22-250.

June 9, 2000, 11:24 AM	#4
Calif Hunter Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2000 Location: La Palma, CA, USA Posts: 165	I have several rifles I use here in Kalifornia. A 22 mag for short range squirrels and jackrabbits, a .223 Savage heavy barrel for longer range varmints, a 30-06 for most other stuff and a 300 Weatherby for elk. I actually use the 30-06 most of the time since it's a pound lighter than the 300 mag. And a .22 LR Remington 597 for plinking. (Everyone has a Ruger 10-22 and I wanted to be different.)

June 9, 2000, 12:02 PM	#5
Erik Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: America Posts: 3,479	I'm in Colorado. I'm going with three other guys this year. One is bringing a .375 H&H. (He claims he has got to "justify" buying it. He usually takes either a .30-06 or a 300 Win Mag.) Two are bring 7mm Mags. I'll have a .30-06. Most hunters I know here use .30-06s. Second place goes to the .270. Third the 7mm Rem Mag. Fourth the 300 Win Mag. Interestingly enough, the older and more experienced the hunter, the less likely they are to use the magnums. At least among those I know.

June 9, 2000, 02:03 PM	#6
Ron Ankeny Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2000 Posts: 316	Wyoming here. The 7mm STW was the rage a couple of years ago, now the Ultra Mags are the newest fad. I hunted big game for 25 years with a 30-06 or .270 then switched to a .30-.338 custom rifle. The .300 mags do have an advantage, but I draw the limit at about .300 win mag. Yeah, I am a wimp...but I don't flinch. Use a 22-250 on varmints and predators.

June 9, 2000, 02:25 PM	#7
anodes Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Location: Sedona, AZ, USA Posts: 160	I love AZ! I also love the .22rf, .223 rem and 30-06. This year (to be different) I'll try my Win 94BB in .375 Win against those pesky Elk as I missed out on spring bear. When it comes to varmints, I hate crows! Double 10ga for that, until recently when I started using .22rf and .22WRM. I usually plink every other weekend with .22rfs, .223s, 9mm and whatever else is ichin' me (usually .30 carb.). I've heard it said that the .25-06 is the top Mule dear cartridge, I have my doubts as anything called "ultimate" usually isn't. Any mule hunters with opinons on that? anodes.

June 9, 2000, 02:40 PM	#8
MAD DOG Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona. Posts: 853	25-06 with bullets of 100gr at 3200 fps or 120 gr at 3000 fps is like a deathray on mulies and white tails. Plays hell on yodel dogs too.

June 10, 2000, 02:28 PM	#9
Jay Baker Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2000 Location: S.W. Idaho Posts: 1,294	I'm in southwest Idaho. I've used a Ruger .338 W.Mag., on elk for many years, although killed one nice bull with a .280 Rem., 160 gr Nosler part., with my handload. I've hunted elk in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and here, in both outfitters' camps, and throwing down my own camp. Roughly, I've seen more .30-06s than anything else, but a lot of people also like the various mags: 7mm/.300/.338/8mm. On one Colorado outfitted hunt, my buddy and I took a .375 H&H custom rifle along, as a backup. Didn't shoot it at an elk, but several of the dudes in camp got a "kick" out of shooting it. I don't think a person could go wrong with a good .30-06. Accuracy and bullet construction is more important than a few more FPS.

June 10, 2000, 03:50 PM	#10
yorec Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,328	Wyoming here. I use a .270 win most of the time and a .300 WM when that seems light. A .22lr or .223 rem goes with me when I varmint hunt, but you can also find me in the feild with anything from .22 mag to a 12 gauge depending on my mood and target.

June 10, 2000, 05:23 PM	#11
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	anodes: A heckuva lot of mulies have been eaten on account of a .270 or a .25-'06. No doubt about it. The first-ever mulie I shot was with a .30-'06. I hit him a couple of inches behind the heart, and maybe two or three inches above it. 90, maybe 100 yards. He sorta humped up and looked insulted. He started up a hillside, but fortunately not in a big hurry. I ran in on him and broke his neck at around 50 yards. The last mulie I shot was at around 30 yards; I hit his neck about six inches below his head. The doggone bullet didn't exit! He was paralyzed, but I shot again to end it. I dunno. Whatever works is good, but I sorta have a "feel" that a .30 on mulies is better than anything smaller...And I may well quit my 150-grain bullets and stay with 165-grain or even 180s. I won't argue if somebody says I'm overly picky about wanting stuff to fall in its tracks and stay there. Damfino, Art

June 11, 2000, 12:53 AM	#12
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Art. For years I used the 150 gr. Sierra in the .308 Win. and 30-06 exclusively. Now I use the 165 gr. Speer SPFB in the .308 and the Sierra 180 gr. SPFB in the 30-06. I also use the 200 gr. Speer SPFB in the .300 Win. Mag. as well. A hunting buddy got a custom 25-06 and used 100 gr. bullets at first. He then went to 120 gr. bullets. Both were for Mule deer. He's not too happy, as the 25-06 tears up too much meat, in his opinion. Fact is, that's why I dropped the 150 gr bullets in my .308 and 06. As to what I hunt? Anything I can draw a tag for, and in Arizona that can get tricky. I'm trying for elk and deer this year. I have hunted in Nevada, Oregon, Utah, California, and Korea. If any of you Arizona people are near Tucson, maybe we can get together for a shoot at the local range or something. If you are interested, give me a shout. Paul B.

June 11, 2000, 12:41 PM	#13
MAD DOG Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona. Posts: 853	If I were limited to only two rifles to do it ALL in the western states, I would take the 25-06 and the 30-06. As far as meat destruction on deer goes, the 25-06 can be easily controlled through proper bullet selection. try using bullets that do not fragment quite so much. The Barnes X bullets are a good choice. If limited to only one caliber, then the 30-06 would be it. The Sierra 165 grain Game King with about 50 grains of IMR 4064 behind it is my personal favorite bullet/load for the 30-06. I use this on everything from pigs and coyotes (and yes, the occassional jack rabbit) on up through Black Bear. This naturally excludes Alaska, where there are Big Brown Bears that preferrably require more medicine than can be readily dispensed by the 30-06.

June 12, 2000, 05:46 PM	#14
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Mad Dog. When my buddy got his 25-06, there were few premium bullets available for .25 caliber. In fact, if memory serves, about the only one you could get was the Nosler, and they were impossible to get in the rural Nevada town I lived in at the time. (early 70's). Fact is, it was a 168 mile trip, one way to get almost any reloading supplies, and going the other way, about 127 miles one way. We would save up the pennies and make a day of it, believe me. Even then, Noslers were not that easy to find. You'd have to make the trip, special order the bullets, and then make another trip to pick them up. We finally got a local hardware store to stock up on some of the components for us, by the mid 80's, but before that, it was a royal pain in the posterial region for us reloaders. Paul B.