New to hunting

[plainjaneFJC]

Thanks dalko. I'm going to continue my research. You are right about armchair quarterbacks when it comes to calibers. I've been looking around quite a bit and I've heard 10 different things from 10 different people. It's funny I must be lucky because half of the forums I've read they all claim to be a better shot than Bob Lee swaggert lol. Definitely more BS in the gun/shooter forums than you have around here.

 

[PirateMcGee]

On the calibers ive gone back and forth between the 300 win mag and the 7mm. Elk are hard to drop even at close ranges from what I've been reading. I can handle the recoil from the minimal amount of shooting.... I think lol.

They're not hard to drop. Bullet placement is key with any caliber. .270 is plenty of gun.

 

[Longrange308]

Thanks dalko. I'm going to continue my research. You are right about armchair quarterbacks when it comes to calibers. I've been looking around quite a bit and I've heard 10 different things from 10 different people. It's funny I must be lucky because half of the forums I've read they all claim to be a better shot than Bob Lee swaggert lol. Definitely more BS in the gun/shooter forums than you have around here.

My personal preference for anything larger than a Mule Deer is 7mm mag. But I also reload all of my hunting ammo, and will use 7mm mag on deer as well, but will typically down load to something more akin to 7mm-06.. I like to preserve meat.

Many people out there are convinced that .223 is insufficient for deer, but I used my accurized AR last season and took down a nice 120lb mulie from 225yds with one shot to the heart. The 62gr Barnes TTSX was devastating to say the least. The deer was DRT. What Im getting at is that a larger caliber will never make up for poor shot placement. The 7mm mag also cheats the wind a bit better than the .300wm which can make up for a less than ideal wind call or distance estimation.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

My personal preference for anything larger than a Mule Deer is 7mm mag. But I also reload all of my hunting ammo, and will use 7mm mag on deer as well, but will typically down load to something more akin to 7mm-06.. I like to preserve meat.

Many people out there are convinced that .223 is insufficient for deer, but I used my accurized AR last season and took down a nice 120lb mulie from 225yds with one shot to the heart. The 62gr Barnes TTSX was devastating to say the least. The deer was DRT. What Im getting at is that a larger caliber will never make up for poor shot placement. The 7mm mag also cheats the wind a bit better than the .300wm which can make up for a less than ideal wind call or distance estimation.

Thanks for the advice. On the shot placement I know I have a ton of work to put in at the range to get better. Last thing I want to do is gut shot something because I get in over my head.

 

[Dalko43]

Thanks for the advice. On the shot placement I know I have a ton of work to put in at the range to get better.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy that part just as much as you'll enjoy the actual hunt. I personally enjoy practicing long range shooting just as much as I enjoy hunting itself. Wind calls, recoil management, breathing, natural point of aim, range estimation, barrel harmonics, cartridge and caliber comparisons, ect. The more you become familiar with those subjects, the easier it will be for you to consistently make 1st round hits on targets out to 500-600 yards, or further if needed.

Not to sidetrack your thread and original topic, but there are some surprisingly good videos on long range shooting, if that is a topic you're interested in delving into:
The NSSF:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COoXVpGfXQE
TiborasaurusRex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtlwoNCNnFA&list=PLJUaiRIEduNXoal2_PkBZi0vDCIcEPxUn&index=3

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Thanks for the links!

 

[bigskypylot]

I live in eastern Oklahoma. My interest is in hunting central to South western Colorado. Mainly because that's my favorite place to visit anyways. If I'm gonna hunt it might as well be a wilderness I enjoy spending time in. Kinda killing 2 birds with one stone type of deal.

Besides Rinella, Randy Newberg is another incredible resource. He's here in Bozeman

https://youtu.be/hf_7h0qrWVE

 

[bigskypylot]

Heres Randy's youtube channel. Hes got tons of info. Check his podcastsout as well as Rinellas

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQOcUD2aFxEjc-_4JJBLYyg

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Thanks sheller!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I would certainly suggest going with a 30-06 over the 300, it's a much easier and versatile rifle round to shoot accurately, I personally use a Savage in that caliber and have harvested 2 elk using the Barnes TTSX in 150 grain. Great thing with the 30-06 is you can find a wide array of bullet weights so you can hunt everything from coyotes to bear with it while retaining minimum recoil, the 300 has a bit more power but comes at a cost of more recoil and is less accurate due to some users being shy of the recoil, all too often I see folks at the range trying to zero a 300 for 100 yards and will have 2 or 3 boxes of spent cartridges on the bench.

 

[AK.xplorer]

Having put away a pile of moose, caribou, bear, and deer, I'll give yah some tidbits:

Your feet are everything: Lowa GTX hunters are the ticket. I'd rather pay $400 for them, and buy a POS rifle for $200.

The knife needs to be an extension of your finger, so don't get too big with it. I don't mind sharpening occasionally, so I typically cut up an entire moose with D-2 steel or 440C. Never have I desired a knife any longer than 4 inches.

Food Savers wear out, so get a warranty.

Don't get a cheap canner, get a good one.

Process your own meat, some places are sketchy and don't take care of your meat, or you could get someone else's

Read Elmer Keith: "Hell I was There". Elmer is THE MAN, he was also a remarkable elk hunter.

Don't wear noisy cloths, dress in layers


Patience ALWAYS pays off. Don't move all over the place, take your time. Pick a spot for all the right reasons, and stick to your guns. You'd be surprised how well elk and other big game can hide among a sea of hunters who move too much.

Though the rifle is the least important expense, do look for medium caliber rifles. Elk are surprisingly tough and I wouldn't lob sup 30 caliber gopher bullets at them. Don't get all hopped up on velocity, most shots are within 200 yds.

Here are some great standard calibers for elk, moose and bear for a starting hunter or a seasoned hunter alike:
358 winchester ( a 308 win necked up to 35 caliber)
338 federal (a 308 win necked up to 338 caliber)
338-06 (a 30-06 necked up to 338 caliber
35 Whelen (a 30-06 necked up to 35 caliber
9.3x62 mauser (a german round typically found in 30-06 sized rifles)

I've shot three bull moose with lever action 358 winchesters. This cartridge is a winning combination of low recoil, range, and penetration on very large game. Got pictures on my website under "past hunts"

Age the front and hind quarters, but not the rest. Process the rest IMMEDIATELY.
A cheap meat hanging shack can be made with a used window air conditioning unit and some plywood. Spray vinegar on the front and hing quarters hang the meat and blast the air conditioning unit for one week.

 

[Dalko43]

Having put away a pile of moose, caribou, bear, and deer, I'll give yah some tidbits:

Your feet are everything: Lowa GTX hunters are the ticket. I'd rather pay $400 for them, and buy a POS rifle for $200.

Lowa's....you've got a taste for high quality boots there. But then again, if I were living and hunting in Alaska, I'd be putting a lot of money into boots as well.

 

[Umtaneum]

Oklahoma has pretty good bird hunting, if that excites you at all. Kansas and Colorado are even better. Of course, that means another firearm and more training and preparation.

 

[762X39]

Having put away a pile of moose, caribou, bear, and deer, I'll give yah some tidbits:

Your feet are everything: Lowa GTX hunters are the ticket. I'd rather pay $400 for them, and buy a POS rifle for $200.

The knife needs to be an extension of your finger, so don't get too big with it. I don't mind sharpening occasionally, so I typically cut up an entire moose with D-2 steel or 440C. Never have I desired a knife any longer than 4 inches.

Food Savers wear out, so get a warranty.

Don't get a cheap canner, get a good one.

Process your own meat, some places are sketchy and don't take care of your meat, or you could get someone else's

Read Elmer Keith: "Hell I was There". Elmer is THE MAN, he was also a remarkable elk hunter.

Don't wear noisy cloths, dress in layers


Patience ALWAYS pays off. Don't move all over the place, take your time. Pick a spot for all the right reasons, and stick to your guns. You'd be surprised how well elk and other big game can hide among a sea of hunters who move too much.

Though the rifle is the least important expense, do look for medium caliber rifles. Elk are surprisingly tough and I wouldn't lob sup 30 caliber gopher bullets at them. Don't get all hopped up on velocity, most shots are within 200 yds.

Here are some great standard calibers for elk, moose and bear for a starting hunter or a seasoned hunter alike:
358 winchester ( a 308 win necked up to 35 caliber)
338 federal (a 308 win necked up to 338 caliber)
338-06 (a 30-06 necked up to 338 caliber
35 Whelen (a 30-06 necked up to 35 caliber
9.3x62 mauser (a german round typically found in 30-06 sized rifles)

I've shot three bull moose with lever action 358 winchesters. This cartridge is a winning combination of low recoil, range, and penetration on very large game. Got pictures on my website under "past hunts"

Age the front and hind quarters, but not the rest. Process the rest IMMEDIATELY.
A cheap meat hanging shack can be made with a used window air conditioning unit and some plywood. Spray vinegar on the front and hing quarters hang the meat and blast the air conditioning unit for one week.

My first centre fire rifle (purchased as a temporary measure for $80) has been on every hunt with me since 1999 (I started hunting late in life).
My "hunting knife" was purchased in 1985 and it was a $30 Buck folder with a 3.5" blade, I have skinned and gutted every deer since 1999 (12 so far) with it (I bought several fancy/expensive knives but never use them).
Buy a quiet jacket and wool hunting pants if your hunts are like mine.
I am on my second foodsaver. The first one only lasted 15 years Best purchase I ever made for saving meat and everything else that goes into my freezer.
My brother is a world class butcher so I never had to worry about cutting up the meat, just had to worry about prepping it and aging it.

We own 25 acres up north where I hunt deer and it is fairly open with thickets here and there. Most shots are about 75 metres but a few were as much as 205 meters. My rifle is low recoil (6.5X55 Swedish) and I am confident with it at those ranges. As others have stated, don't go crazy with minute of angle accuracy, you really only need minute of pieplate accuracy but more importantly, you have to be consistent.
It also can't be overstated, you need to adopt an attitude of patience and careful observation. Good luck and have fun.

 

[SEREvince]

This is an awesome thread. I love to see people start hunting at any age or skill level! It sounds like you're already a experienced outdoorsman. Your hiking boots, base layers, and most gear will do double duty for hunting no problem. No need to go crazy, hunting is mostly hiking with gun. Start with your normal kit, add the stuff to take care of the meat and you're golden.

What I add to my normal hiking kit.
Havalon knife w/extra blades
game bags
surgical gloves
ziplocs
I often carry powdered citric acid and a empty spray bottle when I'm expecting warm temps or a long hike out. (keeps bacteria and flies off the meat)

As far as guns, everybody has their own opinion. I'd way rather hunt with someone that puts 200 rounds through a .260 or 6.5 getting ready for a hunt than someone who puts 1 box a through a .300 Ultra Mag. Due to cost, and recoil it's more realistic for me to have a 40 round range session with a .260 or 6.5 vs a 7mm or .300. The svelte little 6.5(.260) will cleanly take all NA game. If you can head out to range and shoot a few different calibers.

Practice from a variety of shooting positions. Your shot in the field will not be from a bench. Prone supported on a pack, kneeling over shooting sticks (even a trekking pole), off a log or branch, etc. I don't take shots offhand, unless it's Archery distance.

As for brands, I really enjoy shooting my Tikka T3, a lot of bang for buck if you will pardon the pun. Expect to spend more on glass than the rifle, and don't skimp on mounts. Blue loctite is your friend.

Kudos on the guide decision. I don't care what the skill, you can shave years of the learning curve under the tutelage of a skilled professional, especially one that can translate into a language you speak. Just be clear with your guide in what your expectations and goals are e.g. you want to be a active participant, not just an observer.

Lastly, the hunt lives and dies on the wind direction. Wind, wind, wind.

Good luck!