Category Archives: Hunting thoughts

How Much Bullet Energy to Kill Moose? Some thoughts!

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For years I keep reading about the need for 2500 ft-lbs bullet energy to kill a Moose cleanly. I shot my moose with a .375 Ruger but it was not broadside it was face on, taking out just one lung.  The bullet traveled the whole length and lodged in the hide at his rear end.  It took another round from my partners .308 and then a finishing shot from me to the spine.

Yet there is story after story of rifle calibers in the 6mm, .270 and 7mm, .308 Winchester lower recoil class that kill cleanly every year (broadside double lung shots) with less energy than the 2500 ft-lbs that so many have fallen in line with. The key to killing a full grown moose is for the most part, accurate bullet placement and adequate penetration ,Jack O’connor and I would argue, to reach the vitals of the heart/lung area. Jack killed Moose at 200 yards with his 130 grain .270 Winchester. Others have taken moose out to 400 yards with the .270 Winchester. I would avoid that one if possible. 

Moose are slow to react even from a killing shot so an immediate follow-up shot is often recommended. 

Based on penetration, the Sectional Density of a bullet is a tell all for penetration as long as the bullet design is geared to “stay together and mushroom”. Do you need a big powerful bullet to kill moose? Some think so but I don’t, especially with today’s bonded, copper etc. bullets and the partition style. They penetrate well and stay together.  I do ascribe to the 1500 ft-lbs delivered energy for Elk but the 2500 ft-lbs is perhaps now disproven for moose.  In my opinion, deliverd energy should at least be 1500 ft-lbs or greater, ideally in the 2000 ft-lb range. After the shot, immediately reload and prepare to shoot again.

The key to remember is to try for broadside shots whenever possible and avoid quartering shots that need to travel far to vitals unless you have a 30-06 or larger caliber to break bone and push through part of the gut cavity to reach them.

A double lung hit is a sure bet on all big game.

Go shoot a big moose with your deer rifle! It’s been done for decades! Just shoot-em’ in the heart lungs area such as a double lung hit and that moose is yours. Of course if you have a bigger gun, no problem.

Good Hunting!

©Copyright 2023

 

 

One Shot One Kill applies to Hunters too. Use a Bipod or Tripod!

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Yes it is a sniper credo but it also applies to serious hunters. After the first shot in the field or woods, every animal knows. And if your game animal was not hit or vitally hit on the first shot you will rarely have a second shot. Color your animal gone or likely lost!

Ok how to improve?

First only take shots that are within your capability?

How do you know this?

By practicing and learning your limits. The kill zone of heart and lungs of a large whitetail buck for example is 8 inches but a doe is often much smaller and more like a 6 inch kill zone. I keep my shots in that zone when practicing off hand. My max range for off hand is about 50 yards. If I have time to brace against a tree or use shooting sticks, like I did in Africa, my confidence grows to 300 yards or more.

So finding a brace, such as shooting sticks or pods, helps make that first shot count!

When I take a stand and can see longer than 50 yards then I will employ a brace like shooting sticks or a bipod or monopod. My hunt in North Carolina a few years back placed me in a sorghum field with a 380 yard view. I had a spike buck on day three cross the field at nearly 300 yards. You can see my monopod in the photo below.

I had a monopod firmly strapped to my stand and took that spike with my Savage 7mm Rem Mag. I was meat hunting after 3 days of seeing not one deer!  If I didn’t have that pod, I would have been forced to pass on that shot. I hit the buck near top of the lungs and he fell like lightening but a moment later it stood and I placed a second shot just a few inches lower and put him in my freezer.

I have a Harris Bipod that is useless in northern NH hunting and the mono-pod walking stick which is nice but I think a larger lightweight telescoping bipod or even the tripod is a better answer, such as the bog-pod by Battenfield Technologies, Inc.

http://www.btibrands.com/brands/bog-pod/?archive=hunting-restsmonopods-bipods-tripods

Bog Gear Bog-Pod Shooting Stick SB-2 Sportsman's Bipod 735544

I show this brand because it so well thought out! Check it out at your local sporting goods store.

Make that first shot a kill shot like this Red Hartebeest below taken with bow.

Good Hunting!

© 2017

Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard Coming Soon

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Vanguard® Weatherguard™

Above the Weatherby® Vanguard® Weatherguard™ is coming to New Hampshire Rifleman Magazine On-Line in 6.5 Creedmoor, one of my favorite cartridges. I chose this rifle to test for several reasons but it all boils down to value!  High quality and accuracy (guaranteed MOA accurate with Weatherby cartridges or top names) at a very acceptable cost. At an MSRP of $750 (much less at retail) this rifle appears to have it all. We shall see! Accordingly, we will put this rifle through its paces for accuracy and dependability for the all weather hunter.

Good Hunting! Check back soon!

 

Most Read Article: The .270 Winchester vs. the 6.5 Creedmoor by Ed Hale

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My rifle article has the shooting world by the tail and read by tens of thousands around the world from New England to Alaska, and in South Africa. They just can’t get enough of it!!.

So here it is again below. Enjoy!!

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2017/03/10/the-270-winchester-vs-the-6-5-creedmoor-by-ed-hale/

Testing the S&W Model 69 Combat Magnum in 44 Magnum for Bear Back-Up – Updated

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The key to any back up weapon, or any weapon for that matter, is to easily access it and shoot accurately.  No matter how powerful the cartridge and gun are, if you miss, or wound a bear that is charging such as a brown bear or grizzly or large black bear, you could soon be dead and likely dinner.

Enter the S&W Model 69 Combat  Magnum with a 2.75 inch barrel and Red embedded composite front sight.  This S&W Combat magnum shoots 5 rounds and has a very smooth double action and can be shot in single action as well. This week I shot 240 grain soft point in Remington 44 magnum and 300 grain hollow point at 8 yards and a few shots at 25 yards. Below is the 8 yard target. The first three shots are at 6 oclock in the center two bullets are from the 300 grain loads. The cluster to the right was double action with the 300 grain heads and but more recoil.

At 25 yards I fired a few rounds single action with 240 grain and 300 grain and hit a small metal plate each time. I really like this Model 69! The grip is adequate for the recoil but could be better. The straight back recoil allows me to get on target faster. The sights and barrel length are excellent for a back up side arm for bear or a closer shot at deer.

The size of a black bears brain is around 3 inches (2.54 cm/inch) front to back. Accordingly, I would suggest that you be able to place a bullet accurately there is imperative. From the front the nasal cavity just below and between the eyes is a good bet and from the side the skull forward below the ears and behind the eyes.

 

Image result for bear anatomy shot placement in brain

 

More later.

Good Shooting!

© 2017

 

 

 

Time to Prepare for Hunting Season – Now!

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If you are a bow hunter, August is a must for practice and tuning your bow, arrows and razor sharp broad-heads, especially if you haven’t been shooting all summer long like at a 3D shoot.

Check out your tree climbing stand and safety harness gear to ensure you have all the parts and practice with a climbing stand to be safe. Try to practice in the dark to strap on your stand making as little noise as possible and climb a few feet up and mount your stand and pull up your bow. A clanky/noisy set up sends the message of warning to deer.

Avoid trees that have smooth bark, like birch and beech as your stand can slip.

Now is the time to put up ladder stands and begin to scout. I made the mistake of hunting in an area that had more ladder stands than deer. Once the deer get the idea there are hunters, paint the deer very wary and will often leave the area. You won’t see those adult deer in daylight either.

Muzzle Loader hunters clean your barrel again! By this time most barrels from muzzle loaders need attention and cleaning to prepare for the deer season. I like to pre-load my bullet and powder if possible in small containers you can purchase. I find in modern muzzle loaders such as my T/C Encore that PowerBelt™ Bullets seem to load easier (even with a barrel that has taken several shots already)  and are very accurate. I have used saboted bullets but find them a pain to load as the plastic does not go down the barrel easily. If that is all you’ve got then it works.

I will surely hunt with my newly created 50 Cal Pennsylvania Flintlock and 44 inch barrel I will stick with round balls from Hornady .490 with .015″ patch and are very accurate as well. Keep shots under 100 yards and preferably closer to 50 yards.

The time for scouting can begin but remember that food sources will shift to acorns and other mast such as beech or apples. Find the does and you will find the bucks.

Practice at the range, after sighting in should be standing, kneeling or using a tree for rifle support.

Good Shooting!

© 2017

Best Deer, Bear, Moose, Bison, Cartridge for Handloaders with .375 Ruger in a Ruger M77 Hawkeye

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Years back  I needed a versatile reloadable cartridge for all game, at all distances and all conditions for that someday hunt for brown bear, or a cape buffalo or bison yet can hunt deer too.  If you are not and have not dreamed of a brown bear hunt then this article is not for you.

If you have, then I would consider the .375 Ruger to be such a reloadable cartridge in a Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifle made here in New Hampshire. The new African model comes with a removable muzzle brake. Check it out.

 

http://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeAfrican/models.html

It is a hunters gun with a soft less reflective finish that will not spook game. I have killed moose and bison as well as red stag with this cartridge and the African model rifle.

It shoots 1/2 inch groups at full power and 1 inch groups with most all other bullets down to 220 grain and loading’s for deer. With a Pachmayr Recoil pad I can shoot it in my t-shirt while standing as it cuts felt recoil in half. A full power load with 260 grain Nosler AccuBond bullets out of the barrel at 2615 fps produces almost 4000 ft-lbs at the Muzzle and 2500 ft-lbs for Moose at 275 yards at a velocity of 2100 fps for perfect mushrooming. For an elk it can reach 450 yards with 1800 ft-lbs at the bullets mushroom design speed. It is a CXP4 cartridge with CXP2 and 3 capability if handloaded.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/cxp4_safari_cartridges.htm

If you are traveling far, check that the local shop’s where you hunt have 375 Ruger rounds in case you loose your baggage. It is the main reason for years that hunters used the 375 H&H because it was like dirt, it was everywhere. But the 375 Ruger has made some dents in that theory.

If I was hunting a  really large Wild Boar up close, I would use the .375 Ruger as they have been known to charge when wounded and it is very difficult to take away its credit card with those 5 inch tusks sticking out of its mouth.

Check out my other .375 Ruger Hawkeye article

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2013/09/20/hand-loading-the-375-ruger-for-deer-bear-moose-and-cape-buffalo/

© 2017

Good Hunting!

 

Things I Learned From Just One Season of Long Range Competition that can be useful as a Hunter and Reloader by Ed Hale

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Is LR competition easy? No! It is a fun challenge however and that makes it worth while for many. But it can be expensive the more you get into it. Most any rifle can be good starter but once bitten it is hard to stop. As a result, I know more about quality hand-loading bullets, powder, brass and primers. So it was a valuable experience of calculating my bullet’s Standard Deviation and Extreme spread. What I found was that my brain was becoming its own calculator of holdover in minutes, and how that translated to inches of crosshair movement. I deepened my wind knowledge to predict lateral bullet placement and when to let game pass by because I could not predict the proper bullet placement for a clean kill.

Most of all I was more confident in my rifle and how to dial up my scope…a key ingredient in long range hunting.  Also use of on line software to determine the ballistic profile based on bullet velocity via a chronograph and the BC of your bullet. So competing can be helpful as a hunter by deepening your knowledge. Truth is, to win you need to spend time shooting and money.  For those like me that are hunters, it is a great learning experience to have competed. I am better for it! Who knows you may get bitten by long range F Class Rifle Competition or use of Military 308 or .223 competition such as F-TR (target rifle). My son Jason is really into it as you can see from his writing.

The key to hunting is to become more of a woodsman knowing your quarry and how to read sign and food sources and ways that your game may react. Just don’t get cocky in the deer woods because you shoot well in the prone position at 600 yards.Eh!

There are trees and the animals move you see and don’t wait for you to breath and squeeze forever. If you can, get closer to your game animal? Do it! If you are strictly a competition type you will have much to learn to be a good hunter.

© 2017

 

 

 

The .270 Winchester vs the 6.5 Creedmoor- by Ed Hale

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Rifle manufacturers over the years knew that there were few calibers that can perform at the mild recoil/increased accuracy level of the .270 Winchester for hunting with 130 grain bullets (reduced recoil). It was Jack O’Connor that made the .270 Winchester as famous as it is but it was time in the hands of a broad spectrum of hunters that continuously prove that.

The .270 Winchester is not a target rifle cartridge as it has more recoil than the 6mm/243. Its parent case is the 30-06 Springfield designed for the WW I battlefield and the .270 Winchester was designed for hunting, from varmint to big game which delivers high energy at long range.

But the new kid on the block is the 6.5 Creedmoor can deliver high energy too and is a CXP3 cartridge (Controlled eXpantion Performance) like the .270 Winchester and capable of killing up to and including moose size game with excellent shot placement due to low recoil.

For my son Jason, I took the .270 to Africa years ago and he shot my hand loaded 150 grain Nosler Partition in the Ruger M77 rifle… all one shot kills on CXP2 class game but had potential to kill CXP3 like Kudu.

I keep mentioning the CXP nomenclature as I am trying to imbed/educate it in hunter lexicon as it aids in hunting cartridge classification.

I believe the 6.5 Creedmoor will likely never supersede the .270 Winchester as a hunting cartridge but future “new rifle sales” for accuracy and long range hunting at the 500 yard level will likely go to the 6.5 Creedmoor for the target shooter and their great extremely low drag bullets that hold their energy equal to the .270 at long range.

I believe the competitive target shooting market is driving sales and innovation of the 6.5 Creedmoor cross-use bullets such as Hornady’s 143 grain ELD-X Match grade Hunting Bullet and Nosler’s 129 grain long range AccuBond hunting bullet. But manufacturers are increasing catching on the hunting rifle sales in 6.5 Creedmoor to a younger and recoil sensitive hunter market.

If the 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is made available at the local sporting store as is currently, it will increase in popularity but the .270 Winchester ammo and existing rifles will always be there. The .270 Winchester is like comfort food, it satisfies the nostalgia in many older men hunters but the rifle buyers are younger and women are increasingly in the market for a new all around hunting rifle.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is rapidly earning a new well deserved place in the hunting community! Cheers!

Good Hunting!

© 2017