Which rifle would you take into this situation?

[AJ Peacock]

OK, so I have a serious case of cabin fever.

Here's the situation. Hunting rolling sage brush, grass and oak brush flats there is no snow on the ground. On average you can see 30 yards through openings, but there are thicker sections and a few more open areas that you can see 200 yards. You are tracking a wounded Black Bear (300 pounds) or a wounded Lion in Africa.

To make this more interesting, I have to put some restrictions on you.
1) You have to do this alone and on foot. (no friends, no dogs, no helicopter).
2) You have to follow the bear/lion, you can't just let him lay down and stiffen up.
3) You can only have one firearm with you.
4) I'm tempted to say you can't use a shotgun; but I won't. However, if a shotgun is your choice, thats fine. Also choose which rifle you would take if a shotgun was not available.

What firearm do you take? (caliber, load, make, model etc.) Your life depends on this choice.

I'll hold my choice back for a little while.

Don

 

[Sendero_Man]

I would probably take a Marlin 45-70 Guide gun.

 

[AJ Peacock]

[ QUOTE ]
I would probably take a Marlin 45-70 Guide gun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sendero Man, you win. That was my choice, I was just going to wait and see how long until someone else felt the same way. It sure didn't take long!

Don

 

[screech]

444 marlin lever action or fully auto 50bmg and just balze a trail.

 

[James Jones]

Since you put the lion in their that makes me choose a totaly differant gun. I would have to say a good double rifle chambered in 458 Win mag loaded with a 500gr Speer Grand Slam that has had the nose turned back to make the bullet weight 475grs , loaded on top of 76grs or Varget.

I actualy made some of these rounds for buddy going to Alaska and wanted a backup gun for thick brush , this load gives a muzzel velocity of right at 2300fps out of a 22" barrel. A 22" barreled Double rifle would be very short and handy easly brough up and swing well also , all very good for a close encounter with a mad animal.

I know a fella that has hunted alot of dangerous game and he thinks that the big cats are much more tenatious than any bear hes hunted including polar bears and they are generaly only stopped with a brain or spine shot.

I like a 14.5" M4 AR-15 for C.Q.B. with humans maybe even a black bear but if it chokes I **** sure don't want to go hand to hand or with a .45 with yogi and definatly not a cat of any size

 

[Sendero_Man]

Living and hunting in Grizzly country, that is what I pack around camp and take to the outhouse... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

So, what did I win... LOL

 

[lerch]

I will second a 45-70 Marlin Guide Gun, little 18.5" bbl and alot of thump combined with a big bullet surface area sounds **** nice to me. I got a buddy who guides hog hunts and that is what he carries, he had one hog a little over 300lbs eat 6 rounds of 300gr HP from his fire stick before he gave up the ghost!!!!

 

[Supermag]

I'm going to have to second the 458 wm. The black bear is no problem but the lion presents something different. With most of the loads for the 45-70, you might be underpowered.

If the 458 is good enough for most PHs then it should work for me. BUT if there weren't the black bear part it would be a 470 Nitro.

 

[Fiftydriver]

I have thought about this type of thing a time or two while fishing for brookies in the back country of Montana standing on a beaver dam 15 miles from the nearest road!!!

While I have never played with one and do not even know if it has been done, I think I know what I would use if I could snap my fingers and have the ultimate light weight packing back up firearm.

JD Jones of SSK industry fame made a round called the 470 JDJ which is a 45-70 necked up to 475 cal. I think this round in a rebarreled Marlin Guide gun and loaded with a custom 500 gr heat treated hard case bullet of the Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked design would be about as good as anything.

A hard case 500 gr pill will allow much more velocity then the same weight jacketed bullet and will also penetrate just as well as any solid or FMJ bullet.

I would try to load her up to around 1950 fps with a good ghost ring and front post sight. That would be my choice if it were a snap your fingers and have it type of deal. There would be more work then that to it however.

A 450 Alaskan would also be a great choice or a 50 Alaskan. Not sure if they would fit in the Marlin however. I think they will but have not seen one.

I am by no means a level action specialist!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Buffalobob]

A well broken in pair of Nike 30-40's should do the job.

 

[Shawn Carlock]

I'd gladly take one of my tactical 1100 Remingtons with slugs, it will hold 9, 2 3/4" Winchester Supreme Sabot slugs. They shoot a 385 gr partion slug around 1900 out of my guns, it holds 9 rounds and I can load it 3 times as fast as a guide gun. On top of all that it is an honest 150 yd gun.

 

[hjl]

If I lived in the USA I would use a AR 10 in 470 Rhino.A 8 shot semi auto that matchs 470 nitro ballitics. Got to love that! A second choice would be a Shorty hunter in 416 rem mag again a 8 shot magazine.
A boring choice would be a bolt action in 458 lott or 500 Asquare.
Regards.
hjl

 

[screech]

Buffalobob, you must have some wheels on you if that is all you would want.

 

[Northman]

A Merkel double rifle in 9.3x74R, using 286grain Speer grand slam or nosler partition.

Or a shotgun, using slugs.