Wolf caliber and round?
- Thread starter Whitetails45
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Argon Glen
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2018
- Messages
- 86
Are these Werewolves in London? Cuz that's a different ballgame.
I'll be in Idaho soon and have a wolf tag. Hopefully my 300WM works. It only shoots a 212 gr with 76.5 gr of H1000.
I'll be in Idaho soon and have a wolf tag. Hopefully my 300WM works. It only shoots a 212 gr with 76.5 gr of H1000.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
Way under gunned man. Wolves need at least 338 caliber and up....... I guess if you can get them inside 50 yards you'll be ok.
I'm no expert like Brent, I've only shot a couple, trapped several but only shot the two. One with a 7mm STW and the other with a Mini 14. I recommend something a little bigger than 22 caliber, although if you place it right they will kill just fine. But moveing up to 243 or larger gives you a little leeway and less tracking. If I was hunting timber I would grab my old 760 pump in 270 and if anticipating long range I'll grab my STW. If I was building a wolf rifle I'd look at an AR with an 18" barrel in 260, 6.5 Creeedmoor or 308 if I was planning on mainly hunting timber, if I was planning on open canyon country I would be looking at a bolt gun like my STW but about half the weight, (it sucks to pack, and I've packed it a lot of miles). Choose whatever long range caliber you prefer, that bucks wind well.
But just like deer or elk hunting, use what you have that you shoot well. How comfortable and good you are with a gun counts more than the caliber.
But just like deer or elk hunting, use what you have that you shoot well. How comfortable and good you are with a gun counts more than the caliber.
Back from the holidays with family and Idaho friends. So we got into the wolf discussion and best results. Out of 12 wolves shot with only 3 calibers. all 26 inch barrels 243, 6mm Remington and my trusty 270. We were not pelt hunters, so damage was not even a consideration. the goal was to put them down without tracking some wounded viscous animal that can feasibly have friends.
That was the original thoughts of the group using varmint rounds like 80 and 87 grain .243 cal and launching them at 3500 and 3400 fps respectively using superformance powder. I've used my 270 win for varminting for many years use the Hornandy 110 v-max launched over 3400 fps. Most excellent Marmot, prairie poodle, and coyote vaporizer.
My 120+ pound guesstimate dog got stopped trying to escape going up a vertical incline. So I put the cross hairs in the middle of his back near the shoulder blades and squeezed the trigger. The varmint round must have exploded on the spine and blew out it's whole chest. Really a mess in the snow!
I would not use some big game heavy for the cal bullet. You would end up just punching a small hole through them. I hate seeing stuff run around chasing their tail like they just got stung, like coyotes when you are pelt hunting and using non expanding bullets.
That was the original thoughts of the group using varmint rounds like 80 and 87 grain .243 cal and launching them at 3500 and 3400 fps respectively using superformance powder. I've used my 270 win for varminting for many years use the Hornandy 110 v-max launched over 3400 fps. Most excellent Marmot, prairie poodle, and coyote vaporizer.
My 120+ pound guesstimate dog got stopped trying to escape going up a vertical incline. So I put the cross hairs in the middle of his back near the shoulder blades and squeezed the trigger. The varmint round must have exploded on the spine and blew out it's whole chest. Really a mess in the snow!
I would not use some big game heavy for the cal bullet. You would end up just punching a small hole through them. I hate seeing stuff run around chasing their tail like they just got stung, like coyotes when you are pelt hunting and using non expanding bullets.
daniel brothers
Well-Known Member
You Guys killed 12 wolves...WOW Then tell us some stories.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
Got to hear this too. Never heard of anyone in Idaho killing 12 via hunting in one hunt. It takes most people a life time to Kill that many wolves and most get 1 or 2 max. Trappers, they may get a handful per year at most. I think the quota for trapping is like 10.
There are a LOT of wolves inn Alberta. I have seen cases of two or three shot off of one bait when the pack comes in, even seen a couple of cases of 2 to 3 taken when the pack was out on a lake. The best wolf guides I know of take maybe 10-15 in a whole year, with extensive baiting and top notch calling.
To get 12 wolves in one or two weeks of hunting; WOW, I would LOVE to see the pictures of that and hear the stories.
To get 12 wolves in one or two weeks of hunting; WOW, I would LOVE to see the pictures of that and hear the stories.
BrentM
Well-Known Member
And here you cannot hunt off man made or placed bait. You can hunt off carcass found tho, just has to be natural. You can kill a wolf off bear bait, incidental, but wolves don't seem to be attracted to bear bait that much.
We are talking about 6 people who have been putting in for tags every year since they opened the season in Idaho. Generally you are lucky to get one tag for a couple and that's not every year.
When you read a post you need to use some common sense before making dumb posts
Most years we don't even put in. It's a tough hunt often on snow machines. It's hard enough for residents to even get a elk tag. I went 15 years without a drawGo back and read my first post #26
Last edited:
KyCarl
Well-Known Member
I don't see any reason my 25-06 wouldn't be plenty for a wolf!
a 100 gr. partition would be fine..
a 100 gr. partition would be fine..
BrentM
Well-Known Member
The post was confusing and post 26 doesn't really help. Who digs through or remembers something that far back? It appeared you were in Idaho hunting killed 12 wolves, seemed like an epic hunt. One for the books and camp fire stories. No matter, still really pretty dang good results overall. People really underestimate how hard they are to hunt. I've already screwed up one opportunity to fill a tag this year. A couple weeks ago I had a sheet show going on with a wolf at 500 at first light. I could see it in binos but struggled with the scope. When I finally got it located in the scope it dropped into a small ravine and ghosted. I was very annoyed with myself. That one had bounty of 2000.00 due to the location. I saw another wolf at 1800 and pursued it into a big drainage, but again, it ghosted.
In the early years when they opened the season up you would see family packs. They got smart when they figured out that you were not with the save the wolves group taking pictures. Just like hunted coyotes they disappear fast. I had to look up the first season and it was clear back in 2009.
So I should have said that it took 13 years for the six people at the thanksgiving party to collectively shoot 12 wolves. That's not even one per year with a few people putting in for it. Yes, I've even not filled tags! The best plan is to figure out group outings like snowmobiling and just carry your rifle just in case you see something. Snowmobiling is always a hoot!
I was born in Coeur d'Alene, ID
So I should have said that it took 13 years for the six people at the thanksgiving party to collectively shoot 12 wolves. That's not even one per year with a few people putting in for it. Yes, I've even not filled tags! The best plan is to figure out group outings like snowmobiling and just carry your rifle just in case you see something. Snowmobiling is always a hoot!
I was born in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Well, that clarifies things a lot. Still really good results but makes FAR more sense over 13 years. Still, good on you guys for thinning them out.
