Western hunting

[Ranch13]

I had been using the Northfork 300 ss, and since the big hornady debaucle , those Northforks are all I'll use for jacketed. I have been messing with a duplexed bp paper patch load with a 360 gr bullet that looks maybe promising.
 Speaking of bp and paper patch. Here's an elk that just fell over dead from a single hit at 204 yds.

[sidewinder319]

Living and hunting on the High Plains of the Northern Rockies is great. I like the 1886 Winchester in 45-70 and my Sharps 45-110.

[roper]

Just for kicks lets say you get the chance to hunt WY or MT for example for whitetail or mulie or antelope.

You can bring any singleshot(s) you want, whether you own it or not. 

Nothing extravagant, in fact the lower cost the better.  Something accurate, something with history/character, something that proves you don't need a high dollar rig to 'do it right'.

Which rifle, what sights, and which caliber? Which sling even (if you use one)?

  

I got hooked on shooting the Ruger # 1's early 70's and I used to hunt the Sierra for deer with a 7mag #1 and I also had a #1 270.  After moving to Colorado I took my first mulley with the #1 270 and I took my antelope with the 7mag and my 1st elk used a 7 Wby.  Next year I decided on using the #1 7mag as my deer/elk rifle I found a unit that allow deer hunting the first 5 day of elk season ( we were on a honor system back in those days) and we only had 2 seasons back then.

In the mid 80's I decided I want to move up to 30cal I tried afew rifles bolt actions  then I send the #1 out and it was rebarrel to a 30-338mag and I hunted with that for another 10yrs.  I kind of retired that rifle been shooting bolt action rifle mostly and I might take it as a back-up on one of my elk hunts old habits are hard to give up.  I took 2 B&C deer with that rifle early and mid 80's and I've had the stock refinished acouple times and the bluing pretty worn on the action from use.  I used to get alot of comments in the back country when I run into other hunters and my answer to them was "it only takers one shot so why carry more than you need".  My go to deer/elk rifle now is a custom on a Rem action in 30-338mag.

[streak]

Ranch13, in that last elk photograph is that a 45-110 or 45-120? Kind of hard to tell with that camera angle or could be a up close 45-70.

For single shots I have the Ruger#1 in .375 H&H mag for the long big stuff and the Handi in 45-70 for average10-150 yard shots!

[Ranch13]

It's a 45 2.3, as it turns out the good folks in Italy that chambered that rifle musta had one screwy demensioned reamer. It's marked 45-70 but lacks about 1/10 of an inch of chamber 45-90's. So to keep leading issues down and other associated problems of short cases, I trim cases back to 2.25, Norma basic makes good paperpatch cases, Starline 45-90's are good for greasers.

 I also have shot the throat out of a Ruger 1a in 3006 using it on everything from mice to moose..

[streak]

Always had a wildhair to do some paper patch loads! Especially after reading all of Paul Matthews books on hunting, reloading with some of the calibers using the paper patch bullets!
If you get a chance how about posting some of the paper patched rounds with the type of bullet and paper that you used?

[Ranch13]

Heres the patched bullet I use for competition . It's a .444 diameter adjustable mould from Old West, wrapped in paper mill 9lb onionskin. I use a .060 fiber wad an 1/8 inch lubed felt wad and a .030 fiber wad between the 72 grs of 2f powder and the bullet.


Here's the bullet I use for hunting, its 435 diameter adjustable from Old West, in the 45's I wrap it with 20 lb cotton paper and use the same wad stack, in the 44-77 I use the papermill.

[streak]

Thanks Ranch13! Great photo`s and info!!
I will have to try these!

[Flynmoose]

I live out west and, if I can sit in a stand, would use my Pedersoli Rolling Block with long range sights and a 30" barrel in 45-70. If I had to walk some, it would be a T/C Encore in 30.06 or 45-70. When I am shooting steel targets, BOTH!
FM