Favorite firearm?

[markc]

Whats your favorite firearm, or method for hunting exotics?  Mine has been my TC in 7-30 Waters, although I did take a heavy bodied 4 horn ram with my Marlin 1894  .44mag.
markc :-)

[cam0063]

A hard question to keep to just one answer...

As our exotics in my part of the country [Australia] are small ie - Rabbit, Fox, Pig and the odd Goat. My favourite smokesless rifle is a Mannlicher Schoenauer .243 full wood carbine. Not your classic varmint rig, but is No1 in my book, shoots beautifully and does look the business If I were in the North of my country where the exotics can run to Asian Buffalo, a Mannlicher Schoenauer full wood carbine in 9.3x62mm would be my smokeless rifle of choice!!! The Mannlichers are pretty awesome in my book, in any cal or configeration. The scope mounts alone are so varied and often a work of art! Had to be to get around that split action! haha

For a Black Powder Rifle, the Sharps '74 is No 1 for me - original or reproduction! Hopefully I can have all 3 oneday soon. The .243 I have in my collection, the Sharps I am working on, the 9.3 I just haven`t found yet....

cheers,

Cam......

[markc]

I would love to see that .243.  Got any pictures you could post of it?   What bullet/projectile are you firing from your .243?
markc

[cam0063]

Hi Marc,

I don`t have a pic close by and have to head out and begin my day, but will see and get my digital camera set up and take a pic or two... There is a good web site on the Mannlichers - http://discover-net.net/~kanotex/mannlicher/index

I am a real fan of the old Mannlichers. They are very expensve here, though do pop up on the market from time to time. I have read a few stories about WDM Bell of African hunting fame, who swore by his 6.5x54 for Elephant hunting. Not something to be taken lightly or for the faint hearted. With the little 6.5 I am sure you would be put ina straight jacket if you went afield thus armed for elephant now a days, but he did know his stuff...

cheers,

Cam.....

[markc]

in the right hands, some pretty small caliber weapons do what most gun magazine writers would scoff at.  Hard to deny the evidence though.  On the Alaska forum, one of the guys regularly takes caribou with a .243.  Now there are folks on some forums who think the .243 is only good for varmits.  I think if a person knows their chosen weapon well enough and they can place the bullet where they want it to go, then amazing things can be accomplished with the smaller calibers.
markc :grin:

[cam0063]

Very true Marc... In the early days [pre WWII], the 6.5 and 7mms have accounted for a lot of Dangerous and Big game across the world. Even read of a guy shooting Lion with a Savage .22 highpower. The end of the story was he died at the claws of one of his wounded prey [hunter became the hunted], but he did bag a few before he succumed!

I have used my .243 mainly for varmints, but have taken a couple of deer with it. My main varmint load uses a .55gr Nosler Balistic tip. Dynamite on Rabbits, Fox and Crow. Too explosive if you want the rabbit for the table though! haha. I am going to set it aside just for wild pigs and may use some 90gr Barnes projectiles I have here. Not sure yet...

Cam.....

[Big Tex]

How big are the hogs in Aus? Here in the SW US, I've seen several pictures and heard of more 4-500 pound hogs. I don't think a 243 would be a good weapon for those. My duck hunting guide in OK says he's had some hogs that a 3006 won't go completely thru. It did kill it. I'm thinking my 375 wouldn't be too much gun for one like that. My main place in S TX has a 300 win mag minimum on nilgai and eland, but the guides prefer 338-375. They carry 375s.

[cam0063]

Hi big Tex...

I have heard of the big 400-500lb+ hogs, but have never seen anything that close. I remember many pics I have seen of the big ones here, donot look like what I call a wild pig [razorback, long snout big shoulders, small butt], but more like a domestic [short snout and even shoulders & Butt.] I am seceptical I guess, not to say the big ones don`t exist, I just have not seen one or know any one who has!

Most of my wild pigs are under 200lbs and I near always shoot the smaller ones 100lb + or -, as they are for the freezer, sausages, salamis, roasts etc. Plus I have to carry what I shoot, back to a vehicle, this can be a long way! Besides - Eating an old Boar or Sow is not my idea of a nice meal. So for my purposes the .243 is more than enough... I have shot some bigger pigs here, but they are not good trophies, the tusks are normally well worn! Actually I have never lost a pig with a well placed heavy .243 projectile, they are a very common pig hunting caliber here...

I have seen your wild pigs/hogs, very similar to ours... 2 years ago I was in Ingram Texas visiting a slaughter house where they had a big consignment of pigs from the King Ranch. They looked just like ours... On my next visit to Texas I hope to go pig hunting. Have had plenty of offers, but  haven`t had the time the past few trips, however will do this time hopefully before October... I saw a lot of Wild Pigs around the Hill Country, you guys seem to have no shortage of them. I hear even more in Sth Texas... I know this isn`t a wild pig, but I would hate to tangle with on of those Javelina!!!! They look reall mean!!!

The calibers you mention for Eland and Nilgai seem to be the norm and enough gun by my way of thinking, with my minimal experience. I am a member of the Exotic Wildlife Assoc in Texas and have many good friends Game ranching there. The .300 win mag seems to be a good choice for many of the Exotics. Eland are tough and very big animals, the size and weight of a domestic cow and Bull! I believe Eland bulls can weigh to 2200lbs... Nigai are very hardy and tough, just getting near one to shoot is a feat in itself I am told! haha

I have visited Sth Africa and know some great people in the Game Ranching/Reserve Industries... They have mentioned to me that they have had numerous problems with hunters using a big/fast Magnum caliber on soft skin Plains game [Eland, Zebra, Kudu etc], with incorrect projectile choice and the high velocity, sending the bullet travelling right on thru without expanding or exploding on the surface. I asked how some of the big, old slower moving cartridges have performed and they said they wished many guys would opt for this than thinking they need tremendous velocity to do the damage... I guess a lot has to do with experience and big game hunting is an area I have little experience in, but always keen to learn! On that note, I would love to have a .300 Holland & Holland someday! Then maybe a .375 H&H to keep it company

cheers,

Cam....

I havenot worked out how to paste images, when I do, I will post a few pics I have laying around, when I find them....

[howie1968]

I  have  a  couple   but as  far  as sentimntal  value  is  my  daughters marlin 30-30  it  seems  very ntime  i  take this  gun  i  bring  home game  and  it  almost  always  is  a  bigger  animal  then  the  last     i  generally  use  this gun  when  on  the  ground  hunting  hogs  in  the  woods  as  i  am a  lefty,  this   gun  has  a  cheap  29.00  tasco  on  it  in  weaver  rings  it  has  been  dropped   banged  up  and  still  shoots   amazing.   yall  mght  laugh  but  my  second  fav   is   the remington  odel 710 30-06  this  gun  is  a  real  shooter  around .75   for  3  remington  corelokt  150 grainers   yes  it  is  not  beautifl   but  that  is  what  i  wanted  something  that  was  tough  durable  and  that  i  would  not  worry  about  bangig  up.   my  3rd  un  is  a  Savage mod  116 weather warrior in  30-06,  this  gun  rivals  my  remington  in  accuracy  holds  5  rounds  and  is  smooth  as  silk   I  use  the  remington  180 gr  cre  lokts in  this  one