When my children were learning about guns (around age 3), the first
step was to remove the curiosity from guns. Simply enough, all you
need to do is make sure your child knows that he or she can look at
your guns by asking permission. This makes it a simpler process, and
while showing your child a gun, you can set the proper example. Face it,
if something is off limits to kids, there is an aura of mystery which can
only be satisfied by gaining access to that restricted item.

Why don’t we take a moment to review the 10 Commandments Of
Firearms Safety?

1. Control the direction of the firearm’s muzzle. Keep the safety on and fingers off the trigger at all times until ready to shoot.
2. Identify the target and what is beyond it before shooting.
3. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and that only
the proper size of ammunition is used in the firearm.
5. Always unload a firearm when it is not in use, leave the actions open,
carry empty firearms in a case to and from shooting areas.
6. Never aim a firearm at anything that you do not intend to shoot.
7. Never climb a tree or fence, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded
firearm. Never pull a firearm towards you by the muzzle.
8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or at water. Make sure
backstops are adequate during target practice.
9. Store firearms and ammunition separately and beyond the reach of
children and careless adults.
10. Avoid all alcoholic beverages and drugs before and during shooting.

So, Junior has let a few days pass and approached you again with “can I
see your guns, Dad?” You are cautioned to enthusiastically embrace this
opportunity. Yes, I know…the Raiders are killing the Seahawks and you
had a hard week at the office. Get up off the couch and go do this for
your kid!
While headed to the gun cabinet, let your brain puzzle on how to do this
properly. Assuming your guns and ammo are locked in separate
cabinets, you are in good shape. The one exception to this might be
your concealed carry weapon, but I’ll leave that one to you, as a
concealed weapons permit holder shouldn’t have to be told what to do
here.
Make a big deal of unlocking the cabinet, maybe remarking why we lock
guns and ammo separately. Let the child “buy into” the grown- up side
of this by adding that you feel you can trust them, but who knows when
a younger sibling, friend, or thief might try to access the family guns?

Show your child that the first item of business is to check the firearm
and ensure it is unloaded. You might want to support the firearm while
your child gets a feel for its heft. Point out the safety, the sights, the
barrel, etc., arriving at the trigger last. Why? Because by now, the child
has no doubt caressed the trigger at least once. This is another valuable safety lesson waiting in the wings. Reinforce that we don’t handle guns
by inserting our fingers inside the trigger guard, or while stroking the
trigger.

Show your kid that placing the trigger finger alongside the trigger guard
instantly tells everyone how professional you are in handling firearms.
In a photo published recently in a national news magazine, a trio of U.S.
Marines crowded around a weapons cache in Iraq. We were horrified to
see one of the Marines holding up a pistol with his finger firmly on the
trigger! Let’s not teach our youth the wrong thing by setting poor
examples.
After the “bedroom gun show” is complete, lock everything securely,
making sure you don’t show your youngster where the key is kept.
Reiterate the idea that they are welcome to look anytime, provided you
are present. Your child will no doubt be satisfied for a while, and this is
the time to plan your next move. If you do intend to take your child on
a future outing, it might be time to ratchet up the responsibility level. It
may be an old fashioned idea, but it works- responsibility and privilege
go hand in hand. Of course, you are the parent here and you know your
child. Hobbytron is one source for this next responsibility level. This
next level is a gun of their own. “Whaddya mean? Why do I have go buy
another gun, when I have a cabinet full?”. Calm down, what I am talking
about is an air soft gun that costs about $35. Better yet, air soft guns
are NON LETHAL! They are an excellent tool for observing your child’s
handling of a gun. Pick up a few hundred pellets while you are shopping.
Try to stay away from the paramilitary styles- we ARE trying to breed
responsibility here; not the “pray and spray” mentality. It’s also worth
noting that it is much more difficult to teach a kid muzzle control with a
handgun than with a rifle.
Now it’s time for the classroom. This is where we will start, and also
return, time and again. A young child can’t memorize those 10 safety
rules, but they can be put into practice with your help. Believing it’s
always better to put a carrot in front of the horse, our suggestion is to
make the safety requirement perfectly clear. No safety rules- no gun.
This is really just a briefing of what the child can expect on your next
outing. Once again, you are the parent and you know your kid. If you
would rather start with them merely observing you, then so be it. Active
participation can wait.
This is a good place to point out why paintball guns aren’t recommended
or mentioned for safety training. What is the basic premise behind
paintball games? To shoot people. Is this the idea we want to instill? The
same goes for targets when you take your youngster to the range- save
the Saddam or Osama targets for when you and the guys are out. Your
child needs a good, solid example, and that’s best taught by you. There
is nothing wrong with paintball guns; they just aren’t the best thing for
setting a youngster on the right path to safe gun handling.

All right, the big day has arrived! Did you gather some ear protection
and safety glasses that will fit Junior? If not, the various sporting goods
stores are good sources for these items; Sportsman’s Warehouse, Bass
Pro Shops, and Gander Mountain all contain what you need. We won’t
pretend to tell you how to pack your guns and gear. What we will
caution you against is this: Think about getting that hearing protection
in place before you get out of the car at an outdoor range, and before
entering the lanes at an indoor range. Those sharp reports can suddenly
spook your child into being afraid. Not to mention the possible hearing
damage. I bet Dad could afford to protect what hearing he still
has….”Huh, what did you say?”. By now, you have delivered your best,
most serious “this is your one chance, don’t screw up or you’ll never
touch another gun” lecture. A little heads up is okay, but let’s not terrify
the boy or girl. This is a cool day with Dad; positive things go a lot
farther than the negative. It might also help to hand the child a simple
picture of proper sight alignment.

While you are setting up, put your child first. It might be a fun time (if it
isn’t too noisy) to produce the new airsoft weapon, or maybe you did
this back at the house. Either way, get the airsoft loaded and go over
the rules again, pointing out the target.
It’s not important at this point to drill the kid on breath control, sight
picture, or the Weaver Stance. Those things can come later. Right now
we are watching for safe handling of the airsoft gun. This is the
probationary period that we all should have experienced early in our
shooting careers. Remember, positive reinforcement works much better
here if there is a muzzle control issue.
If you have problems, you might well decide that your little buddy isn’t
quite ready for the weapon, but we suggest waiting until the ride home
to discuss this. You don’t want a scene at the range, and you will both
have a chance to calm down a bit from all the excitement.
Even if you have the perfect outing, the airsoft should be locked up with
the other firearms upon returning to your residence. Examples count,
and your child will be watching you closely.
Speaking of arriving home, a good activity to wind down with is cleaning
the guns. And yes, safety enters into this portion of the day also. There
are many opportunities here to teach your future hunter or shooter
some safety and common sense. Soon, we will discuss the basics of
taking your kids hunting.

What in the world are saddles, swales, ridges, fingers, or knobs, and what do
they have to do with hunting? The answer is…everything!
You have probably heard of saddles, you put them on a horse, right? Well, yes,
that is one way to use the term, but the focus of this article is topographical
features. I know; it sounds boring. Stick with me, and we’ll try and not only make
this fun, but educational as well.

If you have read any hunting articles, you have heard of ridges. What is a ridge?
A ridge is formed like the top of a house roof, although rarely as straight. So
what purpose do ridges serve, where do they take you, and why do you need to
know all this in order to hunt effectively? First, ridges serve numerous purposeschiefly
they provide a wall or barrier for wildlife, they require climbing to cross, and therefore can serve as an effective escape mechanism for wildlife fleeing
from you, the hunter. Ridges separate drainages. Much like you can herd elk in
any direction they want to go, ridges can take you anywhere they are headed.
Lets take a bird’s eye view of a mountain to better understand ridges.

In an imperfect world, we are going to have imperfect views, so lets make a
rough sketch. Think of a mountain with the peak in the center, or like a wheel
hub. Radiating out from that hub at irregular intervals are ridges, or spokes of
the wheel. Typically, but not always, the ridges lead downhill from the top of the
mountain to the bottom of each drainage. Sometimes a ridge leads to a saddle, or
turns into another peak or series of peaks. Small ridges are called fingers. And
sometimes a ridge will terminate in a knob. How can ridges help you hunt more
effectively? Well…they are a very good way to get a “snapshot” of game
movement at a particular elevation or in a certain region. So, they are a natural
scouting tool to put to use when checking out a new hunting area. Ridges can
take you places rapidly, without making excessive noise. Because they are
generally exposed to wind, there are normally fewer trees, and therefore less
undergrowth on ridges, making movement easier and quieter. Ridges place you
at a height advantage. But, remember not to skyline yourself if you are trying to
be stealthy.

Alright, enough about ridges, lets talk saddles. The saddle we are interested in
here is a low point in a ridge, not the kind your outfitter made you sit in. Picture
two mountain peaks on the horizon. In between, there is a dip in the ridge
connecting those two peaks. We are talking about a (no doubt) HUGE saddle for
this example. It may be 400 yards across. What significance does it carry? To the
wildlife nearby, its an escape route. To you, the hunter, its an excellent ambush
point. Does it have to be a big saddle to qualify as a good spot? No way. In fact,
some of your biggest bull elk, buck deer, and wiliest predators use tiny, tree
covered saddles to cross between feeding and bedding spots each day. So how
do you know if it’s a good saddle? Well, one method is to cross it and look
around. Notice the game trails, are they well defined paths or are there random
tracks leading in and out of the saddle? Depending on the time of year, it could be
a major migration route, or a dangerous, exposed opening that most game might
shy away from.
Lets expand on that thought. Why would the season matter? During your typical
western U.S. fall hunting season, its fairly nice weather, mostly dry, with the
occasional snowstorm passing through. The deer and elk are pressured by human
presence and are going to avoid exposing their hides to daylight if at all possible.
This explains the earlier statement about small saddles being used by big elk and
deer. Of course, there are exceptions to this. So lets switch to migration time. Its
been snowing for days and the animals are struggling to paw through to the
grass, they know its time to head for lower elevations. The hunters have gone
home for the year (mostly) and the woods are quiet. This is when those large
saddles will be utilized to a greater extent by the game animals. This is also a
chance for the hardy late season hunter to capitalize on a nice opportunity, if he
or she can handle the cold.

Moving on to fingers, we can simply explain them as smaller ridges that might be
more numerous and more softly rounded than a ridge. Splay your hand out on a
table and you get the idea. You might use the term “fingers” when hunting lower
elevations that contain pines, cedars, pinon trees, and sage. Fingers can be
tougher to hunt because of their number and similarity, making navigation less
clear. Also, “finger country” tends to be denser and limits your visibility. “Finger
country” is where you will find some very good hunting if you go slow and
actually hunt, rather than walking. Sometimes, a big bull elk will decide to hang
out in the cedars while bands of hunters drive past on their way to higher
country, determined that no self- respecting bull would be in the sagebrush. My
brother in law killed a giant 7×7 bull elk in the sage flats outside our home town.
That particular bull was using fingers, swales, and darkness to help him hide…or
so he thought.

While we are thinking about fingers, lets talk swales. What is a swale?
A swale is cousin to a draw, gulch, or gully. A draw is typically thought to be less dramatic
than a canyon, but certainly steeper, broader, and longer than a gully or gulch.
Moving down the scale, a gulch could a dried up creek bed or wash. In my mind,
a gully is an interchangeable term for gulch. Fingers are typically separated by
draws when the fingers are 100-200 yards apart and are steep sided. A wash,
gulch, or gully can almost be jumped across or might be only 50 feet across.
Swales are thought of as being much gentler terrain features. A swale might
contain grasses, sagebrush, an occasional tree, and be broad and gently sloped.
It might allow water to merely sit in it rather than being drained in a certain
direction.

Last, but not least, we come to knobs. You might call your son a knob after he
tips over his glass of water at the dinner table. You certainly have knobs in your
car or on your household appliances. So what does a knob do for us in hunting? A
knob can occur at the end of a ridge, lets say a ridge that ends abruptly and
might have a small peak at the end before dropping off sharply to form a… what?
A saddle you say? Yes, a saddle will usually lie below a knob. Knobs serve as
great lookout spots, but they also serve to skyline the hunter. Knobs can cause
you a lot of work, a broken ankle if they are too rocky, or they can be a good
landmark for the rest of your party to rally about or navigate from as a reference
point.

Let’s do a virtual hunt that utilizes all these terrain features we have discussed.
Alright, you sat with your party and decided that you wanted to really hunt hard
and last night [1] you sat around the RV and laid out your maps. You found a
really nice saddle, not too big, about 100 yards wide, that serves as a focal point
for two major drainage’s. The canyons are steep and you just know the elk are
moving back and forth through that saddle. Jim, one of your buddies, wants to
come along and Dan has volunteered to drive you up to your launch point and
meet you later that day in lower country to the north. Jim and you both dig into
your day-packs, [2] paring down weight to a minimum, [3] packing a lunch and a
lot of water for your 6 mile trip. You set the alarm for 3:45am and retire early,
hoping for some good rest.

The alarm jerks you awake and you can’t believe its time to get moving. In 30
minutes, Dan, Jim, and yourself are winding your way up the mountain in your
truck. At 5:00 am you lurch to a halt in a small opening near a gated logging
road. Your .270 settles onto your shoulder as Dan turns the truck around and
slowly heads down to where he will park and walk to an ambush site in the
timber that he prefers. [4] The plan is that everyone will be positioned before
daylight. You check your compass, look up at the stars, and head down the
logging road. When the logging road makes a hard swing to the west, you stop
and whisper to Jim that this is where you pick up the ridge leading to the saddle
you picked out. Jim nods and volunteers to lead the way. As Jim moves ahead,
you notice that Jim’s rifle bolt is open and rattling. You tap his shoulder and
show him his rifle, and he frowns in disgust, [5] quietly closes the bolt on an
empty chamber, and secures the safety. After some wandering back and forth,
Jim picks up the ridge and you quickly move towards the saddle.
At one point, the ridge splits into a Y and you stop to check your topo map. [6]
You hadn’t noticed this terrain feature last night, but there it is, one fork leading
over to a prominent knob and the left fork heading to your saddle. Just as the
stars are fading and the sky is turning pink, you see the ridge melting into a nice
saddle to your left and below you. [7] You tap Jim’s shoulder below to warn him
to slow down and glass the saddle, but his Bushnell is already positioned on his
brow. He nods and you slow your pace as you both glass ahead every 3 steps.
All your senses are alive as you anticipate seeing game. You reach the edge of
the timber and a nice 50 yard opening lays between you and the next skirt of
trees. Jim volunteers to find a field of fire nearby and you decide to drop over
below the saddle, crossing it, and watching from the opposite direction, [8]
below Jim’s line of sight. You agree to meet at your spot around 9:30am and wish
each other good luck. [9] You wind around through the trees, eschewing the
opening until you are through the saddle and drop off the ridge into more timber,
looping your way back up to gain a view point of any animals skirting the edges
of the timber. You check the wind and settle into a nice spot, chamber a
cartridge, and verifying the position of the safety, set the rifle into the crook of a
tree. You replenish your body with a pint of water and an energy bar and settle in
to wait.

The shadows shorten and the sun climbs into the sky. You hear a few rifle shots
in the distance and wonder about the others in your party. They planned to push
a tempting looking hillside that no one had bothered in the past week. At 9:30,
Jim appears and you gather your things up. You pull out your map and the two of
you decide that there is a nice parallel set of ridges that run right into the valley
where Dan is scheduled to pick you up. You notice that there is a prominent
outcropping along your ridge that you will have to skirt. You make a mental note
to remove the round from your rifle’s chamber before getting there. Jim acts
impatient and so you slide into your day-pack, point to your [10] walkie- talkie in
case there is an emergency and the two of you strike out in slightly divergent
directions, hoping to pick up your ridge easily.

As you slowly hunt your way on a northeasterly heading, a blue grouse flushes,
startling you as its wings beat furiously for the 15 yard flight into a nearby tree.
[11] You stop to mark your map for next fall’s grouse season…this might be a
nice place to combine some pre- season scouting and a grouse hunt for you and
your daughters. You continue to still hunt your way across the face of the slope
you are on, watching for a prominent ridge. You top out on a very rounded ridge,
almost imperceptible in shape, and you pick up your binocular to look for
landmarks. Okay, there is the local town, and off in the distance a dirt road yields a dust cloud following a pickup of some sort.Because it is headed in the right
direction, you decide to follow this ridge of sorts and see what develops. After
300 yards, the ridge sharpens and [12] you drop off to the right and begin to
watch downhill and ahead as you hunt your way down.

You are thankful for Dan’s willingness to drive you this morning, as you would
hate to imagine climbing up to that saddle and then walking back down. As you
daydream about home and your son’s football aspirations, a nice mule deer buck
springs from his bed and gives you a glimpse of his butt before disappearing. You
are after elk, but the buck sends you a wake up call to sharpen your senses. You
kick yourself for not spotting the deer before he spooked. The terrain begins to
turn rocky and you confirm the upcoming knob with a glance upward. You stop
and make your rifle safe, take a few deep breaths and begin picking your way
around the rock slide, trying to keep what elevation you had before.
Finally, after 15 minutes, you are back on solid ground and normal terrain. Your
walkie- talkie crackles and [13] you whisper to Jim about your rough location. He
clicks twice and you move on. The trees turn from spruce to aspen and begin to
open up, but with that comes the dry, noisy leaves left behind by the aspens. You
slow down and look for Jim now that there are some openings in the trees. There
he is, about 300 yards away and sneaking along slowly. [14]You put your
binocular back on your chest, and start to think about lunch. Your watch tells you
that its 12:30, heck you can wait till you hook back up with Jim, then you can eat
together. Ahead of you, a porcupine waddles through the aspen leaves,
unconcerned with your presence.

Suddenly, a rifle shot booms so closely you jump and look around, then you
realize it might be Jim. You can’t see him, but a 2nd shot confirms that the shots
are coming from his direction. You squat on your heels and wait. 5 minutes
passes, then 10. Then your radio crackles to life and you faintly hear [15] your
call sign. Jim has a bull elk down in the draw between you and his ridge. You tell
him that you are on your way and then try to reach Dan on the radio to tell him
the good news. No answer yet, so off you go to find Jim.
You find him up to his elbows in his elk’s ribcage, removing the last of the heart
and lungs. It’s a nice 4×5 rag horn elk, and ought to provide Jim and his family
with some tasty steaks. You begin to look around for a way down the hill, but the
deadfall in the draw makes it look ugly. You ask Jim about retrieving his elk and
he just grins and tells you he hasn’t thought of it yet. You smile, glad for his
excitement and knowing how he feels at this moment. Jim has outsmarted a wild
animal in his own backyard, and he has hunted hard this year- it’s a welcome
reward.

Jim finishes, washes up a bit and stretches his back. You hand him his rifle and
ask him if he tagged his elk. [16] Yep, there it is, on a hindquarter, bound
securely with black electrician’s tape. [17] Jim tosses a few aspen branches
across the ribcage and pelvis area and we move out. After 30 minutes the truck
appears, motoring its way up the valley, picking the way through the swales of
grass that hide prairie dog holes and jack- rabbit dens. Dan sees you and veers towards two tired hunters. As he shuts off the truck, you turn around to peer
back uphill at the saddle, which is fairly prominent at this angle, and wonder
when you will be back there again…

Besides the simulated use of saddles, swales, ridges, fingers, and knobs, did you
pick up any other tips during the course of the hunt? Let’s review the numbered
footnotes. Its my hope you can put them into use to make your next hunt more
enjoyable and successful.

1] Our hunter planned his hunt the night before, when he had time to think, and
he could consult his companions.

2] The hunters reduced their day-pack weight to a minimum in order to save
energy and make their hunt more enjoyable.

3] These guys brought the necessities of food and water. At high altitudes,
dehydration is a real threat, and aggravates altitude sickness. Always have plenty
of water on hand.

4] When elk hunting, its always a good idea to be where you expect the action to
occur before daylight. Leaving the truck at daylight only allows the elk to make it
to bedding cover before you arrive.

5] Our nimrods were being careful not to walk with a round chambered when it
was un-needed. We won’t pretend to tell you how in what condition to carry your
firearm, however, there is no need for a chambered round in pre-dawn darkness
or in extremely rough terrain. Some folks only chamber a round upon seeing
game. At riflehunter.net, we believe in moderation and safety. We mix the two
ideals with common sense and have developed a policy of chambering a round
when truly hunting, and removing that round in vehicles, in camp, on horseback,
and when other circumstances warrant.

6] There was a map and compass available for consultation. This can be vital
when the weather closes in, you are out after dark, or you are injured. Finally,
know how to use a map and compass- take a course if needed.

7] Slowing to check a new opening, or when approaching a ridge, glassing the
area carefully before entering does two things: it gives your heart rate a chance
to slow down, readying you for a shot, and it makes you LOOK for game that you
might otherwise stumble into or spook.

8] This is a safety precaution that removed Jim and our hunter from the
possibility of a firearms related accident. Making sure you are not in the line of
fire is your responsibility, just as important as making sure of your target and
what’s beyond it.

9] When you are hunting, it’s a good idea to act as the animals do, don’t
unnecessarily expose yourself. Stay inside the timber and skirt parks, meadows,
and other openings.

10] Check your state laws, but using walkie- talkies greatly reduces second guessing,
worrying about the locations of other members in your party, and is
vital when hunting with inexperienced people or kids. Often, their use is granted
but cannot be used to locate, herd, or direct hunters to game.

11] Marking up your maps is good idea, and after hunting the same area for a few
years, you will begin to notice patterns about where game was spotted or
harvested. Your memory won’t retain all these details, and its best to log it right
then and there for future reference.

12] Our hunter avoided the possibility of sky-lining himself by moving off the
side of the ridge opposite Jim, both giving Jim more chances at game, and
covering an area that would be unseen by both hunters otherwise. Its always a
good idea to spread yourself as thin, visually speaking, as is practical. Use your
binocular and use your eyes natural ability to detect movement.

13] When in the woods, never speak out loud. The human voice carries extremely
well, and instantly alerts game to your location.

14] Another cardinal safety rule is never use your rifle scope to look at another
person. You should already have a good binocular as part of your basic hunting
gear, and “glassing” with your scope violates the rule of never pointing a gun at
something you don’t intend to shoot.

15] A radio call sign system is a good idea if you want to avoid giving away your
secret hunting spots. As an example, we once listened to 3 guys conversing on
the walkie- talkie looking for their partner named Randy. They happened to be on
our frequency, and after the 7th call for “Randy”, we switched frequencies. We
have a system for switching to alternate frequencies as well. These men were
also talking about the game they had sighted, where, when, etc. As often happens
when hunting in an area, you bump into and talk to other hunters. One of these
conversations was centered around Randy being lost for a few hours, and we
instantly knew who we were talking to, where they had hunted, and what luck
they had.

16] Check your state game laws, but typically, you will be required to tag the
carcass, not the antlers. Also, done right, electrical tape keeps the tag readable,
and keeps it from being torn during transport. As a bonus, it will readily show if
any tampering was attempted.

17] Jim did this to discourage birds from pecking into the tenderloins and sexual
organs. A few branches won’t stop a mountain lion, but the birds will go for the
gut pile rather than risk being tangled in tree limbs.

My rifle that day was a Winchester Model 94 Big Bore chambered to
the .375 Winchester cartridge. The 20” barrel makes for a handy
rifle in the thickets. The light weight makes a sling unnecessary,
although it wears a Remington factory original carry strap for better
shooting. The peep (aperture) sight helps with accuracy, and the
large diameter bullet opens a large wound channel. A Pachmayr
Decelerator recoil pad arrests the thump of my customized 278
grain loads, and gives me room to crawl the stock with my long
neck. It had never drawn blood in my hands previous to this.

I had spent the previous summer working up a load that would
produce decent groups and velocities. After trying numerous
jacketed bullets in various weights, I decided that this rifle was a
good candidate for some cast bullet loads. If you are familiar with
this process, you know that velocities must be limited in order to
prevent “leading” or the transfer of lead from the bullet into the
rifling grooves in your barrel. It just so happens that the .375
Winchester’s top speed doesn’t pose a problem in that the case
volume means velocities are limited to 2200 feet per second (fps)
or so. I ended up with a custom Lee bullet mould that would pour a
bullet weighing 255 grains without the gas check. After more
experimentation, I settled on using W-W cases, a Remington 9
1/2M primer, 37.0gr of AA1680 powder, and the Lee Flat Point Gas
Check moving out at 2180 fps. My tightest group at 100 yards
measured 1.55 inches, amazing work for a lever action rifle and
open sights. This load may be too hot in your rifle, so please be
careful when working up loads, watch closely for primer flow, tight
extraction, and shortened case life. Winchester lever action rifles
are strong and safe, but they are not as sturdy as bolt action rifles,
so pressures can quickly get out of hand.

I bellied down in the snow behind my daypack, and after a short
burst of the Primos Hoochie Mama cow elk call, the cream colored
wapiti drew to a stop. I settled the front sight bead on her front
shoulder and began to squeeze the trigger- at my shot, she
immediately fled downhill as though she was heart shot. I walked
over to follow up on my shot, finding some hair that had been cut
and began to follow her tracks. It was snowing so heavily by now
that I couldn’t see any blood in the snow and I didn’t see blood
until she crossed a 4 wheel drive trail. Looking back on the chain of
events, elk hair soaks up alot of blood, and it probably took some
time to trickle down the foreleg onto the ground. I could see where
she stopped and looked back several times, and then she jumped
from underneath a pinyon tree. She ran like a jackrabbit, making me
believe she wasn’t hit very hard. I followed her over a ridge, and
came across her bed with a 6″ circle of blood centered in the outline
of her shoulder. At this point, I spotted her moving along the
opposite ridge and was able to finish her with an offhand shot
through the neck at 150 yards or so.

While skinning the elk, we found that the first bullet never
penetrated the ribcage. It broke the near shoulder and traveled
down the ribcage and lodged itself in the brisket. Very interesting
bullet path, and I am rather disappointed at the lack of penetration.
On the other hand, this bullet broke the shoulder knuckle of a tough
animal at 150 yards, and was deflected. Upon skinning, we found
the bullet from her neck, measuring .473″ at its greatest diameter,
weighing in at 188.5gr.

The bullet recovered retained 74% of its original weight. Brinell
hardness, measured on my LBT tool, came out at 11. The “highly
technical chemical compound” of my bullet mix is automotive wheel
weights of all makes, water quenched as they drop from the mould.
This bullet lost nearly 100 grains of its original 278, and so this
points to possibly casting a harder bullet in the future. I sized the
bullets to .378″ in an RCBS lube/ sizer. Why would I size the bullet
to .378″ in a .375 caliber rifle? We will answer that in another
installment on bullet casting. I participated in a Group Buy for a 6
hole Lee mould that some members of Cast Boolits put together. Its
a great forum, lots of good guys who are interested in shooting-check it out sometime.

After I got the mould, I spent some time
working up a load, reaming out my Hornady dies so I could seat
those big slugs, etc. As a side note, my daughter had previously
been teasing me with “that little lever can’t kill an elk, you need to
take Greenie” (my .358 Norma Magnum). She shoots a Ruger
stainless rifle chambered to .280 Remington. I have a .280 myself
and have tons of confidence in the round. This story and experience
has sure toned her rhetoric down! So…is the .375 Winchester an elk
rifle? I think so, even though that first bullet never penetrated the
vitals. Next time I will try to stay away from heavy shoulder bones.
In summary, the Winchester 94 Big Bore is a fun rifle to carry,
shoot, and load for. An elk hunter is well armed with one of those
little carbines, and despite this limited experience, has plenty of
power for the job. Its not a plains rifle, nor is it ideal for those 400
yard cross- canyon shots. This gun, however, is certainly the ticket
for darkened, north facing slopes where the elk and deer lay down
for their mid- day naps. If, like myself, you enjoy sneaking through
the dark timber at lunch time, a powerful lever action rifle will
satisfy your needs.

I will probably end up with a sister rifle chambered to .356
Winchester like the one shown above…just because!

Shelley had possessed a hunter safety certificate for two and a half years
when her opportunity to pull the trigger in the hunting fields came. Her
shooting experience extends back to the age of 8. Her first two years of
deer and elk hunting netted some sore muscles, a few elk and deer
sightings, and a desire for more.

During each summer weekend leading up to hunting season, our family
packed a lunch and drove to our unofficial, impromptu range on public
lands. The kids would set up targets, each claiming their own cardboard
box, stapling, taping, and sometimes drawing their favorite target. Dad
was the range officer, and watched as each youngster loaded his or her
assigned rifle. Safety was stressed as paramount to a successful hunt,
being more important than any other factor. These sessions also instilled
in them the shooting skills needed to accurately place a killing shot.

Shelley became familiar with, and carried my Winchester Model 70
Featherweight chambered to .280 Remington. This rifle has served me
well, earning a place in my gun safe by combining power, range, and light
portability. My daughter also enjoyed its light weight, good looks, and
confidence it had given her at the range. While she was welcome to use
the rifle as long as she chose, she wanted her own rifle.
She earned enough money babysitting, and in her 15th year purchased
her own rifle, a Ruger K77MKII with a Burris 3x-9x scope. Her caliber of
choice? .280 Remington, of course. We quickly discovered that the
synthetic stocked, stainless rifle delivered excellent accuracy. Shelley quickly adapted to her new weapon, becoming very familiar and
comfortable with its operation and features.

We had been hunting an area that was not real familiar to us (developing
a new hunting place can take up to 5 years). Shelley was stationed on one
of a series of ridges with two of her siblings close by. It was a gray
morning with a storm threatening to drop snow. Some other hunters
spooked a small herd of deer and they passed close to Shelley on the run.
As the deer transitioned through the draw that Shelley was overlooking,
she executed a nice shoulder shot at 125 yards on a large doe who was
leading the group.

Once we all reached the site, we took some photos and then the lesson on
field dressing began. All of the children are required to field dress their own animals. It is part of hunting, caring for your game, and it helps the
young hunter understand anatomy. Shelley did well, with her siblings
holding a leg here and there when needed. We transported the doe back
to camp and skinned and quartered the deer, covering the meat with some
old bed sheets (the cheap version of game bags).

That evening we celebrated with a trip into town and dinner at Pizza Hut.
Shelley was able to contribute to the family’s meat supply. She learned a
lot about ethics, the need for a clean kill, the reverence one should show
when harvesting our game animals, and how to properly care for a
downed animal. Her experience sparked what we hope will be a lifelong
desire to hunt responsibly, share the outdoors with her spouse and
children, and be part of the wildlife management team.

Sarah had hunted hard for two seasons, experiencing many “almost” chances at a legal elk. She was
in her 17th year, and the previous hunts had yielded only frustration; lost walkie- talkies, long
fruitless walks, and one encounter that came on a timbered ridge with a cow elk whose mind was
elsewhere. But now, Sarah’s first elk was on the ground, and Sarah was grinning from ear to ear.

Our heroine had to overcome numerous roadblocks in her quest for an elk. She is left handed, and
so none of the rifles in the family collection would truly suffice for her. Dad’s heavy Model 71
Winchester lever action would have worked, but with the hammer functioning as the only safety,
Sarah was not comfortable with the rifle. In addition, the lack of a scope sight made things more
difficult. It is generally known that new shooters will do better with a scope than trying to focus on 3
items (rear sight, front sight and target) simultaneously, as with open sights. So, when Dad came
home with a pump action rifle, Sarah fell in love with the idea of not having to work a bolt by
reaching over the action and her line of sight.

This young lady then poured heart and soul into overcoming the recoil of her 30-06 chambered
Remington Model 760. She practiced by dry- firing endlessly at an elk portrait in her bedroom. She
worked hard on the range, finding the best field position for accurate shooting, which turned out to
be sitting. She learned about elk and deer behavior, asking questions and reading on her own. Her
participation in field dressing, skinning, and butchering other game animals had helped her study of
anatomy. Sarah was as ready as a kid could be, but no elk stumbled into her sights. One thing you
had to say- no one was more dedicated or stubborn about harvesting an elk. Perseverance normally
pays dividends, and Sarah eventually “earned her wings“.

It was a late December hunt, and we were in Colorado’s southern mountains, looking in the cedars
and sage for elk forced lower by the snow and cold temperatures present in the high country. Our
morning hunts had been limited to glassing ridges and limited ambushes as temperatures hovered
near -15°F each day at dawn. As we crawled along a USFS road in 4wd Lo, we passed a promising
looking draw on the way into a box canyon, then parked at the mouth of this draw. Two of Sarah’s
sibling’s chose to stay behind and enjoy that teenaged icon- the CD player. We saddled up (which
means donning day packs and rifles in foot hunters lingo) and started up the draw with the sun
threatening to crawl over the ridge behind us.

Just as the truck disappeared from sight behind us, the hillside literally came alive with elk, or so it
seemed. There was a particularly large cow whose coloration and stature made us search hard for
antlers- even though none of us had a bull tag. Sarah’s younger sister, Shelley, got a crack at this
large cow and missed. At that point, we spotted numerous elk that were closer, and Sarah engaged
her elk. Shelley made a sharp right and went to follow up on her missed shot. As often happens with
elk, as soon as the shooting begins, there is some hesitation as to which direction they should take,
especially if the lead cow hasn’t spotted or winded a hunter. After a bit, the old girl led her herd out
of the top of that draw and over the ridge to safety. As soon as the excitement died down, we
noticed an elk standing in the bottom of the draw, not having departed with the rest of the herd. As
we approached her, she bedded down, and Sarah finished her with a nicely placed neck shot. A post
mortem verified that Sarah had struck a disabling blow to the elk’s hip and pelvis, which is why she
was immobilized but still alive when we spotted her.

Of course, now the work begins, and Sarah did an admirable job of field dressing her trophy, with
some help (interference) from Dad. Soon after that, the ATV was brought up, and Sarah’s elk was
transported downhill to the pickup.

A funny side story is that following the field dressing, Sarah’s sister Kelsey was asked to roll the gut
pile off into a small gully. When she got the mess moving, the esophagus let out a belch and the
steaming mass began rolling quickly towards her, giving the impression that she was being chased
by a rolling elk stomach as it burped up grass! This was one of those scenes that gets played over
and over again in hunting camp and around family rooms for years afterward. It is also fun times
like this that make up the camaraderie that comes from hunting with your kids. Seeing Kelsey being
chased by an elk stomach was hilarious.

If we can digress for a moment, lets discuss the idea of outdoor recreation with your kids: A person
could use this line of reasoning as a great excuse when discussing some of the reasons for hunting.
On the other hand, an anti-hunter might dismiss this as something to be to scoffed at as rednecked
fun. So be it. My youthful memories are full of hunting related experiences shared with my father. I
wouldn’t want it any other way. And I wanted the same closeness with my children. This doesn’t
mean that kids who are never exposed to hunting are doomed. Not at all. But for those moms and
dads out there (and potential moms and dads) who do get the chance to enjoy the outdoors, do it
with your children. There are only positives to be gained. There is a saying that goes something like
this; “Hunt with your kids, not for them”. Yes, it takes some work, some planning, some preparation
to take your kids hunting. But it is worth it. My children are strong, happy, healthy adults today due
in part to outdoor experiences. Fishing, camping, hiking, photography, ghost town exploration, berry
picking, cycling, horseback riding, even ball games played in the street are all good pursuits to get.

This story ended with an encouraged young lady who has to this day called herself “Dad’s hunting
buddy” and who continues to be excited about the upcoming hunting seasons. Sarah’s elk met the
family’s meat needs for 9 months, and there were many undocumented, and maybe un-noticed
lessons that we all took with us from that cold day in December, 2004.

If we only had known how close to the truth John’s prediction was…
Our young hunter had experienced some hunting in that far away land most of us can only dream of- Alaska. His previous hunts had
consisted of caribou and moose and while he had not harvested a big game animal, he had gained a lot of experience. Some of this
experience consisted of properly sighting in his rifle, picking the right load for his new 30-06, and packing equipment in and out of the
wilderness. Being an enthusiastic guy, Brandon had prepared himself physically and mentally. He had read about elk hunting, talked to
other hunters, and studied elk behavior. He invested time, energy, money, and physical effort in preparing himself.

The night before the opener a storm blew in and began to blanket the high country with snow, setting the stage for a great opening day.
Our hunting party almost always assembles a plan of some sort the evening prior to a day of hunting big game. This doesn’t mean plans
cannot be changed, but it does help everyone plan for their part in the day’s hunt. Details such as clothing requirements (will I wear my
heavy boots for snow, or my hiking boots for mobility?) and possibly carrying a different rifle (an open sighted lever action for a timber
hunt) all can figure into your plan for the day.

Brandon had chosen a steep, abandoned jeep road that tilts down into a heavily forested pocket of aspen trees and natural benches. The
previous scouting trip had spooked a cow elk and her calf out of this pocket, and so this seemed a promising start. His new bride was to
accompany him and help sweep out the pocket in search of elk. Both of them carried new rifles, and were eager for some action.
On opening morning, everyone’s alarm awoke them after too little sleep and too many elk dreams. The snow swirling outside the cabin
encouraged some, and made others in our party shiver. The hour drive up the mountain had everyone in a good mood despite having to
chain up our 4 wheel drive pickup along the final stretch of road.

Arriving a bit later than expected, the newlywed couple saddled up with daypacks and rifles, gloves and stocking hats. Their trip
immediately plunged them over the steep rim of the aspen pocket as they disappeared into the blowing snow. Their guide had deposited
them in time for his hunt to begin at a point along the same road, but in an entirely different section of forest. As he climbed above the
open benches, the snow increased, dropping visibility and the temperature as the wind picked up. Winter had arrived in Colorado.

Within 90 minutes, the guide felt a buzzing in his daypack and checked his cell phone. On it was a series of excited and somewhat hard to
follow text messages telling the short story of Brandon killing a 6×6 bull! The guide assured the couple that he would meet them on a
lower road after they had field dressed the bull. This was met with a plea for help in field dressing the elk, and so began a long, but
satisfying day of elk recovery.
After reaching his pickup, the guide unloaded his rifle, and climbed inside to escape the blowing snow. He began the careful descent into
lower elevations and after an hour of driving, met the smiling couple at a point not far from the cabin. While heading up a different trail to
gain access to the elk, the details emerged, which made killing an elk seem easy. Evidently, after emerging into a nice open park, the new
bride had spotted the bull feeding nearby. Being selfless, she grabbed Brandon and pointed out the bull, deferring the shot to him.
Brandon had leveled the bull with one shot to the shoulder at 150 yards, offhand. All the range practice, equipment checks, and being in
shape had helped him tag his first elk. When they reached the elk, the blizzard was in full force and effect, covering the trio at times with
zero visibility and blowing snow. After struggling against the cold and wind, the elk was gutted and ready for transportation to the
taxidermist and meat processor. Brandon had shot a nice 6×6 bull with symmetrical antlers and a beautiful, cream colored hide.

The taxidermist was contacted, and upon his advice, the elk was loaded whole into the pickup and delivered to the taxidermist in one
piece. This would enable the taxidermist to cape the hide according to his wishes and get the cape into cold storage quickly. Following this,
the elk was next transported to the shop of a family member nearby. Here, the bull was skinned and left to cool overnight. Delivery to the
processor would occur at noon the following day.

The next day dawned cold and clear, with the lucky hunter now acting as driver for the other hunters whose tags remained unfilled.
Brandon was in great humor and provided the other hunters with entertainment and laughter. His willingness to help around camp and his
untiring motivation brought a nice atmosphere to the 2011 hunting season.
That afternoon, Brandon delivered his bull to the meat processor and encountered a Colorado Division of Wildlife officer. Their exchange
was pleasant, and Brandon was congratulated on his harvest.
A side note is due regarding our wildlife biologists and law enforcement officials in the various states and areas where we hunt. These folks
work in jobs where salaries are low, and financial rewards are few. They work on behalf of you, the sportsman, and do so because they
love the job and being outdoors. You will find them to be down to earth men and women, reasonable and decent. Much like a friendly cup
of coffee with the local sheriff deputy, if you have not broken any laws, there is nothing to worry about. Following the wildlife laws and
observing ethical standards will ensure an enjoyable time afield and chance meetings with wildlife agents will be calm rather than stressful
and worrisome.
After the elk was processed, Brandon and his new bride generously offered all who had participated in their success a chance to consume
some of the bounty. Once again, Brandon’s great attitude and thoughtful actions were appreciated by all. He will always be welcome in our
hunting party, and next year, maybe he can show everyone that “elk are easy”.

It was snowing heavily as the blaze orange-clad hunter climbed the aspen
covered ridge. In his hands was an open sighted, short barreled ’98
Mauser. As he neared the ridgeline, a small mule deer buck sprang from
his snowy bed. The man watched the forkhorn bounce away, then
resumed his search for elk.
This scene happened during a recent elk season to yours truly. The rifle
in my possession that day was an old Type B Mauser Sporting Rifle. It was
chambered not for the 8x57mm Mauser, but to a different shell- the
9.3x64mm Brenneke. I did finally harvest an elk that season, but not
with this rifle.
For those of you familiar with the ballistics of this round, you might say
that I was over-gunned for elk. On the other hand, anyone who has
watched one of these tough animals soak up lead, might be inclined to
agree with my choice. As you can see from Table 1, the 9.3×64 is a heavy
hitter with a fair spread in bullet weights available to the handloader. I
might add here that you should be a handloader, or else have a thick
wallet should you want to shoot your 9.3×64 very often. With a box of
RWS ammo pushing $100 per box, rolling your own begins to look very
attractive.
Brass is available from Huntington and Old Western Scrounger at last
check. I purchased enough Horneber brass from Huntingtons to keep me
supplied for a while. RWS components might now be available from a
Norma distributor. In a stroke of genius (or idiocy) fueled by a tight
budget, I hit upon the idea of converting .375 H&H Magnum brass. I had
a local machine shop turn the belts off a box of Holland & Holland cases.
This operation trimmed some material off the rim as well. It did turn out
to be workable brass, and I used it for practice loads for several years.
Case capacity was 2 grains of water greater than the RWS offering.
My loading program used a variety of products from both overseas and
the U.S. Once you get tapped into the market, there are a surprising
number of sources for 9.3mm or .366” components. Lyman, Redding, and
RCBS all make dies in 9.3x64mm. I can save you some agony by telling
you that a #11 shell holder is used in your Lee Auto-Prime and a #18
RCBS shellholder does the job for sizing and bullet seating chores on your
press.

The pamphlet found in the box of 285 gr. RWS solids shows them
obtaining 2690 feet per second (fps) out of a 26” barrel. My little cannon
spits them out at 2587 fps, showing that you don’t necessarily emasculate this cartridge when you lop off some barrel steel. In contrast, overbore
shells like the .264 Winchester Magnum do suffer when you use less rifled
tube.
This rifle, at 7 ½ lbs. is a handful on the bench…actually, it just plain
kicks, and HARD! The forearm jumps off the bags and rolls at the same
time, and this with a firm grip on the fore end. Next, the thin walled
barrel heats up rapidly, making 5 shot groups (and thus, a good analysis)
difficult. I did achieve some tiny Average Deviations and Standard
Deviation readings, which would tend to indicate a more accurate load.
Incidentally, maximum pressure is listed by RWS at 54,100 psi. I don’t
have pressure testing equipment on hand, but I tend to keep loads
throttled back a bit in deference to the old rifle.
As far as comparing this cartridge to new developments, we have the
.376 Steyr and .375 Ruger. After looking at the ballistics of both rounds,
it can be seen that the .375 Ruger is almost identical to the 9.3×64 in
power. It has the advantage of using the more common .375″ bullets, and
being a commercially available, U.S. manufactured round.

Some notes pertaining to my rifle; it appears to be one of many military
actions converted to sporting use by J.P. Sauer and Son of Stuhl,
Germany between the wars. It utilizes a removable (not hinged)
floorplate, accessed by turning the thumb lever 90°. The gun came
equipped with double-set triggers, but now sports a Timney Sportsman
adjusted to 3 lbs. of pull. The rifle was rebored and rifled by Cliff
LaBounty back in 1995. Jim DuBell now runs the LaBounty shop under
Delta Gun Shop. The rest of the work was performed by Jim Botsford,
then of Del Norte, CO and now with Kiowa Creek Sporting Club. I believe
Jim is putting his talents to use fitting shotgun stocks so that people can
create dust with Sporting Clays targets. Jim was exceedingly patient with
my changing specifications and constant “checking in”. His work is
top-notch and a bargain at any price. The stock is an example of this,
being made of semi- fancy English walnut, has flawless checkering and is
a classic beauty.

With the slim, short barrel, Redfield peep sight, and a slender stock, this
rifle is a joy to carry in the woods. While the recoil is vigorous, it’s not
impossible to handle offhand. One of these days, I might calculate the
back thrust in foot-pounds, but until then, I think I prefer to exist in
blissful ignorance!

Though I have yet to slay any big game with this gun, my grandfather used it to end the career of more than a few deer and elk. Back then, it
was chambered to 8x57J, and no doubt Gramps used “S” bore cartridges
in it- proving why the factories download the 8mm Mauser. “J” bore rifles
used a .318” bullet, while the “S” bore guns shot the more common and
modern .323” slug. As you might imagine, forcing a 5 thousandths
oversize bullet down the barrel raises pressures abruptly and doesn’t do
any favors for accuracy.
For a bit of history, the rifle was given to my Gramps by an American
Indian friend of his named Charlie. My father reports that it had a dark
stock with brass tacks adorning it. It sat in my father’s closet for years
before I grabbed it and began the restoration process. The old veteran
had been devoid of a stock by then, and the chamber was “ringed” near
the shoulder with pitting. Someone probably left a shell chambered and
the moisture settled in at that spot.
In summary, if you have an old rifle, or even a fairly new one that is
worn out, you could do worse than having it rebored to an old cartridge
like the 9.3mm Brenneke. Granted, the 9.3x62mm Mauser is easier to
load for (30-06 brass suffices) and the .375 H&H is a bit more powerful.
The 9.3×64 is a good choice for a 30-06 length action and packs the same
basic punch as the .375 Magnum. I have always preferred something
different and unique. I suppose that’s why I don’t get excited over the
30-06, .357 Magnum, or .308 Winchester. Instead, my gun safe houses
such oddities as a .358 Norma Magnum, a .348 Winchester, .303 Epps, a
.450 Alaskan, and my favorite old timer-the 9.3×64 Brenneke.