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June 2012 John 3:16 Vol. 4 No. 26

Check us out on FacebookHillcountry Outdoor Magazine/Dean Wells

158 East Road • Ecru, MS 38841hillcountry@ms.metrocast.net

In this issue:- Summertime - A Great Time toScore Your Buck

-What to ExpectWhenMoving Upin Caliber

- New 358 Hoosier TM Legal DuringMS PrimitiveWeapon Deer Season

- Savage Arms Hog Hunter andLeupold Pig Plex

- Outdoor Truths

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SSoolluunnaarr Tables

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Ole White Cloud IsHeading SouthFor those of you who haven’t picked up on the fact that Ilike naming my personals well....you probably want ever understand it. So anyway,I have my truck pointed southeast right now and Ole Killa (my boat) is in tow. Myride on shot gun today is my daughter. Yep we are headed to the salt water again.We have made a few changes in our plans for no other reason, but to see new terri-tory. We are kind of like that you know, my daughter and me. Headed to parts un-known, a place where everything will look different, sounds different and will takesome adjusting to be successful. That is why I do it. This fishing trip will be to Onoand yes that is a real place. It is found in the Gulf of Mexico between Orange Beachand Perdido Key. Well what is so special about Ono you might ask? Well it is a newplace for my daughter and me to catch some specs, reds, sheephead, mackerel andshark, among other things. The mere fact that I will be fishing out of my crappieboat makes it even better. Some say what are you going to fish with? To answer that,I will say this; I will use pinfish, cigar minnows, mullet, shrimp and chicken. Somesay… What kind of line are you going to use? Well, I will use 14 lb fluorocarbon onall but one and on that one, 80 lb braid with a 12” steel leader for sharks. Yep,sharks, my daughter still hasn’t caught a big one yet, so this time we are going forthe gold. We are going to fish for sharks at night. Kind of makes parts draw up justthing about it doesn’t it? I have hooked a 6 footer before, but I didn’t get to the boat,so I would like for her to experience what I did, the pull of a 150 lb fish. I have aspot marked on my map that is 20 feet deep up next to the island and if I don’thurry up and get there I think I am going to explode. Why in the world I ever startedsaltwater fishing I don’t know. Why do I get this pull every year to come back, well Ican’t answer that either. All I know is after the second or third week in May I get towhere I toss and turn a lot in the bed. I wake up before daylight and lie in bed star-ing at the ceiling. I smell the salty sea breeze, I hear the gulls; I now know thesound of a shrimp boat passing by without even turning around to see it. The oceankind of grows on you. Saltwater in the blood is something no one can explain. Heckfolks I wonder if it is not as bad on a fellow as deer hunting. Although I haven’tjoined a saltwater fish camp, I’m pretty darn close. Before I get any further in this ar-ticle let me clarify that there are different kind of Saltwater fish camps to accommo-date different kinds of fisherman. Some fish camps are what I call meat camps.These ole boys are headed out full steam every morning at daylight and would beprone to remember about 4 pm that they haven’t even eaten their lunch yet. Thenthere are the fly camps, where they sit around a bar made of exotic wood whilethey discuss politics, caviar and fine wines from Portugal, pipe smokers who findstimulation on a hammock between to palm trees while reading chewy poetry. Imind you that I have been around some of those folks and do find them interesting,but I had rather go frog giging with a Cajun or one of those central Florida boys,after eating some boudin. A preacher friend of mine said it’s alright to run a rabbitonce in a while just as long as you shoot it, so boom, let’s move own with the storyhere. You know something else that I like, is that down here the guys with the fancyboats don’t snob you. They wave, sometimes they will even come over and see whatyou are catching, give you some bait or tell you where you can go to catch a certainkind of fish. I had man that was standing in front of a 10 million dollar home, tellme to fish his boat dock around 9 pm. and I would load the boat with specs, Sohow about that.You say why am I telling you all this stuff? Well I want you to enjoythis too. Why? Because its lots of fun, that’s why. Bring your 14 foot boat a 9.9 andyour son and or daughter, it doesn’t matter, you can fish here too, and that is why Ilove it. You do understand that I am not telling you to go into the ocean, but to thebays that the ocean feeds. Never let fear of the unknown stop you from doing thingsbecause it may just be one of the best experiences in your life. We all have a littleLouis & Clark in us, maybe a little pirate too. That is what makes us hunters andfisherman that is what separates us from the dog that lies on the porch and the dogthat hunts. So pack your catfishing rods and come on. You had better bring somegrin cream, because you are gonna be sore.

Dean

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EditorialDean WellsEditor and Publisher of HIllcountry Outdoor Magazine

WNAU1470 AMSat. 7:00 A.M.

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Olivia Wells, daughter of Editor, Dean Wells, pictured here with anice red fish she caught last year. This year she say's, it is going to be specks and shark.

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The older I get, the more I enjoy the small rivers around my area. I usedto be the lake type. I used to look forward to the sport, and even competi-tion, of fishing. That competition was not necessarily with other boats, butit was as much with me. It seemed that each time I went fishing the scorewas zero to zero and each fish I caught or didn’t catch moved the scorein one direction or another. I loved it, but it seems now that I didn’t ap-preciate it as much as I should have. Don’t get me wrong, my most mem-orable trips are still the ones where I caught the most fish; except perhapsfor those where thunder and lightsmaning were involved. But for the mostpart the lake has provided some great memories. And I hope it has moreto give.The river however, is another species. It calls for one to be good at mul-titasking. If you spend too much time thinking about catching a fish, youwill soon be going through some rough water sideways, and then upsidedown. Old Man River, over the years, has collected from me, many an-chors, a slew of baits, and a few expensive rods and reels. And rarelydoes he give any back. I can remember just last year, at nine-o’clock inthe morning, having to dive in to retrieve another anchor that had comeuntied (it seems I lose about 3 of these each year). The river does howeverprovide plenty of sights that do serve to feed the imagination – especiallythese smaller ones. It’s commonplace to see deer wading out into themore shallow areas and turkey flying from one side to the other, and theducks gathered into small pools. The river is a kaleidoscope of nature;each turn provides a different view; each view a different perspective,and each perspective a different you.There’s no doubt that the older we get the more introspective we be-come……I somehow think that men are particularly this way; at times toa fault. Thinking is good, but it shouldn’t replace conversation – only addto it. And for me, the river gives me the perfect environment for both.Maybe you are neither the lake nor the river type. Perhaps your activi-

ties take you in other directions. And perhaps they are so involved thatyou rarely have time to think about anything, much less something ofsubstance. These are fine, but don’t let them keep you from dealing withthe weightier matters of life. Just because we ignore them, doesn’t meanthey will go away.

Gary Millergary@outdoortruths.org

TruthsOutdoor Bushnell Plans to Acquire Primos Hunting

Bushnell, which offers sports optics, premium eyewear and outdoor accessories, has agreed to acquire a Mississippi hunting gear company.

Bushnell Outdoor Products has agreed to acquire Primos Hunting, aMississippi company that specializes in game calls and other hunting gear.Overland Park-based Bushnell and private equity fund MidOcean Part-

ners MidOcean Partners Latest from The Business Journals Jones & Frankacquires D&L PetroleumRaleigh's 0M firm Jones & Frank sold to New Yorkprivate equity firmGlobal Knowledge bought by MidOcean Partners Fol-low this company announced late Tuesday that the deal is on track to wrapup within 30 days. Terms are not being disclosed. Bushnell, which MidO-cean purchased in 2007, offers sports optics, premium eyewear and out-door accessories.Annual revenue was not available for either company.“Primos is a well-respected brand with great tradition in the hunting

market and will be a tremendous complement to our outdoor accessorybusiness,” Bushnell CEO Blake Lipham said in a release. “This acquisitionwill help further the breadth of our offering to the hunting consumer andprovide the Primos brand with additional resources to pursue new productintroductions and expanded market opportunities.”Primos, based in Flora, Miss., is expected to maintain operations at facil-

ities in Flora and in Brookhaven, Miss. It offers products such as blinds,scent eliminators, game scents and attractants, trail cameras, decoys, hunt-ing apparel and game-specific gear.Primos employs about 125. As to whether Bushnell will keep all Primos

employees, the company said it will develop and execute transition andintegration plans during the next year.The holding company CEO will not transition, but President Keith Hig-ginbotham and founder Will Primos will stay on.During the past five years, MidOcean has added several brands to Bush-

nell’s portfolio, including Millett and Simmons in 2008, Cébé in 2009 andNight Optics USA in 2011.“Bringing Primos into the Bushnell family of brands is a continuation of

our goal to grow the company through strategic acquisitions,” MidOceanManaging Director David Basto said in the release. “Bushnell and Primoshave synergistic product offerings and share a great reputation with theirretail partners and the hunting consumer. This combination makes for avery formidable force in the outdoor industry.”Bushnell employs more than 275 in the United States and about

500 globally.

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Summer TimeIs a Great Time to Score Your Buck So it's hot outside, you have just taken a shower from mowing the yard

and WHAMO you notice that nice buck you took this past season. Sotoday you have decided to score it. Here is how you do it.As the idea of "Quality Deer Management" becomes more popular,

some hunters are opting to pass smaller bucks and harvest only maturebucks with larger racks. Consequently, more sportsmen are becoming in-terested in the "score" of their buck's antlers. While there are severalscoring systems, each with its own set of rules, the Boone and Crockett(B&C) system is widely accepted as the standard from which all otherswere developed. Therefore, this article will only deal with scoring white-tailed deer by the B&C method. Before the rack can be officially scored,it must have air-dried for at least 60 days, cannot have a broken skullplate, and cannot have artificially replaced points.Any sportsman that has ever picked up an outdoors magazine knows

that deer antlers develop into countless formations that often vary drasti-cally from the typical 6-, 8-, and 10-point symmetrical racks. These arereferred to as non-typical antler formations. The rules for scoring non-typical racks are lengthy and complicated and usually require the knowl-edge of a trained B&C measurer to score them correctly. So, for thisarticle, we will only discuss techniques for scoring typical racks.Most trained scorers have experienced situations where hunters have

brought previously-scored antlers to them. Most of the time that initialscore is very inaccurate and mostly higher than the official score - usu-ally due to poor measuring techniques or errors in calculating the score.Some of the most common measuring mistakes are discussed below.

Tools Required1/4-inch wide steel measuring tape with 1/8th inch graduations

small-diameter, flexible steel cable (such as a bicycle brake cable)small alligator clipPoint DeterminationNormal points arise from the top of the main beam and are usually

symmetrically paired with similar-length points on the other antler. B&Cdenotes the main points on antlers as G1, G2, G3, etc., with G1 beingthe brow tines or eye-guards. The other points are numbered consecu-tively. Before starting to score the antlers, match the normal points fromone side with those on the other side. If a point is unmatched at the endof a main beam, it is considered a normal point and a zero is entered forthe measurement of the missing point on the opposite beam. If a point isunmatched between two normal points, it is considered abnormal andthe length is recorded in the abnormal point section. The most commonerror relative to normal points is inappropriately matching points fromone side to the other.For scoring purposes, not all protrusions are measured as points. To

qualify as a point, the projection must be at least one inch long with thetotal length exceeding the width of the point at one inch or more oflength. To measure the length of a point, you must first establish the baseof the point. This is accomplished by placing the steel cable along thetop of the main beam or along the parent point across the base of thepoint being measured. The base is where the top of the cable crosses thebottom of the point. The point length is then measured from the tip tothis base along the center line of the point using the steel tape. Any pointthat does not arise from the top of the main beam is considered an ab-normal point. Abnormal points include drop tines and points arising offother points or the burr line. The two most common errors in determiningpoint length is measuring the length from the center or bottom of themain beam and measuring protrusions that do not meet the criteria to bea point.

Beam LengthThe length of the main beams is measured using the flexible cable andalligator clip. Start by finding the lowest edge on the burr line in the cen-ter of the beam and use this as the starting point for the length of thatbeam. Pull the cable up along the outside of the antler, following thecenter of the beam out to the tip. Place the alligator clip at the tip of theantler and measure the cable length with the steel tape. The most com-mon error incurred is using a steel tape that does not flex when bendingaround the curve of the beam.

CircumferencesFour circumference measurements (denoted as H1, H2, H3, and H4) must

be recorded for each beam. The H1 circumference is the smallest measure-ment between the burr and the origin of the first point (G1). If there is no G1,take the circumference at the smallest point between the burr and G2 anduse this measurement as H1 and H2. All other circumference measurementsare taken at the smallest point between the succeeding G points. If there isno G4, H4 is taken half-way between the center of the base of G3 and the tipof the main beam. In the case of a normal 6 point where there is no G3 orG4, find the half way point from G2 and the tip of the main beam and takethe circumference there and use this as H3 and H4 measurements. The mostcommon errors relating to circumferences are using the largest circumfer-ence measurements rather than the smallest and not recording an H4 forbeams without a G4.

Inside SpreadThe inside spread of main beams is measured at a right angle to the centerline of the skull at the widest point between the main beams using the steeltape. Inexperienced measurers will often angle the measurement to get thegreatest inside spread regardless of the angle of the tape relative to the skull.The inside spread credit may equal but not exceed the longest main beamlength. For example, if the inside spread is 20 inches, and the longest of thetwo main beams is 18 inches, then 18 inches is used as the inside spreadcredit. The most common error relating to measuring inside spread is notbeing perpendicular to the skull at the widest point.

Score CalculationThe underlying basis for scoring antlers is symmetry between the left andright sides. Therefore in scoring a typical rack, differences between samemeasurements from each side are deducted from the gross, or total, score.Abnormal points are also deductions. To calculate the score, first find the dif-ferences between each corresponding measurement, such as G1 on the leftminus G1 on the right, for all G-point measurements. Do the same for eachH measurement. Add together all of the deductions to get the total deductionnumber.To get the gross score, add the inside spread, beam lengths, all the G-pointlengths, and all H-circumference measurements. Finally, subtract the totaldeduction number from the gross score to get the final, or net, score. Themost common errors in score calculation are addition and subtraction errors.The minimum net score required of a typical whitetail B&C entry is 170 forthe all-time records and 160 for the awards book. For entry into Mississippi'sMagnolia Records Program, the minimum required score is 125 net for typi-cal racks. For additional instructions on scoring, visit www.boone-crockett.org. Hope you get a good score!

About HillcountryOutdoor Magazine

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Hillcountry Outdoor Magazine is about the hunters and fisherman ofMississippi. The FREE publication delivers to its readers valuable in-formation to help hunters, gun owners, nature lovers and fishermanreach there personal goals with the best up to date information oneverything that is happening in the outdoors, locally and throughoutthe state. We also keep the readers informed on everything affectingthem at a national level as well. Each month you will find events forthe sportsmen, lake reports, stories, hunting regulations and otherpoints of interest to the sportsmen and women of Mississippi.

We do not sell advertising or leave magazines for readers in busi-nesses who are not family friendly or who are from Iran, Iraq, Yemenor other eastern countries who funnel money to the enemies of theUnited States Armed Forces and U.S. Citizens.

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The purpose of this article is to give the shooter some idea of what to ex-pect when switching from a lower power to a higher power rifle. For exam-ple, a fellow who has grown accustomed to shooting a .243 Winchesterrifle wants to buy an all-around big game rifle. His buddies have recom-mended the .30-06 as a good all-around cartridge, and he is wonderingwhat to expect--how much difference in recoil and muzzle blast will therebe between his .243 and a .30-06?

That is what this article intends to explore. But let's make the question a lit-tle broader and deal with classes of cartridges, as most popular rifle car-tridges can be lumped into general categories. We will go up in power stepby step, from one class of cartridges to the next.

The primary factors that affect the shooter when he or she touches off around are muzzle blast and recoil. Muzzle blast is noise, and unfortunatelymy SPL meter will not read values high enough to be useful for measuringmuzzle blast. I'm forced to use my subjective opinion about the relativevolume of the noise made by the different classes of cartridges. The pressurewave of muzzle blast from the more powerful rifle cartridges can be felt aswell as heard, particularly if one is standing off to the side of the shooter.

Remember to always use hearing protection when shooting any firearm. Iuse the "earmuff" type at the range, which give a noise reduction of about25 dB. My subjective muzzle blast comments assume that the shooter iswearing similar ear protection. It also assumes that the shooter is outside,such as when hunting or shooting at an outdoor rifle range. Shooting in-doors or in a confined space increases the noise of gunfire dramatically,making even a .22 rimfire rifle sound loud and a powerful centerfire riflenearly unbearable.

Recoil can be calculated in terms of foot pounds (ft. lbs.) of kinetic energy.There are tables and formulas for the purpose. For this article I'm going touse the figures from the "Expanded Rifle Recoil Table," which you can findon the Tables, Charts, and Lists Page of Guns and Shooting Online. Thereare so many factors involved in calculating recoil that the results alwaysseem to vary from source to source, but these numbers will serve admirablyfor our purposes.

We are going to assume that the shooter in question is using standard fac-tory loaded ammunition unless otherwise noted. The reloader, for example,has the flexibility to load a 100 grain bullet at a MV of 2900 fps in a .308Winchester that will make the .308 seem like a .243 when fired, but that ig-nores the true purpose of the .308 cartridge.

We are also going to assume rifles of average weight (including a scope andmount) and barrel length, as are common and appropriate for each class ofcartridges. Short barrels increase the effect of muzzle blast, and lightweightrifles dramatically increase the effect of recoil. Subjectively, I would just as

soon shoot a heavy, long barreled .338 Win. Mag. rifle as a short, light-weight .30-06 rifle.

I. Rimfire cartridges

The first class would be the rimfire cartridges. These are primarily the .17Mach 2, .17 HMR, .22 Long Rifle, and .22 WMR. Average rimfire riflesprobably weigh between about 5.5 and 7.5 pounds, with specializedvarmint models weighing up to 8.5 pounds or more. Barrel length runsfrom 18" to 24", but 20" and 22" barrels are most common. Because notmuch powder is burned by the rimfire cartridges, there is not much differ-ence in either performance or muzzle blast from any of the standard lengthbarrels.

The rimfires are the softest shooting of all common rifle cartridges and Ihave never known anyone who was seriously bothered by their recoil ormuzzle blast, providing that hearing protection is worn. I am going to char-acterize the muzzle blast of the rimfire cartridges as "very low"

These are primarily target, small game, and varmint rounds. All of themgenerate recoil energy well under 1 ft. lb., which is essentially negligible.According to the "Expanded Rifle Recoil Table" the most powerful of these,the .22 WMR, has a recoil energy of only 0.4 ft. lbs. when fired in a 6.75pound rife.

These factors make the rimfires the easiest of all rifles to shoot, which iswhy every aspiring rifle shooter should start with a rimfire rifle. Full atten-tion can be paid to proper technique (trigger squeeze, sight alignment,breathing, stance, etc.) without the distraction of excessive muzzle blastand recoil.

II. Small bore varmint cartridges

The next class of cartridges is the .17, .20, and .22 caliber centerfirevarmint cartridges. These would include such numbers as the .17 Reming-ton, .204 Ruger, .222 Remington, .223 Remington, .22-250, .220 Swift, andall similar cartridges.

These cartridges are available in standard weight rifles and heavy varmintrifles. The former usually come with 22" barrels and weigh perhaps 8pounds. The latter usually come with 24"-26" barrels and weigh 8.5 to 12.5pounds.

These cartridges burn much more powder than the rimfires and thereforehave greater muzzle blast. However, I do not find the muzzle blast of thevarmint cartridges up to about the .223 irritating. The largest varmint car-tridges, such as .22-250 and .220 Swift, produce noticeably more muzzleblast than the smaller cartridges, almost on a par with the .243 Winchester.

I would characterize the muzzle blast of the smaller varmint cartridges as"low." I don't know anyone who considers their muzzle blast distracting. Itwill not be bothersome to most shooters.

The centerfire varmint cartridges move their bullets at high velocity, whichalong with the bigger powder charge means more recoil. Recoil will bearound 2 to 5 ft. lbs., depending on the specific cartridge, load, and rifleweight. The recoil figure for the most popular of these, the .223 Rem., isabout 3 ft. lbs. when shooting a 55 grain bullet in an 8.5 pound rifle. This isnot enough recoil to bother the great majority of shooters. It is relativelyeasy to concentrate on the sight picture, trigger squeeze, and other factorscrucial to accurate bullet placement.

III. Combination varmint and medium game cartridges

The next common class of rifle cartridges is the combination varmint andCXP2 class game calibers. These include the .243 Winchester, 6mm Rem-ington, .250 Savage, .257 Roberts, and similar cartridges. From theshooter's perspective, these cartridges are much alike.

(continued on pg. 9)

WWhhaatt ttoo EExxppeecctt When Moving Up In CaliberBy Chuck Hawks

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Combination cartridges come in standard weight rifles and heavy varmintrifles. The former usually come with 22" barrels and weigh perhaps 7.5 or 8pounds. The latter usually come with 24"-26" barrels and weigh 8.5 to 12.5pounds. The heavy varmint rifles, of course, kick less and the longer barrelreduces muzzle blast.

The muzzle blast of the .24 and .25 caliber combination cartridges is con-siderably greater than that of the .222 class cartridges. It is also somewhatgreater than the blast of the big varmint cartridges, such as the .22-250 and.220 Swift. But not a lot more than those, as the .22-250 is based on the.250 Savage case, and the .220 Swift is based on the 6mm Lee Navy case.The .243 Winchester might burn 20% more powder than a .220, and it isprobably about that much louder. I would consider its muzzle blast to beon the low side of "medium."

Like the .22 caliber varmint rifles, these .24 and .25 caliber rifles launchtheir bullets at high velocity. Because these bullets weigh about twice asmuch and require more powder to propel, recoil is doubled or tripled. A7.5 to 8 pound hunting rifle chambered for one of these cartridges is proba-bly going to deliver 8 to 10 ft. lbs. of recoil energy. These are the most pow-erful cartridges that most shooters find truly comfortable to shoot, and theleast powerful cartridges generally recommended for deer and antelopehunting. For that reason they are popular with young, small, and recoil sen-sitive shooters as well as mainstream hunters. Most shooters will be able toconcentrate on their sight picture and trigger squeeze, rather than the immi-nent noise and kick, with these cartridges.

IV. Ultra-long range medium game cartridges

For some shooters the compulsion to pack more powder behind a relativelylight bullet is irresistible. (I am not criticizing, as I own both a .240 Wby.Mag. and a .257 Wby. Mag.) From the .25-06 that dates back to about 1920to the .25 WSSM of 2004, this tendency has found expression in the bigcase .24 and.25 caliber cartridges. Examples include the 6x62 Freres, .243WSSM, .240 Weatherby Magnum, .25 WSSM, .25-06 Remington, and .257Weatherby Magnum. These are very flat shooting medium game cartridges.Their primary purpose isn't so much to kill better than the standard size.24's and .25's, but to reach out farther to do it. Of course, at normal rangesthey are exceedingly deadly on light framed game.

A rifle for one of the big case .24 or .25 caliber cartridges should weigh 8to 9.25 pounds (depending on the specific caliber) and come with a 24" or26" barrel. I own a .240 Weatherby Magnum rifle that weight 9.25 poundsand has a 26" barrel. It is a reasonably pleasant rifle to shoot, seeming tokick only a little harder than my lightweight 7.25 pound .243 Winchesterrifle. I also own a 9.25 pound .257 Wby. Mag. rifle, and shooting 120 grainWeatherby factory loads it probably kicks only a little less than a standard.270 Winchester rifle, which is a lot more than the .240.

These cartridges generate too much muzzle blast and recoil to be goodvarmint cartridges. Even in proportionally heavier rifles, recoil and muzzleblast are elevated to approximately the same level as the following class ofcartridges. Compared to the .243 Winchester class of cartridges, the .24and .25 Magnums make it more difficult to concentrate on squeezing offthe perfect shot, but by no means impossible.

V. General purpose medium game cartridges

This category takes in a wide variety of cartridges. It includes such NorthAmerican deer and black bear cartridges as the 7-30 Waters, .30-30 Win-chester, .300 Savage, .32 Winchester Special, .35 Remington, and .44 Rem-ington Magnum.

It also includes a number of higher velocity, smaller caliber cartridges pop-ular around the world. Examples of general purpose CXP2 class game car-tridges include the .260 Remington, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5x57 RWS, 7mm-08Remington, and 7x57 Mauser. In killing power, these encroach on thelower reaches of the following class, the all-around big game cartridges.They are the most powerful hunting cartridges that most shooters will everneed, although few seem to realize it. All of them kill extremely well withintheir maximum point blank range (MPBR). They are recommended for hunt-ing deer, antelope, sheep, goats, red stag, caribou, black bear and most

African plains game. In the hands of careful marksmen they have ac-counted for large numbers of heavy game, including North American elk,Scandinavian moose (alg), Arctic polar bear, and sundry large Africanbeasts all the way up to elephant.

Rifles for many of these cartridges vary widely in weight, from 9.5 poundmilitary models to 5 pound ultra lightweights. Barrel length varies from 18"to 29", but 20" is a practical minimum for the deer and black bear car-tridges, and 22" is ideal for the general purpose cartridges. To keep recoilmoderate, rifles for these cartridges should weight 7.5 to 8 pounds.

These cartridges let you know when you touch one off, although the muz-zle blast is not as intense as that of the all-around and magnum big gamecartridges that follow. I would rate the muzzle blast as "medium." Muchmore noise and many shooters will flinch (close their eyes, twitch, jerk thetrigger, or all of the above) in anticipation of the blast that follows. This is apsychological factor, not a matter of size or physical strength.

What all of these diverse cartridges have in common is recoil. They all de-velop between 10 and 15 ft. lbs. of recoil energy in rifles of appropriateweight. Cut the rifle weight by a pound from those recommended aboveand recoil increases noticeably. This is about all the recoil average shootercan tolerate and still do his or her best shooting. More recoil than about 15ft. lbs. and most shooters' concentration, and consequently accuracy, suf-fers. You can see the truth of this demonstrated at any rifle range. Peopleshoot better groups with rifles that kick less.

VI. High intensity, all-around big game cartridges

"High intensity, all-around big game cartridges" is kind of a mouthful. WhatI am talking about here are the combination CXP2 and CXP3 class gamecartridges. These are elk, kudu and Scandinavian moose cartridges as wellas deer and antelope cartridges. This category includes the 6.5x68S, .264Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, .280 Remington, 7x64Brenneke, 7mm Remington SAUM, 7mm Remington Magnum, .308 Win-chester, .30-06 Springfield, .303 British, 8x57JS and all similar cartridges.The experience of shooting any of these cartridges is similar in rifles of suit-able weight. (continued on pg. 12)

What to Expect When Moving Up In Caliber (continued from pg. 8)

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A rifle of suitable weight means about 8 to 8.5 pounds for the standard cal-ibers and 8.5 to 9.5 pounds for the magnum calibers. Standard calibersshould be supplied with 22" or 24" barrels; magnum calibers need 24" or26" barrels. Stock fit is very important to comfort when shooting these car-tridges, so made sure your rifle fits you.

Muzzle blast is loud, and bystanders can sometimes feel the shock wave. Iwould call it "medium high." It is really more than most new or infrequentshooters feel comfortable with, but experienced shooters who can maintaintheir concentration in spite of the blast and recoil can do some good shoot-ing with these calibers. I heard on a documentary somewhere that it tookaround 100,000 rounds of .30-06 ammunition to create one enemy casu-alty in WW II, so even when the U.S. was "a nation of riflemen" there was alot of missing going on. Which tends to make my point that despite theirpopularity, these rounds are probably too much cartridge for averagehunters.

If the rifle weight guidelines are adhered to, recoil should be between 15and 20 ft. lbs. with these cartridges. 20 ft. lbs. is often quoted as the maxi-mum to which the average rifleman can adjust. Accurate shooting, onceyou know how, is mostly a matter of concentration. So if you can maintaina high level of concentration in the face of 20 ft. lbs. of recoil, these car-tridges will serve you well. If not, admit it to yourself and drop down to theprevious class of cartridges, which kill almost as well.

VII. .300 and 8mm Magnums

These are also all-around cartridges for CXP2 and CXP3 class game. Butthey kick and bellow significantly more than the .30-06 class cartridges..300 and 8mm Magnums include the .300 Rem. SAUM, .300 WSM, .300H&H Magnum, .308 Norma Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .300Dakota, .300 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Ultra Mag., .325 WSM, 8x68S, and8mm Remington Magnum among others.

These are essentially long range cartridges. They won't take larger gamethan a .30-06, but they will kill the same animal humanely at longer range.

Lightweight rifles should never be chambered for any .300 Magnum or8mm Magnum caliber, although some are. Firing a .300 Magnum cartridgein a 7 pound rifle would make a wooden Indian flinch. .300 and 8mmMagnum rifles typically weigh around 8.5 pounds, although 9 to 9.5pounds is better. The "Super Magnums," such as the .300 Ultra Mag., .300Weatherby Magnum, and 8mm Remington Magnum, should weigh 9.5pounds.

Many .300 and 8mm Magnum rifles today come with 24" tubes, and a feware even shorter. Weatherby rifles in .300 Win. Mag. come with 24" barrels,while .300 Weatherby Mag. rifles come with 26" barrels, and .30-378Weatherby rifles come with 28" barrels. This is as it should be; Weatherbyknows magnum rifles. Stick with the longer barrels, as performance is seri-ously degraded and muzzle blast elevated even for the short and standardlength magnums in barrels shorter than 24".

The muzzle blast from these calibers is wicked. It is not fun to be at theshooting bench next to someone shooting a .300 Mag. I can tell no differ-ence between a .300 Mag., an 8mm Mag., and a .338 Mag. in terms ofmuzzle blast. I would rate the muzzle blast as "heavy."

Recoil is probably the biggest concern with any .300 or 8mm Magnum,and particularly with the Super Magnums, which are very unpleasant toshoot. Perfect stock fit is paramount. It is not easy to hit a medium size ani-mal precisely at long range (in excess of 300 yards, let's say), and it be-comes a lot more difficult with a rifle that kicks hard. As big game guideshave learned, most shooters simply cannot shoot their big case .30's accu-rately; they simply cannot concentrate on the fundamentals of trigger re-lease and sight picture with that much recoil looming over them.

180 grain bullets are the most popular weight in the .300's, and 200 grainbullets seen popular in the 8mm's. Recoil for the short and standard lengthmagnums runs around 25 to 27 ft. lbs. in rifles of normal weight. The .300Ultra Mag, .300 Weatherby and the 8mm Magnums all belt the shooter

with 29 to 39 ft. lbs. of recoil energy. The biggest of the .300 Magnums, the.30-378 Weatherby, comes in with around 55 ft. lbs. of recoil.

VIII. Medium bore magnum cartridges

These are the .33 to .38 calibers. Reasonably well known examples includethe .338 Winchester Magnum, .338 Ultra Mag, .338 Lapua, .338-378Weatherby Magnum, .340 Weatherby Magnum, .350 Remington Magnum,.358 Norma Magnum, 9.3x62, 9.3x74R, .375 H&H Magnum, .375 Weath-erby Magnum, .375 Ultra Mag, and the fearsome .378 Weatherby Magnum.

These cartridges are intended for large, heavy game (CXP3). In a pinch theycan be used on dangerous CXP4 game, and have been many times over.The .375 H&H Magnum is undoubtedly the world's most popular buffalocartridge. In Alaska and Northern Canada the .338 Win. Mag. is the favoritecaliber of guides who must protect their clients from angry grizzly, polar,and brown bears--the largest predators on earth. Rifles for these cartridgesshould be as heavy as the hunter can stand to carry. I would consider 9.5pounds the minimum practical weight, although the smaller cartridges nor-mally come in lighter rifles, some down around 8 pounds. Barrels generallyrun 22" to 28" depending on caliber; the higher velocity numbers need thelonger barrels.

These cartridges generate really significant muzzle blast, much like the .300Magnums based on the same size cases. They are not fun to shoot, althoughit is better to be behind the rifle than beside it.

Recoil is pretty bad. In rifles of typical weight it ranges from about 26 ft.lbs. for the .350 Rem. Mag. with 250 grain bullets to around 33 ft. lbs. forthe popular .338 Win. Mag. with 250 grain bullets, up to 42 ft. lbs. for the.375 H&H shooting a 300 grain bullet, and topping out at a scary 71 ft. lbs.for the .378 Weatherby with a 300 grain bullet.

What to Expect When Moving Up In Caliber (continued from pg. 9)

Page 13

Needless to say, it takes terrific concentration and a lot of experience toshoot such calibers well. Note, however, that the medium bore calibersgenerally have more killing power on heavy game than .300 Magnum rifleswith similar recoil.

IX. North American big bore cartridges

There has been a resurgence of interest in large caliber North American car-tridges such as the .405 Winchester, .444 Marlin, .45-70, and .450 Marlin.Unlike the big bore British African cartridges, these are not intended for useon elephant and rhino. The North American big bores resemble the blackpowder buffalo cartridges of the American West, but in terms of modernhunting are more analogous to short range medium bore cartridges. Theyare at their best within about 100 yards, where they will take all NorthAmerican large game with the right loads. Compared to the medium boremagnums, the big bullets start slower and lose velocity faster, so they can'treach out to 200 yards and beyond like a .338 Win. Mag. or .375 H&HMag.

The best rifles for these rimmed cartridges remain single shots and lever ac-tions. The good falling block single shot rifles are immensely strong and letthe reloader draw the full potential from these cartridges. The lever actionsare limited to lower pressure loads, but provide repeat shot capability. Bar-rel lengths vary from 18" to 28". I think that for most purposes a 22" to 24"barrel is a good compromise. In either case, for general hunting purposesrifles should weigh 8.5 to 9.5 pounds, just as with the medium bores.

Recoil is right up there with high pressure loads. The .405 and .444 uselighter 240-300 grain bullets, and that keeps recoil in the 22 to 23 ft. lb.range in 8 to 8.5 pound rifles. The .45-70 is about the same with standard300 grain factory loads.

However, the character of the .45-70, and its newer cousin the .450 Marlin,changes completely with maximum pressure loads and bullets weighing350-400 grains. Recoil jumps into the 30 to 35 ft. lb. range and the muzzleblast sounds like a cannon shot. Load 500 grain bullets to maximum pres-sure in a modern falling block rifle and you can enjoy 40 ft. lbs. of recoilenergy. As you can see, recoil is quite similar to the .300 and medium boremagnums, and so is the concentration and experience required to shootthese big bore calibers effectively.

X. African big bore cartridges

These cartridges were mostly designed in the UK or the U.S., but they weredesigned primarily for use on dangerous CXP4 African game. The most pop-ular of the "elephant" cartridges is the .458 Winchester Magnum. Other ex-amples currently being loaded and reasonably popular include the .416Rigby, .416 Remington Magnum, .416 Weatherby Magnum, .458 Lott, .460Weatherby Magnum, and .470 Nitro Express. Bullets for the .416's typicallyweigh 400 grains, and for the others 500 grains.

Rifles typically have 22" to 28" heavy barrels; I like a 24" tube. Elephant ri-fles should weigh around 12 pounds, but most are much lighter. A .460Weatherby rifle weighs around 10 pounds, the Winchester Model 70 SafariExpress weighs only 8.5 pounds, the Ruger M77 Magnum rifle weighs 9.5to 10 pounds, and the Ruger No. 1 Tropical rifle weighs 9 pounds. Thoseare bare rifle weights, so add about 1 pound if you mount a scope. My oldFN/Browning .458 Mag. weighs only 9 pounds including scope, and I findit wise to reduce the powder charges in my reloads to help control the re-coil.

One thing about shooting a .458 Mag. at the range is that it gets everyone'sattention when it goes off. It is LOUD. Strangers come over to see what youare shooting. Light loads are manageable, but full power loads are punish-ing. Here are some recoil figures for rifles of typical weight shooting fullpower loads: .416 Remington, 53 ft. lbs.; .416 Rigby, 58 ft. lbs.; .416Weatherby, 83.5 ft. lbs.; .458 Win., 62 ft. lbs.; .458 Lott, 70 ft. lbs.; .460Weatherby, 93 ft. lbs.; .470 N.E., 69 ft. lbs. These are not numbers that any-one can take lightly.

Be warned: very few hunters can do their best shooing with such rifles. Icertainly can't, especially if a long string of shots is required. To shoot these

big Berthas well you must be able to concentrate on the fundamentals ofshooting under extremely adverse conditions of recoil and muzzle blast.This is practically impossible, even for most experienced shooters.

But, oddly enough, some of the bolt action and single shot elephant riflesare extremely accurate. I have a 3-shot cloverleaf group on the wall in myreloading room that I shot at 100 yards with my .458 Browning and a 400grain Speer bullet in front of a reduced powder charge.

Conclusion

Most shooters tend to over buy in terms of cartridge power and velocity.Particularly since most are deer and general CXP2 game hunters. Stick withthe lowest class of cartridge that a) will get the job done, and b) that youcan shoot well. And (b) is the most important point.

You can expect excessive muzzle blast, excessive recoil, and short barrellife from many magnum calibers. The worst examples are those at the ultrahigh velocity end of the spectrum, such as the Remington Ultra Mag,Lazzeroni, and Weatherby calibers based on the .378 case. (Tip: any smallbore cartridge based on necked-down elephant cartridge brass should beviewed with great suspicion.)

Since conventional magnum (and some non-magnum) calibers already out-range the available fire control system (the hunter's ability to guaranteeproper bullet placement in the field), I am not sure what advantage there isto even higher velocity and longer MPBR. Particularly when the extra blastand recoil further degrades the fire control system.

I'll bet that 99 out of 100 hunters could put a bullet into the vital area of amule deer at greater range, thus producing a quick and humane kill, usingthe 6mm Rem. cartridge than with a .300 Super Magnum. As practicallyany experienced guide will tell you, as a rule the worst shots--those whowound and waste the most game--are guys using powerful magnum rifles.And that is because everyone shoots better with a rifle that kicks and bel-lows less.

As an experiment, try this yourself: Borrow a rifle chambered for one of thecalibers listed in classes VII and VIII above from a friend or gun shop. Dittoa rifle in any of the cartridges mentioned in classes III or IV above. Makesure that both rifles have good scopes that are similar in terms of magnifica-tion and optical quality. Zero both rifles for 300 yards. Now drive out intothe field somewhere and tack up two cheap 9" paper plates a full 300 yardsdistant. Shoot at the plates from whatever field position you prefer (usuallysitting or prone will give the best accuracy), using both rifles in an identicalmanner and with both scopes set at the same magnification. Fire 10 shotswith each rifle, starting with the lighter caliber. (That's because after shoot-ing the Super Magnum most shooters will be too jumpy to shoot well withanything.) Check the results. Buy the rifle you shot the best.

What to Expect When Moving Up In Caliber (continued from pg. 11)

Page 14

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This cartridge has been extensively tested with a variety of bullets and pow-ders. Following are some of the desirable points that may be considered by ahunter wanting a new rifle, whether it is a custom-built bolt action (basiceconomy model up to a fancy expensive one) or just an extra barrel for hisTC Encore:

• The .358 HoosierTM, a center fire cartridge that may be legal in rifles fordeer hunting in 2012• 2650 ft/sec with 180 grain bullets; 2525 ft/sec with 200 grain bullets• Ballistics (velocity, energy, and trajectory) much superior to the .35 Rem-ington• Ballistics approx. equal to factory .358 Winchester and slightly less thanthe currently legal .358 WSSM wildcat• Cases easily made from economical and readily available .358 Winchesterbrass• Can be used in economical, standard short-action bolt rifles originallychambered for the .308 Winchester family of cartridges (e.g., .308 Win, .243Win, 7mm-08, .22-250 Rem)• Can be used in single shots & semiautomatics chambered for the .308 fam-ily of cartridges• No need for bolt face or extractor modifications• No need for magazine or side rail modifications, or spacers for properfeeding

This is not a wildcat boasting the highest possible velocity with the 1.800maximum case length. However, it is a very practical wildcat. It offers eco-nomical basic rifle and brass costs, easily formed and loaded brass, and allthe bullet velocity, energy, and accuracy needed to cleanly take deer up tothe maximum distance at which probably 99 percent of the hunters are capa-ble of accurately placing a bullet under field conditions. Exterior ballistics arejust slightly less than the existing, currently legal .358 WSSM wildcat (1.625inches long case) with its fatter case body.

Page 15

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The Savage Hog Hunter has a number of features you would want fordown and dirty hog extermination.The magazine cover is bolted on, so you won't drop your ammo or maga-zine should you encounter some snaggy brush or swamp in your travels.The barrel is threaded for a suppressor, and comes with a screw on cap, soyou could also use it for a flashhider if you wanted and suppressors aren'tlegal where you live, or not in your budget.The Hog Hunter has the Savage Accutrigger, which makes it much safer tocarry through tough terrain, and you still have a nice light and crisp triggerpull.The review rifle at Media Day at the Range, SHOT Show 2012 had a Le-upold Hog scope on it. It is a 1.25-4 power optic with an LED powered cen-ter dot.The reticle is called the "Pig-Plex," and is made specifically for twilightshooting, when the hogs are just getting out feeding.This scope is made specifically for hog hunting and retails for just under$500 at online retailers.You wouldn’t think that a gun would be made specifically to bang aroundbehind the seat of your truck, to get banged and bumped on who knowswhat, and to get dripping wet, dirty, and still work, but that is exactly whatSavage has done with the new Hog Hunter line of rifles. They aren’t prettyguns, but they aren’t for pretty game either. You of course can use the HogHunter for hunting deer, coyotes, or even zebra, but some guns were madefor a lot of things, and some guns are made for one thing. This gun was madeto hunt hogs.The Hog Hunter comes with a tough, no frills synthetic green stock that ismeant to get beat up and not mar or scuff. It has a rough texture so youwon’t drop it when it is wet. The 20 inch barrel is threaded for a suppressor,and for now it comes in .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, and .338 Win-chester. The weight is 7.25 lbs. for the two lighter calibers, and 8 lbs. for the.338. Overall length is 40.5 inches, and one inch more for the .338, and itholds 4 rounds in the magazine.What makes it specifically a hog hunting gun is a combination of severalfeatures. One is of course the short barrel. Hogs tend to hang out in thickwoods, swamps, and other places where a long barrel just gets in the way.Hogs are not particularly hard to kill, so though a 20 inch barrel will losesome muzzle energy because more powder burns outside the barrel, youwill still have plenty of punch even with a .223.The stock is a simple green polymer with a slightly rough textured finish, soyou can hold on with wet hands. The two things you will notice on firstglance about the gun here is that it has the Leupold Hog scope on it, andthat it has an attached floorplate for the magazine. The Leupold Hog scope isa 1.25-4 powder heavy duty rugged optic made specifically for hog hunting.It is one of their Fire-Dot series, with a fiber optic, LED driven red dot in thecenter, and this is actually called the Pig-Plex reticle. i don’t believe that thegun is available with the scope (though I thought it was on Media Day . If itdoesn’t, the scope is obviously a good option for the rifle and it is availablefor just under $500 from internet retailers. You may prefer something withouta battery that could potentially explode in weather extremes, and the gundoes have open sights, and good one. Up to at least 150 yards or so, theopen sights, rested, are just fine on a hog sized target.The bolted down magazine floorplate is a nice feature so you don’t catch amagazine release as you are breaking through brush, thereby spreading yourammo, or dropping your mag, on the ground as you walk past. As much asyou may think this is not really a feature, remember Murphy’s law, and thereis nothing like coming on a group of half a dozen hogs, taking your first shot,and realizing that your magazine fell out when you crossed that stone wallthat had the pine tree you had to push through. Savage really designed thisrifle well for hog hunters and thought about the actual needs of the personrelying on the rifle. It clearly wasn’t a marketing idea just to sell more rifles.This gun was created for people who really have to deal with a hog problem.If you are wondering why the barrel is threaded for a suppressor, in many

states it is legal for civilians to own screw on sound suppressors. They have

(continued on pg. 16)

Page 16

have no natural predators left in much of their breeding grounds across thecountry. We even saw severe hog damage on the remote island of Kauai inHawaii, and someone had to fly hogs in there for them to even exist. Therewere giant ruts in the woods where the hogs had been rooting. They just de-stroy everything in their path.

If you come upon hogs, they travel in groups and with a suppressor you candrop several of them with a bolt gun before they figure out what is going onand scatter. With pretty much any Savage you will have MOA accuracy andbetter, and with a 4 power scope on a hog sized target you are good to atleast 300 yards with even a .223. It is also helpful to have a suppressor ifyour hog hunting/exterminating territory abuts land. Even though it may belegal to shoot at a certain distance away from an inhabited area, gunshotsnot in the fall hunting season will nearly always elicit a call to the police.Hogs don’t have a season. You can shoot them year round, but people don’tknow that.

If you have a hog problem and you have been trying to deal with it usingshotgun slugs or a levergun, this new Savage is a pretty good investment onan accurate and durable rifle that will make your job a lot easier. The gun iskind of a no-brainer actually. Savage and Leupold have taken the decisionmaking out of the decision on what to buy for a useful and effective hog gunand optic. The Savage Hog Hunter with the Leupold Hog and its Pig-Plex ret-icle is pretty much all the gun and optic you could want to deal with hogs.

Savage Arms Hog Hunger (continued from pg. 15)

The barrel is threaded for a suppressor, andcomes with a screw on cap, so you couldalso use it for a flashhider if you wanted andsuppressors aren't legal where you live, ornot in your budget.

The review rifle at Media Day at the Range,SHOT Show 2012 had a Leupold Hogscope on it. It is a 1.25-4 power optic withan LED powered center dot.

The magazine cover is bolted on, so youwon't drop your ammo or magazine shouldyou encounter some snaggy brush orswamp in your travels.

This scope is made specifically for hoghunting and retails for just under $500 atonline retailers.

The reticle is called the "Pig-Plex," and ismade specifically for twilight shooting,when the hogs are just getting out feeding.

The Hog Hunter has the Savage Accutrig-ger, which makes it much safer to carrythrough tough terrain, and you still have anice light and crisp trigger pull.

Page 17

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Recipe of theMonth

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 cups chopped onions1 cup chopped bell pepper1/2 cup chopped celerySalt and cayenne pepper1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch slices4 bay leaves2 cups chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded1 tablespoon chopped garlic2 cups white rice3 1/2 cups chicken stock2 pounds crawfish tails1 cup chopped green onions

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions,peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Sauté the vegetables forabout 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted. Add the sausage and sautéfor 2 minutes. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.Stir in the rice and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the stock. Season with salt andcayenne. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the jamba-laya for 25 to 30 minutes, covered, or until the rice is tender and the liquid hasbeen absorbed. Stir in the crawfish tails and green onions and re-season, ifnecessary.

CCrraawwffiisshh aanndd SSaauussaaggee JJaammbbaallaayyaa