Mustangs Rule
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
- Messages
- 824
Barring my traditional muzzle loader, I have gotten down to just two big game rifles.
One is my Sako Finnight carbine in 308. At 5 5/8 pounds naked and then with a scope, heavy optilok rings, loaded and with a leather Whelen sling, it is right at 7 pounds. An ideal all around rifle,,,,except for,,?
Okay I grew up hunting in New England, thick forest, 35 Remington country. Been there really, done that and I am done with that.
For dozens of years now , my favorite country for hunting deer, antelope, wild boar and elk has been wide open grass prairies, Oak grass Savannahs, low desert playas and sagebrush plains.
I have lived in Wyoming and hunted the prairie of SE Wyoming, plains of NW Wyoming.
Also lived in Arizona. my favorite place was the tall grass country near Patagonia, and also the Sonoran Savannah Grasslands down by the Mexican Border. Eastern Oregon bunchgrass country and the dry golden grasslands north of Mesquite Nevada, both ring my hunters bell loud and clear. And let's not forget the giant barley ranches of central California for boar.
And lastly, for years, I hunted cow elk mid-winter in central Utah’s, wide open desert Grass/Steppe country.
Often when hunting in true tall grass country, the prone position is useless. Trees and rocks are rare if at all. And standing shooting off hand even with a tall shooting stick is ridiculous at these longer ranges
For me, this is where using one of three sitting positions with the Whelen sling rules.
The wind can howl, pushes my body beyond its usual jerks and tremors. That is when I like a heavier rifle.
Two years ago, I was late fall Chukar hunting in a canyon when I ran into a father and daughter elk hunting team. He was all gray haired, she was in her late 30’s and had been hunting with her dad since her late teens. Both were solid and strong looking.
She had drawn the bull elk tag and he was carrying “their” plains/prairie long rifle. The only one he had, they had.
Their rifle was early 1950’s production Winchester model 70 standard weight in .270 Winchester. and had a simple 6X fixed power scope on it with a stout 24 inch barrel.
That was Winchesters high quality production era. Their WW2 machinery was not wearing out yet and their expert machinists and gunsmiths were not retiring yet. Those last runs of pre-64’s were not the equal of earlier ones in terms of fit and finish.
I told the father and daughter that I had a 1952 made Model 70/270 home that was a dead ringer for theirs.
I held theirs, pointed to the little set screw under the forend that goes into an under-barrel lug that is used to adjust for barrel harmonics with different bullets and loads. Just a little turn has a rifle shooting around an inch shoot almost one big three shot hole.
They knew all about that adjusting screw, and so did “Pops”
He was the Patriarch of the fourth generation ranch in wide open Utah where I hunted cow elk in the winter for many years.
My first time there, I met him. He always came out to greet the new hunters in the bunkhouse where we stayed. He saw my rifle, grinned and opened the safe and brought his out, very close match except for the pre-WW2 safety. Also had a fixed 6x scope and a 24 inch stout barrel
Pops got a giddy, looking at our two rifles together. He bought this one before WW2, still during the height of great depression. It was the only rifle he could afford, and it was the “Families rifle” used by all.
As we were looking at it his son talked about taking all his first big game with it. His grandson too. Using that rifle was a ritual, a right of passage.
The .270 in a standard weight model 70 Winchester was the western gold standard for open country from the 1930’s until the mid 1960’s. It was really America’s first modern scoped “Plains Rifle” In 1959 – 1962 the 264 Winchester Magnum then the 7mm Mag came out but so many old cowboys like “Pops” would never part with his model 70/270.
He loved seeing mine alongside his.
His stories about hunts with this rifle filled the bunkhouse as we sat around the wood stove. His wife brought fresh baked apple pie for us from the main ranch house. That bunkhouse was once their main house.
I hunted that ranch always successfully for almost a decade. The fee was $500 for me and my non-hunting friend for a full 7 days of exclusive hunting on their ranch, staying in bunkhouse, ( no meals) and vehicles for elk recovery. Once they got to see I knew horses I had the use of them too for more back country recovery.
Whenever I was there Pops always came to say hello. I think as much to see my Model 70/270 as he did me. He would bring his out while I told him about my elk hunt.
On one trip to hunt the ranch, I found out Pops was gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds. At his request, his son and grandson always saved a hunt for me even as they turned many other hunters away. And again, at Pop’s request, they never raised the price for my hunt there.
Of course I always brought my Winchester model 70/.270.
Many years later then, while sitting with this father, daughter and their old heavy model 70/270, I told them this story about “Pops”, one of several we passed back and forth about our rifles. We shook hands, exchanged cell phone numbers and said good bye.
They left the canyon hiking up to a grass covered plateau above us. I watched them for a while gain lots of elevation, never stopping for a break. When somebody is fit, 2 extra pounds on a time-tested rifle means very little.
Just before it got dark, driving home, my cell phone got a text message and photo. The daughter killed a fine bull elk with one shot at over 500 yards. In the photo I could see the grass almost laid flat by wind.
“Beware of the father and daughter who have only one rifle. They both know how to use it !”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a grass country cow elk hunt coming up soon and my “Plains/prairie Rifle” is more than ready.
And I know the drill, had a great teacher
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was hunting deer on a desert mountain so close the Mexican Border, I could almost taste the Tecate Beer and smell the Burritos cooking.
The canyon I was in had a small trickle stream that was a magnificent wonder for the wildlife. I was watching a doe across the canyon, wondering if she would get some male company, while a strong wind was blowing up canyon.
The thick, tall dry grass in an open meadow was all being pushed hard, but with my hunters' eyes, I saw a line of grass going into the wind towards the doe. The Mt. lion leaped and just missed getting it’s claws and fangs into her butt.
__________________________________________________________________________________
For tall grass country hunting I like a Car-Hart tough canvas jacket and Car-Hart double knee work pants. They start off with a little darker brown color, lighten with time. Get creative with a brush and brown and green paint for camo.
Cut the knees out of a tag sale insulated wet-suit and wear them, get ready to crawl, moderately comfortable.
I like to wear my lucky hunting hat, was my mom's. An old LL Bean sheepskin mushroom like hat, with some stalks of grass taped around in a circle. Forget the pack for now. Have a couple bungee cords, one around your waste, one higher up. Both hold your rifle off the ground level as you crawl on all fours. Peek now and then at the game animals you saw far away.
Then the time will come, roll up quick like a “Jack in the Box”, right into your Whelen sling sitting position, which you have been practicing a lot. Apply the proper isometric tension. one third push forward with left hand, two thirds pressure pull back into your shoulder. Tames already moderate recoil down more.
The 6x scope is just right to pan and find your target anywhere from say 250 yards for deer or antelope and out to 350 to 400 yards at most for big boar and elk. Then the whole package calmly comes together, solid, sling tight, no wiggles or wobbles, glad to have a rifle with clout, all that equals confidence, breath out.
Then you squeeze the trigger and “Make Meat”
MR
One is my Sako Finnight carbine in 308. At 5 5/8 pounds naked and then with a scope, heavy optilok rings, loaded and with a leather Whelen sling, it is right at 7 pounds. An ideal all around rifle,,,,except for,,?
Okay I grew up hunting in New England, thick forest, 35 Remington country. Been there really, done that and I am done with that.
For dozens of years now , my favorite country for hunting deer, antelope, wild boar and elk has been wide open grass prairies, Oak grass Savannahs, low desert playas and sagebrush plains.
I have lived in Wyoming and hunted the prairie of SE Wyoming, plains of NW Wyoming.
Also lived in Arizona. my favorite place was the tall grass country near Patagonia, and also the Sonoran Savannah Grasslands down by the Mexican Border. Eastern Oregon bunchgrass country and the dry golden grasslands north of Mesquite Nevada, both ring my hunters bell loud and clear. And let's not forget the giant barley ranches of central California for boar.
And lastly, for years, I hunted cow elk mid-winter in central Utah’s, wide open desert Grass/Steppe country.
Often when hunting in true tall grass country, the prone position is useless. Trees and rocks are rare if at all. And standing shooting off hand even with a tall shooting stick is ridiculous at these longer ranges
For me, this is where using one of three sitting positions with the Whelen sling rules.
The wind can howl, pushes my body beyond its usual jerks and tremors. That is when I like a heavier rifle.
Two years ago, I was late fall Chukar hunting in a canyon when I ran into a father and daughter elk hunting team. He was all gray haired, she was in her late 30’s and had been hunting with her dad since her late teens. Both were solid and strong looking.
She had drawn the bull elk tag and he was carrying “their” plains/prairie long rifle. The only one he had, they had.
Their rifle was early 1950’s production Winchester model 70 standard weight in .270 Winchester. and had a simple 6X fixed power scope on it with a stout 24 inch barrel.
That was Winchesters high quality production era. Their WW2 machinery was not wearing out yet and their expert machinists and gunsmiths were not retiring yet. Those last runs of pre-64’s were not the equal of earlier ones in terms of fit and finish.
I told the father and daughter that I had a 1952 made Model 70/270 home that was a dead ringer for theirs.
I held theirs, pointed to the little set screw under the forend that goes into an under-barrel lug that is used to adjust for barrel harmonics with different bullets and loads. Just a little turn has a rifle shooting around an inch shoot almost one big three shot hole.
They knew all about that adjusting screw, and so did “Pops”
He was the Patriarch of the fourth generation ranch in wide open Utah where I hunted cow elk in the winter for many years.
My first time there, I met him. He always came out to greet the new hunters in the bunkhouse where we stayed. He saw my rifle, grinned and opened the safe and brought his out, very close match except for the pre-WW2 safety. Also had a fixed 6x scope and a 24 inch stout barrel
Pops got a giddy, looking at our two rifles together. He bought this one before WW2, still during the height of great depression. It was the only rifle he could afford, and it was the “Families rifle” used by all.
As we were looking at it his son talked about taking all his first big game with it. His grandson too. Using that rifle was a ritual, a right of passage.
The .270 in a standard weight model 70 Winchester was the western gold standard for open country from the 1930’s until the mid 1960’s. It was really America’s first modern scoped “Plains Rifle” In 1959 – 1962 the 264 Winchester Magnum then the 7mm Mag came out but so many old cowboys like “Pops” would never part with his model 70/270.
He loved seeing mine alongside his.
His stories about hunts with this rifle filled the bunkhouse as we sat around the wood stove. His wife brought fresh baked apple pie for us from the main ranch house. That bunkhouse was once their main house.
I hunted that ranch always successfully for almost a decade. The fee was $500 for me and my non-hunting friend for a full 7 days of exclusive hunting on their ranch, staying in bunkhouse, ( no meals) and vehicles for elk recovery. Once they got to see I knew horses I had the use of them too for more back country recovery.
Whenever I was there Pops always came to say hello. I think as much to see my Model 70/270 as he did me. He would bring his out while I told him about my elk hunt.
On one trip to hunt the ranch, I found out Pops was gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds. At his request, his son and grandson always saved a hunt for me even as they turned many other hunters away. And again, at Pop’s request, they never raised the price for my hunt there.
Of course I always brought my Winchester model 70/.270.
Many years later then, while sitting with this father, daughter and their old heavy model 70/270, I told them this story about “Pops”, one of several we passed back and forth about our rifles. We shook hands, exchanged cell phone numbers and said good bye.
They left the canyon hiking up to a grass covered plateau above us. I watched them for a while gain lots of elevation, never stopping for a break. When somebody is fit, 2 extra pounds on a time-tested rifle means very little.
Just before it got dark, driving home, my cell phone got a text message and photo. The daughter killed a fine bull elk with one shot at over 500 yards. In the photo I could see the grass almost laid flat by wind.
“Beware of the father and daughter who have only one rifle. They both know how to use it !”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a grass country cow elk hunt coming up soon and my “Plains/prairie Rifle” is more than ready.
And I know the drill, had a great teacher
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was hunting deer on a desert mountain so close the Mexican Border, I could almost taste the Tecate Beer and smell the Burritos cooking.
The canyon I was in had a small trickle stream that was a magnificent wonder for the wildlife. I was watching a doe across the canyon, wondering if she would get some male company, while a strong wind was blowing up canyon.
The thick, tall dry grass in an open meadow was all being pushed hard, but with my hunters' eyes, I saw a line of grass going into the wind towards the doe. The Mt. lion leaped and just missed getting it’s claws and fangs into her butt.
__________________________________________________________________________________
For tall grass country hunting I like a Car-Hart tough canvas jacket and Car-Hart double knee work pants. They start off with a little darker brown color, lighten with time. Get creative with a brush and brown and green paint for camo.
Cut the knees out of a tag sale insulated wet-suit and wear them, get ready to crawl, moderately comfortable.
I like to wear my lucky hunting hat, was my mom's. An old LL Bean sheepskin mushroom like hat, with some stalks of grass taped around in a circle. Forget the pack for now. Have a couple bungee cords, one around your waste, one higher up. Both hold your rifle off the ground level as you crawl on all fours. Peek now and then at the game animals you saw far away.
Then the time will come, roll up quick like a “Jack in the Box”, right into your Whelen sling sitting position, which you have been practicing a lot. Apply the proper isometric tension. one third push forward with left hand, two thirds pressure pull back into your shoulder. Tames already moderate recoil down more.
The 6x scope is just right to pan and find your target anywhere from say 250 yards for deer or antelope and out to 350 to 400 yards at most for big boar and elk. Then the whole package calmly comes together, solid, sling tight, no wiggles or wobbles, glad to have a rifle with clout, all that equals confidence, breath out.
Then you squeeze the trigger and “Make Meat”
MR
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