Virginia7,
".... 375H&H, and 416Rigby? Dang, I hope to guess those elk are not going anywhere when hit. If you don't mind my asking, what do you or would you plan on using on an
Alaskan brown bear?
BTW, do you wear a big hat - like Elmer? (just kidding)...."
I appreciate your fine humor. Actually I had never heard of Elmer Keith or Jack O'Connor until I got to this web site a couple years ago. Had to go "look them up" O'Connor was the better looking guy of the two (used a 416 Rigby in Africa too); Keith looked a bit dorky, but provided an interesting set of stories himself. Regarding the choice of rifles for the Alaskan Brown bear....
I'd probably use either one of the aforementioned rifles. IMHO, a key item is when one gets around to hunting dangerous game that can "bite back" is that your DGR needs to be big enough so not even the smallest question remains in your mind as to whether it is enough [I'd say this is perceived differently between "walking amongst them" at "showtime" versus sitting at home by the fireside computer 3,000 miles away]
AND it needs to be an "old friend" that you've taken plenty of game with under a variety of circumstances so that you know its capabilities at both the "gut level" and at a "mental level". [:@][:@] I'm working on getting to know those two real well --- hence, using them on elk, for which they seem to be quite satisfactory.
One of those elk was at 30 yards and an off hand "snap shot" as an elk herd stampeded our positions this year and the other instance (actually two cows in rapid succession -- don't worry, I have two licenses almost every year) was at 210 yards with one elk (standing) taken with me standing and bracing off of an aspen tree, while the other one was from the same position but with the second elk running, -- one shot each -- they laid within 30 yards of each other.
The only other "interloper" on the Brown Bear thing might be that I'm toying with the idea of getting a CZ in 458 Lott (just for giggles) but I'd have to see how well it impressed me for 200-300 yard shooting, which with 450 gr Barnes X, it should be quite capable of doing. The other two rifles (375 & 416) are really on the inside track though. On the other hand, if the guide informed me that it was going to be very strenuous hiking [:'(][:'(] and every ounce counted, then I might go with an ultra light 338WinMag that I let my boys use --- a waspy little thing to shoot at non-living targets, but a joy to carry and fine to shoot at live game.
I've thought about this Brown Bear thing a lot; Moose and Caribou are intriguing too, but obviously are not DG. Hunting them would expand ones realm of experience and provide one a chance to get to know one's "old friends" even better.
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Regarding the hat question..... nope, even though I grew up on a ranch as a kid I never did like cowboy hats much --- I was more a baseball cap kind of guy. [Exception being rain, BeaverJack was sure right on that one, and I do have an old Stetson I wear when the odds of rain are high when I head out the wall tent door --- life is better when the rain stays out of your face and runs down your back instead of down your neck.] I didn't care much for cowboy boots either, as I liked lace up Red Wing work boots with steel toes ["magnum" foot wear
). Ranching/farming is a good way to get hurt or turned into an old man ahead of your time if you're not REAL careful; however, it is a damn fine heritage to grow up in though, and sure instills a good work ethic and a "cowboy up" mental toughness that I find so painfully missing among so many "out there" today. [>:]
Probably gave you more than you expected.
EKM