Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

It's not a done deal yet, but it looks like we are going to have a wolf hunting season here in Idaho before too long. I plan to be first in line for a tag. My question is: What do you guys think would be an ideal wolf rifle? What caliber, loads, bullets, etc? I will probably use the trusty old Ruger .270 Win with 140 gr. Ballistic Tips. But heck, if you guys can give me enough "ammo", maybe I can convince the wife I need a new rifle to go after the big bad wolf! :)

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

.22-250 or .243.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I'd say .243 or maybe for longer range .25-06

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I would think there would be lots of good choices from .243-338 win mag i'd use my .270 with 130gr. gamekings

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I'd get one that looks like a sheep!

Of course any riflethat's suited for deer would work well on wolves. Especially one that looks like a sheep.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

.243...and I'll go you one better...Use the Federal Premium 85gr HPBT...
Very flat shooting, very accurate and makes a nasty mess when it gets there...

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I like the .270. A wolf is quite a bit larger than a coyote so the extra bullet surely wouldnt go to waste. And since it sounds like you already have one, why go out and purchase a new rifle just for wolf hunting? But if you must buy another gun, then a .243 would make a nice wolf gun as well.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

Another vote for the .243. I think it would ideal.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

BMG?

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

Well that's that.... I'm officially on the market for a .243 that looks like a sheep.

Seriously though, I've been wanting a .243 for a while now. This might just be the excuse I've been looking for.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

25-06.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I fixed it for you and now agree! ;)

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

ha ha ha lol id go with the 50 bmg too i love to buy new guns i thot everyone likes haveing more than one

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

yeah i love the 243 aswell for lil creaturs i am going to buy one here pretty soon or maybe ill wait till remington comes out with the sendero in 243

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I haven't got one yet, but have been out calling and looking for them. I hunt with my ulitmate shadow model 70 243 WSSM. Bullets are 55-grain BSTs.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

You gotit!

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

.577 T-Rex

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

What ever one that is in my hands when i see it!!!

DM

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

IMO, you're SOL!! That .270 is about as close to an ideal wolf cartridge as you're likely to find! I'd use the Sierra 110-grain bullets, and work them up to as close to 3300 FPS as they'll go with the required accuracy!

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

An M24 300 Win Mag ought to do the trick! Just ask your wife what she would do without one? Tell her its for homeland defense and it's for the good of the country.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

I'm trying to figure out why you feel that way?????

Anything from higher powered center fire 22's on up will kill them as far as you can hit them!!!! Why would anyone need a 270 or any other cartridge that big??

I was hired to take out some dog packs once, my .243 Win. would shoot through and flatten any dog any size thati could hit at any range!

DM

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

.17 HMR, LOL.

I would have to say .243.

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

Because a number of the wolves I shot in Alaska back in the '60's weighed more than many whitetail deer!

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

At least you have a reason LOL...

Most big wolves would be around 125 pounds, That would be a pretty small whitetail around here...

243 Win. will shoot through any dog/coyote/wolf you can find, just use a decent bullet in it... I used a lot of 90 grain Speers, also Sierra's and Noslers.

Many times the dog packs would run straight away, and i wouldtake my time, sometimes even getting into a sitting position and the 85 sierra/90 Speer/or Nosler 6mm bullet would go end to end even on the biggest dogs....

I used a several other cal's too, includeing a 17 Rem....

DM

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

As usual the question was what "rifle" and almost no one mentions a "rifle" in their answer. Lots of suggestions for "cartridges".

I was carrying my Sav. model 99 leveraction with a 3 to 9 scope on it when I had a chance to shoot some wolves. I saw them chasing white-tails in a cutblock and so I got set up and called with a fawn distress call. It was like ringing the dinner bell. Two of them came running at me an so I shot the farthest one (~90 yards) and then swung on the closer one and shot it. It fell on its nose dead 40 steps away and I got back on the farther one who was up and trying to get into the forest. Running through thin bush and planted spruce saplings. I emptied my rifle at it killing it with the last shot (the rifle holds 6 shells in total). My rifle is chambered in .300 sav. but a Lever gun, a pump or a semi-auto in .243, 250/3000 or any deer type cartridge would be good.

If you are a person who thinks bolt actions "are more accurate" than other actions you may or may not get a chance to take more than one or two shots at a close encountered pack.



Robin in Rocky

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

Thanks Duffy, hard to argue with those results. I have a feeling we will only be allowed one wolf per year (just like deer, elk, etc.) so a quick cycling gun might not be the top priority.

I have been wondering how they would respong to calling. Nice to hear the fawn distress call worked. What time of year were you/do you hunt wolves up there?

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

Those are some mean looking pooch's

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

nice dogs!!!

RE: Ideal Wolf Rifle
 

"Most big wolves would be around 125 pounds, That would be a pretty small whitetail around here..."

Yep. If you want to see small whitetail, go to Central Texas - not everything is big in TX! The wolves I was talking about were in the 125-pound class. A few may have weighed more, but weighing game in the middle forks of the Gulkana River area is slightly impractical.....