Nice podcast, Ron. In my opinion the biggest obstacles to overcome in access to hunting, is the dozen of slobs before you. I have several farms in the Midwest and they are now posted and often patrolled. Just grew tired of people not respecting the land. TP, papers, empty shells, gates left open, more people than agreed upon, tracking up fields, damage to crops, mud on the county roads, over limits and of course the big lie of "I have permission". Add to this have guns pointed at me as they lie about having permission. As someone who has been hunting my whole life and loves to introduce new people to hunting, it breaks my heart to post the lands, but it is the reality of life now. No fishing either. Keep well. Cheers, Jeff.
We've been saying since the 1960s, when I started hunting, that slobs are going to ruin it for everyone. And sportsmen were saying the same thing long before that. So it was written. So it has become. The major difference now, I suspect, is the significant crowding and decrease in huntable land combined with urbanization and our disconnection with rural land and farm families. Seems every time I drive to town I see a new house being built on what used to be open pasture or farm ground. Also, our culture seems to be getting less civil, less polite. People learn to want more, demand more, and shirk responsibility. On the bright side, I see a greater percentage of truly serious, responsible hunters with a solid conservation ethic. If we keep emphasizing and elevating that, we can slowly wean the slob hunters off their selfish behavior.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast Ron, I would love to see the day we could wean the slobs. I just don't believe that is possible. But WE must try, daily, to cleanup our own ranks. If we don't, none of us will be happy. Thankfully we have millions of acres, in the USA, of public lands. It would truly be a crying shame if the USA went the way of Europe, Asia and Africa, where hunting opportunities are generally reserved for the wealthy, landed gentry and poachers. Stay clean, legal and honest in the game fields. Cheers, Jeff
Greed destroy all. The real problem is the culture. People are no longer taught there are no rights unless you do your duty & discharge your obligations. You can’t just do whatever you want. You have limits.
@@jk-kr8jt Yes those people have really turned off a lot of farmers/land owners. My family has 720 acres in Wisconsin so I always have good hunting land, but I also like to change the scenery or game animals. I like to make trips out west with friends to hunt and recently permission has been really hard to get for exactly the reasons you listed. There is quite a bit of outfitters or leasing going on but you used to be able to find places fairly easily. But now I hear a lot of farmers denying because of bad past experiences with people that have no respect and they just dont want to take the risk of that headache again.
Public land hunting if you are a non-resident can be high cost hunting. The question about high cost hunting can also be contributed to Trophy Hunting and the “bragging rights” of the biggest and/or most that is marketed in advertising, magazines, and TV Show. However, it does preserve the sport. In he 1970’s I could go to Colorado as a non-resident and buy a Mule Deer tag ($90) and/or Elk tag ($135). This is all a result of supply and demand, methodology (archery, muzzle loader, rifle, etc.), loss of habitat, and trophy hunting, & politics. The point of cost of hunting in Africa is spot on and they have figured it out. Question is, what will the future hold in North America.
That 1st question was a good one... I can also remember the times when you could go ask a random farmer/rancher to hunt their property and they would have no problems with it but now and days that rarely happens. Luckily I hog hunt for several farmers so I also get to make a few hunts on their properties but again nothing like it use to be. It's harder for the new hunters and it's harder for the guys on a tight budget but there's still good hunting opportunities out there you just gotta work harder for them but it's well worth the effort... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
I really wish public land was more available, especially East of the Rockies. When I lived in Montana for a few years I was extremely surprised at how much public land was available to hunt on.
In my area, most farmers have figured out that people will pay to hunt hogs, so instead of asking people to come hunt them, they want you to pay for the opportunity. The others don’t want the legal liability of letting people on their land. I’ve got a few friend with land and they invite friends out to control the hog population. But it’s only friends they know well and trust because of the threat of lawsuits. Lawyers ruined everything.
Arkansas has vast national forests, numerous wildlife management zones, relatively cheap licensing. The AGFC really does everything it can here to encourage hunting and getting the next generation involved. A lot of opportunities. Elk, deer, black bear, whitetails, waterfowl, general upland game. Love seeing the kids involved.
On the Weatherby web site, Adam Weatherby tells the story when profiling the 257 Weatherby Magnum. If I recall the story correctly, Roy was NOT the one hunting the Buffalo. Another hunter wounded the Buffalo and it was a charge. He shot him with a 120 grain Nosler Partition. It is an amazing cartridge for a lot of game. New propellants have increased the velocities in most of the older Weatherby Cartridges which utilized Norma MRP, and other Norma Propellants.
I am a solo back country public lands hunter and I love it. The issue I have is the costs of tags in some states. It really does cost a lot of money to hunt anymore in many places
Part of the issue is that more and more people now have easier access to areas that were once considered "remote". Not terribly long ago, the primary people hunting in more remote areas were the locals (who were few) and then the wealthy who could afford numerous days of travel and lodging. Now, it only takes one day to travel virtually anywhere in the continental US. It results in a "glass half full or half empty" situation where more people can enjoy hunting almost anywhere (yay!) but those danged "outsiders" keep coming over to "our" hunting spots (BOO!). Without the tag system, the wildlife in many areas would be decimated (the buffalo, for example). Maintaining public areas is expensive, so it is not completely unreasonable for people who use an area to pay for its upkeep through various fees. It sucks, but someone needs to pay the bill, and it is arguably more fair for someone actively uses an area (hunting) to pay more. FWIW, I have often heard people complaining that their taxes go to pay for places they never visit.
Yes, the tag price is up . . . but the issue I have is drawing the tag. The odds are horrible at best AND in some states, there is a push to exclude nonresident hunters completely
@@peterweikel7123 I guess some are given out. Some go to organizations like Safari Club and the Sheep organizations. I understand that they bring in a lot of money to the different state game departments. But regular people like you and me can wait a lifetime for a sheep tag or a Shires moose tag. Personally, I find it cheaper and more enjoyable to go to South Africa
When I was working with Bill Wiseman making rifle barrels, he figured out how to make a muzzle break with the holes drilled with about a 45 degree angle and put a cap off system on it. This allowed a rifle to be sighted in or shot in a hunting situation. The angle kept the gases “shock wave from breaking the sound barrier going forward which significantly reduce the noise level”. The cap off allowed it to be eliminated.
I can attest to the quickness one can work a bolt action rifle, I once saw my dad dump 4 pigs under a feeder all with frontal or side head shots at 120 yards with a Remington 700 bdl in 30-06 and a 4 power leupold
Try some custom copper tubing swaged bullets. They can be made to your specs and are more accurate than current off the shelf fodder. May be more expensive but really how many are you going to shoot at game?
I dont hunt without hearing protection anymore. Having lost alot of hearing in one ear im trying to save what i can. Plus the electronic muffs with volume turned up enhances my hearing in my good ear. Muzzle brakes are great tools for long range hunting in spotting your hits. Win win all around
If you have a military base in your area, check to see if they allow the general public to hunt on the base. I am stationed in Quantico, VA and we allow the general public in. All it costs is around 20 dollars a year. Military bases all have a natural resources branch that manages the wildlife. We took almost 250 deer off Quantico this past season.
If they don't allow you to hunt, they might have a shooting range that you can enjoy also. They usually require you to register your firearms that you bring there. I am not a fan of that, but it is available if you do not mind.
That is not everywhere. My family owns 720 acres in Wisconsin and we have a bombing range literally across the road that I think is around 10k acres and mostly covered in hardwoods, ponds, and some marsh. I think back in the day they allowed hunting and shooting at their range but they dont anymore.
Ron what about a 375 ruger episode vs 338 win mag or 35 whelen vs a 378 weatherby for a comparison as ruger gets the speeds up there and in a shorter rifle and some very high bc bullets
My Dad has hunted with a .257 Wby for over 50 years now. He took Ed Weatherby on a Fishing tripin the 70’s. Ed told Dad to use the 100gr Nosler Solid Base. This was the older lead tipped design. He gave him a load to use that was hot, really hot using Winchester 785 ball powder. Dozens of Mule deer and Elk have fallen with that recipe from my Dad till both the bullets and the powder were discontinued. It was vicious. Not kidding. Softball sized holes on the exit side on most everything. No, we have not been able to duplicate that performance since.
"We have not been able to duplicate that performance since." - what performance are you talking about? Bullets are better constructed today than 60 years ago and propellants produce more speed with less pressure than back then, so I'm not sure what performance you are alluding to. As for huge exit holes - that phenomenon has always been a problem for two reasons. 1) such holes represent incredible waste of meat and 2) bullets exiting the animal mean knock down energy is being wasted as the bullets exit.
@@tienmou68 no need to preach to me about bullets. The Solid base is no longer made. The jacket is thinker and the bad was thicker than ballistic tips if today but was not bonded like the Accubond. It was a perfect balance of expansion and penetration with that cartridge.
@@tienmou68 give it a rest. We have tried the 100gr Ballistic tip hunting, 100 GR Barnes TTSX, 100Gr Hammers, 110GR Accubond, and the Scirroco. All did ok accept the BT, they did not perform well at all. Sometimes things just work and work very well. That was the case with the SB bullets. It’s not me who hunts with it. If it were up to me I would stick with the TTSX now. It did a great job IMO but Dad wasn’t impressed 🤷♂️. Not everything is that much better today than before. Todays world is a throw away junk world instead of quality as well.
@@sakostwwy1903 I use the 100 gr ttsx in my 25/06AI, on deer it drops them like a lightning bolt! Haven’t tried it on elk yet but I’m sure it’ll do the job just fine.
Ha, ha, ha!!! "Why would anyone shoot a pheasant unless it's an emergency?" Very good answer to the bear question..and yes, you reminded me that cougar venison is delicious, either by information from another or personal consumption. I may have consumed some as a youngster.
As an outfitter and or guide for 35 years, I would like to expand on your comments about them. Yes, they lease land to the exclusion of the walk up hunter but not to the exclusion of the public. Those people who many need help with their hunt or are not comfortable with it often hire an outfitter. They are the public. Also, landowners welcome and seek a good outfitter to manage their land not only for income, but to take the headache of dealing with the public off their hands. I had landowners let me use their property for free just so they had a responsible person to police the farm or ranch. That speaks poorly of many members of our sport.
You might want to take a look at what there doing with out of state tags in Wyoming where almost half of the tags on public land go to outfitters so the out of stater has to go with an outfitter to hunt that state! Sad for the hunter who is not rich but would like to hunt that state
With regards to high cost. Trying to do an Elk hunt form distance requires a lot of time and resources. I have done this comparison before. The gap is not that much unless you are trying to buy a private ranch monster trophy bull. One of the best checks I ever wrote was to a pack out service. Killed a bull 2 miles off road by myself in the bottom of a canyon on the last day of a 5 day hunt. Costs to consider if you do it yourself: 1. Got to get there. Do you have the vehicle? 2. Cost to stay. If camping do you have the gear. Do you feel like cooking after hunting all day hiking up and down mountains. 3. Do you have horses and mules and rigs for pack out? 4. Do you have time to pre-scout. 5. Do you know private landowners that will grant you access to cross their land to get to more remote public land. 6. Are you prepared to deal with CWD laws on transport if going out of state. 7. Do you know how to cape an animal. 8. Do you have anyone that will be with you to help with “The Work” when you get a big animal on the ground. 9. Safety element that is provided.
@@jefferywilliams7687 Good points Jeffery. And all quite doable. We were doing it this way back in the dark ages of 1976 -- and continued another 4 decades.
I have a 25 caliber in a 25 wssm. I really like the 25 and think often times it is overlooked. Something I was impressed with was that it has better SD than the 264 win mag in the same grain bullets. And the 264's or 6.5 calibers are known for their penitration along with long range target shooting. The .257 weatherby would be an impressive round given the velocity and right BC bullet.
Agree totally with you on muzzle brakes. Non of my hunting rifles have them. I took them off if they came with one. I hunt mostly HEAVY brushed in woods. So having a brake on my rifle would be a no no. Most all of my shots are quick, on my feet, and no time to screw around. Take the shot now before it darts off. Been on hunts with 308, 30-06, 300wm, as long as your the shooter your okay from the blast zone. If your the hunting partner stay back and dont be on the side or it WILL hurt! Now for grouse ill wear smart ears. Having said all that i wish they made it mandatory to use shush cans for hunting like they do across the water.
@@Nick-sx6jm yeah I don’t know who wouldn’t use them if the NFA was abolished. Most countries have cheap options too because they aren’t so hard to get. Wouldn’t make sense to have cheap ones when you have to go through NFA bs
My buddy Dave from Valdez using nothing but a 257 Weatherby Magnum! He kills Moose and bear, everything. I’ve told his stories around many Texas campfires.
Hydrostatic shot with the 257 is true from what ive seen. Had mine for 10 yrs and have shot 17 whitetails and two muleys. Dropped dead in thier tracks. Fro 40 yrds to 225 yards same result. 100 gr noslers.
I have found, for deer hunting, WV has some of the most reasonable costs for people from out of state. Much of the state has 10s of thousands of acres of public land. They don't have a restrictive process in the number of tags available. It is not the easiest of hunting, you have to do some walking to get out there, and much of the state doesn't have giant bucks. But for someone looking to hunt for whitetail and black bear, it offers good access and pricing compared to most states.
It would be interesting to know WHERE Weatherby placed his shots on the Buffalo. Some "solid" bullet designs travel pretty straight in tissue, so as long as a .257" hole is big enough to do the job, it should work. The big issue is whether it would work fast enough to prevent you from being gored and trampled by an angry, wounded buffalo!
If memory serves, Jon R. Sundra harvested a Cape Buffalo with a Ruger No. 1 in 26-06 using a 115 gr. Nosler partitions in the early 80's. 2-3 shots. A story in I believe Shooting Times Magazine.
Good video. Regarding the semiautomatic question, I'll add that the minute amount of gas lost in cycling the action is well within the shot to shot variations. That makes it impossible to physically measure. The amount of gas lost is possible to calculate theoretically (mathematic equations), but again it's such a small amount that the differences between individual shots is greater regardless of the action type.
The Marine Corps used to have guys that shot match with the M-1 Garand out to 1,000 yards (Camp Matthews had the 1,000 yard range) , with open sights; 39” bullseye. My pop was one of those guys, and the mirage effect on a foggy morning was nearly eliminated. That’s what enabled him to shoot and win at that range.
The lands I used to hunt, timber lands, are now posted and leased by a hunting club. Only reason is the people taking 4 wheelers into the woods cutting young timber down to make trails to hunting stands. Many of us lost thousands of acres. Other lands that used to be open were purchased and posted. Thankfully there are still many game lands to hunt in Pennsylvania though a decent amount has low deer numbers and high hunter numbers in my area. We have to be willing to put on the miles to be successful. No matter what I'm still thrilled to be able to hunt whitetails every year. It could be worse, we could have no lands to hunt at all. Interesting video, thanks for the great content.
Thank you Ron. Good show. Wish I got into hunting when I was younger. I live in California, and I just know I will accidentally commit multiple felonies if I attempt to hunt on my own.
.340, .338 ,358NM ,9,3x are known as better minimum options, but Zim have had examples of apply to use a 06 with 220 Mono solid on buff if shooter were limited due to a factor of say shoulder injury .
You forgot to mention the classic Marlin model 8 during your comments addressing semi-automatic rifles for hunting. A Bonnie & Clyde Era Classic also chambered in 30's and 32's during Winchester and Remington rivalries.
Judging by the comment section, hunters had a big hand in ruining hunting. Besides trash and casings, I came across some blatant "want and waste" last deer season on public land. These people took the hind quarters and half the back straps and left the rest to rot. I saw a lot of things that give hunters a bad name, and I understand why people don't like us.
When I was a kid we just knocked on a land owners or farmers door and asked to hunt! They always said yes!...... Not now days! It's work now days keeping a place to hunt! Cheer's
I’d read it was Roy Weatherby’s favorite cartridge and he used it to take approximately 60 Cape Buffalo. I could be wrong on that but I do know he took several with it. I’d even heard (maybe read & forgotten?), that he’d “brain shot”, a few Elephant too with the .257 Wthby!! I’d also read that he thought the .240 Wthby was far more capable than most hunters would use it for. I happen to agree with him on that. I think the .240 Wthby could possibly be a “Do-All”, cartridge to a degree. Maybe not for extreme game but for everything else I wouldn’t hesitate myself to use it for MANY pursuits. Just my opinion.
I had very good private hunting land that I owned , until my divorce. I had too many deer and let people I knew hunt it . it's just a shame how many never asked and came in without permission. I let a lot of things go but finally had to post it. I'm in Minnesota and we have a lot of public hunting that really isn't overrun . You have to adjust your hunting time and season. Many deer hunters hunt the rifle and shotgun seasons,so I concentrate on bow and black powder . You can still hunt public ,but you have to be early and not worry about late hunters because they can move game to you so position yourself for that situation . Also take up different game. A good way to get to know a land owner is to predator hunt . Many have problems with coyotes, and hogs . Some actually have problems with deer and turkeys . All you need to do is change your game of the hunt .😎
I have a bit of a different/expanded view of the issue of access. In the end, no matter whatever else may be factors, the driving force is money. While I can understand farmers/ranchers wanting to make money when they can but there are some factors, at least in IN where is hunt deer (I hunt public land where I live in CO). First, landowners do NOT have to buy licenses to hunt on their land. Second, if they assert that they are having "agricultural losses" from any crops, forest products etc they can take deer without regard to season or weapon, all they have to do is call the DNR for a possession tag to keep the meat. Next, almost ALL of the farms in IN are heavily subsized with tax money in various forms AND receive incredibly low property tax rates compared to residential landowners. Also, since IN's recent sky rocket in B&C entries (including the #2 typical WT of all time) have led to a HUGE influx of non residents (especially from the south eastern states) who come hemorrhaging money on leases. I used to hunt 2 farms (small, less than 200ac), one was a friend of a fraternity brother and the other was the family of another fraternity brother. Both of them were leased +- 5 years ago and go for more than 3k per to lease. Both were friends of mine by then and apologized but were getting their entire tax bill covered with zero effort. Where this is going is that hunting is headed the way of Europe.....becoming more and more a rich man's game AND farmers/ranchers are making money from the public without giving access, paying miniscule comparative tax burdens AND making sizable sums of cash through what tend to be largely cash and under the table payments (and any of us that have lived in farm country are also familiar with the farmer's common call---Whhhooooaaa is me, you HAVE to subsidize the family farm, whaaa whaaaa whaaa etc....while sitting on MILLIONS of dollars of land). I am now lucky to have a place to hunt through another friend who manages a farm for a long time family friend .....but that could go at anytime and I will be SOL. BTW, my NR tags are now $550 a year, up from $150 4 years ago and my wife and I pay more in taxes on a currently uninhabitable, tiny cabin on a 5000SF lot on tiny lake than what a farmer would pay on several HUNDRED acres of farm land. On top of all of this, add in the fact that nearly ALL vacant land in IN is owned by farmers and if you want to buy land your only choice is to pay the same $$$$$ per acre that tillable land goes for......currently most will be north of 10k an acre.....making buying land out of regular folks ball parks. Basically, the regular Joe taxpayer who hasn't had the luck of being born into a family with land is being pushed onto what, in Indiana, is a pretty small and VERY crowded bit of public land while paying the farmer's bills.......hhhhhhmmmmm. Something to think about.
Years ago I read an article on karamoga Bells 275 Rigby, before Africa's minimum caliber laws. He put those pills behind the ear. Bell said 100 grains in the right spot is better than 1 million grains in the wrong spot.
I love his anecdote about the 3 buff bulls walking by as he was demonstrating his abilities for a new chief who doubted the pipsqueak rifle could kill anything. Bell drops all three bulls as they run past. The chief gave him hunting permission.
Question 1: living in the east I quit big game hunting due to lack of private land access. Public land, WMAs, is a nightmare! Draw hunts are ok I guess but I only ever drew the less preferred hunts. Open hunts proved crowded with less than respectful participants. I started predator calling which I really enjoy but people are too funny about that as well unless they lose pets or have interactions which scare them. So I’d still go if I had a place to do it without tons of pressure and jack wagons leaving trash and tearing up the place or literally parking in the clearing I’d scouted to hunt.
Roy grandson said on their weatherby podcast that 257 weatherby magnum shoot on cape buffalo was around 50 feet and it looked like a grenade went off inside and alot of ruined meat
There is a difference between "hunting" and "stopping". I'm confident I could quickly kill M'bogo on a hunt with a .257 Wby, and maybe even stop one intent on harming someone else from broadside, but I doubt I would ever be able to stop a charge with a frontal shot from such a small bore.
Here in WI the issue I run into in relation to cist is my time. That’s hard to come by and it’s my biggest struggle. I have a $340 shotgun for fowl abs can use any number of cheap rifles but swear by my $700 30/30 for big game. Using a 22 mag for small game is fine but I’m fortunate enough to have several medium calibers for coyote and raccoon. The annual fishing and all species(other than limited tag) is $160 including a state parks pass. All said a good shotgun will get you anything you need on a budget or a shotgun and a medium caliber rifle for $700 total will do well for anyone abs last forever if taken care of. So I think it’s safe to safe hunting is still very achievable on a budget especially if you keep the meat.
One of the nice things about being a resident of Alberta, it's illegal to charge money for hunting access. I'm sure it still happens, but there isn't the pervasive concept of leasing hunting land. Add in the massive amounts of public land and over the counter sheep tags, and its damn near paradise.
For its size I don't know any other cartridge that has that kind of energy behind it. Over 3,000 ft. lbs at the muzzle for a 115 grain bullet? That's pretty impressive. I think in a shot of under 100 yards it could take a Cape Buffalo because of the penetrating power, but I heard it took a day for the Buffalo to die, slow blood loss, idk. A head shot through the skull definitely would stop it. Like Ron said I wouldn't attempt this, this is a powerful cartridge for its size, but with Cape Buffalo as tough, and thick skinned probably want something with around 4,000 ft. lbs of energy at the muzzle. I think the 257 is like perfect for black bear, long range deer, predators like wolves, cougars, or feral hogs, etc.
when I was young we would just go to the national forest camp out and go hunting. now in order to hunt around here you have to either own land or join a hunting club. $800 for the one my father in law hunted now clear cut. it gets harder and harder.
Austin here from the 1st question. Texas is 98% private property. You have to lease to make enough income to pay for your property taxes to ceep the greedy County comitioners from gobbling up your land and selling to a developer to put hundreds of homes on to increase property taxes revenue. So,... in short,.... the private land owners and the financially endowed have access to the wild game. And only the folks that live with in about 50 miles of the public land realy have a decent chance on those public lands, such as Crocket national forest in East texas. "And its not that big". Biggest state in the lower 48, with the least amount of public land. So if you move to Texas from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, NM, Calarado, you better have a big wallet. And you will hunt high fence .... and like it. Its 90% feeder sitting in Texas. Spot and stalk is all in gatters and 4 wheelers, and jeeps.
Hey Ron, Is it possible to do a show on the 243 wssm and the 25 wssm. I certainly wish they would would have got the marketing the 6.5 creedmore did. I think those cartridges would still be around. And use them in an AR 15. I would just like to hear about these more. I think they are great cartridges. Thanks Ron
Here in West Virginia, we are very lucky to have plenty public land for hunters and fishermen, and I'm lucky as an individual to be able to hunt on a few farms in my area. You do in fact see some more property being taken by big companies and rich individuals from the cities, which can be a sad thing to see. I hunt on both private and public land (probably more public land than anything else) and I can honestly say that I have probably had more success on public land overall for the most part. Sadly hunting is looking like it's a rich man's game, but as hunters and sportsmen we can always make sure that there are plentiful hunting areas.
I moved to WV 8 yrs ago, due to my wife's health (near her family). Sold my tricked out Mod 700, 7 mag and Browning 5 shotgun to pay Dr bills. Bought 3 yr license recently for $150, lol. I now have a marlin, lever, 30/30 with see thru rings and 4 power fixed and a Benelli Nova pump. About $750 in the 2 of em. Put a 22lr slide on my cz 75 and I manage happily to keep 100% of my meat on the table out of our wonderful public lands. And I'm in Charleston, so it's even more crowded. Use the 22 for "kill shots" or for rabbits and the occasional turkey or duck while I'm hunting big game. I hunt thousands of acres of public land and gather mushrooms and nuts, too. It's almost heaven, 😆
1st question: Out west it is doable to get to all that public land. In the southeast though, the public land is being destroyed and there are little to no animals at all on them. 2nd: AR's (AR-15, AR-10) now are easily just as accurate as any bolt action for hunting, and even short of professional level precision.
I know a shooter from Goulburn NSW Australia that took an Asian Water Buffalo with a .257 AI. He dropped his animal dead on the spot. Other shooters on the same trip using much larger calibres had problems killing their animals.
The reality has become that if you want to hunt successfully anymore you will have to pay through the nose or own your own hunting land. Hunting on public land has become unsafe in many areas due to the amount of inexperienced hunters shooting at sounds, cows, and whatever else. No place on earth needs more people. More people equal a lower quality of life including the ability to have good hunting and fishing experiences for the middle class.
I would make the argument that if the state was less beholden to “campaign contributions” from big outfitters, open more PUBLIC land back up, it wouldn’t be as big a deal. OR is the states quit paying farmers deprivation and gave them money to let public hunters on their land you’d see a difference.
I haven’t hunted public land since I was 16. I’m thankful for my dad knowing amazing wealthy people with huge chunks of land. One of his buddies is a retired vet and has a huge cabin sitting on 28 acres. He don’t charge me a dime to hunt on his land as long as I give him some of the meat and the liver if it’s good I can hunt there whenever. My dad makes good money but not 28 acres good money. Both me and my dad got our biggest bucks to date on his land and he usually gives us his tags.
We are blessed with the hunting opportunities here in South Africa. BUT. For us it is expensive. You pay in USD for an exchange rate beneficial to you, but for us it is different. We still hunt but not as often as we would like to because of the cost.
In the book The Last Ivory Hunter by Peter Capstick-Wally Johnson tells of a woman from new york who killed 2 cape buffalo bulls with one shot each with a 7x57-he said they dropped like rocks
I currently hunt with a 50 yr old marlin lever 30/30 with fixed 4 power and see thru rings. Bear, boar and deer! I also have a benelli Nova, (pump 12 ga) that is for turkey, rabbits and ducks. I have $750 invested in both, very good condition, used guns. That's less than the last scope I bought for my custom 700 in 7 mag, back when $$ wasn't as much of an issue. I added a 22lr slide to my cz 75 and use it for the occasional "kill shot" or small game while I'm big game hunting. I supply 100% of my family's meat from the public lands around Charleston, WV and my last license cost $150 for 3 yrs to hunt/fish/trap. Though I've had awesome rifles and shotguns at times, I would never have taken $for out of my family's budget as the kids were growing up. A $20, 16 ga single shot and a $250 singleshot 243 put our food on the table for over 25 yrs. I NEVER remotely thought I needed more gun or magazine. Became adept at carrying 2 cartridges between my fingers and have taken numerous doubles on squirrels and ducks with the single shots. It can be a rich man's game but it doesn't have to be. Replace I wants with common sense and joy in the field and your hunting dreams can come true. I also gather nuts and mushrooms while hunting/fishing so my field days are almost never unproductive
Here in Arkansas we have a ton of public land national forests wma's where the Arkansas game and fish commission will lease land for public use with hunting licenses fees
It's hard to get people to allow you to hunt just because of lawsuits. But you can usually con people into letting you bow hunt and my state started a urban deer program that allows you to hunt city limits with a extra month and a half season. I've had great success with this and since anyone can use a crossbow now, this is a great option for the entry hunter. Don't know how many states have this program though.
I heard he used a “solid”, weighing 117grain bullet & sometimes he used a soft-tip with a “bonded”, type bullet but not 100% on that. (Not the traditional “Bonded”, we know of today. I was referring to a custom made bullet for him, but not exactly sure of the process?)
I knew of a black powder guide that used a 45 caliber for white tail. I asked his dad why . He said he's a very good shot and he can put a 45 in a deer's eye at 70 yards. Placement ,and if you can ok , but not me especially if it's dangerous game. Dad was an extreme marksman and he felt like O'Connor that the .270 could take anything . Probably but not to my ability . I didn't inherit his skills. 😎
20:12 "I can see his lips moving." What are you smokin' there, Ron? I took some pills one time that had me talking to birds but I didn't see any lips on them.
The 280 ai reaches the 7mm performance at like 10 percent less powder and less recoil. Ive watched a lot of videos on the ai. Ive been looking for a left hand 280. Hard to find but have found a few ai. I also own a lefty 7mm. My draw to the 280 is that I shoot a 30-06 for some time but I like a 7mm projectile. I got a 308 but like my 7mm 08. Anyway the 280 ai achievements come close. Match. And beat a 7mm mag depending on loads. With less powder and less recoil. All other things equal. Rifle weights and barrel length.
If you are not a Reloader, what is ammunition availability? Something to always consider especially if you are travel hunting. Noting like have your rifle show up and bag with ammo not showing up. The 280 is a wonderful rifle. However, you can buy 7mm Remington Magnum Ammo at Walmart, Hardware Stores, and all kind of gun shops. The 280 is more of a challenge.
In response to the question of hunting land , in Australia and back in the 70's I would shoot on our property and the neighbours property's which gave me thousands of acres . I shot fox's for their skins which would go for $20 to $30 and with two nights spotlighting I would make more than a weeks farm work . But now there is a coal mine 5 miles up the road and most of the ground I shot on is owned by them and only pest eradication is carried out on their land .
270W or 270WSM are excellent starter guns. They’re affordable, ammo is affordable, they are easy to shoot, have excellent accuracy with the right ammo. Capable enough for all N American game except the big bears. Lots of people have bought a 270 and that’s all they’ve used all their life.
In response to hunting being a "rich man's game" and the lack of being able to hunt private farm and ranch lands nowadays, let me explain. With profit margins at an all time low for producers coupled with exorbitant local, state and federal taxes, the only way for generational land holders to make ends meet is to lease out the hunting rights of their property. It's a sad reality. Another reason to vote for the party of low taxes... BTW; here in Texas, landowners are able to enroll in public/private migratory bird hunting leases with The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Something that more State Wildlife Officials need to look into....
Ron, I never noticed a brake increasing decibel levels for the shooter, I do know that they are louder when you are off to the side were the brake ports are
Hunting is only a rich man’s sport if you made the choice to live in the city. For the cost of a home in a big city, you can have a nice house and 100 acres in many places. That’s enough to hunt. If you like to hunt, you would chose the land you can hunt on. If you choose to live in the city, that is more important than hunting to you, meaning hunting is an extra expense.
Living in Louisiana sucks for hunting, unless you get lucky like me and have a neighbor with a couple hundred acres of land and his kids do not like to hunt. Otherwise, a good club is expensive and the public land is over run with hunters.
Buy license. Buy tags. Buy ammo Take time off work. Pay for butcher. By the time you get meat on your table from a hunt, not only do you have a ton of time but several hundred dollars.
I dont bother much with big gme hunting. I am 90% angler, 10% hunter but when I do go into the woods with a rifle I stick to small game. Big game is super competitive. Even if you are lucky enough to get a moose tag (most popular big game here in Canada) you need to be in a hunting party. Even though it's almost entirely public land I've heard of hunters blockading roads to secure their owns hunting grounds and have even threatened other hunters who try to hunt the lands they have claimed. So I dont bother to compete for them. If I really wanted to shoot a moose I'd hire a guide from a lodge. It's the only painless way to hunt up here as a solo hunter
With Utah's lottery system i have put in and not drawn in 5 year stints. It has ruined the family atmosphere of hunting and the outdoors. But it's far more profitable to sell Utah's resources to out of staters.
Hassles of getting one. Would need many for various rifles. Don't like the look, weight, extra length. And knocking 30 dB off 150 cB of muzzle blast still leaves sound volume in the nerve damage range. I do like suppressor performance, however.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast ahh over here in Europe in most countries they are free to buy or at least free to buy for hunters. There are titanium silencers, which are able to knock off 40db and have interchangeable thread and inner tube for diameter thus you only need one.. but they are costly
@@Monasucks Yes, Europeans have a much more sensible approach to suppressors. If these mufflers were as easy to buy in USA, I'd have several despite their ungainly look.
I would recommend the 270 Winchester with a load like a 130 SST. Pronghorn are not big, but have long hollow hair. The shot distance can be longer and wind speed can be a factor. The 270 was the original prince of the plains where you will be hunting. There are many other good cartridges such as the 240 Weatherby, hot 6 mm’s, 25-06, 257 Weatherby, 264 Win Mag, 270 Mags, 280’s, 7mm Mag, the list is long. My experience is first morning of hunt you usually get closer to them. They have incredible eyesight, fastest land animal in the world over distance, and they get spooky when hunters start shooting. Good luck. It is one of my favorite animals to hunt. Take a good range finder, shooting sticks. Knee pads, and tough glove you can shoot out of. Stalk mean hands and knees and crawl. There can be a lot of rock and most vegetation where the live have thorns/stickers.
Either Namibia or South Africa on a "concession" or private ranch. Many ranches/farms are high fenced, so make sure you get on one that is quite large to minimize any feelings of game being compromised in its movements. The fences are usually needed to keep game from wandering out and being killed by poachers. They also help keep poachers themselves at bay. Also check to see if your farmer/outfitter/PH stocks animals regularly. Some buy game animals from breeders like livestock, so you aren't necessarily hunting a wild animal. Restocking is necessary to get extirpated species re-established, but once that is done, you want natural reproduction, not put-and-take stocked animals. Many farms are totally free-range and unstocked. Your chosen PH should be able to advise you on all aspects of travel, importing guns and ammo, etc. Do an on-line search for Namibian hunting outfitters, for example, to get started.
I have a 257 Weatherby Mag on a Mauser action that I believe was one of the original ones made by Roy when he first started out, it is a nice firearm.
Nice podcast, Ron. In my opinion the biggest obstacles to overcome in access to hunting, is the dozen of slobs before you. I have several farms in the Midwest and they are now posted and often patrolled. Just grew tired of people not respecting the land. TP, papers, empty shells, gates left open, more people than agreed upon, tracking up fields, damage to crops, mud on the county roads, over limits and of course the big lie of "I have permission". Add to this have guns pointed at me as they lie about having permission. As someone who has been hunting my whole life and loves to introduce new people to hunting, it breaks my heart to post the lands, but it is the reality of life now. No fishing either. Keep well.
Cheers, Jeff.
We've been saying since the 1960s, when I started hunting, that slobs are going to ruin it for everyone. And sportsmen were saying the same thing long before that. So it was written. So it has become. The major difference now, I suspect, is the significant crowding and decrease in huntable land combined with urbanization and our disconnection with rural land and farm families. Seems every time I drive to town I see a new house being built on what used to be open pasture or farm ground. Also, our culture seems to be getting less civil, less polite. People learn to want more, demand more, and shirk responsibility. On the bright side, I see a greater percentage of truly serious, responsible hunters with a solid conservation ethic. If we keep emphasizing and elevating that, we can slowly wean the slob hunters off their selfish behavior.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast Ron, I would love to see the day we could wean the slobs. I just don't believe that is possible. But WE must try, daily, to cleanup our own ranks. If we don't, none of us will be happy. Thankfully we have millions of acres, in the USA, of public lands. It would truly be a crying shame if the USA went the way of Europe, Asia and Africa, where hunting opportunities are generally reserved for the wealthy, landed gentry and poachers. Stay clean, legal and honest in the game fields.
Cheers, Jeff
Greed destroy all. The real problem is the culture. People are no longer taught there are no rights unless you do your duty & discharge your obligations. You can’t just do whatever you want. You have limits.
@@jk-kr8jt Yes those people have really turned off a lot of farmers/land owners. My family has 720 acres in Wisconsin so I always have good hunting land, but I also like to change the scenery or game animals. I like to make trips out west with friends to hunt and recently permission has been really hard to get for exactly the reasons you listed. There is quite a bit of outfitters or leasing going on but you used to be able to find places fairly easily. But now I hear a lot of farmers denying because of bad past experiences with people that have no respect and they just dont want to take the risk of that headache again.
Even some of my friends have been leaving trash and 4 wheeling up the ground. This was the last year. No good deed goes unpunished
Public land hunting if you are a non-resident can be high cost hunting. The question about high cost hunting can also be contributed to Trophy Hunting and the “bragging rights” of the biggest and/or most that is marketed in advertising, magazines, and TV Show. However, it does preserve the sport. In he 1970’s I could go to Colorado as a non-resident and buy a Mule Deer tag ($90) and/or Elk tag ($135). This is all a result of supply and demand, methodology (archery, muzzle loader, rifle, etc.), loss of habitat, and trophy hunting, & politics.
The point of cost of hunting in Africa is spot on and they have figured it out. Question is, what will the future hold in North America.
That 1st question was a good one... I can also remember the times when you could go ask a random farmer/rancher to hunt their property and they would have no problems with it but now and days that rarely happens. Luckily I hog hunt for several farmers so I also get to make a few hunts on their properties but again nothing like it use to be. It's harder for the new hunters and it's harder for the guys on a tight budget but there's still good hunting opportunities out there you just gotta work harder for them but it's well worth the effort... Great video as always keepem coming brother!!!
I really wish public land was more available, especially East of the Rockies. When I lived in Montana for a few years I was extremely surprised at how much public land was available to hunt on.
In my area, most farmers have figured out that people will pay to hunt hogs, so instead of asking people to come hunt them, they want you to pay for the opportunity. The others don’t want the legal liability of letting people on their land. I’ve got a few friend with land and they invite friends out to control the hog population. But it’s only friends they know well and trust because of the threat of lawsuits. Lawyers ruined everything.
Arkansas has vast national forests, numerous wildlife management zones, relatively cheap licensing. The AGFC really does everything it can here to encourage hunting and getting the next generation involved. A lot of opportunities. Elk, deer, black bear, whitetails, waterfowl, general upland game. Love seeing the kids involved.
On the Weatherby web site, Adam Weatherby tells the story when profiling the 257 Weatherby Magnum. If I recall the story correctly, Roy was NOT the one hunting the Buffalo. Another hunter wounded the Buffalo and it was a charge. He shot him with a 120 grain Nosler Partition.
It is an amazing cartridge for a lot of game. New propellants have increased the velocities in most of the older Weatherby Cartridges which utilized Norma MRP, and other Norma Propellants.
I am a solo back country public lands hunter and I love it. The issue I have is the costs of tags in some states. It really does cost a lot of money to hunt anymore in many places
Part of the issue is that more and more people now have easier access to areas that were once considered "remote". Not terribly long ago, the primary people hunting in more remote areas were the locals (who were few) and then the wealthy who could afford numerous days of travel and lodging. Now, it only takes one day to travel virtually anywhere in the continental US. It results in a "glass half full or half empty" situation where more people can enjoy hunting almost anywhere (yay!) but those danged "outsiders" keep coming over to "our" hunting spots (BOO!). Without the tag system, the wildlife in many areas would be decimated (the buffalo, for example). Maintaining public areas is expensive, so it is not completely unreasonable for people who use an area to pay for its upkeep through various fees. It sucks, but someone needs to pay the bill, and it is arguably more fair for someone actively uses an area (hunting) to pay more. FWIW, I have often heard people complaining that their taxes go to pay for places they never visit.
Yes, the tag price is up . . . but the issue I have is drawing the tag. The odds are horrible at best AND in some states, there is a push to exclude nonresident hunters completely
@@martinstiastny7679 absolutely yet the governors reserve some tags to give to celebrities big corporations and their rich counterparts
@@peterweikel7123
I guess some are given out. Some go to organizations like Safari Club and the Sheep organizations. I understand that they bring in a lot of money to the different state game departments.
But regular people like you and me can wait a lifetime for a sheep tag or a Shires moose tag.
Personally, I find it cheaper and more enjoyable to go to South Africa
@@martinstiastny7679 where I chose to move to AK and then I can hunt as a resident
When I was working with Bill Wiseman making rifle barrels, he figured out how to make a muzzle break with the holes drilled with about a 45 degree angle and put a cap off system on it. This allowed a rifle to be sighted in or shot in a hunting situation. The angle kept the gases “shock wave from breaking the sound barrier going forward which significantly reduce the noise level”. The cap off allowed it to be eliminated.
I can attest to the quickness one can work a bolt action rifle, I once saw my dad dump 4 pigs under a feeder all with frontal or side head shots at 120 yards with a Remington 700 bdl in 30-06 and a 4 power leupold
Sounds as if your dad is a heck of a shot!
That's legendary
Try some custom copper tubing swaged bullets. They can be made to your specs and are more accurate than current off the shelf fodder. May be more expensive but really how many are you going to shoot at game?
I dont hunt without hearing protection anymore. Having lost alot of hearing in one ear im trying to save what i can. Plus the electronic muffs with volume turned up enhances my hearing in my good ear. Muzzle brakes are great tools for long range hunting in spotting your hits. Win win all around
If you have a military base in your area, check to see if they allow the general public to hunt on the base. I am stationed in Quantico, VA and we allow the general public in. All it costs is around 20 dollars a year. Military bases all have a natural resources branch that manages the wildlife. We took almost 250 deer off Quantico this past season.
If they don't allow you to hunt, they might have a shooting range that you can enjoy also. They usually require you to register your firearms that you bring there. I am not a fan of that, but it is available if you do not mind.
That is not everywhere. My family owns 720 acres in Wisconsin and we have a bombing range literally across the road that I think is around 10k acres and mostly covered in hardwoods, ponds, and some marsh. I think back in the day they allowed hunting and shooting at their range but they dont anymore.
I would argue some semi autos can help reduce recoil as well. It can help when you are shooting long action rounds. Im talking about BAR and R1
Whoa, I think BARs are a bit of an over kill, your hunting deer, not fighting off a platoon.
Ron what about a 375 ruger episode vs 338 win mag or 35 whelen vs a 378 weatherby for a comparison as ruger gets the speeds up there and in a shorter rifle and some very high bc bullets
Love my 375 rugers!
@@joshszydel8202 what loads do you with and whats ur loaded weight
@@joshszydel8202 rifle weight fully loaded
@@MrJtin69 260 great accubond at 2900. Rifle weight is just under 9 lbs
My Dad has hunted with a .257 Wby for over 50 years now. He took Ed Weatherby on a Fishing tripin the 70’s. Ed told Dad to use the 100gr Nosler Solid Base. This was the older lead tipped design. He gave him a load to use that was hot, really hot using Winchester 785 ball powder. Dozens of Mule deer and Elk have fallen with that recipe from my Dad till both the bullets and the powder were discontinued. It was vicious. Not kidding. Softball sized holes on the exit side on most everything. No, we have not been able to duplicate that performance since.
"We have not been able to duplicate that performance since." - what performance are you talking about? Bullets are better constructed today than 60 years ago and propellants produce more speed with less pressure than back then, so I'm not sure what performance you are alluding to. As for huge exit holes - that phenomenon has always been a problem for two reasons. 1) such holes represent incredible waste of meat and 2) bullets exiting the animal mean knock down energy is being wasted as the bullets exit.
@@tienmou68 no need to preach to me about bullets. The Solid base is no longer made. The jacket is thinker and the bad was thicker than ballistic tips if today but was not bonded like the Accubond. It was a perfect balance of expansion and penetration with that cartridge.
@@sakostwwy1903
No idea what you are even saying. Expanding monolithic solids are better than anything produced 40-70 years ago. 🤷🏻♂️
@@tienmou68 give it a rest. We have tried the 100gr Ballistic tip hunting, 100 GR Barnes TTSX, 100Gr Hammers, 110GR Accubond, and the Scirroco. All did ok accept the BT, they did not perform well at all. Sometimes things just work and work very well. That was the case with the SB bullets. It’s not me who hunts with it. If it were up to me I would stick with the TTSX now. It did a great job IMO but Dad wasn’t impressed 🤷♂️. Not everything is that much better today than before. Todays world is a throw away junk world instead of quality as well.
@@sakostwwy1903 I use the 100 gr ttsx in my 25/06AI, on deer it drops them like a lightning bolt! Haven’t tried it on elk yet but I’m sure it’ll do the job just fine.
Ha, ha, ha!!! "Why would anyone shoot a pheasant unless it's an emergency?" Very good answer to the bear question..and yes, you reminded me that cougar venison is delicious, either by information from another or personal consumption. I may have consumed some as a youngster.
As an outfitter and or guide for 35 years, I would like to expand on your comments about them. Yes, they lease land to the exclusion of the walk up hunter but not to the exclusion of the public. Those people who many need help with their hunt or are not comfortable with it often hire an outfitter. They are the public. Also, landowners welcome and seek a good outfitter to manage their land not only for income, but to take the headache of dealing with the public off their hands. I had landowners let me use their property for free just so they had a responsible person to police the farm or ranch. That speaks poorly of many members of our sport.
Good points, Joseph.
You might want to take a look at what there doing with out of state tags in Wyoming where almost half of the tags on public land go to outfitters so the out of stater has to go with an outfitter to hunt that state! Sad for the hunter who is not rich but would like to hunt that state
With regards to high cost. Trying to do an Elk hunt form distance requires a lot of time and resources. I have done this comparison before. The gap is not that much unless you are trying to buy a private ranch monster trophy bull. One of the best checks I ever wrote was to a pack out service. Killed a bull 2 miles off road by myself in the bottom of a canyon on the last day of a 5 day hunt.
Costs to consider if you do it yourself:
1. Got to get there. Do you have the vehicle?
2. Cost to stay. If camping do you have the gear. Do you feel like cooking after hunting all day hiking up and down mountains.
3. Do you have horses and mules and rigs for pack out?
4. Do you have time to pre-scout.
5. Do you know private landowners that will grant you access to cross their land to get to more remote public land.
6. Are you prepared to deal with CWD laws on transport if going out of state.
7. Do you know how to cape an animal.
8. Do you have anyone that will be with you to help with “The Work” when you get a big animal on the ground.
9. Safety element that is provided.
@@jefferywilliams7687 Good points Jeffery. And all quite doable. We were doing it this way back in the dark ages of 1976 -- and continued another 4 decades.
I have a 25 caliber in a 25 wssm. I really like the 25 and think often times it is overlooked. Something I was impressed with was that it has better SD than the 264 win mag in the same grain bullets. And the 264's or 6.5 calibers are known for their penitration along with long range target shooting. The .257 weatherby would be an impressive round given the velocity and right BC bullet.
Agree totally with you on muzzle brakes. Non of my hunting rifles have them. I took them off if they came with one. I hunt mostly HEAVY brushed in woods. So having a brake on my rifle would be a no no. Most all of my shots are quick, on my feet, and no time to screw around. Take the shot now before it darts off. Been on hunts with 308, 30-06, 300wm, as long as your the shooter your okay from the blast zone. If your the hunting partner stay back and dont be on the side or it WILL hurt! Now for grouse ill wear smart ears. Having said all that i wish they made it mandatory to use shush cans for hunting like they do across the water.
I wouldnt say mandatory, but definitely abolish the NFA and a high number of hunters/shooters would love to use them.
@@Nick-sx6jm yeah I don’t know who wouldn’t use them if the NFA was abolished. Most countries have cheap options too because they aren’t so hard to get. Wouldn’t make sense to have cheap ones when you have to go through NFA bs
Good stuff Ron. Thanks.
Ron should be gifted a ruger no.1 lipsey custom 257 weatherby with a 28 inch barrel
Thanks for the update! Love the information 👌
My buddy Dave from Valdez using nothing but a 257 Weatherby Magnum! He kills Moose and bear, everything. I’ve told his stories around many Texas campfires.
Great show !
Ron, can you walk us through buying an African Safari Hunt? Give real life current prices? Pick a random date and show what is all needed?
Excellent question!
We are working on a series that does just that. Hope to start yet this summer. Stay tuned, and thanks for asking.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast LOVE YOU RON!!!
@@NELLY-jg2rx Appreciate that.
I have 5 weatherbys and the 257 is my favorite
Hydrostatic shot with the 257 is true from what ive seen. Had mine for 10 yrs and have shot 17 whitetails and two muleys. Dropped dead in thier tracks. Fro 40 yrds to 225 yards same result. 100 gr noslers.
I have found, for deer hunting, WV has some of the most reasonable costs for people from out of state. Much of the state has 10s of thousands of acres of public land. They don't have a restrictive process in the number of tags available. It is not the easiest of hunting, you have to do some walking to get out there, and much of the state doesn't have giant bucks. But for someone looking to hunt for whitetail and black bear, it offers good access and pricing compared to most states.
It would be interesting to know WHERE Weatherby placed his shots on the Buffalo. Some "solid" bullet designs travel pretty straight in tissue, so as long as a .257" hole is big enough to do the job, it should work. The big issue is whether it would work fast enough to prevent you from being gored and trampled by an angry, wounded buffalo!
The buffalo could have been dying when he star ted the charge. They 2nd shot sealed the deal.
Yep it did an a 300wby.mag took a Buffalo.,got Roy Weatherby, book great 👍 book read it so many times he was a great man what he went . Through.
If memory serves, Jon R. Sundra harvested a Cape Buffalo with a Ruger No. 1 in 26-06 using a 115 gr. Nosler partitions in the early 80's. 2-3 shots. A story in I believe Shooting Times Magazine.
Good video. Regarding the semiautomatic question, I'll add that the minute amount of gas lost in cycling the action is well within the shot to shot variations. That makes it impossible to physically measure. The amount of gas lost is possible to calculate theoretically (mathematic equations), but again it's such a small amount that the differences between individual shots is greater regardless of the action type.
The Marine Corps used to have guys that shot match with the M-1 Garand out to 1,000 yards (Camp Matthews had the 1,000 yard range) , with open sights; 39” bullseye. My pop was one of those guys, and the mirage effect on a foggy morning was nearly eliminated. That’s what enabled him to shoot and win at that range.
Since there were many elephants taken with a 7x57 mauser I would say thats a definite yes !
The lands I used to hunt, timber lands, are now posted and leased by a hunting club. Only reason is the people taking 4 wheelers into the woods cutting young timber down to make trails to hunting stands. Many of us lost thousands of acres. Other lands that used to be open were purchased and posted. Thankfully there are still many game lands to hunt in Pennsylvania though a decent amount has low deer numbers and high hunter numbers in my area. We have to be willing to put on the miles to be successful. No matter what I'm still thrilled to be able to hunt whitetails every year. It could be worse, we could have no lands to hunt at all. Interesting video, thanks for the great content.
Thank you Ron. Good show. Wish I got into hunting when I was younger. I live in California, and I just know I will accidentally commit multiple felonies if I attempt to hunt on my own.
.340, .338 ,358NM ,9,3x are known as better minimum options, but Zim have had examples of apply to use a 06 with 220 Mono solid on buff if shooter were limited due to a factor of say shoulder injury .
375 ruger is a beauty now a days
You forgot to mention the classic Marlin model 8 during your comments addressing semi-automatic rifles for hunting. A Bonnie & Clyde Era Classic also chambered in 30's and 32's during Winchester and Remington rivalries.
Judging by the comment section, hunters had a big hand in ruining hunting.
Besides trash and casings, I came across some blatant "want and waste" last deer season on public land. These people took the hind quarters and half the back straps and left the rest to rot. I saw a lot of things that give hunters a bad name, and I understand why people don't like us.
It’s wanton waste. Btw.
Not only the increased noise from a brake, but the gas pressure shooting out sideways from the barrel can cause problems also.
When I was a kid we just knocked on a land owners or farmers door and asked to hunt! They always said yes!...... Not now days! It's work now days keeping a place to hunt! Cheer's
I’m planning a trip to Africa next year. 8 animals for 5500. Cost me 3k for a trip to Wyoming last year
I’d read it was Roy Weatherby’s favorite cartridge and he used it to take approximately 60 Cape Buffalo. I could be wrong on that but I do know he took several with it. I’d even heard (maybe read & forgotten?), that he’d “brain shot”, a few Elephant too with the .257 Wthby!! I’d also read that he thought the .240 Wthby was far more capable than most hunters would use it for. I happen to agree with him on that. I think the .240 Wthby could possibly be a “Do-All”, cartridge to a degree. Maybe not for extreme game but for everything else I wouldn’t hesitate myself to use it for MANY pursuits. Just my opinion.
I had very good private hunting land that I owned , until my divorce. I had too many deer and let people I knew hunt it . it's just a shame how many never asked and came in without permission. I let a lot of things go but finally had to post it. I'm in Minnesota and we have a lot of public hunting that really isn't overrun . You have to adjust your hunting time and season. Many deer hunters hunt the rifle and shotgun seasons,so I concentrate on bow and black powder . You can still hunt public ,but you have to be early and not worry about late hunters because they can move game to you so position yourself for that situation . Also take up different game. A good way to get to know a land owner is to predator hunt . Many have problems with coyotes, and hogs . Some actually have problems with deer and turkeys . All you need to do is change your game of the hunt .😎
I have a bit of a different/expanded view of the issue of access. In the end, no matter whatever else may be factors, the driving force is money. While I can understand farmers/ranchers wanting to make money when they can but there are some factors, at least in IN where is hunt deer (I hunt public land where I live in CO). First, landowners do NOT have to buy licenses to hunt on their land. Second, if they assert that they are having "agricultural losses" from any crops, forest products etc they can take deer without regard to season or weapon, all they have to do is call the DNR for a possession tag to keep the meat. Next, almost ALL of the farms in IN are heavily subsized with tax money in various forms AND receive incredibly low property tax rates compared to residential landowners. Also, since IN's recent sky rocket in B&C entries (including the #2 typical WT of all time) have led to a HUGE influx of non residents (especially from the south eastern states) who come hemorrhaging money on leases. I used to hunt 2 farms (small, less than 200ac), one was a friend of a fraternity brother and the other was the family of another fraternity brother. Both of them were leased +- 5 years ago and go for more than 3k per to lease. Both were friends of mine by then and apologized but were getting their entire tax bill covered with zero effort.
Where this is going is that hunting is headed the way of Europe.....becoming more and more a rich man's game AND farmers/ranchers are making money from the public without giving access, paying miniscule comparative tax burdens AND making sizable sums of cash through what tend to be largely cash and under the table payments (and any of us that have lived in farm country are also familiar with the farmer's common call---Whhhooooaaa is me, you HAVE to subsidize the family farm, whaaa whaaaa whaaa etc....while sitting on MILLIONS of dollars of land). I am now lucky to have a place to hunt through another friend who manages a farm for a long time family friend .....but that could go at anytime and I will be SOL. BTW, my NR tags are now $550 a year, up from $150 4 years ago and my wife and I pay more in taxes on a currently uninhabitable, tiny cabin on a 5000SF lot on tiny lake than what a farmer would pay on several HUNDRED acres of farm land. On top of all of this, add in the fact that nearly ALL vacant land in IN is owned by farmers and if you want to buy land your only choice is to pay the same $$$$$ per acre that tillable land goes for......currently most will be north of 10k an acre.....making buying land out of regular folks ball parks. Basically, the regular Joe taxpayer who hasn't had the luck of being born into a family with land is being pushed onto what, in Indiana, is a pretty small and VERY crowded bit of public land while paying the farmer's bills.......hhhhhhmmmmm. Something to think about.
Years ago I read an article on karamoga Bells 275 Rigby, before Africa's minimum caliber laws. He put those pills behind the ear. Bell said 100 grains in the right spot is better than 1 million grains in the wrong spot.
I love his anecdote about the 3 buff bulls walking by as he was demonstrating his abilities for a new chief who doubted the pipsqueak rifle could kill anything. Bell drops all three bulls as they run past. The chief gave him hunting permission.
Michigan has lots of state land you have to do the ground work and scout
do more on the 350 legend ron and love your vids
Question 1: living in the east I quit big game hunting due to lack of private land access. Public land, WMAs, is a nightmare! Draw hunts are ok I guess but I only ever drew the less preferred hunts. Open hunts proved crowded with less than respectful participants.
I started predator calling which I really enjoy but people are too funny about that as well unless they lose pets or have interactions which scare them.
So I’d still go if I had a place to do it without tons of pressure and jack wagons leaving trash and tearing up the place or literally parking in the clearing I’d scouted to hunt.
Roy grandson said on their weatherby podcast that 257 weatherby magnum shoot on cape buffalo was around 50 feet and it looked like a grenade went off inside and alot of ruined meat
I can understand the grenade effect inside, but can't imagine much meat loss.
There is a difference between "hunting" and "stopping". I'm confident I could quickly kill M'bogo on a hunt with a .257 Wby, and maybe even stop one intent on harming someone else from broadside, but I doubt I would ever be able to stop a charge with a frontal shot from such a small bore.
Here in WI the issue I run into in relation to cist is my time. That’s hard to come by and it’s my biggest struggle. I have a $340 shotgun for fowl abs can use any number of cheap rifles but swear by my $700 30/30 for big game. Using a 22 mag for small game is fine but I’m fortunate enough to have several medium calibers for coyote and raccoon. The annual fishing and all species(other than limited tag) is $160 including a state parks pass. All said a good shotgun will get you anything you need on a budget or a shotgun and a medium caliber rifle for $700 total will do well for anyone abs last forever if taken care of. So I think it’s safe to safe hunting is still very achievable on a budget especially if you keep the meat.
One of the nice things about being a resident of Alberta, it's illegal to charge money for hunting access. I'm sure it still happens, but there isn't the pervasive concept of leasing hunting land. Add in the massive amounts of public land and over the counter sheep tags, and its damn near paradise.
Yes he did. I also hunt with that round.
For its size I don't know any other cartridge that has that kind of energy behind it. Over 3,000 ft. lbs at the muzzle for a 115 grain bullet? That's pretty impressive. I think in a shot of under 100 yards it could take a Cape Buffalo because of the penetrating power, but I heard it took a day for the Buffalo to die, slow blood loss, idk. A head shot through the skull definitely would stop it. Like Ron said I wouldn't attempt this, this is a powerful cartridge for its size, but with Cape Buffalo as tough, and thick skinned probably want something with around 4,000 ft. lbs of energy at the muzzle. I think the 257 is like perfect for black bear, long range deer, predators like wolves, cougars, or feral hogs, etc.
when I was young we would just go to the national forest camp out and go hunting. now in order to hunt around here you have to either own land or join a hunting club. $800 for the one my father in law hunted now clear cut. it gets harder and harder.
Austin here from the 1st question.
Texas is 98% private property. You have to lease to make enough income to pay for your property taxes to ceep the greedy County comitioners from gobbling up your land and selling to a developer to put hundreds of homes on to increase property taxes revenue.
So,... in short,.... the private land owners and the financially endowed have access to the wild game.
And only the folks that live with in about 50 miles of the public land realy have a decent chance on those public lands, such as Crocket national forest in East texas. "And its not that big".
Biggest state in the lower 48, with the least amount of public land.
So if you move to Texas from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, NM, Calarado, you better have a big wallet.
And you will hunt high fence .... and like it. Its 90% feeder sitting in Texas.
Spot and stalk is all in gatters and 4 wheelers, and jeeps.
Hey Ron,
Is it possible to do a show on the 243 wssm and the 25 wssm. I certainly wish they would would have got the marketing the 6.5 creedmore did. I think those cartridges would still be around. And use them in an AR 15. I would just like to hear about these more. I think they are great cartridges. Thanks Ron
State and public land is still prevalent. In Michigan. Hunted state land til 2015 and was successful. On public i dare say shoot first thing u see.
More good stuff.
Here in West Virginia, we are very lucky to have plenty public land for hunters and fishermen, and I'm lucky as an individual to be able to hunt on a few farms in my area. You do in fact see some more property being taken by big companies and rich individuals from the cities, which can be a sad thing to see. I hunt on both private and public land (probably more public land than anything else) and I can honestly say that I have probably had more success on public land overall for the most part. Sadly hunting is looking like it's a rich man's game, but as hunters and sportsmen we can always make sure that there are plentiful hunting areas.
I moved to WV 8 yrs ago, due to my wife's health (near her family). Sold my tricked out Mod 700, 7 mag and Browning 5 shotgun to pay Dr bills. Bought 3 yr license recently for $150, lol. I now have a marlin, lever, 30/30 with see thru rings and 4 power fixed and a Benelli Nova pump. About $750 in the 2 of em. Put a 22lr slide on my cz 75 and I manage happily to keep 100% of my meat on the table out of our wonderful public lands. And I'm in Charleston, so it's even more crowded. Use the 22 for "kill shots" or for rabbits and the occasional turkey or duck while I'm hunting big game. I hunt thousands of acres of public land and gather mushrooms and nuts, too. It's almost heaven, 😆
1st question: Out west it is doable to get to all that public land. In the southeast though, the public land is being destroyed and there are little to no animals at all on them.
2nd: AR's (AR-15, AR-10) now are easily just as accurate as any bolt action for hunting, and even short of professional level precision.
Mr Weatherby probably used Barnes TSX or maybe Nosler partition or Federal Terminal Ascent 😆
I know a shooter from Goulburn NSW Australia that took an Asian Water Buffalo with a .257 AI. He dropped his animal dead on the spot. Other shooters on the same trip using much larger calibres had problems killing their animals.
The reality has become that if you want to hunt successfully anymore you will have to pay through the nose or own your own hunting land. Hunting on public land has become unsafe in many areas due to the amount of inexperienced hunters shooting at sounds, cows, and whatever else. No place on earth needs more people. More people equal a lower quality of life including the ability to have good hunting and fishing experiences for the middle class.
Don't forget about us lower class folk, we like to hunt and eat too lol. but I agree with you, it's not what it use to be.
I would make the argument that if the state was less beholden to “campaign contributions” from big outfitters, open more PUBLIC land back up, it wouldn’t be as big a deal. OR is the states quit paying farmers deprivation and gave them money to let public hunters on their land you’d see a difference.
I haven’t hunted public land since I was 16. I’m thankful for my dad knowing amazing wealthy people with huge chunks of land. One of his buddies is a retired vet and has a huge cabin sitting on 28 acres. He don’t charge me a dime to hunt on his land as long as I give him some of the meat and the liver if it’s good I can hunt there whenever. My dad makes good money but not 28 acres good money. Both me and my dad got our biggest bucks to date on his land and he usually gives us his tags.
We are blessed with the hunting opportunities here in South Africa. BUT. For us it is expensive. You pay in USD for an exchange rate beneficial to you, but for us it is different. We still hunt but not as often as we would like to because of the cost.
In the book The Last Ivory Hunter by Peter Capstick-Wally Johnson tells of a woman from new york who killed 2 cape buffalo bulls with one shot each with a 7x57-he said they dropped like rocks
I currently hunt with a 50 yr old marlin lever 30/30 with fixed 4 power and see thru rings. Bear, boar and deer! I also have a benelli Nova, (pump 12 ga) that is for turkey, rabbits and ducks. I have $750 invested in both, very good condition, used guns. That's less than the last scope I bought for my custom 700 in 7 mag, back when $$ wasn't as much of an issue. I added a 22lr slide to my cz 75 and use it for the occasional "kill shot" or small game while I'm big game hunting. I supply 100% of my family's meat from the public lands around Charleston, WV and my last license cost $150 for 3 yrs to hunt/fish/trap. Though I've had awesome rifles and shotguns at times, I would never have taken $for out of my family's budget as the kids were growing up. A $20, 16 ga single shot and a $250 singleshot 243 put our food on the table for over 25 yrs. I NEVER remotely thought I needed more gun or magazine. Became adept at carrying 2 cartridges between my fingers and have taken numerous doubles on squirrels and ducks with the single shots. It can be a rich man's game but it doesn't have to be. Replace I wants with common sense and joy in the field and your hunting dreams can come true. I also gather nuts and mushrooms while hunting/fishing so my field days are almost never unproductive
Here in Arkansas we have a ton of public land national forests wma's where the Arkansas game and fish commission will lease land for public use with hunting licenses fees
It's hard to get people to allow you to hunt just because of lawsuits. But you can usually con people into letting you bow hunt and my state started a urban deer program that allows you to hunt city limits with a extra month and a half season. I've had great success with this and since anyone can use a crossbow now, this is a great option for the entry hunter. Don't know how many states have this program though.
I heard he used a “solid”, weighing 117grain bullet & sometimes he used a soft-tip with a “bonded”, type bullet but not 100% on that. (Not the traditional “Bonded”, we know of today. I was referring to a custom made bullet for him, but not exactly sure of the process?)
I think Roy Weatherby used a 100 grain, Nosler partition, that was his favorite
I knew of a black powder guide that used a 45 caliber for white tail. I asked his dad why . He said he's a very good shot and he can put a 45 in a deer's eye at 70 yards. Placement ,and if you can ok , but not me especially if it's dangerous game. Dad was an extreme marksman and he felt like O'Connor that the .270 could take anything . Probably but not to my ability . I didn't inherit his skills. 😎
Have you considered electronic ear pro that allows passive sound and blocks out gunshots?
20:12 "I can see his lips moving." What are you smokin' there, Ron? I took some pills one time that had me talking to birds but I didn't see any lips on them.
Q llc owner took a cape buffalo with a 8.6 Blackout....one shot.
The 280 ai reaches the 7mm performance at like 10 percent less powder and less recoil. Ive watched a lot of videos on the ai. Ive been looking for a left hand 280. Hard to find but have found a few ai. I also own a lefty 7mm. My draw to the 280 is that I shoot a 30-06 for some time but I like a 7mm projectile. I got a 308 but like my 7mm 08. Anyway the 280 ai achievements come close. Match. And beat a 7mm mag depending on loads. With less powder and less recoil. All other things equal. Rifle weights and barrel length.
The 280AI is an awesome round. It makes the 270/3006 obsolete.
If you are not a Reloader, what is ammunition availability? Something to always consider especially if you are travel hunting. Noting like have your rifle show up and bag with ammo not showing up. The 280 is a wonderful rifle. However, you can buy 7mm Remington Magnum Ammo at Walmart, Hardware Stores, and all kind of gun shops. The 280 is more of a challenge.
Bears that eat berries mostly are so tasty
Main advantage semi auto is less recoil since gas assistance to reduce recoil 3006 will feel like 308 0r even less!
I just go anyway. Catch my if you can 😜
In response to the question of hunting land , in Australia and back in the 70's I would shoot on our property and the neighbours property's which gave me thousands of acres . I shot fox's for their skins which would go for $20 to $30 and with two nights spotlighting I would make more than a weeks farm work . But now there is a coal mine 5 miles up the road and most of the ground I shot on is owned by them and only pest eradication is carried out on their land .
do you think the 270 is a good starter gun
270W or 270WSM are excellent starter guns. They’re affordable, ammo is affordable, they are easy to shoot, have excellent accuracy with the right ammo. Capable enough for all N American game except the big bears. Lots of people have bought a 270 and that’s all they’ve used all their life.
I live in oregon and can’t find anyone who will let me hunt their property. Hard to hunt public land in a wheelchair.
I fired one round from a 300WM outfitted with a brake while not wearing ear plugs. One was enough to never do that again.
In response to hunting being a "rich man's game" and the lack of being able to hunt private farm and ranch lands nowadays, let me explain. With profit margins at an all time low for producers coupled with exorbitant local, state and federal taxes, the only way for generational land holders to make ends meet is to lease out the hunting rights of their property. It's a sad reality. Another reason to vote for the party of low taxes... BTW; here in Texas, landowners are able to enroll in public/private migratory bird hunting leases with The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Something that more State Wildlife Officials need to look into....
Im curious how that works in Texas. Is there any tax benefits for doing that, or is it just a way to basically expand public hunting land access?
Ron, I never noticed a brake increasing decibel levels for the shooter, I do know that they are louder when you are off to the side were the brake ports are
Hunting is only a rich man’s sport if you made the choice to live in the city. For the cost of a home in a big city, you can have a nice house and 100 acres in many places. That’s enough to hunt. If you like to hunt, you would chose the land you can hunt on. If you choose to live in the city, that is more important than hunting to you, meaning hunting is an extra expense.
When I was a kid in OK you could just go to the river not much any more .
There was An AK kid who was really a shot with his 22lr he got an ear shot on moose .
Another advantage of the 280 AI over the 7 mag, magazine capacity.
Living in Louisiana sucks for hunting, unless you get lucky like me and have a neighbor with a couple hundred acres of land and his kids do not like to hunt. Otherwise, a good club is expensive and the public land is over run with hunters.
Bear meat is better tasting then deer.
I have to disagree but each there own
Depends on who is cooking it🤔😳
A 375 is the smallest allowed in some area some areas are bigger caliber for buffaloe.
My MSR,S are 1/2moa at100 yes with hand loads
Buy license.
Buy tags.
Buy ammo
Take time off work.
Pay for butcher.
By the time you get meat on your table from a hunt, not only do you have a ton of time but several hundred dollars.
I dont bother much with big gme hunting. I am 90% angler, 10% hunter but when I do go into the woods with a rifle I stick to small game. Big game is super competitive. Even if you are lucky enough to get a moose tag (most popular big game here in Canada) you need to be in a hunting party. Even though it's almost entirely public land I've heard of hunters blockading roads to secure their owns hunting grounds and have even threatened other hunters who try to hunt the lands they have claimed. So I dont bother to compete for them. If I really wanted to shoot a moose I'd hire a guide from a lodge. It's the only painless way to hunt up here as a solo hunter
With Utah's lottery system i have put in and not drawn in 5 year stints. It has ruined the family atmosphere of hunting and the outdoors. But it's far more profitable to sell Utah's resources to out of staters.
Also, the Black Death requires BY LAW in several countries to be hunted with large calibre and power cartridges FOR A REASON!!
The major cost of hunting Africa is the transportation cost . That is the one thing outfitters DON'T mention in the cost of the hunt .
why you don't use silencer if you have hearing issues?
Hassles of getting one. Would need many for various rifles. Don't like the look, weight, extra length. And knocking 30 dB off 150 cB of muzzle blast still leaves sound volume in the nerve damage range. I do like suppressor performance, however.
@@RonSpomerOutdoors-Podcast ahh over here in Europe in most countries they are free to buy or at least free to buy for hunters. There are titanium silencers, which are able to knock off 40db and have interchangeable thread and inner tube for diameter thus you only need one.. but they are costly
@@Monasucks Yes, Europeans have a much more sensible approach to suppressors. If these mufflers were as easy to buy in USA, I'd have several despite their ungainly look.
going on my first ever pronghorn hunt. do I take my 270 win or 243 win? Both are model 70 Winchesters and shoot fantastic.
I would recommend the 270 Winchester with a load like a 130 SST. Pronghorn are not big, but have long hollow hair. The shot distance can be longer and wind speed can be a factor. The 270 was the original prince of the plains where you will be hunting. There are many other good cartridges such as the 240 Weatherby, hot 6 mm’s, 25-06, 257 Weatherby, 264 Win Mag, 270 Mags, 280’s, 7mm Mag, the list is long. My experience is first morning of hunt you usually get closer to them. They have incredible eyesight, fastest land animal in the world over distance, and they get spooky when hunters start shooting.
Good luck. It is one of my favorite animals to hunt. Take a good range finder, shooting sticks. Knee pads, and tough glove you can shoot out of. Stalk mean hands and knees and crawl. There can be a lot of rock and most vegetation where the live have thorns/stickers.
I herd that a cape Buffalo was taken with savage 22 hi power by Teddy Roosevelt if that could be proven
where would you go in Africa for a first time hunt? guide service?
Either Namibia or South Africa on a "concession" or private ranch. Many ranches/farms are high fenced, so make sure you get on one that is quite large to minimize any feelings of game being compromised in its movements. The fences are usually needed to keep game from wandering out and being killed by poachers. They also help keep poachers themselves at bay. Also check to see if your farmer/outfitter/PH stocks animals regularly. Some buy game animals from breeders like livestock, so you aren't necessarily hunting a wild animal. Restocking is necessary to get extirpated species re-established, but once that is done, you want natural reproduction, not put-and-take stocked animals. Many farms are totally free-range and unstocked. Your chosen PH should be able to advise you on all aspects of travel, importing guns and ammo, etc. Do an on-line search for Namibian hunting outfitters, for example, to get started.