Sometimes I Just Have to Smile

[K22]

In May 2025 edition of PA Outdoor News there is an article of a fellow who took a 774-pound Black Bear in Monroe County, PA with his father's Marlin 336 level action rifle in 35 Remington.

Us old dinosaurs love these stories of old legacy cartridges doing what they have always done, fill the tag. No $2,000 scope with a Christmas Tree reticle, no $2,000 rifle in a super-duper magnum cartridge. I just have to smile.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Love it.

Quick related story:
Our family ran the Circle H Hunting Lodge in central BC for many years. Over the fireplace in the main lodge was a 73" bull moose mount with my grandpa's old 1894 Winchester 30-30 under the moose mount.
We had wealthy American's come up to hunt, usually with their Weatherby .300 Magnums, as that was the rifle and caliber of the time (50's & 60's).

I clearly remember multiple occasions where one of the guest hunters would comment on that large bull moose and ask my grandpa "Ted, what did you shoot that big boy with?" His reply was "the Winchester". They often replied with "you can't kill a huge moose like that with a 30-30!" He responded with "tell that to the moose".

I was taught by him and my dad to spot and stalk to reasonable range and make clean kills. It seems the modern young crowd is more interested in their latest super magnum and CM-whatevers and try to hit game as far away as possible for bragging rights.

K22, also being a dinosaur, I'd say you're spot-on with your opinion. I'm smiling too after reading that.

 

[Tommie]

Talked to a guy a few years ago who said his father kept the family fed with elk meat using a model 99 in 250-3000.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I put in for a cow/calf tag in Wyoming left over draw. I plan on taking my Win 94 30-30, just in case a close stalking situation occurs.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I put in for a cow/calf tag in Wyoming left over draw. I plan on taking my Win 94 30-30, just in case a close stalking situation occurs.

When either muley or elk hunting in the black timber, besides my primary rifle, I always take my Marlin 1894 .44Mag for those possible encounters, and use it when tracking a companion's wounded critter. A scoped rifle is about useless in the very thick stuff when a shot might be 25 feet to 25 yards.

 

[jwv2001]

I'm with K22, you just have to smile. All of the new "state of the art" guns and cartridges. It's always about the rifleman and how he goes about his hunting ethics.

 

[David Milisock]

When I was a kid I worked at a regulated game farm, the owner and his family were always going out West hunting and they'd take friends and guide for them. Always they shot the newest and best stuff, like sporterized Mauser and 03 rifles in 06, Marlin 336 or Winchester 94, Remington 700 ADL.

As I've gotten older, I realized that Mirical Max from the Princess Bride was wrong, there is no such thing as mostly dead and a talented hunter with a 30-30 can make them really dead.

 

[David Milisock]

When either muley or elk hunting in the black timber, besides my primary rifle, I always take my Marlin 1894 .44Mag for those possible encounters, and use it when tracking a companion's wounded critter. A scoped rifle is about useless in the very thick stuff when a shot might be 25 feet to 25 yards.

I tried a scope on my Marlin 444SS and found it useless. It slowed me way down, maybe I could sign up for the idiot squad and tray an LPVO on it.

 

[Jim Hankins]

I've got over a dozen " long range " deer rifles, but this is what I use 90% of the time.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

No scope on my m94 dirty thirty, hasn't let me down at running deer shoots out to 75 yards. I use the 160 gr flex tip for my reloads.

 

[K22]

A few years back I helped my best friend, Dixon, prepared for his first Elk hunt out West, Colorado.

Dixon is not a precision shooter or reloader, but he is the best woodman and practical field shooter I ever met. He has taken a ton of deer in PA and three PA Black Bears. He uses a 50+ year old Winchester Model 88, level action in 308 Win.

The rifle was equipment with an ancient scope with duct tape on the top turret, the cap of which he had lost many years ago. I did manage to convince him to purchase a significantly better scope with clearer optics, nothing fancy; a simple plex reticle and a modest power 2 x 10 Leupold. He would hunt with the power set on 4x. I also convinced him to get some 165 grain Nosler Accubond factory ammo. We sighted the rifle in 2" high at 100 yards then practice some field shooting drills. He was ready.

He was one of 10 hunters that were at the lodge during the hunt. The other 9, had expensive magnum rifles and scopes. They opted to post up in heated blinds. Dixon, who is my age, late 70's, insisted on a spot and stalk hunt. This was in November and there was snow, several inches, on the ranch. He shot a 5x4 Elk, 178 yards with that old Winchester. A one shot kill. He was the only one to take a bull elk during that particular hunt. As a side note, he nearly wore out his 30 something guide, trekking through the snow.

 

[Doug Casner]

Acouple years ago I took an old pre 64 3006 featherweight and a 6x lyman. That old Lyman was so fuzzy I had to be pretty close to tell what it was. Didnt get a shot but I did my vintage hunt. Doug

 

[David Milisock]

At 70 years old threads like this are near and deer (pun intended) to my heart, I love the practical application of firearm technologies post WWII.

With that said I do believe that there is plenty of room for modern technology to be used properly .

I built an AR15 in 6MM ARC, it's lite, durable, weather resistant, very accurate, power like a short barreled 243. It fits in a truck on a horse, can be carried for days and place a cold bore head shot at 300 yards.

So while I love my 444 Marlin, my 98 Mauser and my model 17 Remington, it's the thinking that made these rifles useful I appreciate and I apply that thinking today. I hope we can pass those behaviors on to our grandchildren.

 

[msalm]

I have a Win 71 that I used frequently several years ago that provided some very memorable hunts and shots.

 

[Pyscodog]

I have several rifles that cost a bunch of money and have the fancy scopes but come Nov and rifle season rolls around I use the old walnut stocked 7mm08 and a 3x9 scope. Been my "go-to" for many many" years. Lots of memories with that rifle as well.

 

[GotRDid]

Joe, my hunting Mentor for 35 years with his last Buck. He hunted with a Winchester Model 88 in .308 Win, and only lost one Deer in his 50+ years of hunting.

Joe passed in 2023, same year as my Father.
His Son, Paul, called me to meet him at his home to assist with some chores. When we wrapped up the work day, Paul presented me with Joe’s Rifle. Neither of us could really speak for a while, and I take Joe with me each year for at least a few days.

 

[Rat44]

My first deer rifle was a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.
My second was a Ruger 44 Deerstalker.
Wish I had them both back.
They were both popular in upstate NY back then .

 

[AWS]

I'm nearing 80 and last count I've killed deer with something like 32 different cartridges, plus a few with various sized round balls and gauges. I owned a gun shop for a number of years and would grab a hand full off the used rack and slay deer. I pretty much stayed between 6mm and 9.3mm, they all killed deer, some just wrecked more meat.

Now I hunt coyotes a lot out here in the west and my favorite cartridge is the 222 Rem. To read some of the articles written is surprising that they don't all just walk off. But then I think a 1-4 scope works great for coyotes also. I have bigger guns and scopes but the 222 and a Leupold 1-4 seems like the one I grab first.