I hunt with a rifle that tips the scales at about 14 pounds, loaded. It's a monstrous beast, but I've liked it and packed it all over the wet side of Oregon. Rain, snow, sun, sitting on a ridge, sneaking through the creek bottom pucker brush. I've got a bunch of different loads for it. Shotgun loads to target loads to Grizzly loads. It has always gone bang when I pull the trigger, and I've always hit what I aim at with it. (Unless I mess the shot up)
Scouting Elk this year the beasties are way further back and in much thicker cover than ever before. I'm older too, and not as strong as I used to be. That got me to looking at a lighter and more compact rifle to tote through the woods. Something that fits in the TJ without drama. Made of stainless steel so I can keep ahead of corrosion a little easier. Something with a little interest to it.
I have hunted pretty much everything in Oregon with a pistol at one time or another, which got me to thinking of a pistol caliber lever gun. Chambered in 44 Remington Magnum or 45 Colt. Decided on 45 Colt. Did you know you can load a 45 Colt to 44 Mag levels in the right pistol and with much less drama as well as heavier bullets? Works really well, just as an aside.
So anyway, Started looking around and found a very strong Model 92 Carbine style lever gun that seemed to fit the bill exactly. Decided to do a little research before I popped for the thing, and this is where the point of the story comes in.
Started asking around about hunting Elk in the Oregon jungle with heavy bullets, a 45 Colt and a lever action carbine. The same exact people who swore up and down that the 45 Colt was the best thing since sliced bread for hunting Elk with a handgun, were telling me that a 45 carbine would never do. Same with the 44 Mag. I was regaled with many stories of how many big Roosevelt Elk were cleanly taken with various makes and models of revolver in both those calibers. How hunting with a 45 revolver (or 44) was sporting and the way to go. Etc, etc. Ask those same people if a nice carbine in one of those calibers would cleanly take an Elk, and the story would flip. On no! Never! Stupid! Inhumane! Bunches of technical sounding explanations followed when they were pressed on the matter. Elmer Keith would never approve!
To make a long story even longer... The technical details of the matter are: A lever action carbine with it's longer barrel will give about 300 fps more velocity than the same exact load in a revolver. The longer sight radius makes aiming easier and more precise. In a pinch, you can shoot the same load out of your revolver and your carbine. (technically, they take different loads for best results, but you can do it if you need to) Pistol caliber cartridges use less powder, but more lead to do the same thing that a rifle cartridge does. If it will shoot all the way through an Elk from almost any direction, how much more do you need? I just called BS on all the naysayers and made up my own mind.
The new stainless lever carbine in 45 Colt is on it's way, though it won't be ready for this Elk season. I guess that I'll just have to use my Ruger Super Blackhawk this year.
Scouting Elk this year the beasties are way further back and in much thicker cover than ever before. I'm older too, and not as strong as I used to be. That got me to looking at a lighter and more compact rifle to tote through the woods. Something that fits in the TJ without drama. Made of stainless steel so I can keep ahead of corrosion a little easier. Something with a little interest to it.
I have hunted pretty much everything in Oregon with a pistol at one time or another, which got me to thinking of a pistol caliber lever gun. Chambered in 44 Remington Magnum or 45 Colt. Decided on 45 Colt. Did you know you can load a 45 Colt to 44 Mag levels in the right pistol and with much less drama as well as heavier bullets? Works really well, just as an aside.
So anyway, Started looking around and found a very strong Model 92 Carbine style lever gun that seemed to fit the bill exactly. Decided to do a little research before I popped for the thing, and this is where the point of the story comes in.
Started asking around about hunting Elk in the Oregon jungle with heavy bullets, a 45 Colt and a lever action carbine. The same exact people who swore up and down that the 45 Colt was the best thing since sliced bread for hunting Elk with a handgun, were telling me that a 45 carbine would never do. Same with the 44 Mag. I was regaled with many stories of how many big Roosevelt Elk were cleanly taken with various makes and models of revolver in both those calibers. How hunting with a 45 revolver (or 44) was sporting and the way to go. Etc, etc. Ask those same people if a nice carbine in one of those calibers would cleanly take an Elk, and the story would flip. On no! Never! Stupid! Inhumane! Bunches of technical sounding explanations followed when they were pressed on the matter. Elmer Keith would never approve!
To make a long story even longer... The technical details of the matter are: A lever action carbine with it's longer barrel will give about 300 fps more velocity than the same exact load in a revolver. The longer sight radius makes aiming easier and more precise. In a pinch, you can shoot the same load out of your revolver and your carbine. (technically, they take different loads for best results, but you can do it if you need to) Pistol caliber cartridges use less powder, but more lead to do the same thing that a rifle cartridge does. If it will shoot all the way through an Elk from almost any direction, how much more do you need? I just called BS on all the naysayers and made up my own mind.
The new stainless lever carbine in 45 Colt is on it's way, though it won't be ready for this Elk season. I guess that I'll just have to use my Ruger Super Blackhawk this year.
