The Tools of the Trade

One of the great aspects of hunting is there are a wide array of "tools" you can use to accomplish the job. These range from the primitive knife and/or spear up to the very modern rifle. Each hunter has a tool they enjoy hunting with and many enjoy hunting with a multiple weapons like bows, rifles, and muzzle loaders. The more primitive weaponry, like a bow and muzzle loader, not only challenge a hunter because of their limited range, but they can extend the hunting season and number of animals a hunter can take each year. The regulations vary from state to state, but usually a primitive weapon can be used in lieu of a more sophisticated one meaning a hunter could use their bow to hunt deer during the bow season and also use their bow to hunt deer in the rifle season. This isn't always true and you should check the rules for your state. Using a rifle during bow season, however, is never allowed as it obviously offers an unfair advantage.

I have never had the opportunity to use a muzzle loader, but I've been able to accompany some bow hunters to the shooting range. I must give lots of credit to bow hunters as, first, if you have never tried to draw a bow, it is a lot harder than it seems and, second, hitting your target with a bow is much harder when you're used to having a set of cross-hairs. On one occasion I went to the range with a friend of mine who is more than 50 years my senior. He has had a very successful career hunting all over the world with a rifle, so in his golden years has set about collecting those same species with a bow - a traditional recurve bow too! He set me up with a 40 pound draw recurve bow and we set off on a course to hone our skill. We walked through the woods and around every corner or bend in the road was a life-like target of a game animal. My friend bested me every time, but it was a neat way to practice. I actually had quite a fun time shooting the old stick and sting, but I think I'll stick with my rifle for now.

My first introduction to firearms was with my father's old and trusted 12 gauge pump shotgun. He had used it to shoot muskrats as a boy in Indiana which he sold to be turned into fur coats and such. I had never fired a gun, but since I kept hounding my family that I wanted to go hunting, my father decided he would take me to the trap shooting range and see if I even enjoyed shooting. I don't remember how many clay pigeons I hit my first time out, but I do remember my father muttering under his breath "oh shit, he's going to be good at this" after I vaporized the first clay pigeon I had ever shot at. After that, with the help of my parents, I procured my first rifle; a Howa 1500 in 30-06. I still have that rifle many years later and use it predominately for all of my hunting. I have acquired some other rifles over the years and, with my interest in Africa and dangerous game, it should come as no surprise I have a fondness for the big bore rifles.

I think I was about 16 years of age when I fired my first big bore. My grandfather was friends with a man by the name of Julius Glogovcsan, who everyone called Jules. Jules had done an extensive amount of cull hunting in his younger years and had several hundred elephants and cape buffalo to his credit. He was a quiet and humble man, but he had many tales from his various hunts around the world. Part of Jules' character was he rarely ever provided stories of his hunts unless you specifically asked about something. I remember on one occasion asking him if he had ever been tiger hunting, his answer was a short "yes." Which I enthusiastically replied to asking if he had ever shot any tigers. He simply stated, "yes. . . seven of them." Some more questioning would later reveal he had taken some man eating leopards and tigers back when he was in the Air Force stationed in India (using a 300 savage no less because it was the only hunting rifle he could find). The only remnants of those adventures were some photos and a lone leopard skull that rested on his piano. What Jules did have was a bunch of rifles. He had a couple 500 Jeffery rifles, his working rifle built on a Remington 30 Express action and an original Augustus Schuler in 12.7x70 (500 Jeffery more or less), an 11.2x72mm, a 9.3x64 that he later left to me upon his passing, and collection of other rifles used throughout his travels. Since I was so eager to try out Jules' rifles, my grandfather setup a day with Jules to take his elephant guns to the range.

Shooting the elephant guns was such a great experience. Honestly, I was really concerned about the recoil, but I figured if an 83 year old man could do it, so could I. Interestingly enough, the recoil was no where near as bad as I thought it would be, but the headache it gave you was what did me in. I shot 3-4 rounds, two through his working rifle and one or two through the Schuler. My shoulder was fine but my head was spinning so bad after that I needed an Advil. I left that day with a huge appreciation for big bore rifles and the intent to buy a big bore of my own.

*A quick aside, if anyone happens to know the whereabouts of Julius's 500 Jeffery built on a Remington 30 Express action with a gold elephant on the floorplate - Please email me! huntingetc@yahoo.com *

Since my encounter with the 500 Jeffery, I've added a 375 H&H to my battery and will hopefully add something like a 416 or 458 to my safe soon too (a true big bore). I've grown an appreciation for sporterized Mauser rifles as well as a love for refinishing and reshaping the stocks on my existing rifles.  I've redone a few stocks, some turned out pretty good (like the one pictured at the top of this post), others ... not so much. The more time I spend around rifles though the more I learn about them. It , also, should come as no surprise that I frequently comb the local used gun racks (and gunbroker on occasion) for a rifle that needs a new home. With a little fiddling, an old and worn rifle can be turned into a real beauty.

The typical 30-06, 270, 300 caliber rifle with scope is the standard choice of hunters to take into the woods. They are effective at killing deer and elk and the scope makes finding and aiming at your target that much easier. While other weaponry, like a bow or muzzle loader, may seem outdated technology, they work just as well on game now a days as they did several hundred to thousands of years ago and add to the challenge and complexity of the hunt. Even the "modern" rifle is no spring chicken by human lifetime standards.The venerable Mauser 98, upon which many rifle actions are based, is 112 years old!