Yukon hunting with .458 Win Mag

lanis

lanis

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Hello northern (and other) hunters,

I am planning extended hunting trip or few of them to Whitehorse area in Yukon.
Grizzly, black bear, bison, assorted large game hunting...

I already got 9.3x62 and 375 H&H, but I also got an itch to get 458 Win Mag.
My profficiency with above calibres is adequate and improving, experience level intermediate.

Is there any gain in having and using 458 Win Mag in Canada's North, over two rifles I got already?
Significantly quicker kill on charging dangerous animal?
Anything else?

All informations and suggestions welcome.

Cheers,
Dan
 
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My late Brother lived in Faro Yukon for many years and hunted everything you mention plus a few others.
At the time of his passing he owned over 125 long guns, however his two favourites were a 375 H&H and a 404 Jeffery.
He did state several times that if he were ever limited to one only he would have been quite comfortable with the 375 H&H..
 
Dan,

you have all the three calibers that will work for you.

a charging animal needs a good bullet placment and the brute force wont save your bacon.

if you are going with an outfitter there is only one for bison and asks him what the thoughts he had on your caliber choice.

if you are coming to visit us for more than one year (probation year for new in the territory) you will have your time.

i do like the 9.3x62, the 375 ruger and the 458 win mag but unless you are using a 350 grains for the 458, the 400 and 500 or 510 grains maybe on the short side if you try to extend a little your shooting distance ....

so my first question will be how reliable are your rifles?
then what optics do you have on them?

will enjoy that discussion for sure.

interesting that Kevan mentionned the .404 as we have another Yukon member that i know that is using the .404 also.
 
medvedqc said:
375hh will work also of course ...
Click to expand...

If I were to go back which will probably never happen it would be a tough choice between my 375 H&H and my 375 Ruger ( Howa ) as both are equally comfortable to handle and carry, also very similar in the accuracy and trajectory department.
Either one would suffice for me for whatever I would be allowed to hunt.
 
Kevan said:
My late Brother lived in Faro Yukon for many years and hunted everything you mention plus a few others.
At the time of his passing he owned over 125 long guns, however his two favourites were a 375 H&H and a 404 Jeffery.
He did state several times that if he were ever limited to one only he would have been quite comfortable with the 375 H&H..
Click to expand...

Robert Nicholson said:
I envy you going to the Yukon, no doubt to the Whitehorse area (lots get the name mixed up with Yellowknife) you will have an adventure.:wave:
Click to expand...

Thanks guys!

medvedqc said:
Dan,

you have all the three calibers that will work for you.

a charging animal needs a good bullet placment and the brute force wont save your bacon.

if you are going with an outfitter there is only one for bison and asks him what the thoughts he had on your caliber choice.

if you are coming to visit us for more than one year (probation year for new in the territory) you will have your time.

i do like the 9.3x62, the 375 ruger and the 458 win mag but unless you are using a 350 grains for the 458, the 400 and 500 or 510 grains maybe on the short side if you try to extend a little your shooting distance ....

so my first question will be how reliable are your rifles?
then what optics do you have on them?

will enjoy that discussion for sure.

interesting that Kevan mentionned the .404 as we have another Yukon member that i know that is using the .404 also.
Click to expand...

Hello medvedqc!

Actually, I have 375 H&H and 9.3x62 and both are fairly new to me Zastava rifles, with iron sights.
I am in the market for the optics and suggestions are welcome.

At this point I am considering getting 458 Win Mag, but not really sure if it is necessary?
What may be areas or jobs that 458 Win Mag will do better than 375 H&H and 9.3x62, particularly with Yukon hunting opportunities in mind.
Should I bother getting it, unless for possible African trip, but that is more than a year ahead of me and still uncertain of departure date... material for another thread.

Of course, these questions are addressed to any and all other respondents as well.
 
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My thought for the OP in considering all these caliber choices is where do you draw your lines. There are Yukon members that do most of their hunting with 7x57, just like O'Connor's 270 in Africa. What constitutes a medium, and what is a big bore? Including a underpowered medium, with the gold standard medium, and the most affordable big bore makes me wonder what you intend to hunt, in what terrain, and if the thread should be more defined in those terms. Sounds like you have a bunch of rifles, so do i, so do a lot of members. It really sounds like you need someone with Yukon and African experience to define the needs for hunting there, the calibers they use, and allow you to make this decision from a position of knowledge.
 
Something you might be faced with in the Yukon, depending on the type of adventure you contemplate, are steep grades and high altitudes. If you carry a .458 above the timberline, you might be inclined to leave it there. I used to be of the opinion that mountain rifles were just a marketing gimmick, but those tight contour lines that look like a smudge on the map do not represent country that is conducive to packing a 10 pound rifle. Mountain gear and mountain rifles are light for a reason.
 
Stopping a charge is as pointed out above all about bullet placement, however I lean towards the double rifles when it comes to DG charges, the calibres you mention will work including the .458, it really is a matter of defining the task at hand ... the double you chose for Africa won't feel so light in the Yukon. I would also focus on the Yukon aspect if you will be a resident as also pointed out above, if in Africa for DG you will have a PH backing you up in a charge situation. I am a fan of QD mounts for the hunt, which can be removed should it be necessary to get into the thick stuff without a scope. The guys on here from the Yukon would be the experts in their backyards.
 
those tight contour lines that look like a smudge on the map do not represent country that is conducive to packing a 10 pound rifle. Mountain gear and mountain rifles are light for a reason.

best answer so far ....
 
The 458 doesn't shoot as flat as the others. It can be done but you need the practice. When shooting a 405 gr bullet at 2400 fps a range estimation error of 50 yards will be a miss at 300 yards. Add steep angles and the difference is more noticeable. I'm a big fan of the 458 wm but i've never been to the Yukon. If shots are to be close then I'd bring a 458. If shots are to be 200 yards or more I'd be looking for a fast 300 or fast 338 like 340 wby personally. The 375 can be used in a lot more situations then a heavier big bore
 
I would go for something that has a bit flatter trajectory than the 458. Either a 375, 9.3 or 338. Either will do their part stopping something toothy if you do yours as well.
 
After 35 years of hunting the Yukon, and taking every big game animal available several times over, I can tell you none of your choices are "the best" and the 458 WM is useless there, except possibly as a ditch gun. My experience has shown me that Yukon game in a lot of cases requires a longer shot. Bison and bears are getting smarter every year, and aren't standing about everywhere waiting to be terminated. Moose can be one of those animals than can be taken at 15 ft but can also be seen and unable to approach closer than 300 mtrs.
If you intend to move there then you will find your needs served by likely several rifles. One for bison, moose and bears, another for caribou, sheep and goats...........you get the idea. For the best all around rifle for the Yukon I would have to say I have taken every animal there with a 300 magnum as has #1 son, his choice is the 300 RUM and I have used both the Winchester and Weatherby numbers, as well as the RUM. There is nothing in the Yukon you can't hunt effectively, for range or energy, with a 200 gn Partition or Accubond at 3000+ fps. My number one choice for a single rifle and cartridge to hunt the Yukon would be a 340 Wby and I did a significant amount of hunting with one............certainly never felt undergunned.
You will be far better served with a good 300 WM and work up some good loads using Parts, ABs or Matrix bullets in the 190-200 gn range. Don't waste your money on a 458, buy a 300 mag and practice, practice, practice..........................................That is the secret formula for being a successful Yukon hunter. JMHO

And I know all too well those lines Boomer speaks of, on the topo maps.........I built a special rifle, just to go with those lines, that weighs under 6 lbs all up, oh, and it is also a 300 mag...........the WSM.
.
 
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lanis said:
Thanks guys!



Hello medvedqc!

Actually, I have 375 H&H and 9.3x62 and both are fairly new to me Zastava rifles, with iron sights.
I am in the market for the optics and suggestions are welcome.

At this point I am considering getting 458 Win Mag, but not really sure if it is necessary?
What may be areas or jobs that 458 Win Mag will do better than 375 H&H and 9.3x62, particularly with Yukon hunting opportunities in mind.
Should I bother getting it, unless for possible African trip, but that is more than a year ahead of me and still uncertain of departure date... material for another thread.

Of course, these questions are addressed to any and all other respondents as well.
Click to expand...

With respect to an African battery, given the prejudicial way airlines treat their gun toting passengers through weight restrictions and surcharges, and considering the excessive fee that some countries charge for the importation of each rifle, a single rifle battery is arguably the most cost effective solution, next to using a camp rifle, and in that vein, its hard to top a scoped rifle chambered for a large case .375. That said, its also difficult to ignore the advantages of a big bore rifle when dangerous game is hunted. If you were to take along some 350 gr spitzers loaded to 2600 fps, in addition to your 450 or 500 gr A-frames, you would be in good shape for both dangerous and plains game of all sizes. Its important to emphasize that stopping rifles are the domain of the professional, and are not required by the client, even if it makes him feel better to have one. PHs are more impressed, and surprised, by good field marksmanship, than they are by big powerful rifles.

As to the choice of scope, African ranges tend to be modest, but the action can also be close and quick, making too much bottom end magnification a serious handicap. The scope on the M-70 I used in Tanzania was a 2.5-8X33 Leupold, and it proved excellent, although I wouldn't have wanted any more low end magnification. A high end magnification of 6X-8X is sufficient even if miniature antelope or baboons are on your list, where 4X might be a bit lacking if the engagement range on the smaller species approaches 300, and they are standing in a shadow. I'd be looking for a scope in the realm of a 1-4X, 1.5-5X, 1.75-6X or a 2-7X. An illuminated reticle can be an advantage when one transitions from the bright sunlight of a sand river into the subdued light of a korunga. When mounting a scope on a .458, if the LOP is correct for you, ensure the ocular does not expend behind the cocking piece of the bolt, or blooding the rifle will take on a whole new meaning.
 
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The OP is kind of confusing Africa the the Yukon, no disrespect. I know MANY guys who hunt everything up here with a 30-06 and factory 180 grain ammo, and they do fine. And that's if they are hunting Bison and legally have to have 180 grain, 30 cal bullets with 2800 ft/lbs at the muzzle. Guys skipping Bison have been doing fine with 7 x 57, .270, .303 Brit, 30-30, since forever...

Unless you are planning on carrying several rifles around at once, you need to think versatility.

Of your choices, a ligher, mauser style rifle in 9.3 x 62, loaded fast with a 250 grain Accubond, and a laser rangefinder, would serve you well. You can expect shots from 50 feet to 400 yards.

An accurate 300 win mag with good handloads may really be best of all, and consider that you will be packing it, so a 15 lb dedicated long range rig would be lower on your list of choices.
 
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guys we are on gunnutz why someone that want to try something different can t do it .
..?

a 375 with a 270 grains or 9.3x62 with 250 grains and a 30-06 with 180 grains have the same trajectory.
the 458 win mag is a very good caliber on bison and i have a few examples in mind and other with 404 jeffery so why not?

northman999 not everybody wants to have only a 30-06 for hunting or even a 300 win mag.

i confess i like to have a light rig but as a lefthanded shooter there is few on the market available and one that light my heart are not there yet ....
 
If you want a 458 then by all means get one, but a 7x57 & up is all you need here. I have been charged by one grizzly in my life ( predatory attack on my little dog who of course ran right back to me) & i killed it with a 30-30. All i use now is my 30-06, leaving my 300 win. at home because i dont need it & its heavy. Over 43 years of hunting ive killed roughly 30 moose, two grizzlies & lots of black bears, mostly with the 30-06, but some with a 300 win. I did own a 375 h&h for a while but it was way more than necessary power in my opinion. I traded it to someone who thought the extra power would make up for poor shooting. He went on to wound the hell out of critters till they bled out & fell over, as his shooting became even worse due to the recoil. I heard that he shot one moose 8 times, But gut & leg muscle shots arent so effective. So if you want a 458 then get one & have fun hunting with it ,but if someone gave me one I would trade it for a nice 30-06.
 
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