What caliber for Wolves
- Thread starter Outcast
- Start date
If I was specifically targeting wolves, I'd opt for my 300WSM with 125gr Ballistic Tip at 3500fps. I wouldn't need to hold over until past 350/400 yards with that set up
Wow that is one flat shooting .30. How is the felt recoil with those light 126gr Ballistic Tips versus a .300 WM with a 180 gr bullet.
I have killed one with the .223rem no problems at all.
I cant see myself buying a rifle just for wolf hunting as I dont specifically hunt them. I call coyotes and fox so I arm myself accordingly. If I did hunt specifically wolves I would likely look at the .243win or a 6mmRem. and something around 85g............
I cant see myself buying a rifle just for wolf hunting as I dont specifically hunt them. I call coyotes and fox so I arm myself accordingly. If I did hunt specifically wolves I would likely look at the .243win or a 6mmRem. and something around 85g............
I'm exaggerating a bit
With a 2" high at 100, you are looking at -1" at 300, -4.5 at 350 and -9" at 400. So you would probably have to hold over a bit for 400, or adjust the scope.
Recoil is maybe a bit less, I suppose. You'd get less recoil if you loaded them down to 180gr speeds, though
I'd venture to say that the 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser (or similar cartridges, like the .260 or .264) is virtually ideal for wolves. Good range of bullet selection among weights and types, excellent ballistics, not too much recoil, and generally available in lighter weight (easy to carry) rifles.
Quote--just to take my 243 to moose camp and just call for wolves. So many wolves last year and the moose were pretty timid comng to calls......but the wolves sure weren't.
Do you mean the wolves were coming to the moose calls?
Wolves sure must be getting thick.
I too, would consider the 243 as minimum for wolves. I have followed up on wolves hit hard with 30-06, as well as one hit hard with a 270. They are tough.
Don't worry about them attacking you, as you hunt them down. Wounded, they are about the most timid animal I have ever walked up on. In other words, no more danger to you when they are wounded, than they are when healthy.
Do you mean the wolves were coming to the moose calls?
Wolves sure must be getting thick.
I too, would consider the 243 as minimum for wolves. I have followed up on wolves hit hard with 30-06, as well as one hit hard with a 270. They are tough.
Don't worry about them attacking you, as you hunt them down. Wounded, they are about the most timid animal I have ever walked up on. In other words, no more danger to you when they are wounded, than they are when healthy.
I run into a lot of wolves in the course of a year as a Forester.
Last year I had an experience that would tend to completely disagree with that statement.
Short version, moose hunting, following an immature bull through the timber (I thought) and lost track of him. Gave up, and headed down to an old logging road, just before breaking out into the open I heard what I thought was a branch snap behind me. Moose occasionally wander up to investigate sounds in the timber during the rut so I turned to face the direction of the sound and froze for easily 10-15 minutes looking to see if he was coming, only moving my eyes.
Nothing moving, so again gave up, popped out into the old ditch and stepped onto the road, and looked behind me to where I had been standing.....Big Northern Timber Wolf standing exactly where I'd been maybe 10 seconds beforehand. 8 yards.
Looked away, saw the bull i was following walk out onto the road about 100 yards down, look back to the wolf (not believing it was actually there), and now there were 3 wolves. When the lead wolf sank down into the position my lab takes before he runs headlong at a cat and tucked his ears I put a 168gr TSX into him.
If my lab had looked at me that way, I'd probably of shot him too.
I'm using 7.62 x 54.....got a question for any Ontario wolf hunters...I sent an email to the C.O., but no response so far. The Hunting regs cover wolves under the small game section, and as a result, it appears that one is supposed to hunt wolves with rimmed cartridges......from the reg's:
"In an area where there is an open gun season for deer,
moose or black bear, if you are the holder of a small game
licence you may not possess or use a rifle of greater
calibre or projectile power than a .22 calibre rim-fire rifle
chambered to .22 short, .22 long or .22 long rifle shells or
shells loaded with ball or with shot larger than No. 2 shot
(or if using non-toxic shot, you may not use steel shot larger
than triple BBB steel shot, or bismuth shot that is larger
than double BB bismuth shot), unless you possess a valid
licence to hunt deer, moose or black bear as the case may be."
So I asked the CO if I was in the bush during moose season with just my small game and wolf license and carrying my 7.62 x 54, if I would be charged. So far, no answer, and it's been a couple of weeks. Any thoughts?
"In an area where there is an open gun season for deer,
moose or black bear, if you are the holder of a small game
licence you may not possess or use a rifle of greater
calibre or projectile power than a .22 calibre rim-fire rifle
chambered to .22 short, .22 long or .22 long rifle shells or
shells loaded with ball or with shot larger than No. 2 shot
(or if using non-toxic shot, you may not use steel shot larger
than triple BBB steel shot, or bismuth shot that is larger
than double BB bismuth shot), unless you possess a valid
licence to hunt deer, moose or black bear as the case may be."
So I asked the CO if I was in the bush during moose season with just my small game and wolf license and carrying my 7.62 x 54, if I would be charged. So far, no answer, and it's been a couple of weeks. Any thoughts?
I think the wolves were after the moose and you were in their way.
In the history of Canada, the Saskatchewan scientist killed by wolves was the only proven case of wolves killing a human, ever. In that case the wolves had been feeding on a garbage dump. Garbage dump wolves, just like garbage dump bears, can be dangerous, because they have lost their fear of humans.
Wild wolves in the bush are completely different. They are afraid of humans. I have heard, or read, a hundred stories of where someone in the bush at night was surrounded all night by wolves, shadows in the firelight, and at dawn they go. The point is in every story there wasn't once the wolves attacked. In all these stories the wolves could have had a human for midnight lunch, if that had been their desire. In your case they were able to sneak up behind you, indicating they could attack, if they wanted to.
I knew a trapper in the Yukon who had a cabin with a shanty roof, backed up to a hill. In the winter the snow piled and blew right up to the roof. Wolves used to get on his cabin roof and pee against his stove pipe! At first they did it when he was away. Before spring they would get on his roof at night, or evening, while he was in the cabin, and still pee against the stove pipe. He said in all that shinigans he was never able to shoot a single one of them. He was very learned in wildlife and he didn't know why they did it. He had no fear, whatsoever, of wolves.
- Location
- scotland, ontario
7.62x54
If I were a C.O. I would charge you . Likely be for hunting Deer, Moose , or Bear without a license.
If I were a C.O. I would charge you . Likely be for hunting Deer, Moose , or Bear without a license.
Seems to be a hitch in the reg's in my view then, since the majority of people here, myself included, are claiming that a non-small game rifle is necessary for shooting wolves. Wolf season opens on Sept 15 and carries on through till the end of March. So for the first month of wolf season I would have to have a bear tag to carry a rifle, then a moose tag......
- Location
- Back in the Peace Country
I have encountered about 70 or so wolves while huntin and hiking and many more just by chance driving...
I have never seen a wolf yet that hung around too long after seeing me,..and have seen most run off with the occasional look back...
I heard a story of a woman working up north (environment job) and she is stayingin a large , large woods tent... almost like a triage war tent by the sounds of it. She says at night there are wolves all around the camp. She siad one night she went out to use the bathroom and when she returned three wolves were in front of her between her and the door...she hooshed them away and went inside.
I wouldn't trust one that was being overly nosey or not backing down, but they are not manhunters in a natural environment
I have never seen a wolf yet that hung around too long after seeing me,..and have seen most run off with the occasional look back...
I heard a story of a woman working up north (environment job) and she is stayingin a large , large woods tent... almost like a triage war tent by the sounds of it. She says at night there are wolves all around the camp. She siad one night she went out to use the bathroom and when she returned three wolves were in front of her between her and the door...she hooshed them away and went inside.
I wouldn't trust one that was being overly nosey or not backing down, but they are not manhunters in a natural environment
Talk to any trapper who puts out wolf sets and he'll have a story or two to share. They're smart animals so sometimes when they get snared they won't pull tight on the snare, they'll sometimes just sit and wait. If you get the alpha, especially the female, the pack won't leave, once the trapper comes in the pack will hide, but wont leave, the trapper will come in unknowning, next thing the fella knows he's got a wolf pack circling him. Never heard of anyone ever being attacked, but i'm sure it'd make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Local fella uses .270 for what it's worth.
Trapper at camp hasn't set for wolves in a few years, and the numbers seem to be increasing a lot since. I've seen the pack only twice in my short life time, but have been seeing a lot more activity as far as kills, and prints go.
Local fella uses .270 for what it's worth.
Trapper at camp hasn't set for wolves in a few years, and the numbers seem to be increasing a lot since. I've seen the pack only twice in my short life time, but have been seeing a lot more activity as far as kills, and prints go.
I use 243.
Sept 2006-wolf attack six people(lake superior provincial park) rare, but they do attack. wolf was somehow injured.
up here pets are lost all the time.
Nov 2005-The only confirmed killing of a human in Canada was of Kenton Carneige who was working in mining camp 750-miles northeast of saskatoon.
Sept 2006-wolf attack six people(lake superior provincial park) rare, but they do attack. wolf was somehow injured.
up here pets are lost all the time.
Nov 2005-The only confirmed killing of a human in Canada was of Kenton Carneige who was working in mining camp 750-miles northeast of saskatoon.
