Author Topic: Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles  (Read 1960 times)

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Offline Txiasaeia

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« on: February 25, 2003, 07:09:36 AM »
First post :)  Anyway, a good day to everybody!  I have a couple of questions for everybody here.

First of all, I'm currently living in Regina, but I'm planning on moving up to the NWT or Nunavut (depends on which contract I take) in order to teach.  While I'm up there, I would like to be able to provide some food for my family; from what I've heard, it's somewhat expensive to live up there, and I believe that hunting would certainly help with the bills.  I'm not moving on a whim, by the way -- my wife and I have seriously thought about this, and we've decided that we'd like to try to live in northern Canada for a few years.

I don't anticipate any problems with getting a licence, going through safety, hunting seasons etc. etc., but I would like some advice on getting a rifle.  I'm a bit of a newbie here, so any advice would be helpful.  I'm specifically looking for answers to the following questions:

-what brands of rifles would you recommend, from personal experience?  Keep in mind that I'll be purchasing a new rifle.
-what types of ammunition should I be looking at, in regards to hunting cariboo?
-if anybody has any experience with cold weather (sub -20oC) hunting, can  you tell me what material should a rifle be made out of in order for it to be both usable and durable?

I've got a couple of years before my wife and i move, so I'm researching now.  Thanks for all your advice and help!
I am job?

Offline Snowshoe

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Hunting in the north
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2003, 09:00:08 AM »
Welcome Txiasaeia! If all you are going to do is hunt, you would be hard pressed to do any better than the Savage package rifles. They come with scope installed and sell for about $500. I would go for the .30-06, and shoot 165 or 180g bullets. In cold weather it is important to use a thin oil that will not gum up the works. There is also a spray for glasses that you can use on the scope lens that will help some with the fogging problem. I have hunted in -20, and have had no troubles with my rifles. It is you that will be the problem, if you do not dress the part. It is hard to dress for hunting in the cold, because you may be sitting for a spell then working very hard and working up a sweat, then sitting again. Dress in layers and carry a pack for extra clothes. Good luck and have fun.
Snowshoe

Offline upnorth

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hunting in the north
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2003, 12:35:09 PM »
I have to agree with snowshoe. Keep your inital investment small, in case it doesn't work out for you. I have lived and guided in the high arctic several years ago, and some good advise is to find a inuit hunter to hook up with. You may have to put some sweat equity in(hauling moose or caribou quarters) to learn how to hunt up there. It's a whole different ball game there. good luck, keep us posted. Hey snowshoe, that nice buck looks like from the carberry/brandon area. I've hunted that area all my life.  Is that where you hunt?
you wanna take my guns? go ahead, it's your arm!

Offline Snowshoe

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Buck
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2003, 01:33:24 PM »
Thank you upnorth. That buck came from the Assinaboine valley a few years back. It is still special to me because it was the last day of muzzleloader season, shot at 12 feet, and he dressed at 210 lbs. We do most of our hunting west of Brandon.
Snowshoe

Offline ihookem

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #4 on: February 28, 2003, 03:26:24 PM »
A 30-06 would serve you great. Go with a  good scope though. Also don't get a stainless steel barrel. Kreiger barrels in Wisconsin told me not to get a ss. because when it is really cold, one shot can put a crack in it all the way down the barrel. This is most common with a sporter barrel. He said it just splits like it was cut. So go with a blued barrel.

Offline northern hunter

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ihookem and stainless barrels
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2003, 05:21:29 AM »
Hi there,I live in Ontario Canada and have hunted in alot of freezeing weather,minus 25 to minus34.I have used 5 rifles with stainless barrels and have shot them at those temperatures.I have never even heard about barrels splitting because of the cold.Calibers were 7mm stw,375x444,257 roberts,3006and 7 mm mag.
I also work parttime at a gun shop and haven't heard anything from any of our customers that hunt all,over the word.One guy hunted in the yukon for muskox in the middle of january and the average temp was minus 30 or much colder.
I would not hesitate to use a stainless barreled gun in the extreme cold and actually prefer them.
I would talk to another goooood barrel maker or gooood gunsmith before saying not to use stainless.
stainless is the best.
Frank S. :D

Offline ihookem

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2003, 11:15:03 AM »
Honestly I never heard of it neither until he told me so. I never heard of it since, and was hoping noone else heard of it.I also like stainless a lot more. Has enyone heard of this? If not I will forget about it, even for very cold weather.

Offline the rifleman

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2003, 08:14:48 PM »
:shock:   Never heard of a problem with stainless barrels. Why would they crack any more than a regular steel barrel?

 Sounds to me as if maybe the fellow this happened to, may have had moisture in the barrel that froze solid, and when he shot it caused it to split?? I don't know for sure if that is possible, but some other factor must have been involved...
Shadows grow long, a chill is in the air. Ancient urges prompt us. Instincts wake up, after lying dormant....Time to hunt.

Offline dabigmoose

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stainless barrels and cryogenics
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2003, 04:49:44 AM »
Quote from: ihookem
A 30-06 would serve you great. Go with a  good scope though. Also don't get a stainless steel barrel. Kreiger barrels in Wisconsin told me not to get a ss. because when it is really cold, one shot can put a crack in it all the way down the barrel. This is most common with a sporter barrel. He said it just splits like it was cut. So go with a blued barrel.


Heres a little info i found on the subject I work in prudhoe bay oil field
and we deal with some liquids such as liquid nitrogen -250 and other liquid gases at extreme low temps
it can cause stress fractures even at -35 on some metals.It depends alot on the allurgy properties and lamentions of certain steel also.
but here is what i found a bout rifle barrels and krieger will not put stainless barrels on hunting rifles because they have had them burst in cold weather do not just buy a cheep stainless gun and just try it check it
out well especially were your going is very unforgiving.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ed.Harris@p0.f417.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Ed Harris)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Stainless steel barrels
Date: 9 Oct 90 17:28:41 GMT


In article <9205@orca.wv.tek.com> jrr@nsc.nsc.com (Jerry Roe) writes:
>I believe you'll find a stainless barrel worth the money.  I've seen rifle
>advertisements which suggest up to double the life of a standard steel barrel
>(can't quote which one, unfortunately).  Stainless has a high chromium content,

The bore life of stainless barrels depends alot on the particular
alloy and the hardness, the method by which the barrel is made, and the
presence of machining additives.  In general the use of selium or
sulphur would weigh against use of stainless in high stressed
environments due to poor notching characteristics. as typical alloys
like 416R while offering mirror finish machining, have failed when used
in M14 rifle barrels and other applications where exterior machining or
welding (as for the operating rod guide on an M14) was done.  This
would also suggest against use of stainless in hot belted magnums such
as the .300 Win. or 7 mm Mag. in light sporter barrels because the
presence of sulphide stringers, which could act as stress risers, could
affect ultimate strength.  Most button rifled stainless barrel are only
about 20-24 Rockwell C, whereas the lower sulphur grades which are
hammer forged are usually about .006 max. sulphur - nuclear grade
material, and are much stronger.  When I was at Ruger we used a type
415 stainless for .44 Mag. Redhawk barrels and cylinders, of Rc 35
Min., and this was incredibly strong stuff.  I don't know anybody else
except Steyr and HK who make barrels out of steel of this cleanliness.

--

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       blkcat.fidonet.org   and   Fidonet 1:109/401



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From: Rock McMillan <rock@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Gun barrel metal?
Date: 21 Aug 1996 16:21:31 -0400

# #Most non-stainless steel barrels are made of AIME 4140 chrome-moly alloy
# #steel.  It's tougher than a $2.00 steak, and moderately difficult to
# #machine.  I don't know what alloy is used for stainless steel barrels,
# #but suspect that it's a 300-series (in the US, these are know as 18-8's,
# #reflecting the percentages of chromium and nickel).

# Not likely 300 series. These are generally too soft. Need hardness for all
# that wear on the grooves.  Most references to SS firearms barrels that I
# have seen are 400 series. These can be machined in the annealed condition
# and heat treated to very high hardness.

Stainless steel was originally developed around the turn of the century and
its first application was in rifle barrels, the alloy is 410.  This is a
heat-treatable martinsitic grade of stainless that is still used today in
many applications.  Later a more machinable alloy was developed by adding
free machining additives to 410, this new alloy is 416.  A slightly more
refined version of 416 is now used by most of the custom barrel makers in
this country, 416R.  I have no idea what stainless alloy is used for pistol
barrels.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



From: Bart Bobbitt
Subject: Stainless Barrels vs. Cold Weather


Several arms companies have recently offered hunting rifles with a
stainless steel barrel.  Here's some cautionary information about
stainless steel barrels.

When the temperature goes down, stainless steel has less fatigue
resistance.  Its physical properties drop off with temperature.
There have been instances of stainless barrels in hunting rifles
bursting when the ambient temperature is around zero degrees, or
less.

Some custom barrel makers specifically caution against using their
stainless barrels in hunting rifles.  One (Krieger) doesn't even
make sporting/hunting barrels in stainless steel.  In a conversation
with B.J. Obermeyer some years ago, he told me that some of his
stainless barrels were installed in hunting rifles and used in
Alaska winter-time hunts.  Some of these barrels burst when fired.

Chrome-moly (i.e., type 4140 or 4150) barrels maintain their fatigue
resistance very well in really cold temperatures.  Stainless steel
(i.e, type 416R), typically used for rifle barrels, is the really
cold-weather culprit.

I'm wondering if anyone who has bought a new rifle with a stainless
steel barrel has noticed any cautions in printed material supplied
with the rifle.  Even more so, I'm wondering if rifle makers even
concern themselves with this issue.

hope this helps a little i really never gave it a second thought on a rifle or pistol and thought companys would have tested it out.

Dabigmoose :roll:

Offline Rick Teal

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2003, 11:27:11 AM »
Dabigmoose:

I never liked stainless barrels, and now you've given me a valid excuse for my opinion.  (I just thought they were ugly! :wink:  :roll:  )

Rick
Hunting is Exciting!  Bolt actions are BORING!!
Don't mix the two!

Offline John Y Cannuck

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2003, 02:38:01 PM »
Got rid of my stainless too, action always felt gummy.
What portion of the NWT are you headed. The high arctic is tree free, and truely long shots are possible, but not everywhere. The inuit hunters still use the 303Br alot.
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Offline ihookem

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2003, 03:20:20 PM »
Thanks Bid moose about the article on stainless barrels. I almost didn't do the post because I thought no one would believe me. Now I know a whole lot more about stainless, and it's great to know of a barrel company that knows this stuff!

Offline longwinters

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2003, 03:10:14 PM »
If stainless is so bad, why would top rifle manufacturers like Weatherby and Sako (made in Finland where it gets mighty cold) offer their rifles in stainless with no warnings etc... If there were a problem they would be crazy,legally, to manufacture/sell rifles that could cause great harm to the shooter.  I gotta think that it has to be what kind of stainless is used.  And I really like the looks of stainless.  NOt better than blued but just as well. :-)
Life is short......eternity is long.

Offline renegade

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2003, 03:51:26 PM »
30-06 best all round. Tikka/Sako good quality.

I like some of the new savages( cheaper and accurate) and nothing wrong with Remington or winchester.

Other good calibers: 300WSM, 300Winmag, 7mmmag, 270win, 270WSM although I think 30 cal is your best bet if you are only going with one gun.
Hunting , Fishing and Sledding...love em all

Offline dabigmoose

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Hunting in the North -- Advice for rifles
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2003, 06:51:30 PM »
longwinters
 It does have to do with what type of stainless and contents in
in the steel .I am sure that since the first ones came out back when
all of those problems occurred they have since come up with
better stuff.I have a few stainless guns and some i really like
others i wouldnt like no matter what they where made of.
there are so many coatings and polymers,plastics,ceramics and space age stuff whats a guy to do guess try em all  :lol:  if the wife dont catch ya.
dabigmoose