What is your best, closes quarters, biggest caliber big game kill?

[RayHill]

It came to me while in the shower today, thinking back on this hunt from a few years back it was crazy how this hunt ended. I was anticipating a long shot but it didn't work out that way.

Ill start this off,

Mine is 43 yards with a 338 Lapua mag using 300gr Nosler AB on a bull moose it only broke one rib and no exit wound but when butchering I never found the bullet. :shock:



What's yours???

[RyoTHC]

Both this year, either my moose at 8-10 yards with .308 in the thick stuff or my bear in wide open grass lands at sub 15 yards with my hunting buddy a few feet behind me in tow, again with .308. Both pretty much DRT.

[.330 Dakota]

20 yards, bull moose, 44 magnum model 94 Win, headshot....oh but then there was a camp raiding black bear at 5 yards in the dark with a 375 and a flashlight,,,almost forgot about him

[TreeStandMan]

Five years ago I was hunting a clearing on a slope where mulies often move between a feeding and bedding area. I was sitting facing uphill with my back to a tree when I noticed a doe off to my right, maybe 30 yards off. I was sitting still and was wearing camo, and despite that she saw me she didn't bolt. She kept looking at me, and then looking back behind me, down the slope. I slowly leaned to the side and looked down slope to see what she was looking at, and sure enough a buck was traveling up the hill, 15 yards off. I dialed my scope down to 4x, took the safety off, rolled to my stomach, and shot the buck from prone right in the brisket with my 300 WinMag. The buck turned to run down hill, but collapsed and rolled.

That 200 grain bullet at 15 yards turned the lungs to jelly -- an extremely ethical kill. Over gunned is under rated!

[caddisguy]

Not sure about big caliber. I just shoot 150gr 30-06 and can't imagine a practical need for more than that.

I shot my nemesis bear from probably less than 10 yards and several other bears in the 10-20 yard range, deer with a bow (large caliber?) around 25 yards

[Imdone]

6pt Bull Elk, 15 yards, 300 win mag, 200 gr.partition handload, to the bang ...... bull landed up side down antlers dug into the ground, couple of air steps. Never found the bullet, mid neck, through spine with exit. Full rut, terrific eating.

[webley]

Grizzly bear 10 yds 444 marlin, scary. Steve!

[nature girl]

A black bear I shot while stalking it. About 40 yards or so. Shot it with the browning 300wsm.

[Island Idiots]

Last year. Jumped out of the truck and shot a spike whitetail at 20 yards with my SBL in 45/70.
Bang flop. Very little damage.

[decker9]

Closest kills would both be wolves, charging in full bore to the call. One at 10 yards the other at 15, both chest shots. Next would be a bear a few years ago, my dog by my side in training. We snuck into 30-35 yards with grandads old mannlicher, gotta love iron sighted stalking rifles.

https://i.postimg.cc/9RFTdXpy/8-D516-C43-4-BBF-4-A02-91-F6-05-B3-CF86-EC9-B.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9RFTdXpy)


https://i.postimg.cc/CZ4knnjF/963-CE3-C0-5-AF6-466-D-8110-927-CEBADDC47.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZ4knnjF)


https://i.postimg.cc/Jy8jh5H6/A4-F26-DF4-4-C79-4259-94-EB-673728-C10-B37.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Jy8jh5H6)

[.330 Dakota]

Grizzly bear 10 yds 444 marlin, scary. Steve!
Question,,,do you or did you feel under gunned with that cartridge?

[horseman2]

1970 - a spike mule buck came out of the bush, looked at me and I shot him with a 30-06 at 12 paces.
1980's - the sound of a stream killed our approach and shot a 2-point mule with the same 30-06 at nine paces.

[elker]

It came to me while in the shower today, thinking back on this hunt from a few years back it was crazy how this hunt ended. I was anticipating a long shot but it didn't work out that way.

Ill start this off,

Mine is 43 yards with a 338 Lapua mag using 300gr Nosler AB on a bull moose it only broke one rib and no exit wound but when butchering I never found the bullet. :shock:



What's yours???
so all the lead were melted with the meat. That is why I have switched (again) to copper bullets for meat animals. My accubonds are for future grizzly hunt

[MRP]

Question,,,do you or did you feel under gunned with that cartridge?
Theirs nothing under gunned about a. 444



so all the lead were melted with the meat. That is why I have switched (again) to copper bullets for meat animals. My accubonds are for future grizzly hunt
No it got left behind in the gut pile. "Melted with the meat" thats funny.

300wm and 300wsm deer and several moose at 25 feet or less.

[Weatherby Fan]

I was hunting Mule Deer late November a few years back, I parked and walked in at about 3:30 in the afternoon with a cpl hours of light left, had about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground, after only walking about 1.5k in light was starting to fading and it was snowing lightly,

as I started to work my way out I look to my left at about 15 yards there was an ear sticking out from a jack pine thicket, there was an opening of about 6 feet wide in the thicket, I blew slightly and sure enough out steps a doe and she looks at at me then looks to her right, she kept looking at me then to her right so I blew again, and sure enough on the left side of the opening a mass of Antlers and the face of a buck peaks around the trees at me and quickly pulls his head back in,

I was like woa that things huge and got a bit nervous........I scan the trees with my scope and pick up his face and , Antlers and throat patch he’s facing me so I give him one with the 7mm Weatherby in the throat, the doe runs off,

I load another shell and walk over there and he’s laying dead, he’s a heavy 4 point with cheaters and carried his mass throughout his Antlers but was as big as he first appeared, I quickly dress him and start dragging him in the snow

I can here the truck horn beeping, I guess my brother heard the shot and now being dark he was getting worried so I left the deer at the edge of the road and quickly hiked back to the truck......,this by far is my favourite deer to date as I sucked him in to look at me with calling otherwise I never would have seen him.

I shot him at 15 yards away.

[JoeSixPack]

I cracked a 10 year old bull bison in the noggin at 10 yards once

[604Stalker]

4 pt mule deer at 3 yards twins came in hot they bum rushed our can calling he stopped one stont short of running us over took a leap broadside and it was his last one first deer after 3 years skunked it all came together like magic ... Almost glad buddy didnt get the second one the packout would have been brutal .300wm w a 180 barnes

[boxhitch]

7 STW, 160 gr pill @~3150, 4 pt MD at about 10 paces
One of those mornings with 5-6" of fresh snow so drop everything to go for a hunt. Stealthy walk into a piece of natural regen left in the corner of a larger block of 10' christmas trees
Sitting on the knoll with a good view...........until the storm blew in. Cloud, fog, temp jumped up 0 deg, snow sleet then about 5 minutes of rain
It was pretty severe so I figured the morning was done and started to head back to the truck.
As the squall blew past the temperature dropped back down below freezing and the crust froze hard on the snow, every step sounded like dancing on bubble wrap.
Now everything is clear calm but noisy so blew the grunt a few times as I made a larger loop back but still p/o'ed about conditions so not holding much hope.
Then I heard what sounded like a vehicle on the road with all the crunching. Turned out to be two bucks coming in, grunting and dancing on the bubble wrap
They stormed right in through the regen, no sightings at this point, then the first stuck his two point noggin out and kept walking
I drew a bead on the opening waiting for the next buck.............

[KodiakHntr]

-6' Brown phase bear at 6 or 7 feet in the middle of a berry patch when he stepped up on the log I was standing on beside me, 264wm, only animal I have shot from the hip.
-elk at 13 yards, 300 Ultra Mag
-5 1/2' black bear, 18 inches off my toes, home made spear
-6 1/2' brown phase black bear, 264wm, 4 feet with shot #6 between his ears (he started out 75-ish yards away, I happened to be standing in the wrong place once he stopped bouncing and lined out.)
-5 1/2' black bear with Browning Mantis and 125gr muzzy, 30 inches off my finger tips
-monster 5pt bull elk, epic miss at 4 yards with the same Browning/Muzzy combination (still haunted by that one.)
-elk at 29 yards, 300 Ultra
-coyote at 2' with Cold Steel Boar Spear, not exactly big game, but still damn impressive.
-black bear sow at 7' almost straight up, 2 3/4" 00 buck (that one broke the railing on my deck when it fell out of the tree beside the house)

Undoubtedly more, but those are the ones that stand out at the moment.

[THE SWEDE]

Shot a coyote in the ass that was to busy mousing to see me at about 5 yards. 200 grain Partition out of the ‘06. Messy!

[backcountry98]

so all the lead were melted with the meat. That is why I have switched (again) to copper bullets for meat animals. My accubonds are for future grizzly hunt

thats the funniest theory of all time.... the body temperature of a moose is 38 degrees celcius but leads melting point is 327.5 degrees celsius. something is lining up here. lol

[BCHunterFSJ]

Cape buffalo at 25 yards with a .375 H&H Magnum.
Elk at 15 yards with my .338 Win. Mag.

[moosinaround]

30 ft, cow elk, 375H&H, 300gr accubond!! In one looker, and out the other! moosin

[IronNoggin]

Wolverine. Less than four feet. 22 caliber pistol.

Black bear. Big. 10 feet. 270 with 130 grain partitions.

Wart Hog. Big. 6 feet. 45 Colt 1911.

Cheers,
Nog

[wildcatter]

Closest kills would both be wolves, charging in full bore to the call. One at 10 yards the other at 15, both chest shots. Next would be a bear a few years ago, my dog by my side in training. We snuck into 30-35 yards with grandads old mannlicher, gotta love iron sighted stalking rifles.

https://i.postimg.cc/9RFTdXpy/8-D516-C43-4-BBF-4-A02-91-F6-05-B3-CF86-EC9-B.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9RFTdXpy)


https://i.postimg.cc/CZ4knnjF/963-CE3-C0-5-AF6-466-D-8110-927-CEBADDC47.jpg (https://postimg.cc/CZ4knnjF)


https://i.postimg.cc/Jy8jh5H6/A4-F26-DF4-4-C79-4259-94-EB-673728-C10-B37.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Jy8jh5H6)


I like the Mannlicher, what caliber?
I have a 6.5 x 54 and I am looking for a QD scope mount for a long time.

[decker9]

I like the Mannlicher, what caliber?
I have a 6.5 x 54 and I am looking for a QD scope mount for a long time.

This one is chambered in 9.5x57, aka .375 rimless nitro express. I’m down to my last 10-12 pieces of brass that came with the rifle. I’m going to have to learn how to size some more some day soon.

[moosinaround]

This one is chambered in 9.5x57, aka .375 rimless nitro express. I’m down to my last 10-12 pieces of brass that came with the rifle. I’m going to have to learn how to size some more some day soon.
advertise on Canadian Gun Nutz! I am sure you will find 50 pieces somewhere in Canada!! Moosin

[303savage]

Black bear with a bow, about 3 yards away. The arrow zipped right through the bear and it just looked at me and wandered down the hill a bit and fell over.

[decker9]

advertise on Canadian Gun Nutz! I am sure you will find 50 pieces somewhere in Canada!! Moosin

Good idea, I will do that :)

cheers!

[Bigdoggdon]

Black bear 12g 00 buckshot, barrel in the fur through the wall tent door.

[Keta1969]

2 wolves. Let out a cow call and they started howling and coming to the lake. Popped out 300 yards away and was just getting lined up when they disappeared. They came out on the other side of a small creek about 40 yards away howling and walked right at my son and myself he was getting his phone out for pictures when I let fly with a 35 whelen with 225gr handload partitions. They were at about 20 yds. He didn't get the pictures.

[GEF]

Charging black bear 4 paces came from over 100 yds away circled around and came in hot .30-06 with 180 partitions .
Another large black bear ,came in silent while calling elk and started running at me at 20 yds shot him in the white diamond on his chest at 8 paces with a 340 weatherby with 225 ttsx dead, at 7 paces.Heart was pounding pretty good.
Two point black tail at 6 feet while sitting on a stump,walked right up to me .6.5x55 120 solid base Nosler.
Large mule deer at under 3 feet. Shot him in the brisket from under him.He as chasing a doe and I was on a skidder trail ducked down behind a cut bank and he was on the top of it and I shot him as passed directly above me as he jumped to the skidder trail.Didn't even aim just raised the gun,followed thru with the muzzle and pulled the trigger. 264 win mag 140 partition.

[.330 Dakota]

Theirs nothing under gunned about a. 444
Thee 444 isnt a stopper, 200gr bullet @ 2500fps,,the 45/70 out performs it by a lot,,I was just wondering how it actually worked for him in a real life situation. I use a 45/70 quite frequently and its a stopper with heavy cast bullets.



No it got left behind in the gut pile. "Melted with the meat" thats funny.

300wm and 300wsm deer and several moose at 25 feet or less.

The 444 isnt a stopper, 200gr bullet @ 2500fps,,the 45/70 out performs it by a lot,,I was just wondering how it actually worked for him in a real life situation. I use a 45/70 quite frequently and its a true stopper with heavy cast bullets.

[Dour]

Single shot 500s@w It puts holes in things

[tuffteddyb]

Double 12 guage,#4 buck, powder burns in fur. One dead black bear. X 2..lol

[MRP]

The 444 isnt a stopper, 200gr bullet @ 2500fps,,the 45/70 out performs it by a lot,,I was just wondering how it actually worked for him in a real life situation. I use a 45/70 quite frequently and its a true stopper with heavy cast bullets.

Going by your logic you should have a 460 Weatherby or maybe a Howitzer. I'm gathering you're one of those guys that are scared to walk in the bush without a gun. Which is usually 50 feet past the edge of the pavement. I trust a good man with a 30-30 over a knee knocking nail biter with a 45-70. My .44 ranch hand definitely doesn't meat your approval eather.

[Ohwildwon]

Big Bullfrog, 2 ft, ditch in front yard when I was 7.

Mauser BB gun

[bcsteve]

The 444 isnt a stopper, 200gr bullet @ 2500fps,,the 45/70 out performs it by a lot,,I was just wondering how it actually worked for him in a real life situation. I use a 45/70 quite frequently and its a true stopper with heavy cast bullets.

Standard load for the .444 Marlin is a 265gr at 2300fps. I shoot 300gr at 2200fps and 325gr hard cast at 2000fps in mine. It's nothing to sneeze at.

[375shooter]

The closest big game animal was a whitetail at about 10 feet with a .300WM. Biggest caliber was .416 Rigby on a black bear.

[Fella]

Black bear at 10 yards with .30-06
Bull moose at 10 yards with .30-06

[Blacktail]

put an arrow into a large VI black bear and he saw me
Zeroed in and came at me.
I had a short Cooey single shot on my back with a 1 oz 12 guage slug up the pipe on my back
Had just enough time to drop the bow get it out and hammer him in the white spot and drop him at 10 yards

[Brno22F]

about 4 body lengths- fall 2020
https://i.imgur.com/pfgjrES.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dQetLzo.jpg
recovered from the neck
https://i.imgur.com/Pz0vRlL.jpg

[j270wsm]

6-8’, Zipped an arrow through a cow elk

[hunterdon]

Actually I have taken several big game up close over the years. Mostly with bow. But the closest for me with rifle was a large black bear at only 2 feet. 308 Winchester. I could probably reach out and pet the bear with my hand. It did not know I was there. Still as a statue.

[tdot]

Closest was a black tail deer at about 5 yards. Shot him in the neck with a .308 pushing a 180grain Accubond. No exit, no bullet fragments found. I shoot copper bullets now.

Largest caliber was last year's 6x6 Elk at 17 yards w/ my 338ss. My hunting partners were about a mile away calling and I'd followed tracks into the woods, sat at the base of a tree, and started cow calling. Surveying the area, it had been heavily torn up by elk and was thick and I realized if I shot something and it ran, I probably wouldn't find it, so I'd just keep shooting til it was down. After awhile this big boy materialized out of no where bugling and thrashing the brush and trees. I actually had a WTF moment of if this thing came at me I was screwed. It took a few moments to positively ID 6 points, but once I did, I double lunged him and as he spun I racked another round and hit him in the shoulder. He dropped right there. First bullet also clipped the top of the heart. Second bullet was found in the back offside ham, entered in the onside front shoulder. They were 235grain Hammer Hunters.

Favourite was a 15 yard black bear w/ a 6.5ss. I'd spotted him feeding at 350 yards. Plan was to use some contours to cut the distance to sub 100 yards. Only problem is, he fed straight at me and when I came over the rise, he 1/2 stood up at 10 yards. Ran off a few yards and then stood up fully to look at me. I had the crosshairs on his chest and as he started to drop he squared his shoulders up to me and I figured was coming at me, so I shot him in the chest. Destroyed the heart, damaged both lungs and severed the spine. Healthy exit. Again Hammer Hunters. I love these bullets. He piled up on his jaw and there was liters of blood pooling under him. Probably the most dramatic DRT I've seen.

[wildcatter]

This one is chambered in 9.5x57, aka .375 rimless nitro express. I’m down to my last 10-12 pieces of brass that came with the rifle. I’m going to have to learn how to size some more some day soon.


Yeah, hard to find ammo, but a good caliber.

[Deer_Slayer]

My partner shooting a behemoth of a black bear as it flew at him through the air with arms outstretched and mouth agape with teeth showing. Partner first shot didn't kill it and as we approached spot where bear had been standing it erupted from a small cluster of bushes it had been hiding in. If that bear had waited 5-10 seconds it would have nailed me as I was walking behind my buddy. 7' black bear weighing about 450 lbs. Curled up and hid like a kitten. Thank god my buddy reacted quick...lol. Blaeberry Valley near Golden BC.

[dustycool]

My first big game animal. I spotted a black bear and his girlfriend. Went around a hill to intercept and ended up right between them. Had a short staring contest at 15 yards before he turned broadside. Shot through the heart with my 303 Brit.