Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Kodiak Bear Hunt: Hey Art my wife was totally over gunned!!!

I used to hunt with an oldtimer out of Wasilla who used a 308 with 220 partitions. He said it was the "American version of a 6.5 Swede with 160 grain round noses," and "killed all out of proportion for such a small bullet."

He used a BLR, if I recall right, having "modernized" from an old 45/70 shooting 405 grain Remingtons.

Great job!

How cool your wife likes to hunt with you

Excellent. Well done

April 22-May 2nd.

Thanks man

No had great plans this winter to get a load worked up with 200 NPTs or 180 NPPT or 180 a frames. However procrastination got the best of me this winter and it never happened. So ended up just buying several brands of 180 grain factory loads and the 180 Federal Fusions grouped the best in her gun so thats what she went with.

Ideal bullet choice? Maybe not but it worked.

Right on Art!!! Yeah Becca's confidence with the her rifle has really increased the last couple years and especially all the shooting she did this winter in prep for the hunt. Something just clicked for her and her form became a lot more natural when shooting from field positions at the range and as a result her groups reflected that improvement as well.

She was setup pretty rock solid for the 180 yard shot and stayed like this for the 10-15 minutes waiting for the bear to stand up. I got bored and took pics and video while we waited but she stuck with it watching the bear play with the alders above it with its paws while on its back.

Def proud of her for making I good shot. I was back up but there was no need. I told her make the first one count as any of the follow ups I might get in it is just a bonus.

This is how she looked for the 10-15 minute wait once we got setup:

Its amazing how once the teaching becomes understandable to anyone, the form snugs up and the groups do too...

I usually have to use wording along the lines of relax, flex, don't lock your joints, just get more along the lines of relaxed and the shooter will still have to figure it out, even if you show them on your form over and over.

Good job all the way around!

Going to have a big writeup sometime on a blog or such?

I can't wait to become a resident and smack one and I bet the taxidermy on some beast that big is going to be flat fun and time consuming to do... I just messed around getting my moose READY to put the hide on last weekend... took a lot of work with something that big. I can only imagine a bear.

Be proud of her man!!! Carolyn is envious on our end, though I think her killing days may be over.

You two are what we wish we were at your age!!!

That image is priceless!

You've been teaching her HERESY!

That tape on the barrel is supposed to be blue!

She did great, BTW!

Outstanding job on what looks like a very good bear. Congratulations Becca!!

What the lady did is even more impressive when you realize how much she is struggling with a stock that is too long for her. Man her neck must have been a wreck after 15 minutes in that position. She is definitely tough, no doubt about it. She is probably taking more punishment from that rifle than the average guy does.

A suggestion from 50 years of experience: if that is actually her own rifle, maybe she should look into shortening the stock so she does not have the crawl the stock so much, and maybe can see through the scope without so much stretching. I recognize that position 'cause a full length stock does that to me. Simply whacking an inch off my stock the first time I tried it immediately shrunk my groups down a lot, and made me very much more consistent. A bonus was I could work the bolt without removing the butt from my shoulder. With newer firearms, now the length of pull is even longer than back then, so the strrrreeeeetch is nearly impossible. It is much easier to "relax" to shoot if you are not struggling with stock fit and eye relief on the scope.

Maybe have her check her length of pull. It might be enlightening. That one change can make a real difference in accuracy, comfort, speed of target acquisition, and ability to support and control the rifle. One of these days that could be really important.

Sir, it's not even in her shoulder to shoot! It's pushed forward several inches to balance more on the pack while she waited for the bear to stand up.

It started life as a 13.25" LOP now down to 12.5" and it helped a lot. The gun actually fits her quite well. But thanks for the ideas.

Thats what I was thinking too, just pushed out there and kinda chilling just waiting. Not at all tucked and ready to shoot.

But he had a good point.

Though I feel that I know you both enough from reading that Becca would have her own rifle and it would be fit to her!

Fantastic job! Wish my wife was inclined thataway.

Then my hat is off to you both. That is great to hear. (It would fit me well, too.)

When I see a photo with a gal all stretched out like that, I can't help but comment since it makes so much difference. It is so often overlooked.

Kids are the same way stock wise... folks to cheap to cut a stock, put a pad on , put the extension b ack on and so on... or buy a new stock as they grow.

I agree. Which is why he had it cut down for her to fit her. Can't hold it ready to shoot the whole time, but she wouldn't put the gun down so she made it a bit more comfy scooted the gun forward and would alternate between watching with the naked eye and checking occasionally through the scope until it started to stir and then she got into position again as did I which is why there is no pics of her at the ready to fire position....I was playing backup not photographer though apparently I didn't need to

Congratulations to you both
Great pics...

Congratulations! Awesome bear! Are you sure it wasn't a 375…?

Bet the bear "thunk" it were...