Originally Posted by moosemike
Originally Posted by kaboku68
Frank Billum who was one of the old traditional chiefs of the Ahtna Athabaskans was one of the best hunters that I have encountered. He didn't need much and would get a big moosk every year. His 30-30 was state of the art and he would dote on it like a favorite child or pet. He kept it in a very nice beaded moose-leather case. I once got up enough courage to ask him why he put so much love into a levergun that had an effective range of 125 yards. He said it was because it was a hell of a lot better than the muzzleloader he had before or the bows and arrows that he started with.


I can all but guarantee he had a greater effective range than 125 yards. I used to go 125 yards with my .44 Mag revolver. With my open sighted 30-30's I've killed past 200 yards.


He was 94 years old with failing eyes and body. He still could call a moosk with the best of them. He generally would cut a big bull's tracks and then just wait...sometimes for days... and then he would put a big 190 grain round nose where it mattered. Shooting and hunting are too different things. Frank was probably not ever headed to the 1000 yard matches but he sure could hunt for being an old man.