I did say - once - that the accomplishments of my Dad, my relatives and my ancestors was not a source of "pride" for me. I was merely pointing out, that to my way of thinking, "pride" comes out of one's own accomplishments.
I metioned my Dad's EXPERIENCE not as a source of pride - but as the voice of someone who's actual experience in regards to killing grizzlies, usually alone, and without a guide - bore listening to. My Dad did use calibers beyond 40 for grizzlies - but eventually settled on the 30-06, and the pump-action, as being "perfect" - for him.
I wanted to point out also that killing grizzlies is different from being around a lot of them. Heck, if being around game animals is what counts - my experiences within 100 yards of my house probably trumps the Benoit family's experiences! I chase away many of them away from my wife's roses and the cedar hedge every day. Sometimes in numbers that exceed 20 at a time.
But, I think you can see and appreciate the difference between doing that every day - and hunting them the way the Benoit family does. When it comes to hunting them - if the Benoits are talking - I'm listening!
It was that experiential knowledge about killing grizzlies that my Dad had at length, and that's the reason I mentioned it. Not to brag about it - or as a source of my own pride - but rather the experience of one who should be listened to.
The fact he regarded a short, light 30-06 pump as being his favorite - is, in my opinion, not to be discounted.
Now that he's gone, if I ever do shoot a big grizzly - since i can't have my dad at my side - I can't think of many people I'd rather have at my side than you, Kutenay.
I am truely humbled by that, Brian, and was just trying to point something out here that is important to, IMO, both of us and others as well.
I knew a guy when I started this that shot a lot of West Kootenay Grizzlies with exactly that setup, but, I never have really trusted those rifles with handloads and so have prefered bolt actions, especially CRFs with field-strippable bolts.
I have been asked, quite a number of times, from my early 20s to accompany Grizzly hunters and have done so out of friendship. I am not especially afraid of them, but, I do feel better with the larger rifles. I started with a Browning Safari CRF .30-06 and it was a great rifle, but, this was when the young women were killed in Glacier Park quite close to where I was living solo in the FH Valley and, that winter, Harvey Cardinal was killed and partially devoured out of Fort Nelly; I knew one of the COs who hunted ans shot that bear, a real monster.
I think that refering to family situations is fine, of course I am proud of my relatives who volunteered and bled for Canada in both wars as is every other Canuck with veteran relatives I know or ever have known. I am also proud to be a member of a pioneer family, that was a major factor in my choice to become active in wilderness preservation, etc., in the early '60s when it was NOT cool and it eventually cost me a fine career in the B.C.F.S.....and I would do it again.
Pride that motivates one to excel is not a negative emotion, while a feeling of special status based on ethnicity IS. Have you EVER seen me claim anything other than equality or state that I should be allowed more Elk or Trout because of when my ancestors came here? That is, as we both know, what the real issue is.
Use an .06-220 NP if you prefer, lots of good men have, I would if I did not have these other rifles AND I just enjoy mucking about with many different guns...a very non-PC thing these days!
