As promised, I said I'd let everyone know how the bear hunt turned out. I hunted hard for 10 days, but the bears didn't want to cooperate.
Where I hunted there was plenty of bear sign, but it was all down low in the drainages. Average visibility about 20 yards. The berry crop was absolutely fantastic this year (rose hips, choke cherry, etc.) and the bears stayed in the thick stuff. Not exactly "sniper rifle" cover. I probably screwed up by going to early in the season as the acorns and high country berries weren't quite ripe.
One thing I learned is that sniper rifle and 4x14 SA Govt II is one heavy rifle to hump up and down ridges. I had to carry it the way you would carry an M60 machine gun (you grunts know what I'm talking about)!
Still I have no doubt that from a prone position with the bipod, I could hit a pie plate at 350 yards (as long as the wind wasn't kicking up too bad), all day long.
I'm trying to decide if I want to lug that rifle on my October elk hunt. It's a backpack hunt, with a serious 5 mile climb to get to my camping place. Then it's another mile or two to where I hunt. My guess is that I will take the .7mm Wby. That rifle is heavier than most deer/elk rifles, but it is a lightweight compared to the sniper rifle. Again, thanks for the advice on bullets and reading the wind.
Good hunting to all.
