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O.K. you guys convinced me to play too. My 14 year old son wants to go sheep hunting here in the Yukon and he is doing pretty well out to 385 yards with his left handed Tikka in 243. I have been on a group program for 3 months and recently climbed a fair size mountain with my group. I am fitter and stronger but still way too fat so I need to lose weight and lose weight in my pack too. The Ruger Ranch looks like the lightest legal Grizzly defense firearm I am likely to come across so I bought one. Hard to find in Canada but the local dealer got me one in. Here I am at the range!



Here is my new Rifle


This is how she groups with 225 grain FTX bullets at 2400fps. Into wet and dry newsprint this bullet penetrates 8 to 9" and holds onto 60% of it's mass expanding to about 75 caliber.


Video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM62DpPfCTw&t=88s

Video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys5Ms9f7o7c

nice videos. welcome aboard !

Thanks.... Next step is loading the Barnes in 200 grain. Going to try to hit 2500ft/sec. Is Li'l Gun still the powder of choice?

Last Video fro me..the Trilogy! This little rifle has been the most fun I have had since playing with the Win 71 in 348. Fascinating little carbine-cannon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUwHAOYK5wU

Easy to see your having too much fun !!!!!! Way my summers going, I'll have to take a week off to get any range time.

I haven't shot the 200gr Barnes much, but those who have seem to like Lilgun for the lighter stuff. Pitted Bore had done some interesting stuff with the 200gr FTX in his bolt builds a few years back, might look here for some starting data to throttle up that 200gr Barnes. http://www.450bushmaster.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14082

I could never get those TMz Barnes to fly good from my MGM 460 Encore or my 700 450B, but the flat based TEZ flew as good as the 250gr Hornady Monoflex. The blue tipped bonded TC Shockwaves shoot extremely well too.

I'm a big bore lever gun fan too, sent a 71 Browning to Harry McGowan back in 1996 and came back a 50 Alaskan, been my go to bear gun when I hunt Manitoba. Woke up one morning with 348 withdrawals, picked up a 71 Winchester and then another 71 Browning so still in the 348 game. Have a Winchester timber carbine in 450 Marlin that's a kicking lil sweetheart, she would be a nice packing gun for you.

Al: Those are some fast speeds! Think I'll use 40 and 41 grains to start and If I hit 25-2600fps and good accuracy I'll call it a day.

I took our moose this year with my 348 and it moved not a step/ 4451 and the 200 Hornady FN for 2530 fps. The 348 is very nicely balanced and easy to shoot well. It also looks at home in a canoe. I also have a 450 Marlin but mine is a 7 pound Marlin so a bit to pack. It's a one shot killer too.
You might be interested in this video where I compare the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHVfOtt1jko&t=69s

the 71 Winchester I bought was a canoe gun, she was very rough all around, but the action was tight, bore brite, and very accurate. I decided to refinish it and put new wood on it seeing I planned on using it vs having it as a collectors item. That one I left the regular open sights on, but the others I have XS rear peeps and Williams fiber optic fronts, that combo makes for a very fast handling rifle when needed.

I'm a little (some would say a lot) anal on bonded bullets for hunting, Kodiaks, Northforks, Swifts being the main choices, Woodleighs never seem to be in stock when I needed them but heard all good on them too.

Some people seem to prefer the 200 gr Barnes XPB bullet over the 225 or 250 FTX. If you search for XPB, you will find many, many pages of comments in several threads. http://450bushmaster.net/search.php?keywords=xpb