Traditional Hunting

[mel_o_mel]

I hate to do it but I had to make a change. I was getting killed too much by grizz. The devs made a mistake by taking the percussion cap off everytime it's unshouldered. If the grizz attack is sudden with no warning it took too long to load the cap and get it shouldered and then the sights on the bear. Nobody I know takes the cap off when unshouldering the gun. I never do. Tere's no need to. It doesn't come off the inline muzzleloader in game. What's the difference? Why one and not the other? They both have a hammer that needs to be cocked to shoot. Just like lever guns. Do you carry the 30-30 around with no round in the chamber?

So, i've kept everything the same as in the traditional hunt except I switched to the inline muzzleloader instead of the caplock. The inline has a better open sight too. I may get along without the scope. I'll have to try it and see. If I do need to use the scope it has an illuminated reticle which is much better for me to see.

Call it Modern Traditional Hunting. Yeah, that makes no sense.

I was going to recommend that scope once you mentioned your vision issues, but I didn't think it fit on any of the guns you mentioned owning or using, and you didn't seem to be biting on my 45-70 suggestions.

A couple of options for you with the grizzlies is to try carrying a bow or a handgun. The traditional bows are permitted for grizzly as is the muzzleloader pistol. I don't have the muzzleloader pistol though, so I don't know what its loading animation is like. I believe you own the .308 Highwayman though, and I think that would be your best bet. It might not be the most effective option in kill power but you can usually scare one away with a shot in the ground (and then there's those times that they charge again after being shot ). I don't think it would be too hard to just imagine you have a muzzleloader pistol stuck in your belt especially since you would be carrying it for self defense and not actually hunting with it. (plus I think it actually looks the part better than the modern muzzleloader pistol does)

The bows are still slow, but quicker than the caplock's animation, and give you a quiet way to deal with the unwelcome advances of lonely mama bears . It takes a while to figure out the aiming, but a charging grizzly should be all the incentive you need to learn it real quick like

[DanthemanBoone]

I would also suggest looking at the 45.70 Buffalo gun. The open sights have a permanently centered back sight that ghosts out, to leave the front sight which is a circle with a crosshair. The gun is single shot and reloads at the same speed as all other single shot rifles. Sight acquisition as comparable with single bead shotguns. Just put it on the target and let her rip. It is an older looking weapon that suits the trapper look and has a low powered scope option in an early style long tube. Plenty of power to make the bears' eyes water and the most satisfying bang you could wish for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgho8TVPIy8

PS. Another option you already have is to load your Free single shot shotgun with slugs. Also a period looking weapon with the bonus of free ammo.

[OldMtnMan]

Lot's of options and i've tried a lot of them. My favorite is the 9.3x74R. Two fast shots and will knock down an elephant. It came out in 1900, so it's an old caliber.

My problem is it's not realistic to carry two guns unless one of them is a handgun. I've never hunted with a handgun. I find carrying a bow to kill grizz not a practical idea unless it's my main weapon. I have not only the single shot shotgun but the auto too. I bought it to do some comps. Ok, but not a gun i'd want to use all the time.

I picked the inline muzzleloader because I actually owned the gun in game. EW must have made a deal with Thompson Center to copy their muzzleloaders. The caplock is the TC Hawken and the inline is the TC Triumph Bone Collector model. I bought one 4 years ago to hunt for bear and elk. I was convinced I needed to use a scope because of bad vision and couldn't bring myself to put one on a caplock. So, I bought the TC Triumph a bunch of pure lead conicals and a low power scope. I sighted it in and it was really accurate. It only weighed 6 1/2lbs compared to my 11 lb Hawken. 2 days before the hunts were to start I decided I couldn't do it. I hunted with the Hawken and sold the Triumph. I figured using the Triumph in game is finally doing what I should have done 4 years ago in my real hunting. It's the only gun in game that's exactly the same as what I owned. If I wasn't so stubborn about using my Hawken that I should also be able to say I killed a few elk and bear with the Triumph too. Better late than never no?

[InvisibleFlame9]

Lot's of options and i've tried a lot of them. My favorite is the 9.3x74R. Two fast shots and will knock down an elephant. It came out in 1900, so it's an old caliber.

It is one of the best in this game. One of my favorites! Maybe you could tell us what you think of the "in-game-version" of the 9.3x74R compared to real life. I was watching some videos and was fascinated by that rifle. What I saw was hunters assembling it from two pieces that come apart.

Never owned a firearm myself. In game, my experience has been that it's a beast that can flat knock down anything up to 200m. When I use it for long shots it's effectiveness seems inconsistent between different animals. Some animals it drops easily. Others seem to flee and live for some time and there's tracking. The accuracy at long ranges seems questionable. I have yet to test what the bullet drop with it actually is at range.

[OldMtnMan]

I've never owned one or even shot it. It's basically a caliber made for Africa and shooting big game up to an elephant. It was never made to shoot long range. Most shots are close in Africa. So, it never interested me in my hunting. Plus, it's $120 for a box of 20. That's $6.00 per round. It cost me less than $.50 to shoot a .58 cal round ball.

The only big game rifle i owned was a Winchester Model 70 in Win .458 mag. What a beast it was. Way more powerful than the 9.3x74R and had the recoil to go with it. It also is a popular elephant gun. I bought it to stop grizz charges while working a gold claim in Alaska. It's what the guides used at the time to protect their clients. That sounded good to me and I went with it. It used a 500gr bullet and enough magnum powder to stop anything on earth. A bit of overkill for grizzly but I was young and foolish and thought recoil was fun.

The 9.3x74R would be my pick in game if all I did was hunt for grizz. Otherwise, for all around gun for short and long shots on game i hunt i like the .300 mag.

Using lower powered weapons like muzzleloaders and longbow is more for the challenge than the best choice. It would work better had they got the weapons ballistics closer to reality in game. As is i'm close to going full modern again. Competitions and the Leaderboard is hard enough without adding more self inflicted handicaps.

I don't find using a muzzleloader in game not near as much fun as in real life. It real life I can relax and enjoy it because my goal is only one elk in a 9 day hunt a year. That's not a lot of hunting and not hard to be successful. Although only 20% of hunters are successful in Colorado in killing an elk. I don't understand how so many can be so bad at hunting but they are.

In game it's different. It's a game and made competitive to keep it interesting. Trying to simulate my real hunting is and I hate to say it, but it's boring. It would be boring in real life too if I had to do it every day. So, i'm doing some hard thinking about how I want to play Classic. I've tried the modern way and competitions and the traditional way just hunting for myself. The modern way is winning the battle. It doesn't mean i'll use anyway to win and kill everything I see. It just means i'll use modern weapons and gear and compete. Making the other hunters the competition instead of making the gear I use or how I hunt the competition.

[OldMtnMan]

Don't give up on me hunting traditionally Mel. I got frustrated with the grizz. What I should do is always carry the caplock when hunting and make sure it has the open sights. The second I hear a growl I should shoulder the gun. I can still see where the bear is coming from with open sights when shouldered. Just try and beat the grizz from getting to me before I get the sights on it.

Either that or buy a lot of first aid.

Just click first aid and carry on hunting and say. "Oh well! Just another bear. Now where is that bull?"

[mel_o_mel]

Don't give up on me hunting traditionally Mel. I got frustrated with the grizz. What I should do is always carry the caplock when hunting and make sure it has the open sights. The second I hear a growl I should shoulder the gun. I can still see where the bear is coming from with open sights when shouldered. Just try and beat the grizz from getting to me before I get the sights on it.

Either that or buy a lot of first aid.

Just click first aid and carry on hunting and say. "Oh well! Just another bear. Now where is that bull?"

I just want you to be a happy hunter Pete.

I hunt a variety of different ways myself. I have my go-to gear that I use more often than others, but I like to change it up some too.

If I'm real serious about a comp I'll be more focused looking for that one good animal. If I'm working mission sets I'll be carrying lots of weapons and a tent so I can change gear as I check things off the list.

If I'm just wandering around a reserve hunting whatever comes my way I'll usually have some combination of rifle and handgun(s) that allows me to harvest most, if not all, of the animals on the reserve. I'll also be carrying a bow for closer shots on animals I call in or come across and decide to harvest along the way. I still consider myself a rifle hunter even though most of my kills are probably made with a bow nowadays. I'm also not a big camo guy, and you can usually find me in jeans and a t-shirt, but that also changes on my mood and what I want my immersion to be that day. I do usually have my Doc Monsignor boots on because I think they help reduce the noise I make (at least against deer anyway). I shoot multiple animals in a hunt but I'm usually not out to take out everything I see and I'm not particularly concerned about trophies. When I start a hunt I might have a certain destination in mind and a route I might take to get there, but I rarely actually make it there as the hunt unfolds and tracking a wounded animal takes me one direction and then a fresh call pulls me yet another way. I'm just out there going where the hunt takes me and trying to enjoy the journey along the way.

[OldMtnMan]

Sounds good to me Mel. You're enjoying what you do and that's what counts.


I've bounced around trying to figure out what I like the best. I just saw a side of me that I never knew existed. At least when it came to hunting and killing animals. I've always given the downed animal all my respect and gratitude. It supplied food for me and my family. Itgave me it's life to do that. Maybe that's why I always chose the hardest way to hunt that I could and I always let the animals senses work at 100%. I want to give it every chance to beat me too.

The side of me I just saw was my attitude towards killing the elk. I didn't care if it's senses were working or I wouldn't have taken long shots. It couldn't see me or small me because I was in a tripod stand. When I walked up to the dead bull I wasn't grateful and thank the bull for feeding my family. I just wanted to know what it weighed or scored. I gave the animal no respect. I won't tolerate that in myself. Even in a game. I'm simulating real life and I have the same feelings no matter how much I tell myself it's a game. Competitions has brought out a bad side of me I don't want to see again. It's a simple fix. Don't do them anymore. Problem solved.

I'll go back to the full traditional way to hunt. The elk will supply the meat for my Lakota wife and the settlement. Any extra will feed the fort. I'll thank every bull elk that feeds us and i'll hunt in a method that's as hard as I can make it. He deserves a chance to beat me too. I don't care at all what he weighs or scores. They'll all be trophy's to me.

I've tried most everything and I believe this is best for me. I still have my race sims if I get in the mood to beat someone. Hunting will be as it's always been for me and my family. This what dad taught me and I hope he's smiling to see i'm still doing it.

[OldMtnMan]

Ignored again. Oh well.

After sleeping on it i've decided the problem is killing elk. I respect them too much to kill so many. So, i'm going to concentrate on killing an animal that I enjoy killing because it seems to do the same towards me. Grizz. We'll see who comes out ahead.

I'll enter all the grizzly comps that I like and skip the silly ones. I'm going to use the 9.3x74R and see if it's the best choice. No sense in using camo because I want it to see me and charge. Longer shots won't matter what I wear either. So, my favorite is the red and black checkered shirt and black pants and boots. No hat, gloves, or anything on my face including glasses. Just the way I hunted in real life. I also don't need any caller (none anyway), scent, scent eliminator, or wind checker. I'm traveling light and it's cheap hunting. Just ammo to buy and gms will cover it.

Just like Bear Claw (Will Geer) in Jerimiah Johnson movie said:

Bear Claw........I hunt Grizz.
Jerimiah.......Grizz?
Bear Claw.....Grizzly Bear you dumb pilgrim!

[OldMtnMan]

Good grief! That was too easy. 30 min I had 3 grizz and the 4th one in my sights when I decided this wasn't what I want. What a dumb easy animal to hunt. I never could make one charge, which took the excitement out of it. I'd get bored hunting for grizz all the time.

I guess doing the traditional hunt is my best choice. It's certainly not easy and if I stick to the rules i'll be lucky to get one bull a hunt providing I stay on challenging terrain and not areas easy to hunt with lot's of elk.

This is where I hunt. I have tent here and on the map it's the whole darker green area where i hunt. It's just like where i've hunted for real for decades. Hard hunting and even harder getting the meat out. Which is why I always found solitude when hunting it.
X........4906
Y.........1394

It looks like nobody is interested in this, so I won't bore you with anymore. I'm finished and will keep my personal stuff off the forum. I don't blame you. I can talk a lot when trying to decide on something important to me. My problem is I write it down when i should work it out in my head.