I live somewhere near the middle where there aren’t any real cities. Grew up in almond country where I could spend the afternoon shooting squirrels, rabbits, magpies, crows, etc. and people didn’t lose their minds over it. .22lr and 12 gauge. (And this was considered ranch work)
With my limited time, I spend most of it firing bolt action rifles. 7mm Rem & .300 Win. for Rocky Mountain elk. More recently a CZ 550 American in .375 H&H for a Kamchatka brown bear last May. I bought it used, for $650, from a gentleman that intended to hunt mule deer with it until someone reasoned with him. I thought it was a good deal at the time, and the forums have confirmed that. I’m only 5’7” and about 175 lbs. for anyone concerned about recoil, it’s fine.
Excellent.
Last place I lived was in Colusa, where I was a Deputy Sheriff for a few short years.
Generally speaking, it was a good job.
However, it was also a gauntlet of potential pitfalls, regarding whom one could accept invitations from, to hunt on their land.
Many (not all but many) wealthy land owners expected me to give their sometimes aggressive and always spoiled brat offspring, a break when I’d catch them running amok of the law.
I never obliged them, not even once.
(I am confident that if you are a wealthy land owner that you would not be one of those).
Anyway, I eventually accepted a position with the Anchorage Police Dept. (now retired from same) because, Alaska is comprised of primarily public land, plenty of wilderness.
More than one or two of my childhood pals still live in California and so, I do get back to the golden state every other year or so.
During one of my visits there, 30-something years ago, a Game Warden contacted us in Lassen County, (we were hunting jack rabbits).
He said I was the only person he’d ever run into that actually bought a non-resident hunting license in California and we all had a good chuckle at my expense.
He was a good fellow with a good sense of humor.
His last name was Stuckey or Stucky or something like that.
Rifles:
The 7MM Remington Magnum is one of two favorite long-range hunting cartridges of mine, with either 150 or 160 grain spitzers (the other is the .300 H&H / 180 gr spitzer).
As for the .375 H&H, it is my favorite general purpose hunting cartridge.
Regarding the fellow that had intended to hunt mule deer with it, he could have done a lot worse.
I’ve shot a fair pile of black tail deer (caribou as well) with it and loaded with 270 gr and 300 gr bullets, it is generally speaking, a lot easier on the edible meat than cartridges such as the 7MM Magnum and even the .270 usually are, in my personal experiences.
Furthermore, when loaded with 235 grain bullets, it shoots as flat as a .30-06 / 150 grain.
His loss is your gain.
That said, the .375 is admittedly way more powerful than needed for deer sized game.
That’s never stopped me from shooting ground squirrels and jack rabbits with it though lol.
Well any way, we are glad you joined up here.
Cheers.
