Advice for rifle choice

[AxleIke]

300 is not that uncommon is it? Last years trophy hunt non trophy buck I popped was 382 yards. Distance you will end up taking the shot is very dependant on the area you are hunting. Unit 39 will likely have shots 100+ yrds.

Eh, for 561 and 46 it is. Very little of those two is up above timber line, and we usually hunt 561 4th season so the snow is so deep we can't get into the really high stuff.

Generally we see animals in the timber, or on the edges of small meadows, and shots are under 100 yards.

I forgot about you in my previous post, as I know you've taken and made a ton of long shots.

So, I'm impressed with both you and Drew!

I evidently need a LOT more practice.

 

[MDH33]

Once I decide on a rifle and scope, it would be fun to get a group together for a range day. Hang out, try out various rifles, get some practice, get some tutorials, etc.

 

[Uncle Ben]

Eh, for 561 and 46 it is. Very little of those two is up above timber line, and we usually hunt 561 4th season so the snow is so deep we can't get into the really high stuff.

Generally we see animals in the timber, or on the edges of small meadows, and shots are under 100 yards.

I forgot about you in my previous post, as I know you've taken and made a ton of long shots.

So, I'm impressed with both you and Drew!

I evidently need a LOT more practice.

I agree that most shots are within 100 yards. In the thick quakies or edges of the dark timber you'll be lucky to see anything more than a glance of the animals at longer ranges. Many times you will hear or smell the animals and not see them. I like to hunt higher ground which gives you a second chance or and/or a choice on the animals when they think they think they are out of danger and stop to look back. If you don't know your tools trajectory you limit your options on that big bull or big buck when he looks back! Cows and does are best shot as close to the recovery vehicle as possible but big horns are worth the work! The last bull I shot, two years ago, was with my .460 pistol at 220+ yards.....typical story as we were calling it quits for the day and just hiked back up the mountain to where the Cruiser was parked. Across the meadow just outside of the dark timber tree edge 4 bulls were crossing through. My partner clocked his too with a .325 mag Encore. Both were solid hits. I should finish the story as it plays into other comments on this thread about kitties. Unit 44 (other side of the canyon from 39) has a high population of cats (cougar and bobcat), and bears. We got both elk just before sundown. As a rule of thumb if you drop game in the evening do not quarter in the same place you gut them! Predators always love the gut dinner before the meat! We took turns gutting and butchering while the other stood guard with pistol in hand. It was scary as heck hearing what was happening a couple yards away at the gut piles while we worked to get the meat out to the vehicle! The next day we went back to see if we left anything we wanted and the amount of cat tracks was very unsettling! Dang I love hunting! Just retelling the story makes me itch to go again!

 

[nakman]

Do did you guys do a countdown or something, so you both shot at the same time? Or how else could you hit 2 from the same group?

 

[Uncle Ben]

Do did you guys do a countdown or something, so you both shot at the same time? Or how else could you hit 2 from the same group?

Nope....Spot them, pull em up in your sights, call out the one your aiming at at pull the trigger. You just don't have much time unless they are grazing or bedding and they haven't scented you yet. Unless they see you, it takes a second for them to realize they are in danger....then it only takes them a nano second to completely disappear. Scott (my hunting partner) actually pulled his shot off just before I did probably because the difference of a scope on a rifle vrs scope on a pistol. In other words, calculating how much elevation you need rather than knowing from experience is a rare luxury. A good range finder is also essential as playing with it often trains your mind approximate distances. This particular time I under estimated the distance and shot a tad low. It was still a solid hit but I like to hit high or if I have a good rest to shoot from my favorite hit zone is just below the ear, straight back from the eye.

 

[MDH33]

I found a Ruger M77, stainless with a laminate stock that I really like. Not as light as a synthetic, but seems less likely to get beat up like a walnut stock. Anyone have experience with these stocks and how they handle the weather?

 

[Snowrun]

I found a Ruger M77, stainless with a laminate stock that I really like. Not as light as a synthetic, but seems less likely to get beat up like a walnut stock. Anyone have experience with these stocks and how they handle the weather?

They are great. Some friends have said they hold up better in the weather than wood as well. I also have had some really good experiences with the M77.

 

[Uncle Ben]

I found a Ruger M77, stainless with a laminate stock that I really like. Not as light as a synthetic, but seems less likely to get beat up like a walnut stock. Anyone have experience with these stocks and how they handle the weather?

That would be a great gub! Hawkeyes are indestructible through simplicity!

 

[Mendocino]

I have a M77 in 243 that I have taken lots of deer with. It's a good choice depending on caliber and game.

 

[Rezarf]

300 yards! That is outstanding Drew! You are one steady dude.

I can barely hold steady enough for 100 yard shots, and that is at a range. With adrenaline pumping, and out of breath from hiking a ridge at 11,000 feet, I completely missed at 50-60 yards this past season, though, to assuage my ego, it was a moving shot.

I've made a 100 yard shot (longest I've ever even seen an elk out hunting), but that was leaning the rifle against a tree. Free standing would have been another miss.

Needless to say, I'm impressed, you are a much better shot than anyone I've met before

Do you have a good local place to practice? After last season, I decided I need to be getting out more, as my accuracy has gotten a lot worse since high school when I actually knew how to shoot.

I'd love to find a really private place to go up in the forest, to avoid exhorbitant range fees, and avoid other people all together, but I imagine that is a pipe dream in this day and age.

Buddy, you've filled the freezer before, not me

I grew up on long guns with my pops. Please be clear I haven't taken an Elk at 300 yards, but I am comfortable with taking a shot at that range and not wounding/missing the animal due to confidence in my ability. Hitting it is another thing entirely

FWIW, I would drop to a knee, lean on a tree, go prone... anything to get an advantage. A square static range and busting you butt up a mountain while huffing and puffing are VERY different situations for a shot. That said, if I had a clear shot at 300 yards, I wouldn't hesitate to take the shot based on my fundamentals. 300 yards with good glass and a good trigger aren't out of the reach for the average Joe with lots of trigger time down range and a little skill. Shooting is a diminishing skill, gotta practice to keep up your skills. I shoot year round, not as much as some but more than most.

And yes, I have a few spots out in the national forest that let you reach out and play at distance. Snap shooting at 10" reactive steel targets are the best way to gain confidence... it gives you some stress and reveals all your weaknesses.

 

[Mendocino]

The last bull I killed was in Arizona at 743 yards with a 340 WBY. This was not my preferred distance, but all things considered it was the opportunity I had and the elk is in the freezer.

I do practice--a lot. If you want to see how you are at distance come test yourself here: http://www.competition-dynamics.com/

We also have some less intense, more local matches too. PM me if you are interested.

 

[AxleIke]

Buddy, you've filled the freezer before, not me

LOL! Thats just the law of large numbers bud! You go enough, eventually you find something!

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

Nope.... I like to hit high or if I have a good rest to shoot from my favorite hit zone is just below the ear, straight back from the eye.

It's nice when they drop without ever knowing what hit them. Meat tastes better too.