Hankerin' fer some shootin' & wheelin'

[Red_Chili]

Anybunny up for a half-day, wheelin'/shootin' combo Saturday? I'll be trying out a new front driveshaft. I, um, need to also unbend my crossmember a little bit with a scissor bender... and make it stronger... I don't wanna talk about that...

I also need to move the scope on the AR to what I am told is a more proper mil-style eye relief (ahem, <cough> per SeldomSeen <cough>).

So I am thinking a late morning or midday start. No particular area in mind, maybe around Idiot Springs/Bill Moore/Spring Creek or sumthin'.

 

[Seldom Seen]

I also need to move the scope on the AR to what I am told is a more proper mil-style eye relief (ahem, <cough> per SeldomSeen <cough>).

So I am thinking a late morning or midday start. No particular area in mind, maybe around Idiot Springs/Bill Moore/Spring Creek or sumthin'.

Hey, if it works for you that's what counts right?

I've got 3 yrds of mulch coming and utilities being marked. Hopefully they will mark the lines b/4 I pile the mulch in the back yard. I really want to get out and do some flex testing, so if'n I get every thing done today I'll be up for it. I will let you know by 5pm K?

 

[Uncle Ben]

You inviting something that pushes some lead or just those toy .22's? Just talking smack....got way to much on the plate right now but I have been itchin' to warm some barrels myself. Rain check? Remember, if your shooting out to 200+ yards and you have to use a telescope to see if ya hit it you're really not getting serious!

 

[El Jefe]

Bill,

I'd take a rain check on this too...sounds like fun!

Chris

 

[Red_Chili]

Yup, gonna shoot .223s. Hey Brian (Seldom), that works for me. Time might be a little 'loose', depends on getting my crossmember straightened, but I think I will just slot it, then bend it down, then weld a reinforcing plate.

BTW, let me take this opportunity to give props to Brian Ellinger. I gave him the info on my crossmember- I did not ask, he came out and offered to replace it with a newer design (mine is the first design). I'm just gonna straighten and brace it myself though, it would be a pain to swap it out even though that would be ultra cool.

Brian Ellinger really stands behind his products!

 

[Red_Chili]

...Remember, if your shooting out to 200+ yards and you have to use a telescope to see if ya hit it you're really not getting serious!

Uh-huh. Think of it as gettin' the feel for goat harvesting out to 500+. Which I also aim to do (with a little more than .223 of course; pincushioning ain't humane).

BTW, having reach makes reduction of Plague-carrying, disease-infested, cattle-hobbling overpopulated cute little <insert species here> for the local agricultural community that much nicer to accomplish!

 

[Uncle Ben]

Uh-huh. Think of it as gettin' the feel for goat harvesting out to 500+. Which I also aim to do (with a little more than .223 of course; pincushioning ain't humane).

BTW, having reach makes reduction of Plague-carrying, disease-infested, cattle-hobbling overpopulated cute little <insert species here> for the local agricultural community that much nicer to accomplish!

I hear ya....think I might have to warm up the long guns too as I think we'll draw prairie goats this year also. Of couse I plan on packing the .460 and if the little scrapper is within' 300 is gonna get introduced to energy of unthinkable numbers!
The custom mini ranch hasn't been warmed in a while and I know I have at least a case of 58 grainers so I'm in....just not this sat.

.460 S&W Article

 

[wesintl]

I'm kinda new to the grounds but I'd love to hit a few goats with 30 cal...

 

[Seldom Seen]

Mission accomplished, let me know when and where,

 

[IanB]

I'll take a rain check. I have 5 yards of mulch arriving tommorow so I can't go this time.

 

[Red_Chili]

Mission accomplished, let me know when and where,

I'll call ya. I'm thinking late morning now.

Of course, I musta been huffing way too much brake cleaner if I thought I could unbend the crossmember while its on the truck. If I have to take it off anyway, I think I will take Brian Ellinger up on his offer of a redesigned, straight one. Mine was his first generation... Really like that guy and his products, and his standing behind them!

So now I take back the (leaking, another story) PortaPower to the rental place, pick up a tiller, then I am good to go. Englewood Driveshaft built me a fine front one to solve my near-separation problem, BTW. 'Offroad only', yet at 65 I barely feel any vibes with the hubs locked.

Oh... and it has 17" splines. Because he could.
The old one had 5". The separation days are OVER. It will work in the rear too.

 

[Red_Chili]

I'm kinda new to the grounds but I'd love to hit a few goats with 30 cal...

Turbogoats are definitely the nicest way to get into big game hunting. Requires marksmanship, and stealth. But you see LOTS of game, which is fun. At 1,000 yards, which is more of a challenge, and if you see them they already have known about you for a while. Getting to within 500 for an ethical shot is the challenge. Think like a pronghorn!

Wyoming is your best bet there, CO is hard to pull tags. Put in for preference points for a while in CO, but plan for a hunt in the right area of WY.

A lot of guys complain about the 'goaty' or 'sagey' taste of the meat, but in my experience the key is peeling them down and icing them down ASAP. My first year, my mentor just threw my goat in the pickup and we drove around all day. That was the one year for 'twang' in the meat. Every year since, it's a max of 40 minutes between grazing and chilled when I ping one; I carry a chest with three blocks of ice while I hunt, and have a neat gantry (winch operated of course) to ease the peeling process.

300WSM is my tool of choice. They feel nothing.

 

[IanB]

The separation days are OVER. It will work in the rear too.

Slick. Nice having a spare rear DS up front

 

[Uncle Ben]

Yea....what Bill said! For my long guns I prefer my .270 Weatherby mag for Prairie Goats. My .300 WM is my second choice. It never ceases to amaze me how after you glass the herd and pick the one you think is the biggest then patiently wait/work for that perfect shot, then you go up to claim your bounty and there is this tiny long legged dog laying there. Who in the heck always swaps your big one for this little oversized jackrabbit has yet to be found! We too always have the cooler ready, it's the only way to make sure your 30lbs of "goat" is tender and yummy!

 

[wesintl]

I pretty much grew up on hearty woodland east coast goat/dog/deer. No bean or corn fed, all acorn and buds. To me the gamier the better (to a certain extent). To me beef tastes like a old stale beer. My Dad has brought home prarie goat before, I doubt they iced it down soon after but I dunno. Seemed fine to me. So what areas in wy? any recommendations?

 

[JadeRunner]

Are you guys talking about Antelope, mtn goats or prairie dogs?

 

[Uncle Ben]

Are you guys talking about Antelope, mtn goats or prairie dogs?

Prairie Goats....Skippers.....Turbo Goats....Sage Deer. Pronghorn Antilope

 

[Red_Chili]

I pretty much grew up on hearty woodland east coast goat/dog/deer. No bean or corn fed, all acorn and buds. To me the gamier the better (to a certain extent). To me beef tastes like a old stale beer. My Dad has brought home prarie goat before, I doubt they iced it down soon after but I dunno. Seemed fine to me. So what areas in wy? any recommendations?

Eastern/southeastern tends to be the easiest to get tags for. North of Cheyenne you really see the numbers increase along I-25; of course, that means most of the state of Wyoming. Some of the hotter areas are very difficult to draw though. Investigate the statistics of successful draw at:
http://gf.state.wy.us/

Some areas are rather difficult to gain access to, but these are more likely to be successful draw areas. Some wardens are better than others at negotiating access agreements with landowners, but I have found the folks at Wyoming G&F to be most helpful most days. You can always go on a field trip and build a relationship with the landowner too; if they graze cattle then Turbogoats compete with feed, and in wetter winters their numbers tend to explode. Then, the coyote population explodes too, creating double trouble for cattlemen and sheepboys.

This year is done of course, though you might find leftover tags. The website has info.