Savage Long Range Hunter 7mm Rem Mag 2016 Elk/Deer

[jdmecomber]

We have developed factory guns to shoot very well using the latest and greatest reloading techniques. This year I harvested an elk in Wyoming at 904 yards and 527 yards for a Washington whitetail. We wrote the details on how we develop the guns in a previous post called Load Development for the Ruger Precision Rifle in .243 Win.

My rifle. Savage Long Range Hunger 7mm Rem Mag. 168 Berger Classic, Imr 4350, 215m primers, Winchester Brass, atlas bipod, Vortex Golden Eagle Scope


I went by myself rifle elk hunting in the northwest of Wyoming. I have been learning the art of long range shooting for about 2 years now.

My first night I found some Bulls but ran out of light and also had two white wolves harassing the herd.

I had a snow storm move in the next night, and I didn't find any elk.

The next morning I woke up to clear skies, fresh snow, and below freezing temperatures. About an hour after sunrise , I found four Bulls and shot this bull twice at 904 yards. He has a few broken tines.

I spent the next day packing out the bull which was about a 20+ mile adventure. I had a Grizzly Sow and her cubs using my same trail everyday, but luckily I never ran into her.

The whitetail I originally had at 800 but couldn't find a decent spot to shoot from. I eventually ran down and got within 527 yards and was lucky to spot him right at last remaining light. I know Len recently posted some articles on different shooting positions. I will have to practice up. Prone was not an option on the deer

 

[cohunter14]

Nicely done, congrats on a couple of great shots and a couple great trophies as well.

 

[Bravo 4]

Congrats, looks like you are having a great season!

Looks like the long range game is really paying off for ya. Gotta ask, what do you think your chances on those animals would have been if having to shoot "normal" ranges (say <300 yards)?
I have to say that having the ability to shoot extended ranges is the only way I have connected on elk, especially having to hunt public lands with lots of pressure and what seems like few animals. A few weeks back I got a Colorado bull at 811. There is no way I would have got him if having to close the distance. I caught him in a small meadow across a valley.

 

[jdmecomber]

I hunt public land also. These spots I hunt are long range spots. If I wanted to shoot animals closer, I would hunt differently. For me this long range game was 2 years of learning and I wanted to prove to myslef that I could do it without a 7k custom gun. For my buddies and I, we have come to realize that almost any gun can be made into a consistent long range shooter as long as you start out with a decent product. Savage LRH, Remington 700 LR and others with the same specs. For us it boils down to the ability to develop a weapon properly.

Could I have gotten closer to my elk this year, maybe there was fresh snow but they were headed up into the timber. The deer I would say no. I already cut 300 yards off getting into better position and it was last light. For the elk I was off a road 4 miles and for my deer I was off the road 2.5 miles. If I were to hunt public land with 300 yards and under mindset, I would have a bow hunter tree stand mindset with extended ranges.

I fully planned on shooting my spring bear long range this year but it didn't go as planned. I think it was only 150 yards. Ruger Precison .243 105 vld

 

[300 Driver]

Congrats on three nice harvests. And great info in your precision rifle posts. Think I may change a few things up in my routine...

 

[jdmecomber]

Thank you