1st Elk and Whitetail with 174 Hammer Hunters

[HuntingBronco]

Got my first Elk this year. Per Steve's advice, ran 174 Hammer Hunter in a Browning 300WM that was gifted to me. (Which, unfortunately, sits in a salt wood stock, which allowed me to modify to my liking, rather than be a safe queen.) Shot was 430 yards up hill and the bull never took a step. Just slid down the mountain. Complete pass through. Bullet left the muzzle at just under 3300fps.

A few weeks later, I shot my nicest Upper Peninsula buck with a 30-06 running the same bullet. Shot was about 90 yards. Bullet left muzzle right around 2900fps. Deer ran about 70 yards and piled up.

Lots of help from great folks along the way. Bradley Cheek Rest, Hammer Bullets and ThunderBeast. (They did a rush job on fitting one of their brakes to the thin barrel on my ULW 30-06.) Not to mention my buddies that helped pack the elk off the mountain.

 

[MarkTheFark]

Great buck and bull. Congrats!

What's your load for the 30-06?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

A double-trophy! Very nice.

 

[HuntingBronco]

30-06 - Bunch of RL16 in Lapua brass lit by CCI BR2
300WM - Bunch of H4831SC in GW brass lit by CCI 250

Per Steve's guidance at Hammer - just ran some powders on hand, worked up to a velocity (never ran into pressure) and called it good enough. Didn't have time to fiddle with seating depth.

 

[Bisbee]

You are having an awesome fall so far!

 

[Hubby45]

Great pics. Congrats and thanks for the share.

 

[epoletna]

What the previous two posters said !

 

[Mike Matteson]

Nice pair to shoot too!

 

[Charles Keethler]

That's pretty good for a yooper, congrats. Like the great pics.

 

[EWY]

Very nice. Congratulations.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Congratulations. Thanks for the post. Thanks for the pictures.