968 yard bull

[Jim See]

My elk Trip this year brought Matt Salm back into the fold as well as 2 of his friends, Chris and Rodney. The "Geriatric Crew" of the last few years have all but passed on the torch. With 4 guys from 4 different states the planning was quite entertaining and we did manage to double up on some things and completely forget others.

The first day had Chris killing the largest bull of the trip, at around 480 yards at first light. Matt filled his mule deer tag at, if I remember correctly some where in the 400 yard range that afternoon.

Tuesday Matt killed a 5x5 at close to 600 with his 300 WSM.

So with a few days of me packing lots of meat I really had not put on many miles hunting. I chose to spend my mornings and evenings glassing from different and repeat locations until I thought I found what would be a sure thing.

Thursday morning I found a pattern that would help us fill the remaining 2 tags (due diligence all week behind good glass pays off) My decision to climb into a large box canyon with Rodney, that very evening, payed off. We finished the trip with a 890 yard bull and a 968 yard bull.

More packing!

 

[Harvman]

Looks like you all had a great adventure with vittles for the freezer and camaraderie to share. Take care, it's good to hear from you.
P.S. If I read this right your shots were much further that Matt's ?!?

 

[Harvman]

Now I started it!

 

[MMERSS]

Well done for everyone. All good LR shoots with a great average to boot!!!!
It's not too often you get two at one time approaching ELR ranges.

 

[Joel Russo]

Congrats Jim and gang... Looks like Matt left the new "big stick" at home?

 

[scsims]

Congrats Jim.... what were you shooting? Something you made at Surgeon rifles?

 

[Jim See]

Congrats Jim and gang... Looks like Matt left the new "big stick" at home?

Joel, Matt brought it but never got a chance to use it, instead of sitting at camp and glassing the various mountains he decided to foot it around the mountains, I spent most of my week packing so when I decided to walk to a spot with an 17lb rifle I made it count.

I was a little disappointed in that he never even got it out to shoot some rocks.

 

[Jim See]

Congrats Jim.... what were you shooting? Something you made at Surgeon rifles?

I was shooting a 338 Lapua Improved. On the Surgeon face-book page we have it listed as a regular 338 lapua because we didn't want a bunch of calls about guys wanting a non-standard chambering. I am running the 300 otm at 3010 fps and it is a hammer.

One other thing you may all enjoy, When we were quartering up the elk that evening about 130 elk came off the face of the mountain to feed, from our shooting position they were south, the elk we shot were west, so from our kill position we never seen them. As we walked out, in near darkness, I could hear cows mewing and figured some had come down, but had no idea there were 130 elk within 1/2 a mile of us.

The next morning I got up at first light and soon watched that huge heard climb back up to bed, from 2 miles away with my spotting scope, I stopped counting at 100 might have been 12-15 legal bulls. I wished I could have traded up for one of those over 300 inches.

This year was a dream trip for CO public land. I got 10 days in on aging my elk meat and boy is it a tasty elk.

 

[Joel Russo]

Joel, Matt brought it but never got a chance to use it, instead of sitting at camp and glassing the various mountains he decided to foot it around the mountains, I spent most of my week packing so when I decided to walk to a spot with an 17lb rifle I made it count.

I was a little disappointed in that he never even got it out to shoot some rocks.

I was thinking he would have shot the place up with it....

 

[msalm]

Hey Joel,
Don't know what it was, but I just got more interested in getting out in the field and hunting. We weren't seeing elk or even elk sign on the face of the mountain I was hoping to try out the big 338/408 on and I didn't figure on needing to use it. Jim was mistaken on the rifle I did use, it was a lighter weight 7mm WSM. I loaded it for mule deer with 140 gr Accubonds and it was shooting very well. Shot my deer at 375 with perfect performance (top of the heart), then a few days later had a bull and a few cows above me at first light. The 140gr bullet wasn't ideal, but the bull was shot at 500 even and two shots, two hits, one dead bull. First shot was through the lungs about 1/3rd of the way up and 2nd shot was right in the shoulder 1/3rd of the way up. Funny thing is the first round never exited, but the second shot busted both shoulders (through the heavy cross bone) and was sitting against the hide on the far side. After that one he was down for the count. I did shoot my 300 RUM a bit on a few rocks and I hadn't shot that rifle in 3 years. Last time was when I shot a mule deer buck at 1180. Well with the same loads I dialed up for an 850 yard shot on a rock and impact was w/in an inch of the 2-3" spot I was aiming at. Follow up shots were right there, left and right due to wind.

Honestly I just didn't have the time with the big 338 beforehand other than getting a basic zero at 300 back home. It does really seem to want to shoot, which is a good thing. Most shots at 300 are w/in 1/4" of touching and next year it will be ready. I ended up at 141gr of 50BMG with the 300gr Sierra at something over 3100fps. I have some die blanks on order w/ PTG and as soon as they come in I'll get your dies back to you...thanks for the loan!

As for the hunt in general, the other two guys were good friends with time available. Rodney had never hunted elk and Chris had bowhunted with me once before for elk. When asked what he thought of it, Rodney loved it, but said it was a hell of a lot of work! Seems we were always packing out meat and it was an average of 2 miles with 75-125lbs on your back...everyone came back in better shape than they left that's for sure.

I don't know if I should refer to any of these guys as friends though, when I went up on Sunday to pack out my deer all I heard was crickets....the SOB's sat in camp while I packed in, boned out the skinned carcass, and packed it out myself! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger I guess

All in all, great hunt, great time.

Oh, and everytime I shoot that 338, the back blast give me a headache...must be the Muscle Brake.

 

[Joel Russo]

Hey Joel,
Oh, and everytime I shoot that 338, the back blast give me a headache...must be the Muscle Brake.

You need to suppress it!

Who the heck would have designed that Muscle Brake that way anyway??

Matt~ I completely understand the need for the light rifle.

Congratulations on the hunt, and you'll have all year to shoot the new rifle.

 

[zuba]

Very cool Jim. Glad to see the move didnt cut into your hunting

 

[bayedup7]

Congradulations sounds like one heck of a hunt. Good job guys.

 

[Jim See]

Well friend Hmmm...
If I remember correctly, while you were out hunting for that deer I was packing out your buddies elk. And just as we finished you came back to camp at 3;00 in the very early afternoon, with just the horns and cape. Then poured a drink and sat around begging for help. Oh and the crickets you heard Sunday morning, that must have been your buddy, who's elk I packed out. Because Rodney and I were out hunting when you woke up.

If I must remind you again, I got off that mountain at 11:00 pm the year before with my horns and the cape I gave to you so you could mount the buck you shot 2 years earlier.

For the record, before Matt brings it up, I did have a horse to help me out the morning after I shot my deer, but I also carried gallons of water up hill both ways to water it all week, so really he was just my friend helping out.

The Muscle Brake comment, first bad report I read on the net in 6 years, thanks friend.