ToKeepAndBear
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2011
- Messages
- 74
After lots of driving from NC and LOTS of hiking, scored my first elk in CO. I used a stock TRG 22 308 with 20" barrel pushing 200gr Sierra Gamekings at 2570fps. He was a 5x5 I got late on opening day. All day had seen maybe 30 elk, mostly cows and several spikes, 2x2s, and 3x3s but no legal bulls. I heard some cows calling over my back right shoulder. I got on the gun and watched about 30 cows pass. The cows stopped and were trying to decide which way to go when a very legal bull walked into view at 100 yards. I could only see him from the chest up and he kept shifting his head trying to figure out what the cows were doing. I was afraid he was about to spook and wasn't comfortable with a head shot given the bulls head movement. I elected to put it straight in his chest (he was slightly turned so I put it right of center). I lost view of the bull and some cows popped up in his previous spot. I knew it was a good shot as I had a very stable rest on a PRS tripod, shot standing.
I watched the herd (ended up being about 60 elk!) move down the gully and over a hillside. The 5x5 did come into view at about 200 yards and was obviously injured. He was surrounded by many cows and I could not safely take a shot without the very real possibility of harming a cow. I waited patiently as they entered the trees and traversed a grove of aspens. I adjusted my drop for 400 yards as I had previously ranged the whole area and had sketches with yardages and drops for my entire hunting area out to 650 yards. The bull was moving at roughly 5mph broadside when he was safely separated from the cows and had a 6 foot window through the aspen grove. I lead 3 mils and fired at 400 yards. I lost sight of the bull. I was pretty confident he had dropped immediately because I followed the rest of the herd and definitely did not see the bull. I scouted the 100 yard shot area and did not see any blood (didn't really expect to with the shot presentation). Fortunately, tracking a herd of 60 elk doesn't take much woodsmanship. It looked like a herd of buffalo had run through the area and torn up the ground!
Due to the terrain, it took me probably 20 minutes to traverse across the elk's route. There at 400 yards the bull lay on its side dead. It is quite a sight to walk up on your first bull! It was beautiful among the aspen leaves and snow. The pictures cannot really do justice to how big these animals are in person. It was a bit intimidating knowing how much work I had to do in the next few hours! It was an experience and one that I will not forget anytime soon. I started the day at 0330 (I had an hour hike to get to my hunting spot). I got back to my tent at midnight, exhausted, dehydrated, nauseated, and happy!
Pics below of the hunt. The last pic shows the 400 yard 200gr SGK bullet recovered from just under the hide about 4 inches behind the far shoulder. It expanded and penetrated nicely at that range for a 308.
TKAB
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I watched the herd (ended up being about 60 elk!) move down the gully and over a hillside. The 5x5 did come into view at about 200 yards and was obviously injured. He was surrounded by many cows and I could not safely take a shot without the very real possibility of harming a cow. I waited patiently as they entered the trees and traversed a grove of aspens. I adjusted my drop for 400 yards as I had previously ranged the whole area and had sketches with yardages and drops for my entire hunting area out to 650 yards. The bull was moving at roughly 5mph broadside when he was safely separated from the cows and had a 6 foot window through the aspen grove. I lead 3 mils and fired at 400 yards. I lost sight of the bull. I was pretty confident he had dropped immediately because I followed the rest of the herd and definitely did not see the bull. I scouted the 100 yard shot area and did not see any blood (didn't really expect to with the shot presentation). Fortunately, tracking a herd of 60 elk doesn't take much woodsmanship. It looked like a herd of buffalo had run through the area and torn up the ground!
Due to the terrain, it took me probably 20 minutes to traverse across the elk's route. There at 400 yards the bull lay on its side dead. It is quite a sight to walk up on your first bull! It was beautiful among the aspen leaves and snow. The pictures cannot really do justice to how big these animals are in person. It was a bit intimidating knowing how much work I had to do in the next few hours! It was an experience and one that I will not forget anytime soon. I started the day at 0330 (I had an hour hike to get to my hunting spot). I got back to my tent at midnight, exhausted, dehydrated, nauseated, and happy!
Pics below of the hunt. The last pic shows the 400 yard 200gr SGK bullet recovered from just under the hide about 4 inches behind the far shoulder. It expanded and penetrated nicely at that range for a 308.
TKAB
