Elk down

[RockyMtnUT]

I decided last night I was going to head up on the mountain and give it a try in the morning "Spike unit".
I mainly just wanted to be in the outdoors. I woke up and got up there before light and started glassing. After about an hour I spotted three elk and made a move to get closer to see what they were one was a spike and I used a 6.5Saum With a 144 Berger. Not your typical Berger expansion.
Just got it all back and relaxing now. Probably head up to Idaho and helping nephew with a deer tag tonight.

 

[Tidus56]

Spike hunts are tuff, nice job getting one on the ground.

 

[Slick8]

Excellent work on some of the best venison there is.

Curious as to shot range and placement? You had perfect bullet performance which is something I see about half the time from the 230 hybrids I shoot.

That first picture makes my pants tight. I'll be in NM next month chasing mulies and views like that are what I dream of. I have a glassing spot or two picked out for the views and hopes of a big Ole 4 point feeding quartered away on a grassy slope.

 

[RockyMtnUT]

354 yards. Quartering away. Screwed up the first and hit left side gut going diagonal into liver. The second was left shoulder exiting high right shoulder on the next shot. I was huffing and puffing trying to suck air and hold still after a 1/2 mile hike as fast and quiet as I could before they went into the trees.
I had forgot my sling, earplugs, snacks etc and had 2 down filled puffy coats on. My binoculars and rangefinder were choking my neck and I was burning up as I found a gap to shoot from. I was just not prepared.
I was going to try at a longer shot but my hands were still cold from riding the atv on the road in the background from where I spotted them. Oh, well. Better to be lucky that good.

 

[.gacton]

Nice job!

 

[LVJ76]

Meat in the freezer, nice job!

 

[HangNail]

Awesome… meat in the freezer. Well done!

 

[Outdrmn]

Beautiful area, way to go finding that needle in a hay stack!

 

[vancewalker007]

I decided last night I was going to head up on the mountain and give it a try in the morning "Spike unit".
I mainly just wanted to be in the outdoors. I woke up and got up there before light and started glassing. After about an hour I spotted three elk and made a move to get closer to see what they were one was a spike and I used a 6.5Saum With a 144 Berger. Not your typical Berger expansion.
Just got it all back and relaxing now. Probably head up to Idaho and helping nephew with a deer tag tonight.View attachment 400888

Sounds like it went from calm to western real fast, meat in the freezer though. It looks like that bullet worked exactly like a bullet should. Great symmetrical mushroom -- dead elk.

 

[RockyMtnUT]

Sounds like it went from calm to western real fast, meat in the freezer though. It looks like that bullet worked exactly like a bullet should. Great symmetrical mushroom -- dead elk.

Yes, It happened fast. It would have been better if I wasn't fat and out of shape. Bullet did just fine reminded me a accubond almost.

 

[Petey308]

Great work! Gotta love the forgiveness you get from bullets like that. And even with a bigger ask than you'd like, it performed well and didn't over-expand into nothing thanks to the .295 sectional density . This is why I talk so much about how soft lead core bullets still do great, even on elk, with an SD ideally at or above .280. This is just another good example.

Thanks for sharing, and congrats on a successful hunt!!

 

[RockyMtnUT]

Great work! Gotta love the forgiveness you get from bullets like that. And even with a bigger ask than you'd like, it performed well and didn't over-expand into nothing thanks to the .295 sectional density . This is why I talk so much about how soft lead core bullets still do great, even on elk, with an SD ideally at or above .280. This is just another good example.

Thanks for sharing, and congrats on a successful hunt!!

The other thing that expanded, was when I opened it up to gut>>> it the face....

 

[Petey308]

The other thing that expanded was when I opened it up to gut>>> it the face....

Yeah, that's no fun, as I've been there, done that, but a bullet that can make it through the guts and into the vitals still and create a quick clean kill the sign of a great performing bullet, and a dependable one, especially cup and core.

That tells you that bullet can handle shots like that well, but we know it'll also do really well at extended ranges too when impact velocities are greatly reduced. The high BC will help with shots like that as well by lowering wind drift and retaining more. velocity.

Again, nice work. Sorry about the field dressing experience though lol.

 

[mdmiller]

Looks like a great hunt!
I love Elk!!