Fall days afield 17/18

**2FUNKY** · 08-21-2017, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by wendigo

Damn that is some distance. Longest shot I've ever taken was 180 (caribou) and prefer to keep things <120. I would get the same results at 400 if I was throwing rocks.

In my area, shooting over 400 can be common due to terrain, making it impossible to get closer without loosing sight of game due to brush and big deep canyons. To get closer would mean standing on them.

.80moa is a great group man!

**The Reverend Floater** · 08-21-2017, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by 2FUNKY

In my area, shooting over 400 can be common due to terrain, making it impossible to get closer without loosing sight of game due to brush and big deep canyons. To get closer would mean standing on them.

.80moa is a great group man!

Yup. The last three mulies I shot we're all mid 300's with absolutely no where to go due to open, exposed country.

**wendigo** · 08-21-2017, 11:13 PM

I think I would need to go to the range more than once a year to be successful at those distances!

**TAFKALVS** · 08-22-2017, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by wendigo

I think I would need to go to the range more than once a year to be successful at those distances!

Guys like Rev and I who work in the "industry" end up with the opportunity to shoot pretty frequently.

With modern bullets, a decent gun and some minor fundamentals, 300 yards starts feeling like 100 yards really quick.

**2FUNKY** · 08-22-2017, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier

Guys like Rev and I who work in the "industry" end up with the opportunity to shoot pretty frequently.

With modern bullets, a decent gun and some minor fundamentals, 300 yards starts feeling like 100 yards really quick.

This. I shoot fairly often, just shot last weekend out to 500yds. 3 shot groups were just under 5moa, 4.8", I was pretty stoked on that. Shooting again this weekend.

**yeahman** · 08-22-2017, 01:12 PM

^^Damn, that's some firepower!

When you guys are shooting elk at 400 yards, are you using a bipod?

**TAFKALVS** · 08-22-2017, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by yeahman

^^Damn, that's some firepower!

When you guys are shooting elk at 400 yards, are you using a bipod?

I'm just a paper puncher but off a pack or log is enough for me to be steady and hit things.

**2FUNKY** · 08-22-2017, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by yeahman

^^Damn, that's some firepower!

When you guys are shooting elk at 400 yards, are you using a bipod?

I lay prone with my pack as a rest. I don't like the added weight of the bipod. Prone is your most accurate position. I do run sticks for shots to 300 where I need to get up over vegetation. I don't consider myself a LR hunter but have taken 2 Elk close to 600. I do try to close the gap as much as possible. 600 is as far as I will shoot game at. I would much rather shoot them under 300. Sometimes things just don't line up like you hope.

**yeahman** · 08-22-2017, 05:30 PM

I've been considering mounting a bipod on my gun but the extra weight always scares me off. But the guys I know who use them swear by them, and seem to think the extra weight is well worth it. I do carry a lightweight monopod to use in a pinch. It will extend above the vegetation, but obviously it's not as steady as a bipod, although way better than freehand. Oh well, like everything it's a trade off.

**2FUNKY** · 08-22-2017, 06:10 PM

I use to lug a bipod, took it off after I was coached by a local LR shooter and never looked back. The backpack is way more steady for me.

**yeahman** · 09-01-2017, 01:17 PM

Had a chance this morning. Opening day for the elk shoulder season (rifle) in certain block management areas (that's what Montana calls private land open to hunting). My rifle opener came one day before the archery opener so nobody had been in there. Saw a half dozen cow elk in the aspens as I was driving up, couldn't believe it. Then a 4 point bull appeared in the middle of the road (can't shoot bulls now, but still). I was all pumped up by this point. Started hiking after the cows. Heard bulls bugling from several directions, cows mewing.

Long story short I did get a look at three cows walking through an opening about 100 yards off, had the last one in my site for a split second but didn't feel comfortable with the shot. No gun rest, looking uphill so no way to get prone...and I left my shooting stick in the car, stupid. Didn't pull the trigger. Maybe I should have, who knows, might have an elk down right now, but also might have a wounded one, which as we all know is like the worst feeling in the world. Anyway, pretty exciting way to start off the season. And oh yeah temps are supposed to hit the mid-90s today so there was that in the back of my mind too. Really I was just on a scouting mission.

Damn elk hunting drives me crazy sometimes.

**2FUNKY** · 09-01-2017, 01:48 PM

Awesome man! Way to stay off the trigger if you didn't feel good about the shot.

**Jer** · 09-02-2017, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by 2FUNKY

I have a spare I will send you for nothing.

For <$100 Brownings are pretty good.

Various wolf tracks:

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**The Reverend Floater** · 09-02-2017, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by 2FUNKY

Awesome man! Way to stay off the trigger if you didn't feel good about the shot.

Agreed.

**snapt** · 09-05-2017, 06:22 AM

Forest Grouse has been awesome since the opener in ID. Proud of this mutt for turning into such a killer bird dog.

**hatchgreenchile** · 09-13-2017, 08:41 PM

What a day.

Brought him in with cow call, perfect shot, and a trophy bull.

It took 6 years of DIY public land hunting in Colorado to reach today's payoff . Wow

**BCMtnHound** · 09-13-2017, 09:02 PM

Very nice. Back straps on the BBQ tonight!

**2FUNKY** · 09-13-2017, 09:51 PM

Fuck yeah man!! Great bull! Love the dark horns. Leave for WY in 2.5 weeks. I can barely sleep.

**Kopi_Red** · 09-13-2017, 10:03 PM

Hot damn! That's a good looking bull. Congrats!

**yeahman** · 09-14-2017, 11:36 AM

Wow that's an awesome bull! Congrats man. You earned it.

**MakersTeleMark** · 09-14-2017, 12:30 PM

Congrats! What unit?

**hatchgreenchile** · 09-14-2017, 01:31 PM

28 - got some honeyholes back here.

Thanks everyone

**Conundrum** · 09-14-2017, 02:31 PM

Congrats! Great bull. I was bow hunting last weekend and got into a little bachelor herd. Bugled them in but screwed it up at 25 yds. Learned a lot of lessons though. On the hike out, spotted this fellow sunning so I posted up and watched him lounge for about an hour from a little rock face. The pic isn't great-it's an iphone through binos. Left my spotter in the truck that day which was unfortunate. He wouldn't do much but lift his ears at my bugles but would start to get up for cow calls. He eventually got up, stretched, scratched his ears and walked into the thicket below me. I ranged him at 292 from my spot and about 200 ish when I lost sight below me. Never saw any others but I have listened to that pack down there a couple times from my tent. I didn't want to have any encounters so I headed up and back to the truck. I was pretty frustrated at blowing an opportunity but totally worth it to hang out with a wolf for an hour. He was about a mile from where I let the elk go and another mile from a herd of cattle on the other side.

**Conundrum** · 09-14-2017, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by 2FUNKY

This. I shoot fairly often, just shot last weekend out to 500yds. 3 shot groups were just under 5moa, 4.8", I was pretty stoked on that. Shooting again this weekend.

Educate me here-I thought an MOA was just over 1" at 100 yds so wouldn't 4.8" at 500 yds still be sub MOA?

**Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo** · 09-14-2017, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Educate me here-I thought an MOA was just over 1" at 100 yds so wouldn't 4.8" at 500 yds still be sub MOA?

That is correct.

Hatch that is great bull! Smokepoles and September; a match made in heaven!

Couldn't make opening weekend last weekend for my high country deer tag but leaving tomorrow AM for one of my favorite spots in this beautiful state. Was hoping for a little snow but it looks like its gonna stay north of here. So i gotta hope they haven't all lost their velvet and headed down into the timber until Nov rolls around.