2019 Montana Elk lessons learned... A first timer's story of extreme weather and things I wish I would've known.

[rjthehunter]

The most important part of this story is, you returned home, safe and sound.....And, much wiser!

A very well written story than everyone, especially those that are experienced and complacent, should take to heart.

You experienced conditions that you may never see again. Some because Mother Nature just decided to screw with you. And some, due to your errors. Confronting and admitting your errors is the first major hurdle already crossed!


Already mentioned, and I do not want to be a Monday morning quarterback here......use more than enough cartridge and bullet. When you’ve spent a large sum of money, expended a lot of blood, sweat, and tears on a hunt, took lots of time to make the hunt, and traveled many miles.....more is better. Read my signature line.....this has been my philosophy for over 37 years. There’s no such thing as overkill. Many people hunt and kill with less rifle combo than you used.....however very few are honest enough to admit their failures. Hell, you can kill an elk with a “knitting needle”.....but, conditions must be perfect. As previously stated, a 7 Rem Mag. using good bullets, is a good starting point. My opinion on cartridges, unless you really feel the need to shoot at very long ranges (600+ yards).....get a .338 WM. It may simply be the best “do it all” big game rifle. Lots of factory ammo options available, lightweight enough (depending upon your rifle selection) for backpack hunting, recoil is quite tolerable, and with a good bullet and good placement.....everything in North America (from mice to moose) is on the menu. My wife’s “only” hunting rifle is a .338 WM (no brake). She uses it for “all” of our big game hunting, and has taken many smaller big game (deer/antelope/ small bear) with it as well as elk and moose. She’s never complained about “overkill”!

Unless your hunt area in Ohio is “shotgun only”, the .338 WM will work quite well on Whitetails. If you go this route, you’ll be hunting everyday with the same rifle/cartridge combo you will be using on that very expensive, important out of state, elk, moose, sheep, or bear hunt!

Thank You for your service to our Republic, glad you survived your Montana experience, and may your future hunts be nothing short of spectacular! memtb

My grandpa had a .338 WM that he had custom built by Dave Gentry in 1987. Dave always said it's the only rifle you need for most of the world. The only other rifle you'd need for big game is a .416 for Africa. He gave me the gun a couple of weeks ago. The gun has hunted the world a few times. Pretty proud to be able to carry it's legacy on!

Buckeye,

Great write up and I'm glad you guys made it back safely! Don't let it discourage you, you'll get them next time. Crazy how something can turn bad so quickly.

 

[memtb]

rjthehunter, Your Grandpa was a wise man! When you get comfortable with it, and find the bullet that best suites your needs.....you’ll never “need” another rifle. Unless, you hunt stuff bigger and tougher than Cape Buffalo! memtb

 

[rjthehunter]

rjthehunter, Your Grandpa was a wise man! When you get comfortable with it, and find the bullet that best suites your needs.....you’ll never “need” another rifle. Unless, you hunt stuff bigger and tougher than Cape Buffalo! memtb

We collectively put a new Vortex Rage on it 2 years ago. I'm comfortable out to about 500 yards with it now! I'd like to get better with it just for shooting for fun purposes. I see no need to shoot further in a hunting scenario but it's capable of it!

 

[3855WIN]

I would site the rifle where I didn’t need to spin turrets at 285 yards. That range should be point and shoot.

 

[memtb]

I would site the rifle where I didn’t need to spin turrets at 285 yards. That range should be point and shoot.

rjthehunter, I’m totally in agreement with 3855WIN. For around 25 years, we’ve used a 300 yard zero. About 6 or so years ago we went with Leupold 3.5-10 CDS scopes, but stayed with the 300 yard zero. It gives us out to around 850 using the “zero-stop” type turret.

That zero has worked very well for us. The “only” potential issue, would be if you decide to “poke” a coyote or other small animal at close range. With the 300 yard zero (approx 4” high at 100) at around 180 yards, you will at your maximum height (around 6”) in trajectory. You must remember to hold a little low on small targets in the 140 to 200 yard ranges. Unless you do a lot of small game hunting/shooting, this should be a non-issue. This zero gives you the ability to “hold on hair”, from muzzle to 400 yards ( about 10” low), on big game. This is a pretty forgiving system, giving you the opportunity to make a quick shot, without knowing the exact distance.....as long as you do not “badly” misjudge the distance! Game beyond 400 (way out) there, should give you plenty of time to “range and twist”!

Good Luck with your new, “ to you”, rifle! memtb

 

[rjthehunter]

rjthehunter, I’m totally in agreement with 3855WIN. For around 25 years, we’ve used a 300 yard zero. About 6 or so years ago we went with Leupold 3.5-10 CDS scopes, but stayed with the 300 yard zero. It gives us out to around 850 using the “zero-stop” type turret.

That zero has worked very well for us. The “only” potential issue, would be if you decide to “poke” a coyote or other small animal at close range. With the 300 yard zero (approx 4” high at 100) at around 180 yards, you will at your maximum height (around 6”) in trajectory. You must remember to hold a little low on small targets in the 140 to 200 yard ranges. Unless you do a lot of small game hunting/shooting, this should be a non-issue. This zero gives you the ability to “hold on hair”, from muzzle to 400 yards ( about 10” low), on big game. This is a pretty forgiving system, giving you the opportunity to make a quick shot, without knowing the exact distance.....as long as you do not “badly” misjudge the distance! Game beyond 400 (way out) there, should give you plenty of time to “range and twist”!

Good Luck with your new, “ to you”, rifle! memtb

Thanks! The scope we put on it is a Vortex Rage 5-20x50 The way I have it setup is at a 100 yd Zero. I have 35 MOA of adjustment and can adjust myself out to about 1100 yards (Max as per my ballistics calculator, not a shot I've had time to take yet). Now that's not a shot I'd take on any big game. I'd take a poke at a wolf or coyote at that range though lol. I can judge anything out to about 300 w/out a rangefinder. Beyond that I like to have a range. I've also practiced shooting without dialing my turrets at all. Just shooting at 200 and 300 yards using the VMR-1 Reticle it uses MOA hashes and I can line up a take a shot to about 300 yards without turning anything!

One of these weekends after hunting season is over I'm going to make some steel targets and setup them up on some public land and setup shooting positions from 500-1000 yards to try and get more comfortable at those ranges. Only downside to doing that is that ammo for a .338 is expensive lol. Cheapest I can find for what I'm shooting is like $45 a box. 200gr Hornady SST.

I've had the gun for a couple years to use on my hunts but just recently he officially gave it to me. Says I'm the only one who will use it and appreciate it the way he does. Rifle has been from Africa to New Zealand to the Arctic for Polar bear and everything in between!

 

[memtb]

rjthrhunter, Now is a perfect time to start reloading! You can shoot much more for the same as your spending now, and have the benefit if building ammo for your specific rifle with bullets for specific purposes! Also, there is a lot of personal satisfaction when your shooting loads you developed! memtb

 

[rjthehunter]

rjthrhunter, Now is a perfect time to start reloading! You can shoot much more for the same as your spending now, and have the benefit if building ammo for your specific rifle with bullets for specific purposes! Also, there is a lot of personal satisfaction when your shooting loads you developed! memtb

I've been looking into it! Someday I will, probably not in the next year or so though. Expensive to get started!

 

[memtb]

rjthehunter, You don’t have to go “all-out” with the “chrome wheels and big stereo system day one”. You can get a good basic reloading kit for under $500. You can add to your equipment as you determine the things you most want/need!

Unless you get “really” serious about long range shooting, the basics plus a few specialty pieces, can have you shooting pretty good. I’ve been doing it for 50+ years, and am pretty primitive by many others standards. Yet, some of our rifles (nothing exotic) are easily sub moa at 300 yards! memtb

 

[Cutlass]

Mistakes in elk country are hard learned. I’m glad you got off the mountain before you got into real trouble.

 

[brownbear932008]

Thanks for the lessons learned. Elk can flat out take some lead. I put 2 great shots in the boiler room on my bull this year and he stood there and took it for what seemed like 5 minutes before he lost it. 300 win mag. Barnes ttsx 165gr.

 

[steveshuntn1]

I’m not one for social media…to old or stubborn to get on board with it I recon. This forum stuff though is great. I hate it didn’t work out for you but stories like these are so helpful for someone planning a first ever elk hunt next year. Thanks for telling it. From the son of a Vietnam Vet stay safe and thanks for your service!

 

[Cornbread]

As a elk-hunter to be in 2022, I greatly appreciate stories like this. I've saved the link and will be re-reading it several times. I live in Florida and have been offshore almost 60 nautical miles over the past 8 years, but when I first got my boat, I found an article on The Hull Truth from a guy in the gulf of Mexico off say Louisiana or Alabama that was unexpectedly caught in a very violent storm. He shared his mistakes in a thread he started, similar to this one. He didn't pay attention to people on the radio that were already caught in the storm and screaming for help. They were only out about 20 miles, say 45 mins from port. He got caught facing 8-10' waves in a 31' Cape Horn. He had to get behind an oil rig to break the waves. The wind broke the antenna on his radio, after he put in a mayday to the Coast Guard. Scary shit.

First thing I got on my boat was Sirius weather. It has lightning strikes (which radar won't show) and shows how a storm is moving from the west coast of Florida to the east coast. I'm out of Ponce Inlet. Weather can be a huge mistake, lightning in particular. The bolts can be 6-10 wide, I guess and 400 million volts. You'll never feel a thing, LOLOL. So the OP hit home. Thank you for sharing.

With all these supply chain problems, I just bought a Western Mountaineering -30 sleeping bag and a Marmot Halo 6P tent from Camp Saver. This is a great website