I just got back from my cow elk hunt in Raton NM. I shared a guide with another gentleman from another site I go to and we had a very successful hunt, even if we did freeze half to death. :roll:
The first day of the hunt the forecast was for 30 degrees and stong winds of 20 to 30 MPH gusting as high as 70 MPH. :shock: The wind didn't reach 70 but thee were a few gusts that were darn close to 50 MPH. At times the snow reduced the visibilty to maybe 1/8 mile but we hunted anyway. My partner got his elk on his second shot which hit a bit far back doing serious damage to the liver. He shot her once more in the lungs as a finisher. My shots at another elk with the one he killed were all misses.
I'll get back to that later. About an hour later I spotted my animal and she went down and out on the first shot (Guess I more or less redeemed myself. :roll: ) At the meat packer's, we watched while they skinned out animals and my parten recover his two 160 gr. Accubonds from his 7MM Rem. Mag. They looked like good bullets to me but he was unhappy they didn't come out the other side. My feeling is he got his elk so they worked. Later he decided it as OK because if there had been a pass through, he might have hit another elk in the herd. His shot was later lasered at 317 yards.
On my animal, I used my pet .35 Whelen and the 225 gr. Barnes TSX. Shot was at about 325 yards. Here's where things get wierd. I was aiming for a chest shot and the bullet hit her in the neck right at the base of the skull. :shock: I didn't learn that until at the meat packer's and the hide removed. I know my rifle was properly sighted in but it did take a fall at the motel while still in a very heavily padded case. It was night time and the guide was due at the motel at 0500 hours. So I'm not sure why the shot went as it did. Was it the strong gusty winds? Is my scope off? Maybe I was shivering a bit from the cold. Damned if I know. My partner and the guide feel it was the wind buffeting me somewhat. I just don't know.
It's even way too cold to go to the range to check out the rifle right now. I'll admit though that that has to be the luckiest shot I've ever made. No wonder I love that rifle. :lol:
When I checked the sights about two days befoe leaving for the hunt, I also took two test seried with the Nosler Partition and AccuBond bullets in 225 gr. weight. The rifle seems to really like the Partitions and does decently with the Accubonds. I'll have to tinker with those loads some more after it warms up some. I'd probably used one or the other on this hunt if I'd had time to load the ammo.
That cow weighed out at 352 pounds dressed and 281 pounds in the skinned quarters and I have a freezer full of some fine eating to look forward too. :grin: 8)
My partner and I have decided to book another hunt next year. I hope it won't be as nasty as this one was weatherwise but if it is, I guess we'll just be suckers for the punishment. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Paul B.
The first day of the hunt the forecast was for 30 degrees and stong winds of 20 to 30 MPH gusting as high as 70 MPH. :shock: The wind didn't reach 70 but thee were a few gusts that were darn close to 50 MPH. At times the snow reduced the visibilty to maybe 1/8 mile but we hunted anyway. My partner got his elk on his second shot which hit a bit far back doing serious damage to the liver. He shot her once more in the lungs as a finisher. My shots at another elk with the one he killed were all misses.
I'll get back to that later. About an hour later I spotted my animal and she went down and out on the first shot (Guess I more or less redeemed myself. :roll: ) At the meat packer's, we watched while they skinned out animals and my parten recover his two 160 gr. Accubonds from his 7MM Rem. Mag. They looked like good bullets to me but he was unhappy they didn't come out the other side. My feeling is he got his elk so they worked. Later he decided it as OK because if there had been a pass through, he might have hit another elk in the herd. His shot was later lasered at 317 yards.On my animal, I used my pet .35 Whelen and the 225 gr. Barnes TSX. Shot was at about 325 yards. Here's where things get wierd. I was aiming for a chest shot and the bullet hit her in the neck right at the base of the skull. :shock: I didn't learn that until at the meat packer's and the hide removed. I know my rifle was properly sighted in but it did take a fall at the motel while still in a very heavily padded case. It was night time and the guide was due at the motel at 0500 hours. So I'm not sure why the shot went as it did. Was it the strong gusty winds? Is my scope off? Maybe I was shivering a bit from the cold. Damned if I know. My partner and the guide feel it was the wind buffeting me somewhat. I just don't know.
It's even way too cold to go to the range to check out the rifle right now.
I'll admit though that that has to be the luckiest shot I've ever made. No wonder I love that rifle. :lol: When I checked the sights about two days befoe leaving for the hunt, I also took two test seried with the Nosler Partition and AccuBond bullets in 225 gr. weight. The rifle seems to really like the Partitions and does decently with the Accubonds. I'll have to tinker with those loads some more after it warms up some. I'd probably used one or the other on this hunt if I'd had time to load the ammo.
That cow weighed out at 352 pounds dressed and 281 pounds in the skinned quarters and I have a freezer full of some fine eating to look forward too. :grin: 8)
My partner and I have decided to book another hunt next year. I hope it won't be as nasty as this one was weatherwise but if it is, I guess we'll just be suckers for the punishment. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Paul B.
