Outstanding!!!
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Outstanding!!!
I stood by my plan and went full .50cal patched round ball this season! I heard a lot of " Don't use that!" You'll wound it!" "That ball isn't made for big game" all the typical brain washed ***** where some think you need plastic, SS, scoped and high priced pretty shaped bullets in order to down game.
I am feeling really good after 9 days of hunting in southern Colorado. We saw plenty of elk, deer, including a real nice muley with a crown of antlers growing off one side of his rack! The weather was a little rainy in the afternoons for the first few days and then finally cleared out to where we were able to get out hunting in the evenings.
On day 1, I found the elk herd, 2 - 2.5miles away. To darn far for packing out in that range of the mountains. We did find a short cut that brought us to within 1 1.5miles, but due to the amount of downed black timber, swampy ground and clump grass, it was worse than trying to hike the regular route.
Day 2, found us watching the elk herd again. There was a real nice butt scratcher of a bull in there with 20+ cows/calves with him. I'd bugle and cow call, he'd look toward the mountain we were on and that was about it. He had his girls and that's all that mattered to him. He rounded up his cows and they went off to bed down in the shade.
On the hike back to the ATV's I mentioned how perfect a setting it would be for a doe to step out into.
15 minutes later, THREE doe stepped out of the aspens! The big lead doe took off, I whistled and it caused the other 2 doe to stop, and the lead doe stopped to look back at them.
I raised my Traditions St.Louis Hawken .50cal kit gun that I put together, took aim and squeezed the trigger. BOOM! I sent a .490" Round Ball, driven by 70gr 3fg Goex, .020" Patch lubed with Frontie's Anti-Rust & Patch Lube toward her. A huge white cloud of smoke hung low in the crisp morning air.
The doe dropped at the sound of the shot. I gave her time to expire while I reloaded. Afterward, I went up to her and bled her out and couldn't believe how they just walked out like that! We had crossed that area a couple hours before!
The shot was a high lung/ bottom of spine shock, shot. It killed her instantly. After she was bled out, We took some pictures and then proceeded to gut her out and drag her back to the ATV, parked at the top of the mountain.
I got her at around 40 yards. She packed the freezer with a little over 48lbs of meat for the winter!
Believe it or not, this year, I found out very clearly... Patched round balls, leave a BIG entrance hole and a 1/2" exit hole! I thought it would have been reversed, but it is not so.
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The 6th day & One more tag in my pocket:
With having filled my doe tag, the ultimate tag left to fill was my Bull elk tag, which I felt would be impossible due to the bulls not reacting to the calls. They would speak very little and almost at dark when the temps dropped.
On day 4, we found a new hunting zone which the elk funneled into! This place is straight out a painting! The first thought that entered my mind was... A perfect spot for Rendezvous!
A nice small open meadow, a good strong creek running through the west side, heavy aspen growth also on the west side and the east side was a mixture of thick growing aspen and spruce trees. To the north, a heavily beaten elk train going between the gap of 2 mountains, framed by aspen and spruce. Just freakin picture perfect!
It was getting late, around 6:30, and we decided to set up behind a log and start cow calling. I did this for around 15 minutes and then told my nephew I was going to climb up the hill and take a looksee for a couple spikes I saw going over a bald hill. I got 50 yards into the open and all we heard up a loud CRACK! tripping, and more cracking. The area we set up in was on the side that was thickly covered. My nephew and brother were getting all excited, looking around into the thick stuff.
Minutes go by and finally, we hear a weird sound, like a cops bull horn. Apparently they could see the rack of a 4 point bull in all that nasty stuff! There was no way to tell where the body was at any time, so it was a good hunt, just nothing to see other than antlers here and there. The weird sound like the bark an elk makes when he spooks.
We hit this place early the next day and stayed until almost dark when we packed up. It was an amazing place to kick off your boots and just wait the day out.
On day 6, the alarm clock went off and I said to hell with it. After all this hiking, we know where they are, but it's time to just take the morning off. We all went back to sleep, got camp chores done, freshened ourselves up. I was pretty fed up and pooped out on elk hunting by then. All these elk and no way to get them out without killing ourselves.
Around 3:30 PM, I suggested we check out our old hunting grounds, which is a real nasty ATV trail up into the high mountains. This trail had my white knuckling. If I was white knuckling then, I had white hair by the time I got down that same mountain trail later that night, with probably close to 300+ lbs of meat strapped to the ATV.
We got to our old area and took a walk down into a valley where there is a huge meadow and thick aspens. A good deer and elk area. My dad had a deer tag and I wanted him to get one bad.
All we found was that the rancher bordering the Ntl forest, turned his cattle loose in that area. I was pretty upset over that
Hiking back up to the ATV, I said, let's go up the main trail and look down into the little fields/openings along the way. We always see deer when riding along it, so we may as well walk it and see if we can get another doe.
We hike and hike and hike. Finally, we make it to a bowl where its a good sized open area and NOTHING! We were just blown away at how little deer we were seeing over the past few days. Deer should be everywhere, and the were, just the wrong genitals!
We walked down a little ways to a log off in the trees and sat down to rest and and were talking aloud about the area and how crazy it was with the deer. My brother asked if we were ready and of course, nahhh, just a little longer.
We were talking normally about the area again when my brothers eyes pop out of his head.. . HEY! he says in a harsh whisper. ELK!
I turned my head to the right a little and saw the elk turn and start to run back into the trees. I whistled a couple times and I was bringing my rifle up and cocking the hammer. The elk stopped with his neck area behind a tree, peering at us from behind that same tree. I took note of his antlers, placed my sight right in the crease of his shoulder, halfway in the middle and squeezed the trigger.
Huge cloud of smoke, blinded us until it cleared out in the faint breeze.
My dad and brother start talking and I hushed them up so I could listen for the direction the elk was going.
After, I heard nothing, I pushed the ball down the bore, seated it, capped and slowly started in the direction the elk was standing when I shot. I couldn't see blood, but I did not expect any that close to the scene.
Losing light fast ( dark timber ) I gave up on the blood trail and started to go up when I heard some thumping going up towards the north east and then nothing. SHOOT! I spook it! my mind screamed.
Getting lower, I tried to pick up a blood trail but it was just to dark to see in that timber with fading light. I called my dad and brother up and we spread out. My brother looking low, me in the middle and my dad high. I got into the thick timber and it opened up greatly. My eyes searched the downed logs and I couldn't see anything so I turned to the right and slowly made my way to my dad when he yelled out... Holy ****! You got him, he's right here!
I go running up to my dad and sure enough. My dad broke into the edge of the thick stuff and was scanning the area below where I was and he just happened to glance down and to his left and the bull was not more than 12 feet away from him!
We all went nuts, hugging and just in total disbelief that this elk literally, fell into our lap!
There was NO reason for that elk to cross right then and there. No reason for that bull to have stopped when I whistled while aiming and cocking the hammer. No reason whatsoever! It was one of those hunts where you worked your butt off and just as I gave up, we were gifted this elk as a reward for all of our previous hard work.
Again, I used the same rifle for this bull as I did for the deer. My Traditions St.Louis Hawken kit gun in .50 caliber, shooting a home cast .490" round ball, .020" patch, 70gr 3fg Goex and a CCI #11 Percussion cap.
The shot in the pictures looks high lung. Its not, its perfectly center, right behind the shoulder. We couldn't get the bull spread out good enough to show it properly due to the mountain side he was on. Plus hes just freaking heavy!
The bull was only 25 to 30 yards MAX when I took aim and sent that little piece of lead through his lungs. The ball destroyed both lungs and exited!
The bull was just drop dead gorgeous. A beautiful tan and dark brown hide, not one imperfection on him. You just have to take a moment and stand back and look at him. A beautiful animal.
Entrance
No exit hole picture. We skinned one side at a time and by the second side, I had blood running down me after carrying the 1/4's back down towards the trail.
Right to left: Entrance - Exit
In the end, the bull only went 30 yards from where I shot him. Most of that was up/away from us. He wasn't going far with a solid hit like that.
Last edited by FrontierMuzzleloading; 01-30-2019 at 09:57 PM.
Congrats on your elk ,sounds like a hard hunt (the best kind) Ya did good /Ed
First of all, a BIG congrats on your harvest and hunt. Looks like you have fine dining for the winter.
Now, not necessarily for a bust your chops opinion, but. You do have pics of a successful hunt. But, there are pics & story of secondary thinking IMHO. Your terminology of "destroyed" the lungs is a little overstated. More like perforated IMO. Don't get me to wrong here, if you look at any one of my post about the PRB you will see nothing but praise for it. It still bewilders me on how effective a PRB is even compared to jacketed high power, though more on deer animals. Now, here is the secondary thinking. Say a hunter had to move up an incline 40 to 75 yds to position for the shot. The shot may have had to be @ 100 yds on an animal with 300 lbs more on the animal than what you harvested and on an angle slightly facing you where the heavier front shoulder may have came into play. With a little heavier breathing, a little excitement, a little wind and the shot may have not hit just hair, green ribs, and lungs. There could have been more muscle and bone in the scenario of the the hit. The .490 with 70 gr would have been a little less performing as bone and muscle would have taken most of the energy instead of vitals. I think a conical would have performed just as well in your scenario and much more efficiently in the scenario that I just described. Especially, if the animal was on the edge of the thickets and made a 200 yd run after the shot where an exit wound should have provided a little more tracking sign with the possibility of rain, snow, or dew in the near future.
May you hands be warmed on a frosty day.
A lot of what ifs when hunting with any rifle. I love traditional hunting, and patience is key to hunting. I don't take risky shots nor do I take shoulder shots as they ruin to much meat. I shoot almost every other day, so I know my rifles very well. In fact, the last time I shot this rifle was jack in late june/early july. Once she was on, that was it. I already had used it at a rendezvous with a buddy and we wiped them all out, including a single shot standing up at 125 yards. Shes a deadly rifle in the right hands. I took both animals at a little over 10,000 feet. The doe was the hardest shot as she spooked right away and it was a quick reflex shot.
I never felt under gunned once during the hunt.
Next year if I can get a tag ( I doubt it, 2 -3 years minimum for elk & deer ) I'll most likely use the exact same set up.
I must say congrats, but I am a bit disappointed in you.where is the green shirt and fancy hat? And only 30 yards? I was hoping to see 90 yards.
It seems your shots, and results, mirror what I posted in my post about conicals/roundballs! I love mule deer and elk, much better tasting than our whitetail here in KY, which are mostly fed by mast crops, what gives them a gamey taste, which I like, but some people don't!
It is great to have confidence while in your prime, especially if you do practice shooting. Though, there may be younger, less experienced, and fat ole ba$tird$ like myself slipping up and down hills in search of large game animals. That is why I may have mentioned my post. You have probably experienced many "ifs" in the last 20 years and you will experience many more "ifs" in the next 20 years if you are still going to be in water or field. Just sayin.
May you hands be warmed on a frosty day.
Congratulations on a successful hunt!I've never shot a spike, they are not legal where I do most of my hunting, they can be quite curious and dumb as youngsters, I've had them stand and stare at me then turn and hit a tree leaving.
Charter Member #148
Congratulations Boy, you got just what you deserved.
A belly full of elk roast! Man, that was amazing tonight. Not really a banana pepper fan, but it added just enough heat that really brought out the flavor.
Both freezers stuffed with elk, deer and wild hog. Winter time, I'll spend using the burger from the deer/elk and make jerky.
Nice shot. Between the ribs on both sides? Good for you to keep the range within reason.
Reminds me that just about any caliber can kill just about any animal if the shot placement is just right. If it is just a little bit off, then a long track or a lost animal.
I also am reminded of the many gun/caliber discussions for elk hunting. Most claimed that a good elk cartridge needed to be able to break the shoulder bone or penetrate through ribs on both sides, at ranges from 50 to 300yds. Never a definitive answer. For every lost animal with a specific cartridge there were always some with good kills. And remember that elk come in different sizes. Circumstances that kill a younger one may not work on a larger one.
Next year or the other after, I will have my outfit complete by then! Picked these up on a trade. Moccasins are next. 8lbs of hunting boots really strap your energy after a while. Hell, maybe even a new rifle by then!
You must have some ancient hunting boots. Even my tactical boots are less than 2lb. My hiking boots are almost as light as sneakers.
I stopped wearing moccasins when the mesquite thorns would work their way into the leather. And cactus was pure torture.
I gave up some material type boots, I am hard on them and they always wear holes where the toes bend. I bought some irish setter boots that are all leather and 400 gram thinulate. They are heavy as hell but comfortable, just to much during september.
Not any mesquite thorns or cactus at 10,000 feet, so, nothing to worry about other than slippery grass and mushrooms.
Depending on the type of mushroom after eating a few you wouldn't need boots, just fly around looking for game.
Charter Member #148
Soooo..........are you saying don't eat the mushrooms growing around the buffalo chips? Slippery grass? Is that a new strain?Originally Posted by swheeler
Depending on the type of mushroom after eating a few you wouldn't need boots, just fly around looking for game.
I remember following this. You did well and got your bull. I admire getting a plan and working to see it through.
The Colorado 2018 rules and applications are arriving in the mail box. I just looked at mine.
New for this year is a change. Good or bad. No more 50 cal round ball for elk for Colorado. Deer and smaller 50 RB, Okay. If shooting a fifty, it will need to be a conical, 2018 and going forward.
Chill Wills
yeah CPW is run by a bunch of morons that pull rules out of their rear ends. I have many conical choices but first, I will be sure to let CPW know what I think of their department. They still allow a 50cal ball for....bear..... hmmm.
not that I would ever pursue hunting anything in Co. But if I ever do, I would use a Maxi-ball because i shoot so much better groups with them. Bone does not stand a snowball's chance in a smoker when it comes to terminal energy.
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