traks44
Well-Known Member
I must first give props to this website and those who offered great advice. Special thanks to kirby, although he did not build this gun he helped use with caliber choice and components.
In the last 2 years my father and I built a couple guns. One being a .338 lapua off a Montana Action decked out and the other was a 6.5x284. We built these guns for one thing, we had some great spots for long range deer and elk and more often than not the biggest elk were always in to much cover for a sneak. Ounce we had decided on components and the guns were finished we put up a 1k yard range and practiced alot in favorable conditions as well as not so favorable. In 2006 my father harvested a good 6x6 bull at 780 yards. I did not have the opportunity to be with him; however I heard the story from my cousins who were with him and the bull dropped like he was struck by lightning. Now this year in 2007 I did not have the chance to shoot long range with the lapua as if I wasnt fighting fire I was trying to get my GF a bull with her bow(took a good 5x5). I opted to hunt this year with my 7mm unless I had a shot within 700 yards in which I had shot the gun enough and would feel very comfortable shooting from this distance. I tagged out on a nice 6x6 opening morning as luck would have it at 80 yards and so with one bull down my father choose to be very picky. Most might know that Oregon only has a 5 day first rifle elk season. This year the weather was unseasonably warm so hunting was tough. The last morning of the hunt we went to a ridge where we new atleast one good bull had been hanging out. As luck would have it 2 very good bulls were out feeding in this small pocket of buck brush but we would have to move fast as the sun was just comming up and the day was warming up fast.
My father and I took off down an old jeep trail to get set-up. I pack the gun(20lbs) and he carries the pack with all the other gear. As we got within what we thought was 1000 the rangefinder quickly affirmed we had close to 910 yards. There was two bulls feeding and one was a good, heavy, dark antlered bull and the other was also a nice 6x but wasnt as heavy. He dialed in for 900 yards and we were pretty much straight across so no angles were present. Now here is the trick, winds were right to left 10-15. We opted to dial for 10mph crosswind because we knew that as soon as the bullet got across the canyon and up into the bowl where he was at there would be no wind the last 3-400 yards to the bull. As we settled in I had to use my steiner binoculars instead of the loopy spotter because we had not brought the tripod. So I would be spotting through 8x30s. The first shot was let go when the winds calmed down. From where the first shot was I couldnt tell for sure if it was a hit. The bull took 10 steps and then my father fire two more shots. After these first three shots I almost told my father to stop shooting, the last thing we wonna do is wound it and before I could say anything a fourth shot was headed downrange and I watched with amazement as the bull folded as if he had been struck by lightning. I instantly went ballistic. I have never seen such a shot in my life. After gathering our gear and thoughts it was a solid hour before we got over to the bull. As we came upon him I was in utter disbelief as the last shot was a low neck chest shot, the bull had been angled towards us, a perfect shot. After investigating the scene the first shot my father had fired was a perfect lung hit. The blood trail from where the bull first stood to after the 10 steps he took before the last shot was a blood trail about 6 inches wide of nothing but blood. If we hadnt got him with that last shot he would have been dead within minutes from the first shot. I have been hunting since I could remember and taken a good number of animals that I am proud of but that display of shooting from my father was the most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed hunting. To watch a bull just collapse though binoculars at that range is truely astounding. Thanks to all on here for the advice and good discussion. It was truely the most memorable thing I have ever witnessed with my father. Later at home he showed me the targets he shot all summer at 1000. Although the wind was blowing quite steadily there was no luck. He shot sub MOA all summer, amazing. thanks for the time and cant wait to see how others do this year.
Oh and as for the gear, the 250 gr SMK are the best "hunting" bullet I have ever seen... bulls at 780 and 910.... Damage done by these bullets at distance is completly lights out.
I have some pictures if someone will post them for me?
In the last 2 years my father and I built a couple guns. One being a .338 lapua off a Montana Action decked out and the other was a 6.5x284. We built these guns for one thing, we had some great spots for long range deer and elk and more often than not the biggest elk were always in to much cover for a sneak. Ounce we had decided on components and the guns were finished we put up a 1k yard range and practiced alot in favorable conditions as well as not so favorable. In 2006 my father harvested a good 6x6 bull at 780 yards. I did not have the opportunity to be with him; however I heard the story from my cousins who were with him and the bull dropped like he was struck by lightning. Now this year in 2007 I did not have the chance to shoot long range with the lapua as if I wasnt fighting fire I was trying to get my GF a bull with her bow(took a good 5x5). I opted to hunt this year with my 7mm unless I had a shot within 700 yards in which I had shot the gun enough and would feel very comfortable shooting from this distance. I tagged out on a nice 6x6 opening morning as luck would have it at 80 yards and so with one bull down my father choose to be very picky. Most might know that Oregon only has a 5 day first rifle elk season. This year the weather was unseasonably warm so hunting was tough. The last morning of the hunt we went to a ridge where we new atleast one good bull had been hanging out. As luck would have it 2 very good bulls were out feeding in this small pocket of buck brush but we would have to move fast as the sun was just comming up and the day was warming up fast.
My father and I took off down an old jeep trail to get set-up. I pack the gun(20lbs) and he carries the pack with all the other gear. As we got within what we thought was 1000 the rangefinder quickly affirmed we had close to 910 yards. There was two bulls feeding and one was a good, heavy, dark antlered bull and the other was also a nice 6x but wasnt as heavy. He dialed in for 900 yards and we were pretty much straight across so no angles were present. Now here is the trick, winds were right to left 10-15. We opted to dial for 10mph crosswind because we knew that as soon as the bullet got across the canyon and up into the bowl where he was at there would be no wind the last 3-400 yards to the bull. As we settled in I had to use my steiner binoculars instead of the loopy spotter because we had not brought the tripod. So I would be spotting through 8x30s. The first shot was let go when the winds calmed down. From where the first shot was I couldnt tell for sure if it was a hit. The bull took 10 steps and then my father fire two more shots. After these first three shots I almost told my father to stop shooting, the last thing we wonna do is wound it and before I could say anything a fourth shot was headed downrange and I watched with amazement as the bull folded as if he had been struck by lightning. I instantly went ballistic. I have never seen such a shot in my life. After gathering our gear and thoughts it was a solid hour before we got over to the bull. As we came upon him I was in utter disbelief as the last shot was a low neck chest shot, the bull had been angled towards us, a perfect shot. After investigating the scene the first shot my father had fired was a perfect lung hit. The blood trail from where the bull first stood to after the 10 steps he took before the last shot was a blood trail about 6 inches wide of nothing but blood. If we hadnt got him with that last shot he would have been dead within minutes from the first shot. I have been hunting since I could remember and taken a good number of animals that I am proud of but that display of shooting from my father was the most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed hunting. To watch a bull just collapse though binoculars at that range is truely astounding. Thanks to all on here for the advice and good discussion. It was truely the most memorable thing I have ever witnessed with my father. Later at home he showed me the targets he shot all summer at 1000. Although the wind was blowing quite steadily there was no luck. He shot sub MOA all summer, amazing. thanks for the time and cant wait to see how others do this year.
Oh and as for the gear, the 250 gr SMK are the best "hunting" bullet I have ever seen... bulls at 780 and 910.... Damage done by these bullets at distance is completly lights out.
I have some pictures if someone will post them for me?
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