How Many Shots? Your Advice Needed.

[Rotten]

Sorry I'm just trying to give you crap . You do you

 

[memtb]

Memtb I know you love your big bore from the short time I've been posting. Easy big boy
They die almost as quick. I guess I'm just smartest? Is that a word? Anywho you don't need that much horsepower to kill elk.

Wasn't suggesting that it was needed….only attempting to show that elk are tough and sometimes can take a hard hit and show little to no response! I'm certain, that the exact same bullet placement with a .243 Win. would have also cleanly killed the elk!

OK…..took you too seriously! My bad……as the kids would say! memtb

 

[Rotten]

Wow that's a lot more complicated than I ever want to think about. Usually elk will feed in the open until 1st and last light and be gone before they feel exposed. I've seen elk smell me more than 300 yards away in the winter with a cross breeze and have the whole group get up and leave. Wasn't hunting them was after chuckers. Just wanted to see how far I could push it before they smelled me or the dog.
Most of my shots at bull elk have been less than 200 yrs on the general hunts. They are mostly alone having been thru several hunting cycles of deer hunting. Not always but I find them sitting and waiting where I know pressure is going to push them or I start tracking fresh spore and end up jump shooting them out of their bed.
Long shots for me are around 400-500 if I can't get that close then I wait and watch for my chance..

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

Shooting is the fun part, more fun than losing a whole animal, or digging it out of worse location. Never seen one move to a better location. Which maybe a second shot saved.

Exactly! Plus the OP says it went 100 yards or so with two lethal hits. With one it may have gone even further and be found in that cliff/canyon/swamp/ravine ya wish that they didnt. If an animal I cant put in my pocket is headin the wrong way Im extra in favor of stopping em right away. Lol

Just as important I do it to get a quick death and minimum amount of suffering.

 

[waspocrew]

This whole gun size/weight versus range is something that I've been struggling with all season. I have to carry my 16# plus gun in a back scabbard while carrying the ammo in a pouch inside my coat to maintain constant temp and make sure I get 2600 fps exactly from my temp-sensitive ammo. It takes me about 3-5 minutes to load and fire: 1) remove gun from scabbard and deploy bipod 2) remove ammo from inside my coat and load 3) crawl to firing position 4) range animal 5) check ballistics table and wind and dial in come-ups 6) secure comfortable firing position and fire. Needless to say this is not a hunting technique for short range shots when you flush an elk from cover. I can't carry a 16# gun in my hands for long so in 5 years I have missed one elk that I flushed in open grasslands at close range because of this technique. But it is a fabulous way to precisely place exact shots on target at 700 yrds.

However a light gun is much easier to carry than a 16# one. A light gun in your hands is just the thing for close shots on elk. However I can't shoot 700 yrd shots as precisely with a light gun as I can with a heavy gun. In the open grasslands where I hunt I am much more likely to get a long shot versus a close one. Sneaking up to say 200-300 yrds on a group of elk in open grasslands is next to impossible. There are just to many eyes looking at you and unless the wind is blowing, the elk can hear you walking on crunchy grass a couple hundred yards away.

I have therefore taken to sometimes carrying two guns. My heavy one in a back scabbard for long shots, and a 45-70 in my hands for close-in shots. I guess that it all boils down to the type of terrain that you're hunting in and what kind of hunting situations you'll be presented with.

Not to derail the thread, but in your case - I'd find a different load if temp sensitive powder is causing that much of an inconvenience.

 

[memtb]

Wow that's a lot more complicated than I ever want to think about. Usually elk will feed in the open until 1st and last light and be gone before they feel exposed. I've seen elk smell me more than 300 yards away in the winter with a cross breeze and have the whole group get up and leave. Wasn't hunting them was after chuckers. Just wanted to see how far I could push it before they smelled me or the dog.
Most of my shots at bull elk have been less than 200 yrs on the general hunts. They are mostly alone having been thru several hunting cycles of deer hunting. Not always but I find them sitting and waiting where I know pressure is going to push them or I start tracking fresh spore and end up jump shooting them out of their bed.
Long shots for me are around 400-500 if I can't get that close then I wait and watch for my chance..

Yep……way too much stuff to think about and do!

I'm an absolute simpleton, one rifle, one load, one zero for all hunting……well except for bird hunting! Oh, the weight……9 pounds - scoped, fully loaded, and slung!

Though, I do limit my shots to 600 yards……and then only, if shooting conditions are near perfect. Even then, if it's near dark, in mixed timber, in grizzly country…..I'll pass on that shot.

Maybe if I never botched a shot……I'd have taken that shot! memtb

 

[memtb]

Not to derail the thread, but in your case - I'd find a different load if temp sensitive powder is causing that much of an inconvenience.

Or, determine the velocity differences from load development to anticipated shot temperatures and adjust accordingly. The rifle and ammo will pretty quickly achieve ambient temperature……let'm do so!

Unless it's a "very" temperature unstable powder, that should pretty well cover most situations……I would think! memtb

 

[Recon$$]

Lost my biggest mulie ever cause I thought the first one was good... he was definitely dead, but I never found him.

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

This whole gun size/weight versus range is something that I've been struggling with all season. I have to carry my 16# plus gun in a back scabbard while carrying the ammo in a pouch inside my coat to maintain constant temp and make sure I get 2600 fps exactly from my temp-sensitive ammo. It takes me about 3-5 minutes to load and fire: 1) remove gun from scabbard and deploy bipod 2) remove ammo from inside my coat and load 3) crawl to firing position 4) range animal 5) check ballistics table and wind and dial in come-ups 6) secure comfortable firing position and fire. Needless to say this is not a hunting technique for short range shots when you flush an elk from cover. I can't carry a 16# gun in my hands for long so in 5 years I have missed one elk that I flushed in open grasslands at close range because of this technique. But it is a fabulous way to precisely place exact shots on target at 700 yrds.

However a light gun is much easier to carry than a 16# one. A light gun in your hands is just the thing for close shots on elk. However I can't shoot 700 yrd shots as precisely with a light gun as I can with a heavy gun. In the open grasslands where I hunt I am much more likely to get a long shot versus a close one. Sneaking up to say 200-300 yrds on a group of elk in open grasslands is next to impossible. There are just to many eyes looking at you and unless the wind is blowing, the elk can hear you walking on crunchy grass a couple hundred yards away.

I have therefore taken to sometimes carrying two guns. My heavy one in a back scabbard for long shots, and a 45-70 in my hands for close-in shots. I guess that it all boils down to the type of terrain that you're hunting in and what kind of hunting situations you'll be presented with.

I dont wanna derail this thread.. but u started it hahaha
Sounds like a heavier rifle thats still normal fits your bill perfectly. The so called Open Country rifle. Something like a Weatherby Accumark, Winchester M70 super grade type deal. Bare weight of 7.5-8ishlbs.
And then perhaps get some powder thats a lil more forgiving and just for assurances leave it outside in this weather and then chrono it and adjust your dope if need be.

And still shoot em again if theyre still standin

 

[Chranah]

I'll throw in my hat here, but only to give my opinion and tell a second hand story.
Opinion:
I, and my hunting buddies, all shoot until it's down. I believe it's the most humane thing to do. With that said, sometimes things don't always go as expected.
Here's a short anecdote told by one of my buddies:
He was hunting elk with his nephew when they spotted a few cows in a clear cut that had began to grow back, so the brush was thick, but not too bad. The nephew shot the elk cleanly and she immediately dropped down. To their surprise, the cow immediately jumped back up and began to walk away, prompting the nephew to put another round into her. She managed to stumble away and drop down a few yards later. As they walked up to her, they found TWO dead elk! The first one had dropped in the dirt right next to another one that was laying down. When that one popped up they thought she was the first cow! Anyway, they had enough tags to fill them legally.
So, although rare, be warned that a second shot might land you in hot water.

 

[memtb]

Chranah, I'm very aware of similar things happening! memtb

 

[Rotten]

I'll throw in my hat here, but only to give my opinion and tell a second hand story.
Opinion:
I, and my hunting buddies, all shoot until it's down. I believe it's the most humane thing to do. With that said, sometimes things don't always go as expected.
Here's a short anecdote told by one of my buddies:
He was hunting elk with his nephew when they spotted a few cows in a clear cut that had began to grow back, so the brush was thick, but not too bad. The nephew shot the elk cleanly and she immediately dropped down. To their surprise, the cow immediately jumped back up and began to walk away, prompting the nephew to put another round into her. She managed to stumble away and drop down a few yards later. As they walked up to her, they found TWO dead elk! The first one had dropped in the dirt right next to another one that was laying down. When that one popped up they thought she was the first cow! Anyway, they had enough tags to fill them legally.
So, although rare, be warned that a second shot might land you in hot water.

I've had the same thing happened to me on a turkey hunt. Sitting by a pipe drainage where I knew that a group of turkeys was hanging out.
Shot at a nice tom and with the recoil of a 12 gage 3" Turkey load I thought Id missed because here is the exact same turkey running up the hill.second round he is deader than Gerry Garcia. When I walk up in the ditch is one dead turkey and Gerry Garcia's brother deader than him on the hill.
Not my favorite story.

 

[Wilderness Blacktail]

Chranah, I'm very aware of similar things happening! memtb

Here here. Lol.

 

[lancetkenyon]

As long as they are up or head is up and visible, keep slinging lead.