data-csrf="1711661500,8877d898671004091d6309db78c45b32" 3 more rounds | As Real As It Gets

3 more rounds

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Factory Creedmoor ammo is expensive, so have had to conserve. Moose was dead, but he didn't know it when I got up to him so I gave him another shot in the neck. Even I'm not that cheap.


 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Pays to pack a tiny rifle for scale....




The caribou was a little meat bull, but caribou were scarce this year. We managed to get the toyota right up to him, so that was nice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rolltide

Dude270

Well-known member
Dec 23, 2014
971
73
Us Virginia boys are green with envy.
Thanks for sharing.

Curious to hear what ammo and performance particulars too
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Hornady precision hunter 143 ELDX. I had pretty so-so accuracy from both the factory 147 and 143, then one lot just was lazers.

In fact, I think I saved a picture. Shot a group holding on the tip of the diamond, adjusted to the right and proceeded to shoot at centers on the remaining diamonds. It is slow in the 18" barrel at like 2580, but....


Caught a bullet on the moose (200 yard shot at the head/neck junction) that was a perfect mushroom and appeared to have about 70ish % weight retention. Stopped on the offside hide, leaving a hell of a bruise in the hide. Then I dumped out the stuff sack where I had hid it, while looking for a knife for tuning up the cape, and lost it.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Good luck! Didn't know they had moose there.

I had a grizzly in the scope at ~35 yards. Couldn't make the call on cubs as there was way too much brush, and it made the right call and split. I figured one more step toward us and it was over. Tried to sneak back in on it the next day, but it was gone.
 

ktnlocksmith

Active member
Apr 30, 2019
38
5
Nice critters, and sweet yota. Recovered a 143 from inside the off shoulder of a decent billy a couple weeks ago. 165 yard shot quartering away. Just like your moose, the first one killed it, but when he got back on his feet another one was sent to seal the deal.

Thought you had an elk tag in your pocket Joel?
 

ktnlocksmith

Active member
Apr 30, 2019
38
5
Smart man. I’ve made a half dozen trips to the alpine this season after both goats and deer. I’m still not in shape to give that 100%. If the stars line up I’m hoping to do one more goat hunt here in early October. Then I’ll just poke around down low here and there and maybe drag for a king when it works out.
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Ive had great luck with the 143 hornady factory stuff in a couple different rifles. Both rifles would dump 5 rounds in the .2s. Good to know they flatten critters that well!
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
4 more rounds fired.

The wife had a goat tag, and for whatever reason Dan volunteered to drive us around in the boat. We located some goats in the same area that I had shot one 4 or 5 years ago. We climbed up and confirmed that they were billies. I gave the wife a quick rundown on how to use the chart/turret, and we commenced to climb/stalk over the rocks to 300 yards from the best goat. We had a decent rest, but the goat was laid down quartering away with almost none of his front half visible. When he laid his head down, we moved closer, and eventually managed to get to about 175 yards. Every time we stopped I'd re-range and have her re-dial. I had her dial for 150, due to the angle of the shot (probably not enough compensation actually).

She shot over him on the first one, then he stood up. She shot again, and I think she missed again (its a bit fuzzy). I was tracking him in my scope, but he had no good escape routes, so I had her keep shooting. She connected on a quartering away shot, and he was down hard, but then he popped back up. She shot again, and he dropped, did a couple kicks, and slid about 80-100 yards.

After looking at her scope, I think she read the windage column and dialed it, and combined with the angle was shooting quite a bit high. Both quartering away shots she was holding on the shoulder and hit in the neck. But it did the job.

 
  • Like
Reactions: dznnf7

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Thanks guys, it has been a good season.

Sweet!

But how come the packer's mug is in the photo rather than the successful hunter's?
I HATE having my photo posted by others, and made up my mind a while back to not post a photo of my wife anywhere. Anyone can view anything posted on this site, and I honestly just don't need the weirdos.

You do NOT fucking "dial" a 300yd shot!

FUCK!!!
Now, how the fuck is anyone supposed to learn anything with you pulling punches like that? Speak your mind, I can take it... grin.

In my defense, the original shot was a shit one, but the right one to take. Less than 1/3 of his chest was visible, so it was a narrow elevation window. Getting closer guaranteed that he'd hear us, and we wouldn't see his exit, or see him until we were within about 50-60 yards.

I wanted her pasting crosshairs, not holding anything. And we had time. I gave him a couple of my best wolf howls, but could not get him out of his bed. Plus, he had nowhere to go that the 7WSM couldn't get him for 800+ yards in any direction.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
But anyway, the story isn't over. I should mention that all of this is taking place less than 1/4 mile from where I killed a goat 4 or 5 years back. That night I spent under a boulder and the next day I hiked down and then back up again for the last load. I was betting that the wife would not enjoy such things, but I had sleeping bags, pads, a tent, 2 tarps, and enough puffy coats and pants to keep anybody warm all in the pack.

We got to the goat, took our pictures and started cutting. I got the legs off pretty quick and asked her if she wanted to make a run for the beach or spend the night. Packing the tent was a waste, as there is not a single place to put it up anywhere that isn't beach. We decided to head for the boat. So we moved some stuff from my pack to hers, and put all the legs in mine. Then I wrapped the carcass in the hide (everything was nice and clean), weighted it with some rocks, buried my game bags under some rocks, and we took off. My goal was to make it out of the shitty boulders and loose rock, and through the brush before we lost our light. We almost made it. It started raining about 10 minutes into the trip, and then continued for about 3 hours. But anyway, we got to the beach, called Dan on the radio, and he sent us a raft via SW wind, all in the dark dark. We paddled out with headlamps on and thank god got to the boat. Ate some food, drank a beer (ok, two beers) found a spot to anchor up, and hit the sack. The next day we dealt with a stuck anchor (it always has to be something right?), got it back, went back to the beach in the raft, and noticed right away that our creek was way higher than yesterday.

We had to cross a creek about 8 times before we got to a dry creekbed that took us to another creek. That had been no problem the day before, but now it was... risky. But it was just a risk of getting wet feet, so no big deal. We got there and headed up. When we got to the second creek, which drains 2 glaciers, we had a problem. Where we had crossed easily was underwater. You just couldn't get accross there, and we ended up busting brush for 250 yards or so to get back to where we could walk. That scenario replayed several times. We went up, dropped down to find a crossing when we couldn't climb anymore, reclimbed, etc. Late in the afternoon we were about half way there, but hadn't made any progress for the last hour. Every crossing that we made was sketchy. The water was still rising, and I was just thinking about trying to come down that shit in the dark, with a heavy pack and an inexperienced climber. So, I made a couple cups of coffee, and we talked about it and made the call to bail. I could see someone getting hurt, and I could see a way to make sure that didn't happen, and I took it. It took us almost 3 hours to get out of the bad stuff, and then deal with the creek at the bottom. We busted about a mile of brush to get back to the beach. The creek at the bottom had plenty of spawned out humpies, and plenty of bear sign, so that was... fun. We got back to the beach to find the raft floating in 5 feet of water. I rigged a tarp, as we were both soaking wet, and then made a mountain house (actually Peak Refuel - check that out) and a couple more cups of coffee, and we waited out the tide. Got our raft, got to the boat, and made tracks for home, cussing myself along the way.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
So, back in town we dried stuff out for a couple days, hung the meat we had, and (I) sulked. It is not a good feeling leaving meat out there. Business is unfinished and, well, you just sit and worry. The wife had a tag to report on, with no horns to report with, and I had meat sitting out with no way to get to it.

I checked the weather all the time that I wasn't soaking in a tub trying to undo the bruised shoulders and hips. Then a weather window appeared on 3 out of 4 forecasts, and things started to come together. I tried to get a water taxi, but they seemed mostly closed for the season. I asked our friend Art if he had ideas of places to call, and he said he was free and would be willing to stay with the boat. Dan had already volunteered to let me take the boat (which is crazy), but I just hate leaving a boat on the hook, especially in a place where we've drug the anchor aplenty.

So, I sweet talked work, we grabbed the boat, got up at 4AM, rounded folks up, and headed out. Put the boat in the water, got to the place, got to shore, and climbed up. Forecast was on the money, the creek was great, and we got there in good time, only to find the carcass entirely picked clean by ravens, magpies, and (I'm assuming) eagles. It sucked - we lost some excellent meat. I had been planning to cape the hide (wife doen't care about taxidermy a bit, but what the hell), but with no meat to cut and/or pack, I just took the whole hide, with the head on it, and stuffed it in the pack. The pack out sucked mostly from a mental standpoint.

So, tonight, I skinned the head out, and put a tape on it. I green scored it at 49. I'm no expert at scoring anything, much less a goat. But that would put it solidly in the awards book and 1" out of all time. So... huh. Kinda bitersweet.
 

dznnf7

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2016
600
27
That's a hell of a story! I'd be heartsick about it too, but it sounds like you made all the right decisions.
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
On the brightside,I reckon you learned some thangs and the Tough Lessons,tend to be the ones not forgotten.

Firstly,you want a LRF that reads in horizontal distance and even though line of sight is greater than the distance proferred,THE boolit needs the shorter patch(whether angled up or down).

Secondly,there's MUCH to be said for a sane zero,that optimizes a given platforms attributes. That simply eliminates the propensity for fiddle fucking.

A 147 in a Kreedmire,zero'd at 225yds,do nice thangs.



The reticle alone,more than gets a guy to 1000yds++,it slices wind rather nicely and hits well above the recoil threshold...none of which is bad thangs.

I'll kinda/sorta come full circle and reiterate why a KILLER 22LR is soooooooo without peer,in that everyone WANTS to shoot it and if/when it's scoped like everything else in the larder,the "transition" betwixt platforms is nil...................
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
He's on a good enough roll...that it might could be time to spend a dollar on a Lottery Ticket...............(grin)
 

Driftin'

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2009
2,225
13
Offshore
I HATE having my photo posted by others, and made up my mind a while back to not post a photo of my wife anywhere. Anyone can view anything posted on this site, and I honestly just don't need the weirdos.
Sound wisdom. I tend to not post anything....

Although not retrieving meat is always a heartbreak, sounds like more sound wisdom to stop and consider the downside(s) relative to the upside. As you found, meat never really goes to waste....
 
Last edited:

Lineman

Well-known member
Dec 31, 2010
1,148
33
VA
Congrats on the success so far, and thanks for the pics and stories.

You guys are blessed to have some of the opportunities you have.
 

cwh

Administrator
Nov 18, 2007
4,574
99
Anchorage
Thanks guys. It has been fun. The wife is healed up enough that she even thinks she might want to hunt a mountain critter again one day, so that's cool.

We are certainly lucky, in that you can go grab (or just print) a free tag for one of several different areas and hunt goats every year. SE is even more spoilt regarding goats, but we got em beat for sheep opportunities.
 

Calvin

Well-known member
Nov 17, 2007
4,145
58
Visit site
Switched from factory 147 to 143 due to availability issues. First group with the 143 was sub .5. Seemed to have a few “hot” rounds in the box though as I played around. Different point of impact and brass swipe marks and a stiff bolt. Thoughts?