Meatseeker
Well-known member
The best thing about 6.5 MB is that it’s a pleasure to shoot… so you do just that you shoot a lot. I don’t know many guys who would put multiple long sessions in with a 338 or even 300 at the range.
Trip Report - Colorado Mule Deer 3rd Rifle Season
- Thread starter Meatseeker
- Start date
The best thing about 6.5 MB is that it’s a pleasure to shoot… so you do just that you shoot a lot. I don’t know many guys who would put multiple long sessions in with a 338 or even 300 at the range.
NoDeerHere
Well-known member
What a great report and a nice buck. Sure, enjoyed reading. Congrats.
BDB
Well-known member
Great write up and congrats on an amazing hunt and a great buck!! Oh and thanks for Turo tip, that's a good one!! I have a T3 Lite with the Roughtech stock in .308. I put a Leupold 3-9 on it and absolutely love it. Not the rifle I would take on a Western hunt like yours but great for what I do.
Meatseeker
Well-known member
Thanks! Actually your Tikka in 308 would be great out west. The only thing I'd do (personal preference) would be to get a scope with a but more magnification.
BDB
Well-known member
I used to hunt Elk in NM, ID and and once in CO when I lived back in CA. My rifle at the time was a Howa 1500 in 30-06 with a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40. It worked but I'd have rather had .338 Win Mag for elk 
The Tikka is nice and light for hiking the mountains but I did not get it until I moved back east but I agree it would be a pretty decent Western rifle for moderate ranges, say under 300 yards especially for deer.
The Tikka is nice and light for hiking the mountains but I did not get it until I moved back east but I agree it would be a pretty decent Western rifle for moderate ranges, say under 300 yards especially for deer.
longbow
Administrator
Great pictures and congratulations on the buck!
Browseline
Well-known member
Thanks for the great pictures and write-up. Some beautiful country. Nice buck too.
Mainewoods
Well-known member
If the 30-06 worked, why change it? I love my 300wsm, but just picked up a light weight .270 just because. I'll be taking this on my next western hunt for sure. I think that it all comes down to shooting, and shooting alot in different positions to be comfortable, and the 30-06 and 270 are cheaper to shoot and a lot less recoil than the 338.I used to hunt Elk in NM, ID and and once in CO when I lived back in CA. My rifle at the time was a Howa 1500 in 30-06 with a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40. It worked but I'd have rather had .338 Win Mag for elk
My buddy just went out to AZ on an elk hunt with his brother. His brother is an AZ resident and the one with the tag. The last morning they come across a herd of elk at a100 yards meandering through timber with 4 legal bulls. A decent 5x5, raghorn and two spikes. My buddy is like there were great shooting lanes but his brother cannot get on an elk because he normally uses a rest and is terrible at just shouldering and shooting. He never got a shot off.
mainer4570
Active member
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Too bad. Believe me, I have guided enough hunters that live in the West to say: 1. The thought of an offhand shot, even at 50 yds freaks most of them out. 2. Most are lost without shooting sticks. 3. Very hard for them to see just a part of animal, even inside 50 yds.
Mainewoods
Well-known member
And a range finder for 1000 yards!
Mainewoods
Well-known member
Hard to find an animal at 50 yards with the scope turned up to 12x, haha! I have my 300wsm sighted in at max point blank range which is ~ a 275 yard 0. Comes out at just under 4" high at 150yards, and just under 4" low at 325. Just aim for the middle, but I like to shoot a lot standing and kneeling
Meatseeker
Well-known member
Agree. But I also think eastern hunters suffer from the exact opposite when they are out west. Eastern whitetail hunters rarely shoot a deer that is farther than 75 yards. For most western hunts 250 to 400 yards is considered a reasonable range. If your only experience is shooting off hand at white tail at 75 yards or less you are going to struggle with those distances. I found practicing at 200 yards (the longest range I have access to) in a number of positions (sitting, prone, kneeling) and using a bunch of different aids (shooting sticks, backpack etc) was very helpful. It allowed me to feel moderately comfortable shooting at deer from 300 to 400 yards.
As far as caliber.... I honestly don't think it matters. Anything from 243W to 300WM with a good bullet and a competent shooter will effectively kill deer and elk out to 300 to 400 yards. I think the most important thing is shooting a gun and caliber that you are comfortable with and will practice a lot with. Most guys cant shoot a magnum as effectively as they can standard caliber. Pick one and shoot it a lot. If you make a good shot the animal will drop. I honestly think that some folks think a magnum will make up for shooting errors. It won't. The true advantage of a magnum is on large game at ranges of 50 to 150 yards. At longer ranges there are many standard cartridges (270, 6.5, 7mm08) that are carrying more than enough energy to cleanly kill deer and elk.
longbow
Administrator
I shot an elk at 7 yards and a mule deer at five lol just depends on your perspective and how you want to do it. I didn’t carry any binoculars either..
Once again, great trip!
Once again, great trip!
My first time out west was in the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. I found a vantage point the first morning and told myself I could shoot a deer on that hillside. Just after first light I saw ants moving over there. It was a herd of elk.
mbVT
Administrator
I guided my first western hunt this year with clients from Nebraska.
The older fellow (66) stepped in a stream and went over his boot tops for the first time in his hunting career - I laughed thinking how this is essentially a weekly occurrence in New England.
The younger fellow (50 ish) missed two shots - one offhand at 40 yards at a bull getting out of his bed and another at 200 at a standing elk. Scope cranked up too high, too excited, no practice, etc, etc.
And the soles of his 15y/o 'good enough' boots fell off on day 3.
I generally think that if you're pondering any of this stuff at all ahead of a western hunt, you're way ahead of many folks who get out there.
The older fellow (66) stepped in a stream and went over his boot tops for the first time in his hunting career - I laughed thinking how this is essentially a weekly occurrence in New England.
The younger fellow (50 ish) missed two shots - one offhand at 40 yards at a bull getting out of his bed and another at 200 at a standing elk. Scope cranked up too high, too excited, no practice, etc, etc.
And the soles of his 15y/o 'good enough' boots fell off on day 3.
I generally think that if you're pondering any of this stuff at all ahead of a western hunt, you're way ahead of many folks who get out there.
