Gents, A Follow Up on the Elk Hunt / Lead Free Bullets
First, a BIG thanks to all who provided info on using lead free bullets for my 2015 elk hunt. I'm hunting with a post-64 Winchester Featherweight model 70, in .308. I'm a bit Old School and figure that what used to work well, still works well. That said, I switched to lead free bullets for a number of reasons. Long story short, I went with Hornady's GMX 150 grain ammunition, first, because I've shot a TON of Hornady's 75 grain ammo in high-power competition, with excellent results and second because, well there isn't a lot of lead-free hunting options available. I bought two boxes, zeroed the rifle with 10 rounds at 100 yards with an old Weaver K-4 scope and went hunting. Took four days in the junipers 16 miles south of Twin Arrows, Arizona, but I finally figured out where they were moving in this "Limited Hunt" (not a lot of elk) area. I set up at about 1400 in the junipers, downwind from the trail and waited. Just about too dark, I figured it wasn't going to happen when I looked left and there was an elk at about 50 yards looking onto the trees where I was. In the low light I couldn't tell for sure if it was antler-less, which is what I had a permit for. She started walking towards me, ears and neck up, looked like a goddam camel, or a llama. She turned broadside and I saw it: No antlers. I aimed and fired without hesitation. I heard her puff, run and then drop. I sat still for 3 full minutes, then walked out to find her, 50 feet from where I shot her. Dead as a doornail. Just like its supposed to be done. Shot turned out to be a bit high, missed the heart, but went clean through both lungs, nicking one rib on the way in. Her last breath was her last breath. That was at 1800. By 0100 we had her loaded and by 0430 she was hung up, gutted, skinned and dressed. Then we got some sleep. At 0800 we had her quartered and hung in the awesome generator powered mobile walk-in cooler my partner had built. She was probably a two year old cow, but damn these are big animals. Its all in the freezer now, after hanging in the cooler at 34 degrees for 28 days. VERY good eating. Made about 30 pounds of bratwurst with a 50/50 pork/elk mix, mesquite smoked some they are AMAZING.
One poster here stated that "... elk aren't bulletproof"... Yep, I'm here to support that statement. One well-placed shot with any reasonably large caliber and its over.
THANKS for listening to the yarn. Hornady GMX 150 grain .308 rounds work just fine. Been in Arizona for 35 years, but this was my first elk hunt - and kill. REALLY looking forward to next year. H