So after a fair bit of experimenting and practice with my new H&R 45/70 Ultra Hunter, my better half and I headed out for opening day of Alberta's Elk rifle season. I had a bull tag in my pocket and she had a limited entry cow tag.
We camped on her uncles grazing lease down by the Little Smoky River the day before it opened. We laid in bed all night listening to four, yep, four bulls talking trash. Ever tried to sleep knowing four bulls are within 500 yards of your camp the night before opening day not knowing if they'd still be there when first light came around? Well, I'm here to tell ya, you don't sleep...
The first hint of light started to silver the eastern sky behind our camp after what felt like an eternity. I could still hear three bulls talking close and the other had moved off up the creek valley several hundred yards by the sound of it. I got out of the camper and made my way to a round bail in the alfalfa field where I could see Elk moving on the tree line, heading into the trees heading back up the ridge. I started to cow call and let out one immature bull bugle. Two bulls came back into the field in a heart beat with 3-4 cows. Now, Sammy saw these elk come back out from the camper and decided to stay put as there was now several sets of eyes looking our way. Too bad cause I'm sure she would have filled her cow tag too. Anyway, after sizing up the two bulls I decided that the second bull was bigger, 5 point and waited for my shot. (He ended up having a deformed right side of his rack, the side away from me, but who cares it is great table fare.) I ranged him at 208 yards, got set and waited for the tell tale broadside shot. Boom and he dropped like a stone. Sammy couldn't believe how fast he dropped being hit with that 45/70. It kind of caught me by surprise too actually. He lifted his head once and I hit him again just under the ear and it was all over.

That 45/70 performed amazingly and was deadly accurate. I have it sighted in 3 inches high at 100 yards and it lands about 3 inches low at 200. I will be using this gun a lot from now on.

BTW: My better half filled her cow tag the next night (No picture, sorry) hunting with her Uncle in the same field......

Congrats!! There's no better eating than elk backstraps. The 45/70 is one of my favorites and by far the best offering in H&Rs lineup. I have a short 18" barreled version. Several years ago I was lucky enough to get a shot at a bison and just like your elk it dropped at the shot. I used handloaded 405 gr. Remington bullets over RL-7 powder juiced up to 1600fps.

Great work Grant...you done good mate. That is one healthy looking bull mate, and the rack don't really matter 'cause it won't fit in the freezer and ain't worth chewing on anyhow. Congrats to SWMBO for her cow as well mate. From the sounds of this there's gonna be a BIG BBQ at your place. BBQ, woo hoo...hey everybody...BBQ at Grant's uncle's place...I'll stock up the cooler.

Congrats, Grant! Thanks for posting the picture.

Awesome!!!

Yeah love the H&R 45/70.

good stuff...nothing like pure horsepower.

Well done! The .45-70 is a favorite of mine too.

Nice!!! Some goooood Eatin there...

Congrats.

Enjoyed your story Grant, reminded me of some of my earlier days at deer camp !!!

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Thanx all!

I love classic calibers and when they update one like the 45/70, it's even better. With 51grs. of IMR4198 driving the Hornady 325 grain FTX bullet, I get an average velocity of 2249 fps. It sure does hit like a freight train.

Vince, you know you'd always be welcome to attend a BBQ over here, especially if you come with a stocked cooler... (We also dropped two Moose on the last weekend of the season in November, we'll have a good variety of meat for the BBQ... )

Thats cool stuff. I'm surprised to hear they were chatty up there. Late Nov I've heard them but not much beyond that. Great job!


-DallanC

DallanC wrote:

Thats cool stuff. I'm surprised to hear they were chatty up there. Late Nov I've heard them but not much beyond that. Great job! -DallanC

Thanx Dallan.
It wasn't in November when we got the Elk, it was September 17th and 18th. The Moose were in November...

Well now, that explains it


-DallanC

Here is the bullet recovered from my Elk. Seems to have done it's job...