View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:05 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Suzanne wrote: |
Looks like that one on the right got shot in the rump, |
Yep, I saw that one come in! Shot through the hind quarters - a loss of some good meat. It was interesting watching the elk come in, where they were shot, and what the meat damage was. One hunter must have had a fragmenting bullet. The exit wound in the rib cage was 6- by 8-inches. They just cut the far shoulder/leg off and threw it away.
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
Last edited by slimjim on Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Ominivision1 Super Member
Joined: Sep 20, 2010 Posts: 2984 Location: Iowa
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
chambered221 Super Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 3455 Location: Lost for good !!!
|
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:34 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Congrats Slim !!!
Was you aiming for the shoulder ?
How did she react when hit ?
_________________ Ask as many people needed, sooner or later your question will be answered the way you want it answered !!!
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
~George Washington |
|
Back to top |
|
|
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:36 pm Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Thanks, chambered. These are very important questions and ones I've been pondering how to write about. I'll do the easy part first. I was aiming center of mass just behind the near-side shoulder. I do this because I don't like to loose shoulder meat. I had a 100 yard zero and did not compensate (forgot) for the bullet being 3" low at around 200 yards. Elk was moving slowly right to left and I lead a few inches. After the shot she ran 5 steps, crumpled, and rolled down hill rested against a tree. Below is a picture of the wound cavity. The lower part of both legs had bullet pass-through.
Description: |
|
Filesize: |
214.35 KB |
Viewed: |
6948 Time(s) |
|
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15704 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:02 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Yes, Vince, minimal but I did lose some in both legs. Note: I talked with 4 guides before the hunt and all recommended head or neck shots if I was interested in taking as much meat home as possible.
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein |
|
Back to top |
|
|
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:45 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Now, here is where it gets interesting - I shot 3 times and connected on all three shots.
I think I'll do my lessons learned before proceeding further. Next time ....
1) If the elk is close enough and I'm steady enough, I will do a neck shot. Otherwise, I will shoot through the leg/shoulder to ensure I am aiming for the center of the vital zone vice the aft part of the vital zone trying to save meat.
2) Only one hunter shoots at a time while the other(s) observes from behind the shooter.
Yep, I know you can see this coming. Before the hunt, my partner and I agreed that he would go in front of the truck, I would stay to the rear of the truck, and no one would move out ahead of the truck toward the elk until shooting had ceased. I was to shoot first then he would shoot when my elk was down.
We did as planned. Here is the rest of the story.
Since this herd was not close, I ranged to the large cow elk at the top of the ridge that was broadside next to a pine tree. It was 225 yards and 20 degrees up. Off-hand was not steady enough so I went back and used the truck bed as a rest (you can see from the prior picture, there wasn't a tree to steady my rifle). The elk's head was sky-lined, so I placed the cursors center of mass just behind the leg and fired. The guide confirmed a good hit but, because the elk was still standing, told me to shoot again. I shot the 2nd round as the elk went behind the pine tree. Turns out the tree was blocking my partner's view of my shots. The guide told him to shoot, and as the elk I shot came out on the other side of the pine tree, he shot it in the neck and it went down instantly. I couldn't see the elk anymore from my position and didn't realize we had shot the same one. The guide had the situation awareness and told my partner he had just put down the elk I had shot. The guide then told me to shoot another elk. I confirmed that he really wanted me to do that because I didn't want there to be 3 elk laying on the hillside when we got up there. I then took aim on the elk we have already talked about.
I spent time that day and the next making sure I understood what my shots did. Both entries were within 4 inches of each other with the second being slightly higher. You could see the exit wounds were both higher up the chest cavity due to the up shooting angle (sorry, no picture like the other). However, the exit wounds were significantly separated fore and aft indicating I had not noticed the elk was angled some. The two wound channels were more than 45 degrees different. On the first shot, the elk was angled slightly toward me. Hitting behind the leg (not shooting through the off shoulder) means I missed both lungs. My trajectory being 4 inches below the cross-hairs at the range didn't help either. On the second shot, the elk was angled slightly away and the bullet did hit the off shoulder so I got the lungs as desired. I found it impressive how angled the wound channels were in both elevation and azimuth for a situation I thought was broadside. I don't know how much further the elk would have gone in that condition but my partner's neck shot definitely put the elk down.
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein
Last edited by slimjim on Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:32 am; edited 4 times in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9239 Location: south island New Zealand
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:54 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
man I eat right up to the bullet hole! !! if it looks a bit bloody chuck it in the mince bin dont waste anything . When I was single my deer got cut up into steak or stewing bits. now its steak , some stewing bits and all the gory/ tough looking bits get made into mince . I end up with great steak, tender stews and yummy mince , the dog gets a bone with a smell left on it
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
Them who eats the most duck eats the most feathers! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15704 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 1:23 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
_________________ Cheers, Vince
Illegitimi non carborundum
(Never let the bastards grind you down)
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
"Nulla Si Fa Senza Volonta."
(Without Commitment, Nothing Gets Done) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
chambered221 Super Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 3455 Location: Lost for good !!!
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:48 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Just to make sure I understand correctly ......... you put the first 2 shots into the 500lb elk then put down the 300lb ?
_________________ Ask as many people needed, sooner or later your question will be answered the way you want it answered !!!
A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.
~George Washington |
|
Back to top |
|
|
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:22 am Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
chambered221 wrote: |
Just to make sure I understand correctly ......... you put the first 2 shots into the 500lb elk then put down the 300lb ? |
That is correct. My first shot was not effective. IMO, the second one was. My hunting partner's neck shot was 3-5 seconds after my 2nd shot and dropped the elk in its tracks.
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9239 Location: south island New Zealand
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
well I hope your buddy and you divvied up the meat 50/50? thats the way we do things. that amount of meat does sound a little short but if you didnt ask for all the off cuts and just get the good stuff its probably about right. my two piles (steak/mince) end up about 60/40. Im sure you will enjoy the taste of what you have and the memory will last even longer. next time out you maybe able to go it with out a guide and take the whole carcase home to process, all you can carry that is.
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
Them who eats the most duck eats the most feathers! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8314 Location: Fort Worth TX
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
A 50-50 split is a good suggestion. However, my partner has more mouths to feed and a bigger freezer.
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jeh7mmmag Member
Joined: Dec 24, 2006 Posts: 223 Location: DFW, TX.
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Beautiful country up in that area. Would love to do a hunt, just never got to do it. Used to spend a weeks vacation dirt bikeing around Cloudcroft and also the white Mountains up around the mining ghost town of White Oaks Carrizo. Loved it. Thanks for the pictures Slim.
_________________ mypva.org/
DAV
VNE USS LEX CVT-16 BLUE GHOST V2 CATS ABE-2 |
|
Back to top |
|
|
gelandangan Super Member
Joined: May 07, 2006 Posts: 6396 Location: Sydney Australia
|
Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: New Mexico Elk Hunt |
|
Slim.. that hunt is SUPER!
Looks like the it is really successful!
and yeah the place is definitely nice!
_________________ A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.
A smile is the shortest distance between two people.
Do - Not try!
gelandangan.weebly.com/ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|