oregon muzzy elk story added

[Huntboy]

Very nice, congrats.

[EDARD]

Nice bull benchleg. Thanks for the use of the trailer in Oregon and for the help packing my deer.

[BENCHLEG]

thanks ed and we will do oregon again, im glad i was there to see that monster buck. well done remember to grab my divorskis and rangefinder before your wa hunt.

[BENCHLEG]

whell, first i have to say this story will not be correct in gramor or spelling. so here is your warning  THANK YOU TO JEFF,AND RYAN.  you guys gave up vacation time for me and i am verry fortunate to have friends like you. we will have many more days in the field . i will make it short and sweet thank you to all that covered for me at work and at home.  either way if i kiss ass to all of you or not it won't make any difference anyway. soo now its time for the rest of the story....i decided on this tag on easter-weekend 2012 i had 11 points going into the draw i figured no-one had the nuts to  put in for an -unproven hunt. i had the confidence and the friends to make it happen. i drew the tag no suprise now time to scout 2 days  later im in heppner with rycheck, it was a fun weekend we met a guy named kelly. kelly helped me more than many know  thanks kelly.   so from there i talked to many friends that helped me tons during the bow and rifle deer hunts thanks guys.  i arrived 3 days prior to the hunt and it was a good thing because i spotted this bull in a spot that was hidden and he didn't show himself for 2 days.

[BENCHLEG]

so on the opener we went after another bull we struck out good thing.    that evening we chased bugles until  we heard the big boy. remember i saw and heard this bull 3 days prior i remembered this bulls voice like you hear yourkids its distinctive. game on  here we go. he bugles we chase thats what you do when they are cowed -up.  we got close when a cow made too much noise we broke cover and took the shot.

[BENCHLEG]

pole creek muzzy tag

[nwhunter]

Nice bull congrats. Looks like you made a good gamble on using your Oregon points and getting out of that game. I am in the same boat with 11 points this year and trying to get out of that state with a descent bull and be done with it. Good job on a nice bull. nwhunter

[backcountry55]

edard just cause your deer is as big as an elk , they have a deer section for it lol....

[BENCHLEG]

when we ran to the meadow for a shot jeff cow called to stop the moving mass of elk, good call jeff. the bull stopped perfect as i pulled the trigger he ran putting my shot farther back than wanted , it was getting dark so being unsure of a good hit we went to camp to regroup. as you know not much sleep would be had that night i was sure of my shot but it still puts doubt in your head. that night i asked my sister-inlaw for her help finding this elk, she passed last oct of breast cancer. the next morning we awoke to frozen ground and clear skys.when we got to the timber patch he ran into we split up looking for a body i heard a bull bugle and jeff cow call 3 times meaning he found something as i looked toward him i called back he  didn't hear me and headed away from me so i continued to the next meadow. as i got to the meadow i see my bull running dead away from me in a fog layden meadow,what an amazing sight to see fog at his knees and that rack high in the air. so i let 1 fly and as im reloading i see him stumble so i run after him and he stops quartering away i shoot again whop!! as im loading again jeff gets to me we run after him and hit him again down!!! reload run up to him and finish him.

[BENCHLEG]

as we getup to him rycheck runs up to us he watched the whole thing he even videod the last shots. this is where the stress of gambling 11points praying to my sister-inlaw and the adrenalin get to me . i have never lost it before but i  couldn't breath i had tears of joy and i even puked up my morning coffee. WOW WHAT A HUNT.  i found 9 bulls prior to the opener and killed my second choice, not bad for a new hunt and i didn't have to hunt a hell hole or hunt in snow. sometimes it pays to be the first person to hunt a new hunt. thank you to my family janice , cailyn,and sophia. and a verry special thank you to jeff, and ryan you guys are true friends to take time to help me. thanks for reading my rambling .   

[Sabotloader]

when we ran to the meadow for a shot jeff cow called to stop the moving mass of elk, good call jeff. the bull stopped perfect as i pulled the trigger he ran putting my shot farther back than wanted , it was getting dark so being unsure of a good hit we went to camp to regroup.

OK - I have some 2bit questions...
1.What range do you figure this 1st shot was? 
2.What was the powder and te load?

One of my biggestest fears... shooting a big lead conical is the movement of the animal just after I touch the load off.  It really does not take much movement to make a good shot into a marginal shot, and then the fact that you are shooting a slow moving freight train compounds the possible problem.

 

as you know not much sleep would be had that night i was sure of my shot but it still puts doubt in your head. that night i asked my sister-inlaw for her help finding this elk, she passed last oct of breast cancer. the next morning we awoke to frozen ground and clear skys.when we got to the timber patch he ran into we split up looking for a body i heard a bull bugle and jeff cow call 3 times meaning he found something as i looked toward him i called back he  didn't hear me and headed away from me so i continued to the next meadow. as i got to the meadow i see my bull running dead away from me in a fog layden meadow,what an amazing sight to see fog at his knees and that rack high in the air. so i let 1 fly and as im reloading i see him stumble so i run after him and he stops quartering away i shoot again whop!! as im loading again jeff gets to me we run after him and hit him again down!!! reload run up to him and finish him.

Without seeing the shot locations... it is hard for me to understand why this animal took the punishment of those shots... other than a truly majestic animal like this one can do and survive things that should stop a normal elk.

One thing we did not really talk about is the nose of the the 460.  The big flat nose should create a hole the size of a quarter moving through the animal.  In away I really wish they could be shot with more velocity to get additiona 'hydrostatic shock' - but the shear size (diameter) and weight of the bullet and placed in the correct spot will down an elk.

I have shot a couple of animals with the .503-460 grain Bull Shop - shooting 90 grains of T7-3f and the bullet did an outstanding job.  Both bullets exited the animal and it was my thought at the time the exit hole was not really that big.  I believe the nose expands and rolls back over the first band and that is about it.  But if you want that deep penetration you really do not want a whole lot more.

None-the-less - what an awesome harvest!   I think you will remember this one for awhile...

[X-Force]

Congrats. Great looking bull.

Its unfortunate when an animal doesnt go down the way it should.

[BENCHLEG]

first shot 64 yards. 80grains pyrodex rs  the holes looked to be the same size as an unfired bullet, if i hunt oregon again i will try more powder, but for now in washington i will stick with the load i presently use. mike thank you for all your help. you mailed me a box of bullets and shot cards all on an email and a phone call. and you said pay me when you get them, i'm lucky to have found such a nice person like you on the net . thank you for talking me through the new spring replacement on my rem,50 cal . good luck with all your hunts.  jason

[BENCHLEG]

x force    , thank  you things happen i retract my statement about the bullets  they killed him, and if i hunt oregon again i will use them. thanks for the comments

[stlhdr1]

Nice work man...  The first few pics you texted didn't do that bull justice!  Some awesome pics here of him!

Keith