Pope's Sheep hunt

[boneaddict]

Nice!   Looking forward to following along.

[popeshawnpaul]

Took the Savage ultralight out today.  It has a short 18 or 20" barrel on it.  It is picky and won't shoot anything well but 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips.  I tried 129 accubond, 140 VLD, Barnes, etc.  The 120 BT's shoot well so that's what I'm going with.  My 5 shot group with a hot barrel was about an inch apart at 100 yards.  The covered up holes were the grouping I got with the 129 grain Accubonds LR's. 

The 120 BT's shoot good enough for me.

[Fishhuntmike]

Shawn,

I have the same rifle (6.5 creedmoor). Mine likes the vlds 140gr with h4350 in case you haven't tried that combo (sub MOA). Haven't used it hunting yet though.  Bow hunted deer last 5 years.  Anxious to take it on a high buck hunt in Wyoming some day.

Mike

[full choke]

After an exhaustive backpack research session and purchase, I received my Mystery Ranch Metcalf today.  Great looking pack and will replace the one that got ruined after it was dropped in my motor oil pan and soaked up about 12 quarts over the course of days.  In the trash it went after multiple attempts to get the oil out...   

Ordered a baselayer set of Kuiu merino 210's.  I have a set of synthetics but really don't want to stink too bad after a few days.  REI's merino is just so expensive and I'm not sure you get better.  Borrowed my dad's 1000 yard rangefinder as mine is old, bulky, and heavy.  Hoping my Vortex 10x42's come in from being serviced before the hunt.  Gearing up is kind of fun replacing old gear. Wondering how I'm going to carry my camera and 100-400.  I kind of want it out to grab pictures quick and don't want it in the pack.  Hard to carry it around your neck and have binoculars there.
More things on the list to get:

Kuiu Yukon rain gear
Another merino or synthetic base layer
gloves
beanie
climbing poles
maybe replace my old heavy sleeping bag

Have you ever tried the Cotton Carrier system? Looks like there might be some configuration of this that may work with a pack on?

http://www.cottoncarrier.com/

[Karl Blanchard]

Took the Savage ultralight out today.  It has a short 18 or 20" barrel on it.  It is picky and won't shoot anything well but 120 grain Nosler ballistic tips.  I tried 129 accubond, 140 VLD, Barnes, etc.  The 120 BT's shoot well so that's what I'm going with.  My 5 shot group with a hot barrel was about an inch apart at 100 yards.  The covered up holes were the grouping I got with the 129 grain Accubonds LR's. 

The 120 BT's shoot good enough for me.

You may not be getting enough velocity with that 20" barrel to stabilize those bigger bullets.

[Karl Blanchard]

So I just tossed some numbers in the old calculator and as long as you were getting something over 2650fps or better ( I subtracted roughly 30fps per inch of barrel based on a 26" test barrel), all those bullets show stable flight with the 8 twist.  Make Coach buy a Manner's lightweight hunter stock for his system and take that

[coachcw]

So I just tossed some numbers in the old calculator and as long as you were getting something over 2650fps or better ( I subtracted roughly 30fps per inch of barrel based on a 26" test barrel), all those bullets show stable flight with the 8 twist.  Make Coach buy a Manner's lightweight hunter stock for his system and take that

heck why not !

[Karl Blanchard]

It is a proven sheep killer

[popeshawnpaul]

I looked for the hardest hike I could find Saturday morning and found Mailbox Peak  (old trail).  It was 4,200 vertical feet in 2.2 miles.  It essentially was stairs at most points.  I powered up in quickly so I think I'm ready physically.  My new La Sportiva mountaineering boots got a tad hot on the heals but no blisters so I'll have to watch that.  I think that hike would hurt your feet in any boots and certainly my Kennetreks would have been blistering me. 

Kuiu Yukon rain gear is finally in stock so I ordered pants and a jacket.  Got another kuiu merino layer also and picked up some Sitka timberline pants with a jetstream vest.  Huntnphool is letting me borrow his airline case and my Vortex bino's should be in today.  Next up is a practice hike with the new pack to get it all adjusted right.  Maybe PooPoo Point this week after work. 

Ridgerunner/Brian got me thinking about sheep mounts should I be successful on this hunt so I'll need to think about the mount and where I'll have work done.  I've been happy with some of our local taxidermists on here in the past.  Any thoughts from those about bringing back the head?  Sounds like Brian put his in a rubbermaid type tub frozen and brought it back on the plane. 

[KNOPHISH]

So you did mailbox with no pack? I need to google this. Sounds steep & worthy. I've been packing 45 lbs up almost 4 miles with elev gain of just over 2,200. My back if fine but where ya feel it is in the hips. If you have a taxi picked out give him a call to see what they prefer as a shipping method.

[HUNT]

Ridgerunner/Brian got me thinking about sheep mounts should I be successful on this hunt so I'll need to think about the mount and where I'll have work done.  I've been happy with some of our local taxidermists on here in the past.  Any thoughts from those about bringing back the head?  Sounds like Brian put his in a rubbermaid type tub frozen and brought it back on the plane.

I brought my horns back in my carryon bag.  Wasn't going to let them out of my sight.  The security guy pulled me aside after they went through the scanner - just to ask me about my hunt.   

[popeshawnpaul]

So you did mailbox with no pack? I need to google this. Sounds steep & worthy. I've been packing 45 lbs up almost 4 miles with elev gain of just over 2,200. My back if fine but where ya feel it is in the hips. If you have a taxi picked out give him a call to see what they prefer as a shipping method.

This hike is brutal Knophish.  I did it with a small pack and maybe 10 lbs is all.  I had more in me.  I felt it in my thighs, it's a burner.  I'm told it is similar to a Rainier assent from Camp Muir so lots of people practice on it.  The day hikers take the new trails which is just boring switchbacks.  There aren't switchbacks in sheep country...

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mailbox-peak-old-trail

I have looked at the cotton carrier but managing this with my pack seems a bit much.  Was going to try and hook it to my hip belt or just put it in my pack if I have to. 

[KNOPHISH]

The whole preparation is brutal.  Going to the gym when it's 90 out is not fun but will pay off. Gotta try mailbox though to at least say I did it.

[KNOPHISH]

Gonna do a warm up on Friday up Mt St. Helens, I hear some of it near the top is on all fours. But that's probably close to what sheep hunting is.

[Gringo31]

Way to grab life by the horns!  When it didn't come by "chance"...... you are making it happen.

Good for you and Good Luck!