lancetkenyon

Great article, great kid, great Dad. Great family values and commitment to helping others as well. Definitely "proud-worthy".

Just finished another paint job.

Awesome bull. Don't think otherwise. Good hunt+good memories+great table fare+great scenery=Awesome bull.

I love it when the rub in the burns and get those black antlers. Awesome bull.

That was me. Cell phone for my cousin to track my movements and walked me within 2' of where I found the tracks that led me to my bull. I don't blame you a bit for driving the other way after the shot. The pack out sucked....I shouldn't have taken the backstraps/tenderloins/neck roasts on the same trip with the head.

On a side note, once you verify zero and drops, true your ballistics, and practice practice practice, trust your rifle and ballistics program. I took a shot at a coyote an hour before, at 775 yards. I honestly do not know exactly where the bullet went, but it was close the way the coyote acted. I could have hit him and he bolted, or I could have missed him high or left with the wind that I did not take into account. But with no visible bullet splash, no telling. It messed with my mind. On my bull an hour later, when I spotted him, I got a solid rest. Front bipod extended, rear butt stock on the roots of a downed tree, me hanging/resting on the roots too. Sitting, I was rock solid. 662 for me is usually an easy shot. But the possible miss on the coyote, and doubts had me flustered. Plus the adrenaline pumping didn't help matters at all. So I verified conditions with the rangefinder. 23.42 baro, 60°F, 3° downhill, zero wind as it had literally died to dead calm 1 minute before the shot. I had a great rest, and when he stepped out, I held on his elbow and squeezed slowly. I saw the flash, the bull hunch and bolt, but I honestly didn't know the shot. When I found my bull, the exit was absolutely perfect. Vertical was dead centered up/down, exit was where it was aimed. Once I could see the entrance, not knowing exactly how his leg was positioned, the most I could have been off was 1" right. At the shot, the last minute doubts were floating around my head. But my ballistics, environmental inputs, rifle zero, and apparently hold were perfect. I let the rifle and bullet do the real work. My shooting solution from Shooter App was 2.9MIL, w. 68.2" of drop. Even my drop chart I printed and taped to my scope before the hunt would have been spot on for the conditions I expected to be hunting in.

Totally depends on weather fps a lot of elk movement, but even the antelope flats and PJs hold a few bulls year round.

Awesome!!! Great memories for sure. Great bull too. And not just for a first! If that 6x6 was a satellite bull, the herd bull must have been gigantic. That is a great lesson with your kids too. Don't worry about the cuts. I have only field dressed one animal I didn't become a blood brother with. Brings you closer to your game and nature.

Depends on where the game is. I usually glass low to high first. Then gain elevation and glass high to low. Anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours at a spot. Pick apart every single tree and bush.

Questions about the bullet performance... I did not recover the bullet, there was a good exit wound however. Blood trail was just walked back a very short distance once we had headlamps. There were chunks of lung Jello along the path. I was very happy with the performance of the 180 Hybrid. This is the second elk it has killed. A cow at 75 yards by Taylor last fall had a fist sized exit would hitting an offside rib. This one snuck between ribs entrance and exit. Exit wound was about the size of a quarter with a decent blood trail after 25-30 yards of flat out running, but the internals were liquified/Jello. 50-60 yards was as far as he got after the hit at a dead run. No kicking where he fell, just dead when he hit the ground.

Try some Bergers....

I spent 2 hours typing up a full report this morning. While adding the final few pictures, my computer froze. So I will just post the meat and potato photos and a quick rundown of the day. 2:30 Woke up 3:30 on the road 5:15 at the spot I called in the 6x6 Hiked about 5-6 miles, heard a few distant bugles, no elk seen, hiked back to truck 11:30 back at truck and drive to high point to glass 3:00. Nothing glassed, go check a few water holes for activity, not much 4:00 hear coyotes across meadow, and glass them up, 775 yards, take shot, forget to hold for wind, scare the crap out of coyote as bullet missed his nose by inches 4:30 see tons of recent elk track in mud on road that was not there Wednesday afternoon. Decide to sit a small hill overlooking PJ flats on 3 sides. We could hear people talking to the south. About 10 minutes to sunset, hear a chuckle, then a weak, weird bugle about 1200 yards out. My cousin asked if it was real as I was packing up my gear. Said I was going to check and headed to a smaller hill between. Got to the top, and just as I was creating saw a bull stand up out of his bed. My cousin saw it from the other hill and called me right as I was getting set up for a possible shot. I tried calling him in, but he would just bugle back but not come in. He had my location pegged on the bare hill so I couldn't move. Ranged him at 660-675 while he was moving around. Rechecked and adjusted Shooter app, and Dialed for 660. He finally stepped out broadside at 662 and I sent a 180 Hybrid from my father-in-law's 7RM. Saw through the scope as he hunched and bolted. Unsure of the hit, I Called my cousin to my hill and set my 15s on the exact spot he was. We were not prepared. No packs, lights, etc as we were not expecting a shot. He walked me in to the spot in the dark using my phone as a marker light. When I finally got to the spot about 30 minutes later, sent him back to the truck to get the gear, headlamps, packs, etc. He drove around to a road that would be closer. With only my flashlight on my phone, I marked the location on Google Earth. Dark, but a half moon helped. Found some fresh elk tracks that looked like an elk that took off on a hurry, torn up. Followed for about 20 yards, no blood. Just walked in the general direction he was going after that for about 30 yards, and I could smell him. Looked around upwind and found him piled up!!! Super lucky to find him right away without a blood trail. 1:00 am Got him all packed out, 2 trips each for my cousin ans I, about a mile each way. Taylor and Regina made 1 trip each 2:15. Stopped and grabbed a burger and gas/ice in Flagstaff 2:50 back at cabin, on ice in the big ice chest 3:15. Showered and in bed. 24+ hour day. I shot my bull at 662 yards with my father-in-law's 7RM he asked me to build and kill an elk with when he passed away last year. I accomplished that goal and filled his request. 24+ hour opening day ended with me taking this 6x7 bull at sunset. I want to Gove a huge thanks to some.of the guys that helped with unit info and encouragement. Azcouesandelk, Flatlander, Hoss50, and Muley224.

.005" is not way excessive

Back the die out .003".

And for those of you that got photos last night, DO NOT POST THEM!

Yeah, you have way too much shoulder bump. You should only have about .002" difference between a fired and a resized case.

I won't be around this Saturday. Unless you used a copper remover, and took your time, I would look at finishing cleaning the rifle bore. Try Sweet's 7.62 until you get no blue or green. Then a carbon solvent again. As we discussed, try different factory ammo. An R700 7RM should have a 1:9.25" twist, so anything under a 175-180 should shoot just fine, but some guns are really picky. Also, I personally have only found a few guns that shoot an ELD-X really well. They both happened to be owned by the same guy too. I would try some rounds with a 150-168gr. bullet. Maybe see if anyone has just 5 rounds you can buy off them in various loads, so you are not shelling out for a full box of unknown quality.

My wife loves her Camaro. It is a blast to drive. But not selling it anytime soon.

I have found a lot like that. I always figured poachers too. Easier to hide 2 loose antlers in the bottom of the bed of a pickup or back seat than a full skull or head with antlers attached.

Here is some 7RM brass. New Nosler brass Fired brass (grew .010") Bump shoulder back .002" during FL resizing

Hornady comparators and headspace insert. 1st a fired case Resized and bump shoulder back .002"

Depends on quality vs. Quantity. And after opening day, all bets are off. Look for deep, nasty, thick stuff....and where no one else is. Personally, I scout from May to December. A lot of people say elk will not stay in the same places. I have found that to be inconsistent. Grab the kids (if you have any), a .22LR, go squirrel hunting, and scout at the same time. Season opens Oct 6th. Start looking as soon as you can.

Deer are all over 7E. North of the Peaks is where I have been scouting and seeing tons. Like 30-60 Deer a day. Mostly does, but quite a few decent bucks mixed in.

The NF 2.5-10×42 is a pretty good scope for a lighter weight big game hunting rig out to 800ish. Clarity is good. At under 21oz, nice light SFP Scope. There are some other SFP lighter weight scopes I would consider too. But I am a FFP guy, so that leaves me out.

Depends on weather leading UP to your hunt on whether the elk will be pushing down or not. There are always elk in the PJs, but a lot move down off the Peaks as the cold and snow move in. Deer are browsers, elk are grazers. Less snow depth = easier to find food. I have been in 7W on the late hunt many times. It can be anywhere from -10° to 50°. Plan for everything. Layers are your friend.