ketchupcox

Hi All, I drew a whitetail tag for unit 30a. I'm new to Arizona (3 years) and need some tips and a "where to start" plan. I have experience hunting the New Mexico side of the border (Skeleton, Walnut, Dutchman, etc) and love the area. We took a drive thru the area last year and have an understanding of the terrain. Any help would be appreciated. Longshot

I have two Weatherby Mark V synthetic rifles both purchased after manufacturing was returned to US in '96. One is in 300 Weatherby mag and the other in 7mm Weatherby mag. They both shoot very well on the factory ammo (160gr Nosler partition for the 7mm and 180gr Nosler partition for the 300). They are both sighted in to be zero at 300 yards and have the same trajectory out to 500 yards. In my years in the northwest I hunted elk only and each rifle has taken two elk at ranges out to a measured 475 yds. The terminal performance is excellent as demonstrated by a shot I made on an elk at 475 yards. He was at the bottom a canyon quartering toward me, the shot entered just behind the on-side shoulder and he dropped like a stone immediately. There was no exit wound and we did not recover the bullet during field dressing or while packing it out. The next week I received a call from my hunting partner. He found my bullet next to the femur in the offside thigh. The bullet had shed its upper core while driving through the elk. The recovered bullet retains most of the upper jacket and is in near perfect condition below the partition (just as the designers intended). My council is buy the Weatherby, use factory ammo and have fun!!! I would go with the 180gr Partition as the trajectory gain with lighter bullets in only 2" at 500yds. As to the comment that Weatherby's are ugly and utilitarian... my hunting partners have nothing but positive comments about my rifles topped with their Leopold VX-III 4.5-14X50 scopes! They mostly drool!!! Also, the Weatherby receivers and bolts are forged which is much stronger than the bar stock used in a lot of rifles (Remington M700 etc). To each their own I guess.

As other have said any load that shoot well will do the job on coues! I shoot a 160gr Nosler Partition from my 7mm Weatherby mag as my back up. My primary rifle shoots a 180gr NP from my 300 Weatherby mag. They have Identical trajectories. Longshot Can't wait for the season to start!!

Any of the 7mm magnums. The faster the better. 7mm RUM, 7mm STW or 7mm Weathery mag with 140gr bullets would do nicely! My 7mm Weatehrby mag is sighted for 160gr nosler partitions as I am a "one gun" hunter i.e. I don't change bullets for the game I hunt. I select a bullet which will be effective for the largest game I am planning on hunting i.e. elk. My 300 Weatherby mag is sighted in for 180gr nosler partition for the same reasons and is my primary hunting rifle. I've thought about switching to 140's in the 7mm but that would require me to remember two different sets of ballistic numbers (one for the 7mm and one for the 300). As it stands the ballistics are the same for both. Longshot

Ok, I must add my 1 cent to the mix... Fo deer any legal firearm will do the job if you manage the range and hit the vitals. That said, if you are selecting a firearm for hunting I think a .223 would not make the short list. there are too many other good cartridges which will do the job better than the .223. My two hunting rifles are both Weatherby Mark V's one in 7mm Weatherby mag and the other in .300 Weatherby mag. Both can reach out and touch somebody (great point blank range and energy). I shoot 160gr partition in the 7mm and 188gr partition in the .300. The great thing is that those two rounds have the same ballistics so I can use them interchangably. The .300 goes in the field with me. The 7mm is used by my sons or friends or as my back up. Only 57 days till deer season... but who's counting!!!! Longshot

My hunting partner and I drew one of the limited opportinity achery elk hunts (we're going to hunt unit 17) and second season whitetail unit 30A. Ye ha!!!! Longshot

I agree with all the other posters... it's how you shoot what you shoot that counts!! I'm new to hunting (my first hunt was in '92) and my hunting partner preached shot placement... it?s all about shot placement. My personal opinion is that a .270 is the entry point for elk cartridges. If you hunt where shots are 300 yards and in it will serve you well. If you hunt open country or a mixture of open country and timber you will need to exercise good judgment and restraint possibly passing on shots which could be made with a caliber with longer reach. The issue is not so much the "power" as other have correctly noted. It's range and the amount of holdover required a a given range. The more correction the more likely you can get it wrong and the numbers just keep working against you as the range increases requiring both accurate judgment of range and holdover. In this string I saw a note of a 610 yard shot with a .308. That's a shot that can be made by very few persons and my hat is off to them!! Most normal hunters (with much more average skills) have no business shooting at game at that range with that weapon. Even with a marginal elk load (150 grain) my ballistics chart says the hold over at 500 yards is in the 52" range (200 yard zero). At 600 yards the drop would be between 80" and 100" (6.5'-8.5')!!!!! Don't try this at home!! Choice of cartridge is always a great debate. When I was in the market for a "one gun" rifle to hunt deer, elk and everything else I studied ballistics tables till I could read no longer. I discussed my options with all my hunting partners (and fellow gun nuts) till they ran out of patience. All the discussion and study lead me to the conclusion that the "right" rifle for me would be either a a 7mm or .30. The 7mm rem mag is about perfect for deer; great power out to 500 yards with respectable point blank range using 150gr bullets (the lightest I will use on elk). Any of the other 7mm mags are even better but you pay the price with higher recoil, higher priced ammunition and lower availability. Any store that carries ammunition has some loading of 7mm rem mag. As to the .30's... they are about perfect. A little much for deer but just what the doctor ordered for elk. Black timber to open country short range to as far as you have the skill to shoot. After all was said and done I purchased a Weatherby Mark V in .300 Weatherby Mag. I have it zeroed at 300 yards which gives me a point blank range over 375 yards. The year after I bought it my son expressed interest in going elk hunting and I purchased another Weatherby Mark V this one in 7mm Weatherby Mag. Using a 160gr bullet it has the same ballistics as the .300 shooting the 180gr. I set them up the same (Leoupold 4.5-14 VXIII) and they shoot almost identically and with good coaching and lots of practice I learned to shoot them well. I've taken 2 elk with the .300 (one at a measured 395 yards) and my son has taken one elk with the 7mm. Choose well... your cartridge, your loading and your shots! Happy hunting!! Longshot

Elkman, How was the presure in the area you hunted (south of the Rucker lake rd)? I and friends have tags for 2nd season (nov 10-19). Thanks. Longshot

I've foind that the BEST way to get a map is at a website called topozone.com. You define the area the map covers and for $10 you get a first class map on waterproof paper delivered to your door. With the price of gas it can cost you more to drive to the store!! Longshot

Thanks to all!! Where are the "Swisshelms"?