yotebuster

I have two Schmidt and benders, a PM2 ultra short and the new exos. I’m a SFP guy but I think they can be had in either. I dial all my shots or I don’t shoot, so I prefer a clean reticle with SFP. The Exos is a 3-21x50 which includes my opinion is a sweet spot for a hunting scope. Has zero lock, locking turret, and illumination which are my three must haves as I’m more of a hunter then a shooter. Absolutely love that scope. Lance is the go to guy if you get more technical then that, I’m a hunter first and shooter second so my priorities are different.

Yeah that’s 380. I said for the most part those are general. 380 would be an exception and there are others. My brother lives right next to that unit. It’s pretty good from what I hear.

I have. 2-12 vx6 with cds turret.

Wow!!!

I think a lot of people are way underestimating what kind of point creep is going on with NR draw. People scoff about a late rifle tag with 19 points, but if the guy was fixed on gun hunting that’s truly his only option. As a matter of fact that just barely puts him into the bonus pass for 23 late rifle. I know a guy that burned 20 NR points for a 23 late rifle tag. It’s to the point now where there is such a large amount of NR apps that point creep is generalized across the board. My family all has 11 points as NR and could have drawn 4b early archery back when it took 7 points. Back then 3c took 11 so they were gonna hold off. Now they can barely draw 4b again and I would guess within a year or two it’ll be out of reach to them. I have a lifetime license so I’m out of that mess and am grateful for it. I don’t think most AZ residents know how good they have it, even the late rifle tags, particularly in units that are glassable allow you a chance at a bull that you truly can’t kill in most other states. Yes NM has some decent bulls if you can beat the odds. Utah and NV both offer you one chance a lifetime at a good one. WY will get you a chance at a 300-320 bull if you give them a decade or so of your life, but AZ hunts, even late hunts are truly special and more or less these days once in a lifetime. Even if you are a conscientious objector to math, unfortunately there’s no hiding from the fact that it’s a tough draw no matter what. The smartest thing you can do is be realistic and think outside the box. I never ever put in for the “best” hunt in a state or area. I analyze the living heck out of the numbers too. It’s gotten me 6-7 extremely good elk tags, two world class mule deer tags, a mountain goat tag, two AZ antelope tags, ibex, oryx, muskox, two free range buffalo and two shiras moose tags. Had I blindly put the “best” hunt down in each state, I likely wouldn’t have ever drawn a single one of those. Math is important stuff and being realistic is more important. To the OP, you’re on the right track, if you’re hung up on rifle then I’d do 23n late rifle. If muzzy, the only early tags you could draw are in rough rough places like 21 and 22S. I personally wouldn’t put 22n for any weapon. The unit 10 muzzy tag you stated is a November hunt and a tough one at that. You can draw a bunch of different early archery tags, any one would be the best elk experience in the world if you’re ok with a bow. These can all be physically easy as well as most of the units above the rim are pretty flat. Look into the outfitters for 3c archery and maybe the ground pounders for 23 late rifle. I don’t know them but they knock down some of the biggest bulls in the state on that hunt. Although I did hear they were getting $15k for a hunt, not sure if that’s true or not. Worth a call to them for sure.

This. That is a heck of a scope for that money. Way more scope then you’ll get in a leupold for very little more. Also consider the resale. Leupold, vortex, and certainly bushnell and Burris will be tough to resell if you ever have to. I also agree on the power decision. I’ve seen a lot of game missed or wounded because it was close and the lowest power was 5 or 6. I’ve never seen someone miss because they didn’t have enough power with a 15 or 20 power top end.

That happened 15 years ago. Doesn’t make it any less tragic, and it’s a shame that it likely got less media attention then Kobe, but it didn’t happen today. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=16798

Any cliff notes on it?

As far ahead as a lion or bear can be when they are being followed, if I glass a lion up moving across a hillside across me and I heard dogs at some point that day, I’m still shooting the lion. I’ve glassed up deer and elk that are sneaking out from an area where dogs are being run, I’m guessing that happens all the time with other lions or bears that aren’t being trailed.

That’s pretty cool. What’s that other little pistol?

Looks like a good truck gun....

Do you know if this is one of the older ones that you can float a shell under the bolt on?

Dump it all into a badger hole and shoot it with a Roman candle.

Yeah the 400 series units are more East and are pretty much all limited entry. If you’re in the 100’s 200’s or 300’s for the most part they’re all general. That’s also where all the big mountains are, the most pointy toothed critters, and the fewest elk.

There are some slammer bulls in MT but they are all on private for the most part. The public ground on the east side of the state can hold one but tags are tough over there. I’ve hunted about a half dozen different areas in MT, a few limited entry ones and have never seen a legit 350+ bull, but a buddy of mine killed a 386 along the lake this year so anything is possible. MT is a lot more feast and famine than any other state I’ve hunted elk in. One of the areas we hunted along Ft. Peck had 300 head standing in one center pivot. They never left it. Public access about 500 yards in every direction of that hay field but they had everything they need there and won’t leave. Really frustrating way of hunting.

Whoa!!! Giant!!! Your buck is a picture perfect dream buck too!

Wow!!! Dream lion there!!

All good advice, but one thing I would say is there aren’t any easy general bull elk taken in MT on public ground. If you plan to day hike you will be in for a long day just to get into elk. We hunted an area up the gunnison years ago. It was a 3.5 mile hike just to get where you start hunting. Didn’t even dream of seeing an elk track before that spot. Then hunt all day and get back to trailhead at midnight. We were too stupid and didn’t have the gear to bivy up in there back them nor did we have horses. Killed an elk or two but it wasn’t good hunting by any means. The first time I ever elk hunted in AZ I couldn’t believe you could see elk from a road. I hadn’t dreamt that was possible. At the end of the day MT is a land of a lot of opportunity, the right limited draw tag or the right private access and you can have giant bulls in your lap every year, but the wrong chunk of ground and you’re gonna be out for a hike every day. My step brother lives in Helena and is 2 for 9 on elk and hunts every weekend of the bow and rifle season. It’s not easy. The wolves complicate things. They aren’t the culprit though, go across the border into Wyoming and they have limited draw tags that take 12-14 points in the same country with the same wolves and they are killing giant bulls in there. The MT general tag moto is what kills all the elk. The wolves just cleaned up the scraps.

Looks like they make you hire a guide too?

This pic makes me tent up a little.

Hybrid......

Asian short ribs for lunch today. Incredible!!

So does this have a rangefinder built in? Just range and it lights up the dot for you on holdover? Then you send it?

If you build a few points for antelope you can draw a tag in the same area. I’ve literally shot antelope, whitetail, mule deer, pheasants, partridge and sharp tails all within a mile of each other in NE MT. Wonderful place to hunt. You’d need about 3 points to pull the antelope tag. The deer tag is high draw chance without a point but a point makes it guaranteed.

The area I have hunted is a LOOOONNNGGG drive, but you’ll kill deer and a big pile of pheasants, sharp tails and huns. The buck I put a pic of was killed 1 mile from the Canadian border. I killed a coues 1 mile from the Mexican border too!!