Desert Rat

This year will be my first coues hunt, had a tag last year but was out of state at the time of my hunt. Wondering thoughts as to what to use for southern unit early Nov. Coues hunt. 308, 243 or 6.5CM? These are 3 that I own and debating which one to bring as my primary rifle.

So, my wife and i both got drawn for unit 21 whitetail tags, which i know nothing about asi have never spent time in this unit, but from what I gather is fairly wide open, but hilly, terrain. My current hunting rifles are a 300wsm and a 7mm-08 that my wife has started shooting and claims as hers. Looking to grab a new rifle for this hunt as the 300wsm is overkill for this hunt, and lets face it, its not the gun you pull when you want go go target shooting on a Sunday. I am trying to decide on a 308, or buying a 243 in hopes my wife will let go of the 7mm. I had a 270 previously, but want something new. I would like something with a decent selection of factory ammo choices that would be available at most sporting goods stores. I am open to other suggestions as well. What would be a good gun for this hunt, but something that you would want to shoot more than proving it is sighted in for a hunt and putting it back in the safe?

I went with the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. I thought about the Howa, but didn't like the heavy stock, although I would love a heavy stock like that on my Tikka. The Nikko scope on the Howa would have been ripped off eventually anyway. As appealing as the Ruger American was pricewise, the bolt action just seemed clunky. The Remington 700adl was $90 cheaper with a scope, but it's a throwaway scope and the Weatherby I thought was worth the extra $90. I moved my 4x12-40 Vortex Diamondback from my 300wsm to the 243 for now until I buy another scope.

Picked up a .243 today. Figured I would move the scope over from the 300wsm for the time being.... didn't buy scope rings and.... The tikka rings are Tikka specific. So much for gething to the range at 7 tomorrow.

6.5 Grendel can reach out. Not think it best if you are looking for 500yrd+ shots on game all the time due to it's lower muzzle velocity. But 400-500yrds on deer would be ok, there are a number of great medium game bullets in the 100-129gr range thta perform very well. It has taken Elk @ 400yrds. the round itself is capable of reaching out a mile reliably and consistently due to it's high BC bullets Then there is also 6.5creedmore, or 6.5swede for that matter for higher velocities. Grendel I know is just a real nice mellow shooter, something you can shoot al day and not feal beat up. Leading to better familiarity with weapon and performance which leads to better shots on game. I built up an AR in 6.5grendel and IT shoots sub .6MOA as long as I am doing my part and that was with a budget barrel and factory 123G Amax ammo. Don't let the size and #'s fool you, the 6.5 bullet is a great performer even if the # on paper do not make it look like it is to some. Europeans been using it (6.5x55) for their big game for over a century. Funny you mention the 6.5 Grendel, as I recently picked up a stripped lower I am debating building either a 300blkout pistol or a 6.5 Grendel rifle out of as my next project gun. For this hunt, since I already have the 300wsm and 7mm-08 in the safe, I think I am looking to add either a 243, 25-06 or 257 Roberts to the mix. I think the 257 Roberts will be out of the running due to factory ammo availability. At one point I was looking at the 280 and 260, ammo availability ruled those out as well. I do have a single stage press that I use for handgun ammo, I have not ventured into reloading rifle ammo, but this close to a hunt, and with hopefully a new rifle, I would rather stick to factory ammo for now.

I think my biggest problem with the 300wsm is the almost 31lbs of kick that i have to deal with, as it is a Tikka T3 Lite. I bought it before shooting one to replace my 270, as its not like I have access to tons of rifles in all calibers to try like some on here seem to post as a possibility. I ask the question to get opinions since i cant shoot every caliber before i buy, to see what others use. I have only shot a 300wsm, 270, 7mm mag, 30-30, 22-250 and 5.56/223.... so its not like i have shot a ton of calibers either. Yeah, the 300wsm may be able to fill my tag with a marginal 500 yard shot, but i would rather wait for a 300 yard shot that i know i can ethically make, with a rifle i enjoy shooting and practicing with. The 300wsm comes out of the safe, fire a couple rounds at the range to check it is still on zero, and back in the safe it goes. Maybe if i had a heavier rifle i would enjoy it more, but 31 lbs of kick per Chuck Hawks evaluation on this make/model/caliber is just plain unpleasent. If you get a thrill out of having a 30lb sledge hammer smacking your shoulder more power to you...... but thats not my idea of a good time. Plus like i said in the first post.... its a reason for me to get another gun with the wifes approval. You can tell the single vs the married guys on here.... the single guys are the ones sayin just to shoot the 300wsm..... the married guys are the ones actually providing suggestions....

I was considering the 260, but ammo is really hit and miss when i looked.

What is a good deer rifle is not necessarily a good elk rifle, and a good elk rifle is not necessarily a good deer rifle. Big difference between a 100lb white tail and a bull elk that quarters out at over 400lbs And i know shot placement is key being an archery hunter, just haven't rifle hunted deer much.

I honestly just don't enjoy shooting it. I have gotten Elk with it and can reliably hit my target within standard hunting range (I have not gotten into long range shooting yet), but for a coues size animal I assume that I don't need to abuse my shoulder..... and lets face it, since my wife isn't on here i can openly say I want to use this as an excuse that I "need" a new rifle.

My wife and I both got drawn for our 2nd choice hunt, only problem is the only time I gave been to unit 21 was an off ramp for the highway to head west. LOL To make it better.... this is my wife's first time hunting! Just gotta hope she doesn't shoot me instead of the deer!

Posted! 1080 unit 21

My bonus points just updated.... but still no tag shown Bonus points (as of 7/23/2015)

I think he's referring to the "You have applications/tags available" message. Which I read as applications and\or tags. In which case, is true. I assume that if you are seeing this you got an elk/antelope tag, as I got skunked for an elk tag, but CC got hit for deer and do not see this message.

Look at the website address in his screen shot. He stumbled on a developer page that has not yet been published.

So I got drawn this year for Archery Elk 6A west and for Rifle Mule Deer 6A. While I was up north scouting for elk, and also on my elk hunt I hardly saw any deer.... (Schnebly Hill/Munds Park area) So my question is, where in 6A is the best area to go for my deer hunt. (Oct 23-Nov 5) Thanks in advance.

So I went up Thursday and set up camp with a friend/coworker. He didnt get drawn, but knows the unit, so he volunteered to take time off work to help me out. We went out and did a little scouting and found a 4x4 at the bottom of the ridge we planned to hunt the next morning. Got up Friday morning and at first light saw a bull with 7 points on one side and the other antler busted off. He was about 75 yards away, but being my first year bowhunting, and only practicing with broad heads out to 60 yards, I wasn't even going to think of trying that shot. We were in bulls the rest of the morning, but not close enough for a shot. That night, sat my stand, but the only thing that came into the waterhole was a squirrel LOL. Next morning went to the same ridge, and withing 20 min we were seeing bulls. I had a shot at a spike, but it spooked as I turned to get to the other side of the tree I was knelt down at. Which worked out for me. before the spike I saw a 6x6 along with the bull mentioned above with the busted antler walking on top of the ridge, but they were well over 100 yards away and cut down the ridge in another spot. I saw that same 6x6 about 3 more times, once I at 45 yards, but my buddy was between me and the bull. After going back to camp, my buddy left to go back to Phoenix for the night as he promised his wife to help move one of her friends Saturday night and Sunday morning. With a storm looking to be rolling in, I really didn't feel like strapping myself up in a tree, so decided to go see if I could find that 6x6 again. Took the quad up to the top of the ridge and started hiking across the flat and down the ridge to a game trail near the top. Started walking one way, but after a couple hundred yards, it started going down, and I didn't want to head down yet, so I turned around. I got about 40 feet past where I came down, and low and behold there is the 6x6 walking the trail right towards me with the busted antler bull right behind him, with the trail making an "S" curve between us,. I ducked down before they saw me and managed to go fairly unnoticed a few feet off the trail. I know they heard me as the ground is covered in dried leaves, but they didn't spook. I heard them getting closer, so I drew, knowing when they rounded the "S" towards me I wouldn't have time to draw my bow, well I couldn't hold it anymore and let off, did this one more time, still they didn't come around the corner and had to let off. So now I am sitting there and notice they got off the trail and were heading straight down the hill, walking slowly and eating leaves off the trees right in front of me about 40 yards out. I waited till both their heads were behind trees and drew back, and got a 35 yard shot at the 6x6. Hit him with a double lung shot. He shot down the hill like a bullet and his buddy stood and stared at me for 30 seconds before deciding he should run too. LOL Now, I am at the top of the ridge, just shot my first elk, first big game animal at that, and my hunting buddy is on his way home... and I'm thinking, what the heck do I do now.... So I call my buddy to get his butt back up to my unit, as I just got the 6x6 we were after all morning... then, since he knows I am a smart___ and am always pulling some prank on him, it took me about 10 minutes to convince him that I am not screwing with him, I really did. So he said he just pulled up in his driveway but would turn around and he would call his friends hunting the same unit. Luckily, 3 friends of his were hunting the water hole at the bottom of the hill, so when I ran out of blood trail I met up with them. Now with 4 of us walking up the hill, I find that I didn't run out of blood trail, there was just about 40-50 feet of no blood then HUGE amounts of blood to follow, with the elk crashed in some trees about 50 yards from where the blood really started pouring out. Now, I shot him at 3:20pm on Saturday, and got him back to camp finally at 9:30 that night... talk about a LONG DAY. Anyway, he ain't no record book elk, but for my first time archery hunting, and first big game animal I have ever taken, I am thrilled. I didn't have a camera, as it was in my buds truck, so waiting for the others who where there when we found him to finish their hunts and get home to email me the pics they took of him, me and him, plus the video of me walking up to him, but here is a pic I took with my phone where we found him. Edit: this was in 6A west. Also, here are some of of him strapped to the trailer when we got back to camp.

Got my Euro mount back last night.

I was in 6A west for opening archery weekend. Hardly heard any bugling except for the hunters. From what I heard, some were able to call a couple in, but not close enough to get a shot, when my buddy and I called, there seemed to be no interest. If you kicked them up, they were barely vocal while moving, and if they bedded down, call all you want, they didn't care. After everyone telling me what a kick it is to be hunting during the rut, I didn't experience this on my hunt. Got lucky on day #2, so don't know if things improved up there or not as the hunt went on.

Hey Ed, I spent ALOT of time this past year using your archery range getting ready for my elk hunt, the one suggestion I have is clearing out the archery range abit. Most of the time, things are organized, but sometimes, you have to move stored inventory in order to shoot (although I have not been in since my hunt)... Other than that, you have a great store, you and your staff are friendly and helpful, and that makes your store a pleasure to visit.

one of my buddies is left handed, but shoots guns and archery right handed.... outside of those, everything else he does as a lefty...

Update of what my elk looks like

Tell your uncle I said congrats on his bull. He went for a number of years between tags, so glad he was able to get one as well.

fantastic bull man. I need to stop logging on here... I was proud of the bull I got on Saturday till I started reading others posts on here.... LOL

Thanks to all that have replied so far. Talk about an adrenaline rush... I could barely hold my phone afterwords to try to call my buddy to let him know... LOL If you were the ones with the montana cow decoy that the one guy tried to shoot then yep, we met. Sorry that I got to the bull before your uncle... I was just off Schnebly Hill Road.

Congrats! Nice looking bull.