COOSEFAN

I'm admittedly bad with the correct terms and even the math behind it all. I'm VERY fortunate to have the friends I have, they have funded and supported my interest in long range shooting and even tho they've been trying for years, I still have tons of learning to do from them! My specialty is only for making things dead, for myself and for others. I've had to rely on MUCH smarter folks than I to help me build, understand and use the tools I have

Hey Stanley, I have not used the Claw. I love what it can do for you which is the same as the Loc Jaw but there are things about it that I'm uncomfortable with and in the past I've opted to just use my shooting forks instead. My guns are very touchy as to where and what you rest the gun on. All contact points on my stock have to be exactly the same as how I sighted it in. If I rest the gun on shooting forks and position the fork back by the action it will shoot differently then if the forks were out by the swivel stud. It even makes a difference how my shoulder is angled against the butt of the gun and is a big reason why my POI is different whether I'm laying prone or sitting. This is all just a few things that come into play with long range shooting and usually not very noticeable at medium to short ranges. This is also why I really like the Loc Jaw, it's hard mounted and the contact points are exactly the same everytime and there is no added pressure to the stock, it's merely resting in the exact spot every time! Dan, Both my stocks are McMillan stocks and have slightly different tapers or shape on the underside as opposed to a factory stock. In mounting the adaptors we had to add washers to the action screw and utilize the pivoting function of the Rifle Railz. Because the back end of the Rifle Railz ability to pivot it compensated for the custom shape of my stocks and worked very well. In each package there are wrenches and new bolts included and all you'll need to have is a torque wrench to set the torque on your action screws. David will have a video on how to do this yourself on Youtube but it's very simple.

Thanks for taking the time to check this out guys! Shaynec, I'm surprised you noticed that, good eyes man! Truth be told, I'm not that good with numbers in my head and much worse if I've got a buck within rifle range of me. So to make things easier and much faster for me I've got white electrical tape on the turrets of both my guns. The yardage markers are marked in 50 yard increments and each mark has been shot to prove they are accurate. After getting my turret marked out to my maximum range and verified I then wrapped clear tape around it so the marks don't get smudged. If I change up my load I just tear the tape off and wrap a new piece of tape on there and mark it up the same way. A Ballistic program will get me close on the clicks and then I shoot each mark to make sure it all adds up. Not having to pull out a card, pull my face away from the scope, or count clicks saves me time and sometimes that makes a huge difference. Just my $.02 for what it's worth JIM>

Very Nice! It takes a lot of hard work and skill to kill bucks like that south of the "big ditch"!!! Congrats to all involved!!! JIM>

I'm also working on getting another video clip together to show yet another first time big game hunter making an amazing shot with the Loc Jaw/Rifle Railz setup! On this more recent hunt we had our friend shoot my .300WM with the setup at 500 and 600 yards and he was ringing a 12" gong with every shot. The very next day he dumped a buck at 665 yards with one perfect shot! Great video of the shot and vapor trail! I'll have it up soon. JIM>

Alright folks, you wouldn't believe the amount of time I've WASTED this past week trying to figure out how to use Windows Movie Maker!!!!! I REALLY wish I still had my old software!!!! I FINALLY cut 2 1/2 hours of video into a 10 minute "mini-movie" and even though I had to delete tons of really cool stuff, there is still some cool shots in this movie. For those who are skipping straight to the movie... There was 4 of us on this hunt, myself, Craig and two brothers, Tony and Todd. Todd had never killed a big game animal before and this was to be Tony's second so you'll notice how excited these boys get in the video! They weren't holding out for any score, inches didn't matter, and when you watch the video you'll notice that the bucks they took were huge trophies to them and it was awesome to be a witness to it! Everyone has their own set standards of what a trophy is and to these boys the trophy was in the experience and this was a serious record book trophy of an experience for them!!! I hope ya enjoy it as much as we did! What's not on the video: To start, I've gotta say that this past hunt was simply an awesome time spent with great guys! The only pressure we had was the little bit of pressure Craig and I put on ourselves to hold out for 100" class bucks. I held out for almost a full day and found a buck I wanted opening evening. The buck was buried in thick catclaw at around 600 yards. I could see enough of him to know that he "could" hit the 100" mark but I also knew that I don't have the patience to pass any high 90's class buck on a Oct. leftover tag! The gun was set up on the tripod with the new "Loc Jaw and Rifle Railz" adaptor and I just shot a 4" group the day before at 600 yards with this setup, so I was confident with the shot. There wasn't a angle to worry about but the wind was variable and I could see it wasn't windy where the buck was but was windy where I sat. I pulled out my phone, called my dad who was on an elk hunt and told him I was getting ready to whack a buck! He knew I wanted to hold out and also knows how trigger happy I am so he told me, "Don't do it!" I laughed and told em' it was big enough and to just listen then I set the phone on a rock. There were 2 canyons between us and I decided the wind was going to be a factor so I held into it considerably and just as the buck stopped mostly broadside, the crosshairs were rock solid and level...BOOM! Craig says, "He's hit and running left!", I reload expecting to hear Craig say he's down but instead he says "maybe he's not hit"!!!! WHAT! Now I'm back on the buck and through trees I can see him just standing there then he starts walking around normally and seemingly fine! I'm frantically trying to get a good range on him but with the brush I know I'm getting wrong readings. Finally, the buck clears the brush and I get a good range, hold tight..BOOM, "To the right, the winds pushing it"!! I'm now realizing that the wind is blowing very inconsistently in the canyons between the buck and I and 2 more failed shots ring out leaving me disgusted and frustrated!!! The buck trotted down into and out of sight in the bottom after my last shot and I didn't even have to tell my dad what happened, I basically just said "I'll call ya later" and hung up. Craig and I both replayed the events and Craig swears the buck "humped" up at the first shot but then appeared completely normal. I agreed, the buck seemed perfectly fine as I missed my last 3 shots and I could see where the wind had blown my shots each time except for the first. As we sat there replaying and discussing what just happened, 3 bucks that were bedded near my buck had gotten up. We watched them feed directly towards the trail my buck walked down. Immediately as their noses hit that trail they all stopped feeding and started sniffing around! Then, 1 by 1, they walked down the trail where my buck went and after a while they came back up and resumed feeding. We both knew that wasn't normal and I planned to be on that spot first thing the following morning. Bryan aka "Butters" came up that night and he hiked over to the spot with me in the morning (this part is on the video). We arrived at the exact location of my last shot and I trailed the tracks back up and around and couldn't find any sign of a hit. As I stopped on his tracks back at the spot where my last shot drifted just off his right shoulder I told Bryan that i must've missed the first shot too. Just then a buck blows and busts out of the brush below us! I swing my rifle up, jack a round in, find em' in the scope and notice he's walking stiff legged. I glance at his rack and it appears similar, then look again at his back end and notice he looks humped up so with all this going on in a fraction of a second I find his shoulder..BOOOM! He piles up like a potato sack and my emotions just poured out! I had said prayers that night hoping I was able to finish this deal if i had indeed connected on the buck and my prayers were answered! My thoughts were confirmed as I walked up to him I had indeed hit him the night before with my first shot but the wind had caused a huge drift carrying the bullet almost 2 feet from where I held. There obviously was more wind then was evident and this new 7mm is way more finicky than my .300wm when it comes to wind, next time the 7mm is stayin' in camp if it's windy! The lesson here is "Always follow up on your shots and make sure you didn't wound the animal"!!! I would've swore that buck wasn't hit, he acted completely normal, never licked himself, never walked funny, and I never noticed him humped up at all. It was great when those 3 bucks gave me that clue but I still would've gone over to double check and I'm very glad I did! Craig did an outstanding job holding out and it almost paid off on the 5th day of the hunt when he barely missed a buck that no doubt would've hit the 100" mark. The shot was 407 yards but I forgot my inclinometer and we guessed wrong on the angle so the buck got a hair cut and an education! We didn't see the numbers of quality bucks like usual but we did still find 5-10 bucks a day so it was an awesome hunt. I still haven't taped out my buck yet other than some rough measurements, but he's right around 96-97" and is gonna look great on the wall! And now...for the rest of the story, here's the video!(click on pic below to watch video)

Amazing story and amazing persistence man, huge congrats to you! Thanks for sharing, JIM>

Best part is there is NO photoshop done on that pic!! It just goes to show how much you can manipulate the size of the trophy using depth perception! Glenn is standing about 20 feet behind the deer that is actually no bigger than my GSP. We had tons of laughs on that hunt! JIM>

Thanks for those links, I really like the one from Horus Vision because of the Cant Level that is built in. One thing I don't have on either of my long distance rifles is a level and I've noticed the importance of it through trial and error! I'm gonna get a couple of those for sure! A friend of mine is an absolute long range shooting fanatic, he's a retired mathematical engineer also so you can probably understand how the two go together! He tried out a bunch of the different tools out there to figure out which angle calculating device was the most accurate. He even proved that the Leupold Rangefinder w/ angle compensating capabilities was not accurate and he called them out on it! They agreed that it wasn't as accurate as they claimed and said they were "working" on improvements! That same friend settled on the Suunto Clinometer and swears it's the best tool out there. I'm sure the others work fine, but my buddy is very picky so take it for what it's worth. I've got the same Suunto as him and have used it multiple times proving it's value and we've made shots using it that otherwise would've been sure misses! Here's a link: http://www.suunto.com/en/Products/Precisio...to--PM-5/#Story

Great thread, thanks for posting it 308Nut! I got a question tho, what tool or device do you use or reccomend for acquiring the angle of the shot in the first place?

That Loc Jaw will work with any tripod that utilizes the screw in plate adaptors. Any plate adaptor, regardless of size or shape will screw directly into the Loc Jaw and work fine with any tripod. Obviously tho, the more sturdy your tripod the better it will be. The Outdoorsmans will work fine but I definitely wouldn't use it with the pistol grip head tho, stick with the more fluid and stable pan heads.

I purchased the Meindl's from Cabelas and after walking around a bit more at home in them I took them back. I'm very hard on boots and would typically go thru 1-2 pairs of Danners every year and hoped the Meindl's would last longer for me. They were very comfortable and seemed like they would be perfect but what I noticed later was that the metal lace loops would bind and dig into the top of my foot. This would only happen if I were hiking up a steep incline or when kneeling down. It may have been just the way my foot is shaped or the placement of those loops, i dont know for sure. Lots of folks love those boots tho! When you try them on, bend your foot to similate walking up a steep hill on your toes, make sure those lace loops don't bend downward onto the top of your foot. Best of luck! JIM> P.S. I ended up going with the Kenetrek's and although they are now ready to be retired, they lasted me just over a year which is really good for me!

Hey Shanec, thanks for the reply! That song is called "Call of the Wild" I think. It's aways been one of my favorites! JIM>

Oh, and by the way....... about the "Idol" part, let's compare our "Coues collections" and see who should be "idol-ing" who!! One day when I grow up I want to have a herd of bucks on my wall like yours buddy

What a great write up Shorty, I almost enjoyed reading it as much as I did living it! One thing I enjoy the most is helping folks experience hunting for the first time and I was very glad I didn't miss out on Glenn's first kill! There is only 1 first kill in every hunters life and it's usually a very special moment and one that is great to witness first hand! I've been fortunate to be on 4 first kills this year and can't wait for more, I love it! Congrats again Glenn on an amazing perfect shot on your first big game critter! And as for you Shorty, you have WAY too much patience bro, I don't know if my mental well being can stand any more hunts with you! LOL! Congrats boys, it was awesome! JIM>

Great job working hard, stalking and whackin' a very cool buck! Congrats! JIM>

Awesome buck man!!! A buck just half that size is at the top of my wish list, couldn't imagine walking up to that one!! Congrats, JIM>

This will be a good thread to keep tabs on! Mistakes??? I've got too many and not enough time to sit here and write them all out! I've got some good ones, first one that comes to mind is my most recent one that happened in Mexico and will haunt me for the rest of my coues hunting days! I was with a ranch owner who didn't speak any english and I had just met him for the first time an hour earlier. My mexican friend was also with us and was my translator. My partner had previously done all the logistics with this rancher and hadn't filled me in yet on the details of this particular ranch. My partner also had told me that I could take a deer if I saw one but I didn't have the money with me at that time and really didn't have the money to be spending anyways. While driving down the road the rancher motioned to me that he sees big bucks in that spot and all of a sudden the biggest 3 point coues buck I've ever seen runs across the road! I slam the truck in park before it even stopped rolling, dug out my rifle, loaded it and took a knee next to the truck just as the buck stopped broadside at 120 yards! I held the crosshairs on him for a second then for some stupid reason I felt I needed varification from the ranch owner that I could shoot the buck! I pulled off the gun and tried calling for my friend in the truck but he couldn't hear me. I got back in the gun on the buck that was still there and was about to pull the trigger again but felt I really need to know for sure that I can shoot this buck so I pulled off again and called to my friend. This time he hears me and asks why I haven't shot!!!! I get back on the buck and sure enough he spins and trots away with my crosshairs steady on his tail! I should've ran the bullet up his tail pipe but I didn't. As I stood up, shaking and experiencing the most frustrating and disgusted emotions I've ever felt, I looked at the ranch owner and he had his hands up asking me why I didn't shoot!!! I hunted that buck exclusively the next couple days and made another mistake when I shot a 100" class dwarf buck in the exact spot that appeared to be a giant at long range because of his small body. I didn't have a spotter with me and at 756 yards he looked like a giant in my rifle scope but only after walking up to him did I realize he was a midget and an expensive mistake! My client later killed the buck I "passed" up, and in a weeks time he had broken 2 tines off but still scored 117" even without the 2 tines! So, I guess I can say that I "passed" up a 130+ 3x3 buck at 120 yards.......and it'll haunt me for the rest of my life! JIM>

Welcome to the site and thanks for sharing the story and pics! Congrats to your daughter on a great first buck! JIM>

Awesome bucks all the way around, way to go TLO! Huge congrats on all the success! JIM>

Great job Stacey! I know Travis was excited to be hunting with you, I hope there will be plenty more successful hunts for you in the future! Congrats and thanks for sharing the great story and pics with us here! JIM>

Amazing!!!! It's appearant you guys put in your time and I'm sure worked your butts off to make that all a reality! Huge congrats to all involved, that's what dreams are made of right there! JIM>

Great Job Hammy! I like your "6 lessons" and would agree with all of them! Congrats on a great hunt. JIM>

Great job Cory and to you Casey for helping him out! I've had the pleasure of witnessing several first time hunters this year and just can't get enough of it, that's what it's all about! JIM>

Awesome job Kathi!! Very pretty buck and definitely a very nice one for your first! Congrats! JIM>