Well, figured I'd share some hunting success on here.
I'll start with the rifle build. I've been slowly acquiring tools and parts for rifle work. The lathe being the big ticket item. I started with the cheapest action I saw pop up on CGN a while back. 200 bones for a Rem 783 with trigger. Nothing else. One thing led to another and I decided on a 284 win. Built a custom aluminum bottom metal to suit a x-bolt magazine. Modified x bolt magazine to suit the 284. The barrel is a rem varmint profile fluted from IBI barrels. The stock is a modified unit I picked up for 20 bucks. Cerakote done by Connor at Red dot customs. Topped the rifle with a 20 moa rail. MDT rings and an Athlon Ares 4.5-27. It's kind of a target/hunting rifle at 11 lbs. Quickly loaded some Barnes 139 lrx before hunting season. Barrel shots # 3,4,5 of barrel break in go into 3/8" good enough for me.
Let me know if the pictures work.
I've been hunting the same area for moose for the last 6 years with limited encounters with moose. Generally found where they had been and not where they were. Numbers seem to be recovering over the last 2 as we got one last year in the area and saw a couple others.
Anyway got the draw this year and booked time off.
Second day out and we go to a spot I've gone lots but never saw anything. It's a beautiful spot up on top of a cut bank. It overlooks a willow flat with a poplar stand beyond. The cut bank is approximately 100' high so an excellent vantage point. I often pondered how to get a moose out should I be fortunate enough to see one. Did I mention there is a small river at the bottom of the cut bank? Figured I'd cross that bridge or lack of one if it ever came...
Well we get to said spot and it's windy. Shit. I've never had much luck calling in wind. We had checked the area the morning before and spooked a moose. No ID on bull or not so pulled out to not blow the area. We decide I'll push down through a different poplar stand to our right to see if a bull is holed up in there. We turn and start to leave. I look back to see how buddy is doing behind me and there's a moose where we had just been looking across the river! Came out silent as a mouse. (We were down wind of him in a strong breeze). But he had us pegged at about 100 yards when we scurried back to the top of the bank where we could shoot. He turns to trot away.
Son of a b*%#!. Did we just botch this.
I give a call and he had slipped into trees. F**#.
Then we get lucky.
He decided to stride out into the sparse poplar stand. He pauses for whatever moosey reason and I get the shot. I really wanted my hunting partner to shoot his first moose but he didn't see him appear. I pull the trigger and he falls. 139 gain Barnes lrx hits a little high and shocks his spine. He can't get up but can flail his head.
From previous experience trying to shoot an animals flailing head at distance to finish a kill is a recipe for running out of ammo. I slip downstream and finish the deed with a second round into his chest.
Remember how I had pondered getting a moose out. Well with a bit of planning and running for equipment by our lovely wives we got him across the river whole and then halfed him to get it up the hill.
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RJ
Originally Posted by todbartell
RJ
