Anybody planning any interesting hunts for the next year?

[mannyspd1]

highwallbo,

Congratulations!! I too have been trying for over 30 years for antelope here in CA., and elk ever since they opened up a season in CA. for elk. You drew a tag that is coveted; it’s like winning the lottery. I wish you good luck in your hunt and hope to see pictures posted here in the next few weeks. For this once in a lifetime hunt, are you going to use a BPCR or something else?

Manny

[highwallbo]

Manny,

Thank you for recognizing what a feat it is draw one these tags. My story is not unlike yours,but with the point system I think it helps you'll get yours if you can wait them out!
I drew a ML tag and to be honest I don't like the inline ML's, I have one, slightly better than a well placed round ball.
Green Mountain did a limited run of drop in T/C Renegade and Hawken barrels in .45 cal 1-18" x 32".I'ts a front stuffing 45-100 or more, I put a peep sight and a MVA 116 globe on it,it will keep them all in the 9-10 ring @ 100yd. I've been shooting chickens on the silouhette range with it!.
I'm stuffing 100gr Swiss 3F and 540gr PJ sized .452 down the barrel. This rifle will out shoot any in line ML out there.It is only limited by the rear sight elevation. It is very close to my P.Gibbs

[mannyspd1]

Highwallbo,

I have always shot a sidehammer ML, even when my Dad and brother were shooting in-lines. I always had to be different. I cut my teeth with ML's in 1982 shooting a T/C .54 cal with round balls at ground squirrels. My big game hunting rifle started life as a Lyman Great Plains .54 with a round ball barrel (1 in 60") but I bought a Green Mnt. .50 cal fast twist barrel to shoot conicals. The barrel only had one bracket for a single key stock, so I had to make another bracket to hold the 2nd wedge. It has a brass bead front sight, and a Storey rear peep. I shoot 110 grns of Goex FFG with a T/C 370 grn Maxi-ball. It has several mule deer (No. CA. years ago and Idaho more recently, one in the Longhunter's Society book) an Idaho mid-size 6 point bull elk, a No. CA. black bear, and more wild hogs (CA.) than I can count to it's credit. I have to admit though that since I got into BPCR, I haven't even fired the ML. I keep putting in for ML hunts here in CA. as well, but can't get drawn. If I do get drawn, that will be the rifle I use. It is a legit 150 yard rifle, and hasn't let me down yet. Don't forget to post pics, and good luck!

Manny

[krazykora]

i guess we will just stay here and hunt these whitetail. no long trips planned this year. but we have been looking to go buffalo hunting. we have been antelope hunting in wyoming and loved it. good hunting and good fishing there.

[pete]

Some interesting trips mentioned. Highwallbo I agree with you on the inlines. It annoys me when people that carry the high tech ml's want to equate their accomplishments with those that carry the more primitive types.

mannyspd1 I too have not shot my ml much since I got into bp cartridge.

For myself I don't have what most would call an interesting hunt planned. It's for a doe antelope, with bp cartridge. They're a challenge with these guns though so it won't be a piece of cake. The most interesting part at least for me is that it will be 30 years ago to the year that I went on my first antelope hunt. I had alot more hair in 1977 than now and I could crawl for a stalk alot easier too. In 1977 my mom went with me, this year my wife's going.

[six shooter]

We will be hunting the Main Salmon in the frank church wilderness in mid november. We will hunt primarily for deer but elk and bear are ok to. There are only two directions in that country (up and down) so I will most likely take my 7mm.

I have been shooting my 7mm this summer and taking my sharps along. I have been amazed that at least out to 200 yards my shars 45-70 is shooting right with my 7mm. This is my first real effort with peep sights and I have good ones but it is still amazing to me. I can barely see my target with the peep sight at 200 yards and it is pretty clear in the leopold 9 power so I expect to do better with the 7mm but the prof is in the group and man have they been pretty with the sharps.

Probably just lucky so far but we will see.

[highwallbo]

We'll I just got home from that Tule elk hunt,I must say one of the most beautiful hunts I have ever been on.
I had a cow tag and there was only 1 bull tag for ML, I unfortunately did not get that tag. If I had the bull tag no problem with filling it. I could have killed 11 bulls 6pts or better and 1 huge 7X7 in the first 24hrs. of hunting. It was harder to to get a shot at a cow than it was a bull! all of them under 100yds.
I shot a very nice fat cow that evening(opening day09/08) and have 300lbs of beautiful Tule elk meat.
I was extemely happy with the quality of the hunt that the CA.Fish and Game provides. They have came a very long way in re-establihing herds through out the state. I saw over 40 shootable bulls in one day of hunting.There were no closed roads, lots of bugling bulls I was the only one hunting on opening day there are 4 other tags out there.I could not believe the other tag holders were not there. The bulls have been rutting hard now for a couple of weeks and the end is close.
I understand that there is consideration to allow for some non-resident tags. I would encourage any one to apply these are a truly beautiful elk,different from the Rocky Mtn. and Roosevelt, beautiful hide which will be tanned. A truly unique elk experience.
I hunted the Bishop Period 1 ML. There are Arcery and Rifle hunts as well.The follks in town are as nice any where western hospitality is appreciated. Fly fishing is world class in the area and to think I had to drive 229 miles :

[WHO CARES]

WOW! That is cool - and in California too! Chasing elk is lots of fun. CONGRATULATIONS IN A BIG WAY!

WARD

[ArmyBrat]

Well, first post in a while for me. Long hot dry summer meant way too fires in our dry state ...even to the point of banning shooting in Utah county for at least month. Kinda slowed up my lead slinging for a bit.

Cool weather is on it's way now and next weekend it's off to our great state -ALASKA! only I'm hunting fins not fur. Silver salmon trip to the southeast panhandle on Prince of Wales island. mind you there's plenty of fur on the island. More black bear than people and some nice'uns too. Spring though is the prime blackie season when the coat is thick before they start rubbing it thin and splotchy. There have been many taken there with 19-21 inch skulls and they go 6 and 7 square easy. No browns on the island but within small plane distance is some of the best goat hunting with up to 9 inch bases if you work hard enough. Not for me ....just going for the salmon and scenery.

When I get back though 'll have about a week to get ready for my first ever ELK hunt. I put in (first time) and drew out the Buck/Bull combo hunt tags here in Utah for bull elk and buck mule deer. I'll be going with my Brother-in-law who has gone 3-4 times with his friends and sons who have drawn tags and they got one year before last. The elk jerky was great.

So...I'm taking my Shiloh .45-70 and see what we can do together.

[Leif]

I'll be going to Wild Hill Preseve in Fairlee ,VT for wild boar and red stag at the end of October. They are a great place for northeast hunters. 40000 acres and isolated, no cell phone service or TV.I've hunted small game all my life, but have always liked and had single shot rifles, Colt SAAs and Parkers. I do have 4 Sharps reproductions, a Shiloh 45-120, C Sharps 50- 90 and Pedersoli s in 45-70 and 40-65. All are shot with black powder. This March, I shot my first big game ever with the 50-90...a 550 gr bullet ,no wads and 100 gr of 1 1/2 FG swiss kneeling at about 75 yds. It was a 2 year old bull, estimated at 1100 to 1200 lbs and got 400 to 500 lbs of wonderful meat. We have not puchased beef for 6 months. The buffalo was double lunged, staggered for about 30 sec, then went down dead. The preserve is great and reasonable in cost and I feel a fair hunt. Westerners would probably look down at it, but it is great. Nice guides, good food and a wonderful, interesting owner who guided in Alaska , Africa ,the Amazon and was Fred Bear's Alaskan guide...The bow hunter
. I might add, I was nervous about shooting the buffalo well..the week before a hunter used a 50 cal handgun and needed 26 shots to bring down his buffalo, I don;t know how mant shots were hits....Leif

[Leif]

That should be 4000 ( four thousand ) acres. Leif