Like most things in life and with elk, what you sow is oft what you reap....

Since the '80's, I have enjoyed 3-season backpacking, day hiking, bug-rodding and untold hours 4-wheeling a significant amount of WA real estate east of the PCT. In more recent times, Google Earth is invaluable. In due course, one can get eyes on migration corridors betwixt confirmed alpine summer/early fall breeding areas to sage flat wintering grounds so options are available depending upon weather and snow levels. It is quite something to be kept up all night by screaming bulls clunking hooves on rocks mere feet from your tent. The old steelhead adage that 10% of the water holds 90% of the fish also applies to elk. Have had the good fortune to see/hear/smell elk almost daily when far removed from FS roads and the ubiquitous fall pumpkin patches. They are remarkably gracious professors for those so inclined to enroll in Elk U. For the astute, you may even learn a thing or two about yourself in the process....

Agree Driftin! I should say and be more clear that it was my first time actively hunting in this area. I've been scouting a couple of times and have a land owner and a couple of local boys filling me in on the hidden hidey hole hot spots and all of the homework I always do.

These are places that are pretty devoid of other hunters except for very few locals, even though there's hunters everywhere. For example, there is one spot that's "supposedly" holding a big bull and some nearby cows, but the trailhead less than a 1/4 mile away is loaded with 50 trucks and some stock trailers. That bull is just right there, off the side of the road in a little hidden hollow and nobody is the wiser.

Of course I didn't learn this info until noon yesterday and it came with the expense of 1 gallon of fresh Chanterelles as a tasty bribe. Deal. Those local boys sure do drive a hard bargain!

Out in the boonies, a guy could probably get away with putting a load of birdshot or rubber shot into a tweaker's arse.
A sort of Public Service Announcement.

I think we have a copyright infringement here.
Hey Driftin'...

A hunting thread focusing on a 206er.

Epic.

Yeah, but he's hunting down in Meth Land, aka, Lewis County, hence the tweaker trying to break into his truck.

Fish on...

Todd

You 206ers recreate up on the Oly Penn

C'Mon man.

If by "recreate" you mean chase tweakers off our stuff...yeah, that's Lewis County.

Fish on...

Todd

How was your lunch at Spiffy's?

It was barking last week. So was the M1 Garand. The steel pate at 200 yards now has severe PTSD. Also burned off 500 or so lead .45 ACP's through the other Kimber and the 1911 carbine. Have another 1500 or so lead boolits to get rid of. Hate shooting lead.

Made me wonder if the noise of a 30-06 hitting steel at 200 yards was the same as hitting a helmet at 200 yards. Either way, that had to have seriously rattled some noggin's back in the day.

Keith - we need to go hit some "long" steel. I want to see if I can hit anything at 400-500 yards. Figure that's probably the max range for me with the Kimber. Damn spaghetti thin barrel is unforgiving to those who do not know how to shoot an ultra lightweight mountain gun.

Critters be dead at 200 yards. Want to see what it can do at 300....400...and 500.

PS. Good freakin' luck finding ammo for it. I'm putting factory 180 grain Nosler Trophy Grade AccuBond's through it.

Since the Lewis Co record for big'ol blacktail bucks is 180ish

A 206er would be noteworthy.

It's a numbers game.

....and some don't math so good.

A 360er would be far bigger.

Absolutely and I'll let you shoot the 6.5-284 out to 1000 or 1100 yards. Last day of late buck this year I was burnt out from not seeing bucks and made $10 shooting a 3 shot 2" tall by 7" wide group on a rock at 1005 yards.

This time of year we see our share of calm days but all too often that means fog too, so we'd have to pick a good clear day! I just picked up a spotting scope and the phone skope adapter so I can record some vapor trails and hits. I'd much rather pound some steel at long range than chase Chamber Creek turds!

Keith

I’m in!

What kind of glass do you have on that Kimber Parker?

I need to push my Weatherby short barrel .308 out a bit further as well...but within the capabilities of my simple 3x9. I only care about hunting scenarios, so a max of 400 - 500 and in from multiple angles and positions. A .308 at 500 is really pushing it for my ethics on live animals. Not a fan of ultra long range shots on critters. Too many variables and things can go wrong + most hunters don't have the skills to get it done at those longer ranges. It's dialed in for 200 or less, but I haven't had the chance to push it further than that and see what it can do or most importantly, what I can do with it.

I'm torn on my next gun. It'll either be a 45-70 lever gun or a long range stick. Keith - I'll definitely be seeking you out if I decide to go with the later.

Let me know, I've spent too much time in the world of long range and more importantly the time in reloading and mastering that aspect of it. Truthfully, imho the precision in reloading is more important that an expensive long range gun. It's being able to load to Extreme Spreads (velocity max/min) under 10fps in consistency. That allows you to find the harmonic node of the barrel and gives you the abililty to repeat in precision.

I personally haven't harvested an animal past 550 yards, but my intent is to do so. More of a bucket list thing. I've made ethical shots with a bow at 4 yards out to 72 yards. I've made ethical shots with a smoke pole out to 186 yards and now intent to make an ethical shot out to 900 or 1000 yards with the long gun.

Keith

The Kimber is sporting a VX-6 4-24x52. It as the CDS reticle system on that supposedly will let me dial it out to 600 yards or so. It's sighted in at 200. I'm guessing one of Keith's Klangers is gonna seem awfully damn small at the distances he's talking about!

I would prefer to shoot an animal in the 200-300 yard range. In actuality, every animal I have either shot at, or killed has been less than 200 yards.

My other two Rem Mod 700's (7mmMag and .270) are sporting BigStick Industries recommended FX 6x42's fitted with an M1 elevation turret. They have the MOA info taped on the stocks to theoretically reach out to 500+ yards, but I've yet to sling boolits out of them past 200. They are both reallygood shooters, but the scopes are just not up to snuff for long distances.

I have a Vortex Viper 2.5-10x44 on my ArmaLite Ar-10 .308. No MOA turrets and I've checked with Vortex on upgrades - there are none. I won this scope in a SRC and it's been a good fit on that rifle. Sighted out to 200. I did shoot this rifle at a human sized klanger at 1,000 yards and hit the frame. I was using some random military ball ammo and was all over the place at those long yards. Rifle was suppressed as well. The trigger on this rifle sucks ass and I just haven't bothered upgrading it.

I do love the glass of the FX's on a hunt where I'm moving, in trees, etc. The VX will be fine situated on a mountain side zeroing in on BuckZilla that I glassed from a mile away and put a stalk on it to where I'm within shooting range.

I purchased a new Marlin 1895 Guide Model 45-70 for a supposed tribal land bear hunt that never happened. Beautiful gun and was really damn accurate with open sights at 0-50 yards. Like really damn accurate. I stupidly traded it for a handgun a few years back and I'm pretty sure I lost on that deal. Wish I still had it.....although I never did shoot it when I had it as ammo is expensive for it, I hadn't standardized on a factory load for it, and it's a bit on the harsh side as a general plinking gun.

I don't think I'd recommend a Kimber Mountain Ascent to anyone. While it does shoot well, it's a fickle pickle to shoot properly. There's no room for errors...which can and does happen while on the hunt. I'll be surprised if I can hit the long targets with this rifle.

I should have saved my pennies and had a custom rifle built, per the recommendation of WDFW. He's got some sweet sticks that I'd seriously look in too if I was in the market for a long fun.

I don't recall who makes them, but if WDFW is reading this, maybe he can chime in.

Anyone want to buy a mostly-new Kimber Mountain Ascent in .300 WSM and fitted with the above mentioned scope? Has less than 54 rounds through it, presuming the factory put 4 test fire rounds through it. I'm about $2,500 in to this rifle and scope and that is what I'd let it go for. It's super light and shoots as advertised by Kimber. Feels great on the shoulder, on the pack, or in the hands and shoulder. If there's a miss or the boolit didn't go where you wanted it too, it's a shooter or ammo issue, not a rifle issue.

Fire up that magic softwares of yours and tell me what I should be reloading for my Kimber!

....not that I own any reloading stuff, or would have a clue how to reload.

What "base" would you start with if you owned that Kimber?

A curious mind wants to know.

Even better, just make up some loads for me for when I get there. You should have worked your magic by that time.

JOB #1--------------------------------------
Need to get a trigger in your Kimber if you haven't already.
1.5 lbs with no creep.
Best investment for that gun.


Some additional feedback---------
No gripping the fore stock/barrel area.
Left hand back under right armpit.

No holding gun with trigger hand thumb over the top as you will torque the gun by gripping it.

Gun must be level when shooting or gravity will drop the bullet one side of the target or the other.

I prefer a short legged bipod from a prone position as long as you can trust your shooting partners.

I like a good quality 3-18 44 mm scope and low to medium rings so the front lens is just above the barrel a tad and not too high.

If your scope is sitting higher due to 52 mm then you will most likely need some soft shimming to elevate your mug constantly higher than the top of the stock.

Have your partner load your gun/or NOT a few times to see if you are jerking the trigger. Not knowing when it won't go off will reveal how you are getting off the trigger.

Reloading is a whole different chapter.

My everyday long range gun is an 300 WM RBROS light weight hunter shooting handloads built to the exact tolerances that Travis told me to shoot.
If I do all of the above it drives tacks.