Heading to Colorado for my first elk hunt. More range work today!

Well my wife drew a tag here in KY last year, and got a 4x4, we had a ball. I am heading to Crawford Colo. on Sept. 26 to hunt 10-1 to 10-4, guided hunt on private ranch. This will be a managment hunt for 5x5 and 6x6 bulls, average 30-36 inch spreads, respectable mature bulls, not big mass or book racks, operator is wanting them out of the herd. I have been wanting to do this all my life. Guide says guarenteed hunt, due to water and timber pinch points, most shots around 100yds. I am hoping a couple of buddies can go, last minute opportunities.
Now for my guns. I will be taking the .270 I built for my wife last year proven gun and scope/load, but my primary firearm will be a Marlin guide gun, 45/70 stoked with some potent handloads, 2x7 leupold with leupold steel base and rings. This is the ported model, and I replaced the factory pad with a limbsaver. You can see the bullet impact through the scope, as the gun comes straight back. With 3 different loads, this gun will hover at 1 inch and will keep these 3 different loads in 2 &1/4 inches at 100yds, mixed bag. I am pushing the 405 grain jsp at 1850fps and the 300gr. JHP at 2000fps. Now I have built over 200 custom rifles as a gunsmith and I know there are much better rifles than the Marlin, but here is my reason for hunting with it. Eight years ago I lost my 19 year old son in a car accident 2 months before his 20th birthday, this was his rifle I had fixed up for him, and he had taken a few deer with it hunting the woods here in KY. I had not fired this gun till last year, went on a cull hunt to rid does off a farm, took 3 in one afternoon. I am using his rifle in memory of all the things he never got to do, and my buddy is taking the same type 45/70 and a 30/06 I built him 20 years ago. It will be a memorable hunt no matter what size the elk, first other big game either one of us has hunte outside of KY. I have 100 rounds loaded, 50/50 405 and 300gr. bullets, plan on shooting seveal in practice before leaving. The guide seems to think the 45/70 will be fine, has had several clients hunt with them, just said be sure and not use the leverloution Hornady rounds, has had them crater and blow back out on heavy shoulder bones. All response appreciated.

First let me say that I am sorry to hear of the loss of your son. I think this is the perfect reason to take that big thumper on the hunt. Good luck! I'm sure it would make your son smile to have his old man whack a nice bull with his rifle!

As a guy that lost his only brother to a car accident many years ago at the young age of 21 I can relate to your story. I wish my father would have done something like that to honor his oldest son. It would have done dad a world of good.

Best of luck to you on your hunt.

I live in "Elk Country" Colorado and while the Guide Gun might not be everyones first choice it will be fine for most shots you get. Around here, 270's and 30-06's are probably the most popular followed by the various 300 and 338 mags. The best hunter I know gets his deer and elk every year with a 6mm Remington.
Charlie

I am also sorry to here about people losing family, and I am sorry for you loss.

I live about 2-3 hours from crawford and I also agree with that gun being a good choice. Will be enough gun for sure and for 100 yard shot, no problem. I hope you have as much fun as I do. I love hunting elk. We live in a trophy unit so we only get to hunt elk about 1 time every 9-10 years. But man is it ever exciting..

good luck

As a 444 Marlin user, I would take a 300 in a soft point and the 405 in a hollow point, just to make sure to have it fold up where it stands. Why??? The 300 has less B.C. and S.D. and Elk are tough, so the soft point will penetrate better in the lighter load. As for the 270 leave it in the case. I have seen my brother in law come home empty handed to many times, before he went to 7RM. The 30-06 will fill the bill with 180 and heavier. I would keep the shooting of the Marlin under 175 yards to be safe. I use a 300gr. Keith wad cutter over a stiff load of H322 at 2150 with a outstanding performance on Elk to 150 yards, the one year I ran a 300gr.XTP it did not drop right away the round did hit the heater but never exited it was found just inside the heart. Hope this helps, sorry for your loss.

I think the 45 is ideal. I would personally lean toward the 300gr load if it is a stout bullet. I use cast bullets with a huge meplat. The best advice I can give is to know the trajectory of the load you choose. Sight it in for point blank shooting and practice judging distance. I have lived in the West for 8 years now and have found that us folks from back East can be easily fooled on distance by the wide open spaces out here.

I went to my local range today, 100yds. I cut out a cardboard elk and posted on the 100 yd line,returned to the bench. When my buddy asked where my sandbags were, I asked him how many of them he took hunting. I thumbed 4 of the 405 gr. into thel 45/70, tightened up with a hasty sling and shot 4 off hand, as fast as i could work the lever and settle on target. I then did the same thing with 3 of the .270, 150sp, working them through in about 12 seconds. The 45's were all nearlly touching in a clockwise curve, the .270 shots just above them in about an inch and a half triangle. Since these arent my regular hunting guns, I have shot a lot off hand with the .270 and a 30/30 and .22 leveraction the last 2 weeks, today was pay off for some form work. I used to shoot ML in competition weekly for practice, on a state and national level, mostly off hand, old habits came back in to help me. I feel ready to go!

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Originally Posted by skoger

I went to my local range today, 100yds. I cut out a cardboard elk and posted on the 100 yd line,returned to the bench. When my buddy asked where my sandbags were, I asked him how many of them he took hunting. I thumbed 4 of the 405 gr. into thel 45/70, tightened up with a hasty sling and shot 4 off hand, as fast as i could work the lever and settle on target. I then did the same thing with 3 of the .270, 150sp, working them through in about 12 seconds. The 45's were all nearlly touching in a clockwise curve, the .270 shots just above them in about an inch and a half triangle. Since these arent my regular hunting guns, I have shot a lot off hand with the .270 and a 30/30 and .22 leveraction the last 2 weeks, today was pay off for some form work. I used to shoot ML in competition weekly for practice, on a state and national level, mostly off hand, old habits came back in to help me. I feel ready to go!

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Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang! That's some nice shooting. Post a photo yo.

Thanks Borg. I used to shoot around 3000 rounds a year in practice and competition, shooting trad. muzzleloaders here in KY and at the NMLRA national champion ships, in june and sept. and at the Alvin YOurk memorial shoot in Tenn., just south of here. I have medaled 31 times, Gold, Silver and Bronze in national competition, and won 1st place in the KY bluegrass state games in 2004, 2nd in 2005. I didnt get to use a sling in those matches, so when I sling up it feels like a benchrest.

No doubt. I am happy to keep 5 shots on a paper plate. Nobody ever posts offhand targets.