Tag Archive for: elk

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The Grindstone – A Backcountry Elk Hunt

The Grindstone, a backcountry elk hunt, montana wild, blog post, hunting film

THE GRINDSTONE – A BACKCOUNTRY ELK HUNT

trail cameras, elk hunting, scouting, montana wild

Nine trail cameras set and pulled, 5 1/2 days of pre-season scouting, 78 bulls glassed up and the search for something worthy of my long awaited tag continued. As a hunter I’ve really only ever known one way of finding success, and that’s simply outworking other hunters and putting a lot of time into hunts. So far this one was shaping up to be similar to many hunts over the years, work hard, work harder, and hopefully turn up something that gets your heart going. If I’m being honest, this challenge is what keeps me coming back. Hunting is hard and when you start trying to find the most mature animals in your area the odds only stack harder against you.

elk scouting, elk, camping, tents, zack boughton, montana wild

Jordan and I crested the last ridge just as daybreak was spilling across the giant flat in front of us. Down below us I immediately spotted elk as the wind ripped at our backs and jostled our glass. One look and I knew a closer look was in order. The Leica was soon clipped into the tripod and I was looking at the best bull we’d seen yet. I thought I’d seen him two days earlier as I’d finished pulling cams before restocking but he was a long ways off. Now we were a 1000 yards out and he looked bigger. Before I could really size him up he slipped down into a ravine with his cows and was gone. We set camp and decided to make a big loop and get a better vantage for the evening. In two days season would open and we wanted to know if this bull was going to be our target or not. That evening we slipped into 300 yards of the bull and his cows. The wind was screaming and the elk were between us and our tents so close proximity was necessary. I also wanted a close look.

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After studying him for over an hour I was unsure if he was the one. Now in MT I would shoot this bull but I’d waited 12 years to draw this tag and the unit has produced some giants over the years. This is the interesting part about draw tags. You have to equip yourself with a whole new set of standards and expectations that aren’t your norm. Doing that brings a lot of questions and uncertainty into the picture. At the end of it we decided this bull was a high 330s bull or low 340s, a damn nice bull. That said, if you want to kill 350+ bulls you need to be able to pass damn nice bulls. At the end of the day this bull didn’t scream “hell yes” when I looked at him. I knew what could be living in this unit and I had a long season in front of me with a rifle in hand. I was going to roll the dice on this one and put the work in to see if I could find a bigger bull in the unit.

Opening day had come and gone and we had now looked over 135 bulls not including the photos on my trail cam. Lots of 290-320 bulls seemed to be the norm. It was fun hunting, my brother Travis behind the camera and Jordan Blase with me helping look over animals and gameplan our approach to hunting the unit. We were having fun but warm weather and high winds seemed to be keeping elk movement minimal and hunter pressure was high in the corner of the unit that seemed to be holding the majority of the elk. We decided to pull camp and continue on in search of less pressure and hopefully a big, old bull that was hiding out in more remote country.

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Days later we’d managed to call in two small bulls and had covered a lot of ground. From glassing to sneaking timber to calling, we’d been working hard to locate elk of any kind. What had held a lot of elk just months earlier now felt as if aliens had sucked all the wildlife from the area. With warm temps and wind consistent in the forecast I called the first hunt after 10 days of solid effort. We’d see if we could get a change in weather and come back. I still had over 20 days in the season so we had time to see if more favorable conditions might show up.

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Over the following weeks I made two more trips to my unit. One of those with my good friend and avid elk hunter Brandon Purcell and the other with my roommate Logan Summers. We continued to see nice bulls but nothing that was noticeably larger or had any real “wow” factor to them. At this point I wondered if there were any bigger bulls.

Maps were poured over, ideas thrown around, but at the end of the day I decided to end my hunt by going back to where we’d seen the majority of bulls and spend 4 days re-hunting those zones. The final push would just be me and my brother Travis. We’ve killed a lot of elk together over the years so hopefully this trip would be no different.

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After about 5 and a half miles and 4000’ of vert we hit our camp spot. Snow had moved in and looked as if was going to hang around for a while. We saw four small bulls that night so we knew elk were in the area. The following morning broke with light snows and we moved to our first glassing point. The same bulls from the previous night casually grazed as snow filtered in and out. Quickly we felt that if the weather was going to hold we should circle the mountain to the west and look at some of the harder to reach areas. After an hour of hiking we caught a 20 minute window of visibility before the weather rolled in. For the next seven hours we stoked the fire, ate snacks and tried to glass anytime we got a small window of visibility. In the end we saw zero elk and a handful of mule deer does that appeared to be slowly moving to new country. With just two days left I banked on the clearing weather and cold to have bulls up on their feet in the am.

elk hunting, montana wild, zack boughton

The following morning we left the tents an hour before first light. It was single digit cold and I didn’t want to sweat much as we climbed the 500’ to our glassing knob. We hit the top just as light was starting to filter across the frosty landscape. We donned puffy gear and got behind the glass. I quickly spotted two bulls on a small finger of grass above cliffs, a spot I’d highlighted on the maps before I ever stepped foot in the unit. This was the first time I’d seen bulls here but one had a heavy rack and his thirds extended outside the beams on both sides. I liked him but he wasn’t an immediate hell yes. We kept scanning and over the course of the morning saw a total of 31 bulls. I was able to relocate the original big bull that I’d passed on trying to kill at the very start of the hunt. He was with three other bulls, one of which I only caught a glimpse of his tops. I knew they were worthy of a play but we’d need to move camp closer to them. As the bulls slowly filtered into the timber the first bull of the day still lived rent free. Was he hiding length in his mass? Did I need to just get a closer look before we moved on? As I started hiking back towards the tent I could see where the first two bulls were at. In my binos I could see one of the bulls, the smaller of the two. They were about 1800 yards out and something just pulled at me to go take a closer look. It would only be a half out detour and so I told Travis were going down there to have a closer look. Fifteen minutes later I crept up to the edge and peered across the canyon. Immediately I spotted the bull I’d come to see. He was laying in the open but behind a tree which is why I couldn’t see him coming down off the mountain. He was a beauty. Not the size and score of what I dreamed this hunt would provide, but a heavy, gorgeous bull living in country that exemplified the ruggedness of the unit. In my heart I quickly knew this was the one. I’d expended a lot of energy to find something world class and although the score sheet wouldn’t show it, this bull in this moment was world class.

elk hunting, bull elk, montana wild, rifle hunting

After telling Travis, we quickly got setup to take a shot. The wind was light, just a 4-6mph breeze and I knew it had the likelihood of picking up. At just over 500 yards I knew my skills could deliver a lethal shot with high probability. I got behind the gun, picked my spot, confirmed my wind call and slowly pressed the trigger. The shot broke clean and I saw my bullet hammer through the front shoulder. The bull stood up holding his front leg, wobbled, and then fell over backwards into the snow. Twenty one days in and my tag was filled. We soaked in the beauty of the morning, the sun shining into the snow covered canyon, fog slowly rising through the jagged cut below us.

zack boughton elk hunting

An hour later we’d circled the canyon and made it to my bull. He was just a pretty up close. We took some photos and video and proceeded to begin the process of cutting him up and creating a gameplan for getting the meat off the mountain. We were in griz country so we knew having a solid plan would help us get all the meat home safely. That night we moved two hind quarters up to a tree that we would use as a rendezvous point with some help that would come in the next day to help pull the whole bull off the mountain.

elk hunting, bull elk, montana wild, hunting film, zack boughton, travis boughton

zack boughton, elk hunting, rifle hunting elk, wyoming

The next morning we woke up early to go get the last two quarters, backstraps and head. The wind was ripping and the temps were in the twenties. Hands barely worked as we strapped meat into our packs and prepared for the hike up to camp. After an hour of hiking we hit our meat tree and were able to get the entire bull in one spot. We hustled to camp so we could break down our tent and get all of our gear into our packs. We were lucky to have some exceptional friends come up the mountain that morning to help pack the bull off the mountain. Jordan, Caleb, and Chylo all showed up and after some chit chat around the fire we began the process of dividing up the bull and putting it into packs. After three hours of solid hiking we finally hit the truck. We were all tired but happy to be at a lower elevation, sipping a cold beer, and laughing amongst ourselves. It had been a hell of a hunt. I’d given it my all and was rewarded with an experience that will never fade.

Words: Zack Boughton (@zackboughton)

Photos: Travis Boughton (@tjboughton)

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Key Gear – WorkSharp Pocket Knife Sharpener

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Key Gear from the Field – Worksharp Pocket Knife Sharpener

Every year new gear makes it into our kit. It gets tested and either meets the mark or it doesn’t. I want to start sharing with you guys pieces of gear that we add to our kits that rock. Over the years we have carried small knife sharpeners with us in our kill kits. They helped put an edge on dull knives while in the process of cutting up deer or elk. They worked well enough to help get the job done but never really wowed us either. I recently wrote a blog about knives which you can read HERE. I talked about my progression from a fixed blade knife to a Havalon which is a replaceable blade knife. The reason for the switch was that I couldn’t get my fixed blades sharp enough. Now that I’m able to sharpen a knife to my standards, I’m once again carrying a fixed blade knive.  The only downside, they often need a touch up while you’re breaking down an animal. This September I was with the Trent and Steve from Born and Raised Outdoors on a hunt in Wyoming with Trail and Brady from GoHunt. Trent killed a nice six point bull and the process of breaking it down began. Half way through the work Steve pulled out the WorkSharp Pocket Knife Sharpener to touch up his knife.

worksharp, pocket sharpener, hunting, elk

Steve tuning up his knife

Mine was getting dull so I asked to borrow it. A few strokes on the ceramic rod and I was back in business. I was impressed. It not only got my knife edge smoking sharp but was lightweight and a bright yellow so that it would be hard to lose in the field. After that day it went directly into my kill kit.

worksharp, pocket sharpener, hunting, elk

If you carry a fixed blade knife into the field and don’t have a sharpener currently you should definitely check them out. You can view the product and learn more at www.worksharptools.com/pocket-knife-sharpener. And Christmas is just around the corner, for only $14.95 these make for an awesome stocking stuffer.

–Zack Boughton

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Carry A Sharp Knife

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A sharp knife is a safe knife. That’s definitely true and regardless of your hobbies or lifestyle there’s a solid chance you use knives on a regular basis. Whether that’s cutting meat in your kitchen, filleting a fish at the boat launch or deboning an elk deep in the wilderness. As society has adapted over the years some of the simple skills we should know have slowly eroded. Take sharpening a knife for example. Go back 20-30 years and it would have been a basic skill. Today millennials exist and we have electric sharpeners and disposable blades and a society that expects things to be done for us. I’ll be honest I’ve never been great at sharpening a knife sharp enough to shave hairs and I’ll be the first to admit it. As a hunter a sharp knife is key especially when you have an elk down and the only way it’s coming out is on your back.

elk hunting, zack boughton, idaho, elk, archery, diy, public lands

Zack beginning the process of breaking down an elk in the field

As Travis and I started hunting we used some different knives on our hunts and always wished they were built a little different in one way or another. A few years later we met James Behring, a custom knife maker based in Missoula, MT. Through our friendship we eventually came up with the idea of designing our own hunting knife. After over a year of testing we finished our design and named the knife The Outlaw. You can read more about that process HERE.

the outlaw, hunting, knife, knives, outdoors, montana, wild

One of the first few Outlaws made

That year we used the Outlaw on multiple hunts and were stoked on it with one exception. It ideally needed to be sharpened after cutting up an elk and neither myself or Travis was exceptional at the process. I purchased a Spyderco sharpener and tried that but couldn’t get a sharp edge that I was happy with. Now I’m sure that sharpener does the job just fine but I couldn’t manage to master that thing after sharpening dozens of knives. I’d often drop by James’ shop and have him sharpen it but that wasn’t always time effective with my schedule or James’.

James behring, knife maker, custom, knife, hunting, missoula, montana

James grinding and refining a blades edge

Eventually we reverted to just carrying a Havalon knife. I wasn’t a fan of disposable blades but it was sharp and light and so I conceded. Now a Havalon has it’s place. Caping an animal or any detail work needed, the knife is hard to beat. On the other hand, trying to tackle some of the meatier places on an elk resulted in broken blades, blades pulling off and if you use it long enough, some nasty cuts.

havalon, knife, elk, montana

Travis tackling trimming some blood shot meat off an elk front quarter with a Havalon

hunting knives, the outlaw, havalon

The Outlaw (fixed blade, beefy) and a Havalon (replaceable blade, fragile)

This spring I got my hands on a Worksharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener as well as a Guided Field Sharpener. My girlfriend has been telling me how dull all my kitchen knives are for a while and so I got straight to work. The Ken Onion Sharpener was so easy to use. To get started I looked through the manual to make sure I knew how to use the sharpener properly. From there I took their guidelines on what type of belts to use and how many strokes on each side based on a style of knife and got to sharpening. The first knife off the sharpener was razor sharp. I was impressed.

Worksharp, knife, sharpener, hunting, montana, deer, elk

Sharpening a blade

Some cool features of the sharpener are the easily adjustable sharpening guide giving you a range between 15 and 30 degrees, premium belts, an adjustable speed motor, and a blade guide.

Worksharp, knife, sharpener, hunting, montana, deer, elk

LEFT) Angle adjustment CENTER) Motor speed adjustment RIGHT) Sharpening a blade

For me I have been using this sharpener to get a razor sharp edge on my main hunting knife and my kitchen knives.  The included manual goes through the process but most knives I sharpen require grinding with the three main belts.

Worksharp, knife, sharpener, hunting, montana, deer, elk

Extra belts and the manual that specifies best practices for sharping all kinds of different knives and tools.

The sequence of order is generally 6-10 strokes on one side and then the other with the X65 belt, 6-10 strokes alternating between sides with the X22 belt and then finishing with as many strokes as necessary on the X4 belt.  For me this has resulted in a razor sharp edge every single time.  I’ll be honest it has been rewarding to be able to get my knives shaving hair sharp after struggling for many years.

The other sharpener I have been using is the Guided Field Sharpener and honestly I’ve used this much more often. I have one in the door of my truck and another in my hunting gear box.

hunting, gear, box, worksharp

Having one in my hunting gear box is key so I know I can always sharpen my hunting knives and broadheads if necessary on a hunt

Using it is simple and the sharpener has a diversity of surfaces to aid in sharpening knives, tools, hooks and more.  The sharpener has four main sides.  There are two diamond plates, one course and one fine to help shape and refine the edge of your blade.  There are two ceramic rods and a leather strop.  Under the diamond plates is a broadhead sharpener for bowhunters who need to sharpen and re-tighten their broadheads.

Worksharp Guided Field Sharpener

To sharpen my knives such as my hunting knife The Outlaw, I simply just start on the smooth grit and give about 5-6 strokes on each side. From there you go to the carbide sharpener which refines the blade edge. The carbide cylinder has 3 sides to it 1) coarse grit 2) fine grit and 3) a fish hook sharpener. I generally just use the fine grit side for another 5-6 strokes on each side and from there go to the leather strop to finish.

More of a visual learner?  Watch the video we made about this same story and process.

Between these two sharpeners I know have no excuse to not have a sharp knife. You can learn more about both sharpeners as well as the Worksharp brand at www.worksharptools.com and by following them on Instagram and Facebook. Their products are very affordable and would make a great addition to anyone’s gear.

Written by: Zack Boughton

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Rebounding From Defeat

REBOUNDING FROM DEFEAT

“He was right there…..” I beat my fist on the ground and looked up at Jordan, embarrassed, upset and elated all at the same time. We had been working an area I’d just found a few days prior and had already passed on two bulls. Our day was going well until a dream archery bull spun and ran out of my life. Lets backtrack a few days though. Two days earlier I’d been just a few ridges over with my girlfriend Maddie. I wanted her to experience the thrill of archery elk hunting and we were lucking out as I had just found a great bull and him and a few others were all bugling. We had bumped him the night before and relocated him the next morning. We slowly tailed the herd as it was too noisy and open to try to move in close and call. As we crept up the ridge I could see him raking the ground about 120 yards up in the timber. He was a dandy and my heart beat increased instantly. We took the boots and backpacks off and started a sneak attack. Soon I saw a cow and she forced us to stay ultra low as she was bedded and facing our direction. As I neared the 90 yard mark the bull swung back around to chase off a spike. He then pushed the cow that had been facing us back towards the rest of the herd. Long story short either another part of the herd saw us or smelled us as we tailed him and they ran out of our lives. We went back to the packs and could hear bulls bugling across a nasty, nasty valley. I figured there was no sense in calling to them as it was almost 10AM and they’d soon bed. Maddie urged me to bugle and so I fired off about 3 bugles in 5 minutes. About 10 minutes later we could see a tree swaying just over the ridge. It was a bull raking a tree. The raking stopped and I patiently waited. Nothing came up the hill so I fired off a bugle and sat waiting with an arrow nocked. Moments later a rack appeared over the crest of the hill. A nice six point bull appeared and was coming towards me and too my left. I was kneeled down and as the bull passed behind a tree I drew and waited. The bull walked into my opening and turned uphill. I cow called and stopped him at 27 yards. He was facing me at a very hard quartering to angle, almost straight on but not quite. There was a good pocket in front of his left shoulder and I took my time to settle my pins on my spot. The bow went off and the bull quickly spun and disappeared. I’d seen my arrow as he turned and it looked like I’d hit him in the front of his shoulder with no penetration. Agghhhhhhh!!! All that practice all summer and I’d somehow screwed up a chip shot. Low right. Dang it.

bowhunting, montana, elk

Settle pin and slow squeeze

I knew sometimes the arrow will pull out when the bull runs and I hoped I was wrong and had got better penetration. We decided to wait 4 hours and then go look for blood and the arrow. As we waited I proceeded to bugle another 6 point into 25 yards. He got the pass for obvious reasons. Four hours later I found my arrow just yards from the point of impact, broke off right at the back of the insert. It was a direct hit on the shoulder blade with zero penetration. The bull should be alright just with a bit of new hardware.

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Yaaaaaa, that’s not any penetration.

Fast forward to the next day, it’s 5:30pm and we are on top of a ridge where we thought a bull had bedded in from the morning. We slowly worked down the ridge calling occasionally. Finally I got a response down to my right. I knew the wind would be bad if I called him to me now and we quickly pushed lower. As we dropped about a 1000’ I bugled or chuckled at him about 4 times. Each time he responded allowing me to pinpoint his location and also slowly get him worked up. As soon as I got to his level I fired off a bugle which he quickly responded to. He was close and before i could have Jordan move downwind he had pushed his cows up into eyesight just 80 yards away. We both knelt quickly to stay out of sight. I could just see his horn tips. He looked around and then turned to go back the way he’d come. I slowly turned and ripped a bugle behind me. Instantly his cows ran up on the bench we were on and to our right. I shifted on my knees towards them assuming the bull would follow. Right as I asked Jordan how far the cows were I could see horns moving to my left. The bull was going to parallel our bench just below us. I quickly drew before his eyes crested the hill. He soon walked into full sight but with limbs in the way. I knew I’d have to pan with him as he closed the distance and thought at such a close distance he would key in on the slight movement. He was soon inside 25 yards with only small windows between limbs. I knew if he stopped it would give me the split second to find my gap and then shoot. But he kept coming. I had one last clear window and a cow call in my mouth. Unfortunately my brain had expected the bull to stop and look for his challenger by now and with yesterday’s events in the back of my head I wasn’t going to shoot until he stopped. Before I knew it he’d passed my gap and then hit my wind. Boom he ran off and I cow called and stopped him at 25. Of course there was a tree over his vitals. He then spun and ran off and over the mountain. I hate bowhunting. I’d just had a big, big bull at 15 yards and didn’t even get an arrow in the air. Deep breaths. I was mad, disappointed, and embarrassed since Jordan had just watched me royally mess up what should have been a slam dunk call in. I vented and then told myself it was an awesome experience and I was blessed to just be here. In the back of my head I was upset though.

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Ouch….

It’s days like this that we dream of but moments of failure that make them unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. I know from years past these moments can quickly ruin a season. The mental side of it makes you rush from that point onward. You start thinking, “I should have already killed a bull, I need to get another opportunity quick,” “Time is running out,” “There’s only so much of the rut left I need to be aggressive from here on out,” and so forth. Being that close to killing makes you rush to try to get back to that point. That rush though often means you screw up well before you ever got an opportunity to let an arrow fly. You soon quickly add failure to failure and end up wasting days in the field rushing to try to kill your elk. You lose the ability to enjoy the experience and just focus on the kill. After years of hunting I’ve learned to slow down and reset my mind after a failure. Learn from it and count your blessing that it even happened in the first place. It could always be worse and hunting is more about failure than it is about success. How you rebound from those failures will determine the kind of hunter you are and show you more about your character as a human being. I’ve come to respect and appreciate failure when it happens and take the time to scrutinize it and learn from it. Don’t just try to forget about it. Scrutinize every detail of that encounter. What went right? What went wrong? Store that info so that you’re better on the next encounter. And remember, it’s just hunting. We are so blessed to just set foot in the mountains that we should have a smile on our face punched tag or not. Being able to rebound from failure will make the rest of your season more enjoyable and you’ll also have a better chance of filling your tag when the next opportunity presents itself.

–Zack Boughton

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Building A Mountain Hunting Rifle – Part 2

Archery season here in Montana has been a blur and September is almost gone.  As I look at the calendar rifle antelope looms and will be here quickly.  October 6th is the opener and I plan on being there and ready.  So yesterday I decided to go put some more trigger time in behind the Weatherby and try to find out which bullet it would shoot best.  Often a gun will shoot one type of bullet or even one weight of bullet much better than others.  With 3 new boxes of ammo, each a different bullet style, I set out to go attempt to shoot some 200 yard groups.

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Now shooting groups is actually a fairly difficult thing in my opinion.  It’s very results oriented and one bad squeeze messes up the group.  Eliminating the human error is all but impossible.  I tend to shoot better at longer distances so I like to shoot groups at 200 yards if possible.  This day I had three rounds to test out.  A) 180 grain Accubond B) 180 grain Norma Spitzer & C) 180 grain Nosler Partition

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Bullet testing and a trophy bull for motivation

I started out by cleaning my rifle as it’s only had about 40 rounds through it and I’m trying to help break in the barrel even though it is hand lapped.  I shot a round to clear the barrel of oil and then started in on my 200 yard groups.  Each group I’d shoot 3-4 rounds.  Sometimes you know when you made a bad shot and I like to eliminate that shot and shoot a fourth so that I don’t have to restart on a new group and burn through more ammo.  I shot a group with each different ammo and then cleaned my rifle once it had cooled down.  I also made sure to let the barrel cool down some before continuing through my groups.  I shot my first round off the concrete bench but found out it had a little wobble in it.  I was wondering why my reticle was moving left to right on me and that was it haha.  For the second round I laid prone off my bipod.

From my first round the 180 grain Nosler Partition was the easy winner.  I didn’t take an official measurement but it was well within the 1 MOA standard and close to a 1/2 MOA group.  Plenty good for a rifle that I’ll rarely push past 5-600 yards in a hunting scenario.  Now between groups I’d been shooting my other rifle, a 300WSM at distance trying to dial in my ballistics through my Kestrel, so by the time I got into round 2 of my groups my shoulder was getting a touch sore and my shooting seemed to go downhill a bit.  I still put some good rounds downrange but had more flyers it seemed.  The Spitzer and the Nosler Partition were close and the Accubond just didn’t perform.  To end my session I took two of the Nosler partitions and took shots at metal gongs at 458 and at 620 yards and got hits on both.  I’ll be shooting another round here in the next week or so to pick between the Partition and the Spitzer and then from there zero in and start extending the distance.  With antelope coming and general rifle just around the corner I’ve got my work cut out for me but things are looking promising given I get a few more quality days in at the range.  Setting up and getting acquainted with a new rifle is a process but doing it right from the beginning makes all the difference and helps you develop a level of confidence with your rifle that will translate to more one shot kills in the field.

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–Zack Boughton

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Building a Mountain Hunting Rifle

The ultralight craze has been going on for years now, ounces turn into pounds as they say!  Much of the advancement in technology that saves us weight is and has been a good thing.  That said, there is a fine line between counting ounces, and maintaining performance and comfort.  Take backpacks for example, I’d definitely go 1-1.5 pounds heavier to have a pack that feels good on my back and will reward me when I turn my 35-50 pound load into an 80-100 pound load.  Food, cut ounces where you can but if you don’t get the nutrition and calories you need your physical performance will suffer.  A sleeping pad/sleeping bag, lots of weight can be cut here on many guys setups but at the end of the day I pick a pad that gives me the best sleep even if it does weigh an extra 8-16 ounces.  All that said I believe the same theory applies with rifles.  For the past 6 years or so I’ve been hunting with a 300WSM built by Snowy Mountain Rifles.  We picked components that would yield a durable and extremely accurate hunting rifle.  It weighs 12lbs 1oz without ammo so add in bullets and a sling and we’re right around 13lbs.  Not light by any means but a tack driver and something that once you lay down behind it it’s not going to move on you.  The past few years I’ve done more backcountry hunts for multiple days and although I can handle the weight I’d be happy to shave 2-4 pounds off my setup if possible.  This year I decided to build a new Mountain Hunting Rifle, one that would fall more in the middle of too light and too heavy.

THE GUN

Already having a custom rifle I wanted to get my hands on a gun you could purchase over a store counter and see how I liked working with a factory gun.  After some research I finally decided on the Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight in 300 Weatherby Magnum.  This caliber requires a 9 lug bolt and comes in weighing just 6 3/4 pounds.  A few things that attracted me to the rifle were weight, the sub-MOA guarantee, a 54 degree bolt lift, and a hand lapped and fluted barrel.  The rifle also looks great and with a muzzle brake should be a great shooting gun.

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COMPONENTS AND SETUP

Getting the rifle is one thing, but setting up the gun to shoot is another.  First was the scope.  I wanted a few things in my scope: durability, high quality glass, and precise and repeatable elevation and windage adjustment.  I decided on going with the Vortex Razor HD AMG 6-24×50.  This scope is made in the USA and is an amazing scope especially with a weight of only 28.8 ounces.

vortex optics, razor hd, amg, built in the us

To mount the scope I decided on an EGW 20MOA Picatinny Rail as my starting point and then Vortex Precision Matched Rings would hold the scope firmly in place.  I also had purchased a Timney trigger in hopes of getting my trigger weight down close to the 1 pound threshold that I’m accustom to.  To finish it off I’d be putting a Triad Tactical check piece on the stock to help get a better cheek weld and still be able to comfortably see through the scope.

To install the optics and trigger I dropped into the Snowy Mountain Rifles Custom Shop and had old friends Greg and Jim help me out.  First things first we tried to install the new Timney trigger and set it to the 1.5 pounds that they advertised.

Jim installing the new trigger

Jim installed the trigger but anytime the trigger was set to less than two pounds the firing pin would go off as the bolt was racked forward.  Not good.  After working with it we decided to see what we could get out of the stock LXX Trigger which was advertised as being able to go to 2.5 pounds.  It had felt great initially and the only reason I wanted a different trigger was that I’m used to shooting a 15oz Jewell trigger and am a big proponent of a light trigger.  Jim worked on re-installing the factory trigger and after some work and testing it was safely pulling right around 2 pounds.  Sweet!

1lb 15.9oz

Greg then threw the rifle in the vice and began the process of mounting up the scope.

tactical gun build, EGW picatinny rail

Lining up the mount points

weatherby, mark v, ultra lightweight, mountain hunting rifle

Level, level and more leveling

After the rail went on the rings were mounted.  We adjusted the scope to fit my eye relief and then began leveling and tightening the rings.  Each ring was tightened accordingly with a torque wrench and soon we were in business.  At this point we added a Flatline Ops 30mm Sniper Accu/Level and called it good.  We took it over to the scale to see what our weight was.

The final measure: 9 pounds 9 ounces without ammo and before we added the cheek piece.  The hunting weight should fall just over 10 pounds.  Now by industry standards this is not an ultra light rifle but in my opinion it’s a lightweight rifle ready for multi-day backpacking trips in the mountains of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

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INITIAL THOUGHTS

At the start of this process I was shooting for a build that would be in the 9 pound range so I went a little over my goal, but after shooting it I think it will be the perfect blend of weight, accuracy, and durability.  I’ve shot guns in the 8 pound range and to be honest they are hard to keep on target from hunting positions if you don’t have a lot of practice with them.  My 300WSM is on the heavier side of the spectrum but when you lay down on either bipods or a backpack, it’s rock solid and all you need to worry about is leveling the rifle and a smooth squeeze.  That has made for lots of perfect one shot kills over the years.  I’m hoping this new rifle will do the same while shaving about three precious pounds.  On my way home from Missoula I decided to get out and put a few rounds through the gun to start getting acquainted with the rifle and my new setup.  One thing that I quickly noticed after shooting a few rounds was the 54 degree bolt action.

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Bolt closed

weatherby mark v ultra lightweight

Bolt open

This made for quick and easy reloading while staying on target.

flatline ops, sniper, accu level

Flatline Ops bubble level

The Flatline Ops bubble level was great as flipping it out made it easily visible while prone and shooting.  Being able to flip it back behind the turret means less pieces of the gun to catch on clothing and brush when in the field.

Vortex Razor HD AMG

Locking turrets on the AMG are money.

Weatherby Mark V, hunting, rifle, montana

Fluted barrel and a flawless stock finish

Triad Tactic cheek piece

Kestrel, Elite 5700, hunting, rifle, Mark V, Weatherby

This pocket perfectly fits my Kestrel and will mean less fumbling around when a longer shot presents itself.

So far I’m excited about this rifle and will be working on breaking in the barrel a bit more and finding out which bullet and grain combination work best in the rifle.  As I continue on the process I’ll post up further blog posts.

–Zack Boughton

 

 

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THE OUTLIER – Now Available On iTunes

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You asked for it, and we delivered. Our world renowned archery elk hunting film, The Outlier is now available for purchase on iTunes. Click  the following link to WATCH THE FILM. The Outlier is a public land, DIY elk hunting film produced by Montana Wild during the 2015 Montana archery elk season. Follow along as four good friends battle to fill their elk tags with bows in hand in the Missouri River Breaks. 5% of the film proceeds will be donated back to RMEF. Haven’t heard of The Outlier Film before? Check out the photos, and official trailer below for a large dose of elk hunting stoke!

 

 

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Brandon Purcell admiring his bull, shortly after recovering him during the filming of The Outlier.

During the filming of The Outlier, we encountered failure, success, and everything else in-between from bad roads, warm temperatures, hellacious mosquitos, and much much more. We’re proud to bring you an hour and 17 minutes of some of the most epic elk hunting footage on planet earth. So, without further ado, sit back, relax, and enjoy The Outlier Film.

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A dandy Montana herd bull cruises the flats in search of his mate. Further proving what an incredible time of year September can be in the elk woods.

Watch the official trailer for The Outlier below.

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Montana’s 2018 Deer & Elk Application Deadline is March 15th.

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With spring quickly approaching, it’s easy to have our minds fixated on bear season, fly fishing, and other outdoor activities. PS: We’re excited for all of those things too, but let’s not forget about an incredibly important deadline that’s rapidly approaching – Deer & Elk special permit, and non resident big game combination license applications. By now you’re either thinking “No worries, already got em’ in.” or “oh crap I totally forgot.” If you’re saying the latter, don’t worry, you’ve still got (a little bit) of time. Until March 15th to be exact. Haven’t applied yet? Apply HERE.

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Living in Montana, we’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to hunt a wide variety of species year after year, including deer, elk, bear, antelope, and much more. That being said, it’s something that we need not take for granted. Needing a little bit of stoke to get you to apply? Click on the video below to see Travis’ 2013 public land archery elk hunt unfold. Do yourself a favor, and set yourself up for the opportunity of a lifetime.

Gear up for the 2018 hunting season in the sickest outdoor apparel around. Click here to shop Montana Wild Apparel. 

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Idaho Elk Hunting /// 2018 Bear Archery Promo

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This fall we had the opportunity to work with our long time partner Bear Archery on a promotional video to help launch their 2018 lineup of bows.  With tags in Montana we hoped to fill during rifle we knew we would need to venture out-of-state to shoot an archery elk video.  With a quick turnaround we knew a September elk hunt would fit the bill.  One short scouting trip left me with some local info but film permitting forced us to hunt areas of the unit which I’d never stepped foot in.  With enough previous elk experience under our belt we still felt confident we could show up and eventually be in the thick of things.

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Sunset over Elk Country on night 1

We arrived late in the afternoon and were able to dip into the head of a basin that we hoped to hunt in the morning.  A faint bugle and a few elk spotted just before dark left us feeling hopeful for the morning.  The alarm came quick and without much pause we were headed down the mountain and began to sidehill through a large, timber filled basin.  We had hoped to hear bugles but were greeted only with small amounts of sign and nothing of much excitement.

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Other than a small bull this was the best sign we saw all morning

After the morning hunt we hopped into the truck and decided to move a few basins to the north.  A short drive down the road revealed multiple camps setup on the basin we had just hunted.  Our fingers were crossed that the next spot would be empty but we only found more of the same.  That night we quickly chowed down dinner and then scrutinized the maps and tried to decide on a new spot hopefully with less people.  Two days later we were in a new area with much more depth to the topography.  We hoped this would keep a few people out and our hike in the dark left us thinking of what might lie up the canyon.  As dawn barely began to show itself we heard our first bugle not more than a few hundred yards up the trail.  As we waited for shooting light we could hear multiple bulls sounding off further up the basin.  We continued up the draw and soon decided the best bet would be to chase the bull bugling closest to us and go from there.  We quickly climbed uphill following this bull headed to his bedding area.  When I felt we were on the verge of spooking some of the herd I decided now was the time to challenge him.  The next five minutes were spent exchanging bugles as I slowly worked closer.  Without a caller and with a cameraman in tow this can be a tough game to play but this day it worked to perfection.  As I moved up an elk trail I saw tines through the small pine trees ahead of me.  With an open lane in front of me I hooked up to my D-loop and waited.  As the bull disappeared behind the last tree separating us I drew.  Soon he emerged in the opening at 22 yards looking for his challenger.  One quick cow call slowed him enough to take a shot before he cleared my lane.  My arrow hit further back than I’d hoped but still caught lungs and I was able to watch my bull crash in a small rock field just 80 yards away.

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Tools of the trade

We took a few minutes to soak in what had just happened and then went to find my arrow.

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300 grains of steel

Stuck in a log my arrow was covered with bubbly, red blood.  It was a sight for sore eyes as it had been a few years since I’d been able to tag a bull during archery season.  A short walk left me admiring an awesome bull elk taken on our beautiful public lands.  We are truly blessed to do this.

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As we finished breaking the bull down it began to pour rain.  With about six hours of daylight left we knew we could get this elk back to the truck before dark but it would be wet and miserable.  For elk hunters it’s what we expect and the pain and hardship is eagerly welcomed.

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The Kifaru Argali making its maiden voyage and performing flawlessly

Two trips up and down the mountain left us at the truck, sipping a cold beverage pulled from the YETI.  With daylight quickly fading we packed the truck up and headed home.

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One quick stop and then back on the road

After getting home Travis quickly got to downloading all the footage and beginning the edit process.  A week later the edit was done and delivered.  Here is the 1 minute Bear Archery promotional film:

 

If you haven’t checked out the new lineup of bows from Bear Archery you can do so right here > 2018 Bear Archery lineup

The bow I shot was the Bear Approach, an entry level bow that prides itself on exceptional value.  When I got it I wasn’t entirely stoked knowing this was an entry level bow.  As an avid hunter I like to have the best equipment I can get my hands on but I swallowed my pride and gave the bow a chance to show its true colors.  After shooting and successfully hunting with this bow I was blown away at the feel and value that any bowhunter could get from a $399 bow.  It shot as good as I could shoot, was quiet and dead-in-hand, and most importantly easy to tune.  I had about 4 days to setup and tune this bow before hunting with it and if I didn’t feel comfortable with it I definitely wouldn’t have taken it.  At the end of the day it has to feel good in your hand and shoot well and this bow did both.

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2018 Bear Approach

-Written By Zack Boughton 

 

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THE OUTLIER – OFFICIAL RELEASE

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Today we officially released our latest elk hunting film The Outlier.  This film has been a multi-year project for us and it’s hands down our best hunting content to date.  Follow along as four good friends battle to fill their elk tags with bows in hand in the Missouri River Breaks.  The film is available for purchase through our store on the website and also through Vimeo On Demand.  More information can be found on the films website www.theoutlierfilm.com

Purchase DVDs HERE.

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Purchase a DVD and T-Shirt combo pack HERE.

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And purchase the film digitally through Vimeo On Demand HERE.

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