Slipped out of town for the winter opener of Caribou. Really wanted to take along my first ever home assembled rifle, and just barely qualified it last week with some
"OK" handloads using Nosler 120gr. Ballsitic tip slugs. Brought along some Hornady 123gr SST ammo just in case.
We left Anchorage early, a day before the opening, so of course, as we get to the hunt area, a group of about a dozen Caribou with some really nice big bulls casually walked across the highway in front of us!
Encouraged, we started thinking very positively for our weekend hunt.
Got up early Saturday, but as this was a family trip, Mom wanted to eat breakfast, so we went to the lodge and sat down at a table by the window. Before we could order, my son is telling me about the Caribou he has spotted out in the middle of a frozen lake! Sure enough, there is six or more of them out there, looking kind of hesitant, and also very far away -about 700yds. They had seen or smelled something they didn't like and reversed course and disappeared into the thick pine forest.
Kiddo was a bit put off that I wouldn't agree to run out of the cafe and gear up for a stalk. I assured him there would be more coming along, and silently hoped the crazy, unpredictable animals would cooperate and not make me the bad guy. Finished a good breakfast and went back to our room to get suited up. Temps were low 20's daytime and low teens overnite, so a lot of layers and heavy boots!
Made our way out along the edge of the lake and crossed a narrow inlet to a small hill overlooking another longer inlet, with enough elevation to see down the lake, where Kiddo had spotted the Caribou earlier.
Not too long after getting settled, maybe half an hour, my wife whispered and pointed excitedly across the narrow inlet. The forest is pretty thick, with small openings about 10 or 20 feet wide to try to get a clear shot through. I spotted the group she had seen, moving at a trot from our right to the left. Raised my tested but unproven AR to my shoulder and saw them -a small group, maybe the ones seen earlier,- slipping silently through the trees. One unlucky yearling bull stopped long enough to get my crosshairs on his shoulder, so I let lead fly. He dropped instantly! Compliments of the excellent balance of power and recoil of the 6.5 Grendel I saw the hit and was able to verify a good anchoring shot. He struggled for just a second but never got to his feet.
Checked the distance at 190 yds. Double lung shot, separated the spine as well! Not perfect by any measure, but he is headed to my dinner table and did not suffer.
Entry:
image1 (9).JPG
Exit:
image2 (7).JPG
Lungs, viewed from rear, shot entered left and exited right:
image3 (3).JPG
Sorry, the pics are bit crude, pics were an afterthought. Hands freeze pretty quick in the low temps, quarters were already removed, backstraps just started.
No surprise, now my teenage son thinks he needs to build his own 6.5 G.
He also got a caribou, Sunday, as we were driving out of the hunt area. He used his 300WSM and made an excellent high shoulder shot. DRT, as is usual for him!
"OK" handloads using Nosler 120gr. Ballsitic tip slugs. Brought along some Hornady 123gr SST ammo just in case.
We left Anchorage early, a day before the opening, so of course, as we get to the hunt area, a group of about a dozen Caribou with some really nice big bulls casually walked across the highway in front of us!
Encouraged, we started thinking very positively for our weekend hunt.
Got up early Saturday, but as this was a family trip, Mom wanted to eat breakfast, so we went to the lodge and sat down at a table by the window. Before we could order, my son is telling me about the Caribou he has spotted out in the middle of a frozen lake! Sure enough, there is six or more of them out there, looking kind of hesitant, and also very far away -about 700yds. They had seen or smelled something they didn't like and reversed course and disappeared into the thick pine forest.
Kiddo was a bit put off that I wouldn't agree to run out of the cafe and gear up for a stalk. I assured him there would be more coming along, and silently hoped the crazy, unpredictable animals would cooperate and not make me the bad guy. Finished a good breakfast and went back to our room to get suited up. Temps were low 20's daytime and low teens overnite, so a lot of layers and heavy boots!
Made our way out along the edge of the lake and crossed a narrow inlet to a small hill overlooking another longer inlet, with enough elevation to see down the lake, where Kiddo had spotted the Caribou earlier.
Not too long after getting settled, maybe half an hour, my wife whispered and pointed excitedly across the narrow inlet. The forest is pretty thick, with small openings about 10 or 20 feet wide to try to get a clear shot through. I spotted the group she had seen, moving at a trot from our right to the left. Raised my tested but unproven AR to my shoulder and saw them -a small group, maybe the ones seen earlier,- slipping silently through the trees. One unlucky yearling bull stopped long enough to get my crosshairs on his shoulder, so I let lead fly. He dropped instantly! Compliments of the excellent balance of power and recoil of the 6.5 Grendel I saw the hit and was able to verify a good anchoring shot. He struggled for just a second but never got to his feet.
Checked the distance at 190 yds. Double lung shot, separated the spine as well! Not perfect by any measure, but he is headed to my dinner table and did not suffer.
Entry:
image1 (9).JPG
Exit:
image2 (7).JPG
Lungs, viewed from rear, shot entered left and exited right:
image3 (3).JPG
Sorry, the pics are bit crude, pics were an afterthought. Hands freeze pretty quick in the low temps, quarters were already removed, backstraps just started.
No surprise, now my teenage son thinks he needs to build his own 6.5 G.
He also got a caribou, Sunday, as we were driving out of the hunt area. He used his 300WSM and made an excellent high shoulder shot. DRT, as is usual for him!
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