Guys I was shooting the Barnes 168 TTSX bullet they are devastating last years elk dropped in its tracks this years bull made it 5 feet the draw back of shooting a AR type rifle is the double tap it is like automatic you can't help it train train train you see something bam! you double tap.....lol but it is effective.... As to hunting or taking it up do it but...... go learn woods skills the only way is to go to the woods, woods skills include being comfortable in the woods no matter what the situation, Go with less and less equipment as you get more into it then you will understand the ways of animals and you have to scout ,to hunt in country devoid of game or hunted out is a waste of time ,money, and leaves you frustrated and meatless, it is all about confidence, build it up and the more you do the more success you will have . here is a quick scenario of this hunt. The alarm went off at 4.00 AM up and kinda dressed head downstairs without waking the wife turn on the coffee maker and start checking your gear and list I have to be at the dock with my boat at 5.30AM drink a cup or two and now I am waking up ( I am 65 after all) so I am leaving at 5.00AM with my gun,license, Pack with everything you need to be in the woods 24 to 48 hours just encase... Drive to the reservoir and my partner is there waiting launch the boat double check everything it is still dark fire up the fish plotter GPS and take off slowly following a course set on the GPS previously , once it gets light enough I will open the boat up we have 16 miles to go... we get there about 20 min,s after light and start glassing from the lake we have been watching these elk for 4 or 5 days they feed out in the clear cuts till 9.30 or ten but only when it is raining or foggy and today is both it is pouring and we are only getting open spots for a few minutes on the hillside due to the fog and heavy rain. Now we have seen elk using this area so our plan was to send one guy up one ridge and me up the other NOW I have been up there before I KNOW the lay of the land and I know the air currents go down in the AM so we anchor up and take off it is about a 1200 to 1500 foot climb uphill it is steep. a hour later I am approaching a small little corner of the clear cut it is a little space you can not see from the lake, as I ease up to the opening I hear crunch, crack, thud and I know there are elk feeding in this place I have heard these sound many many times ELK are NOISY when undisturbed and feeding. I spot a elk and I use my scope to confirm if it is a cow or a bull (this is not correct procedure But I know there are NO roads above me and no other hunters so I leave my Binos at the boat less weight =65 = good) then I see more elk and as the fog rises More elk but no bulls I belly crawl to a stump and pop open my Bipod I get a steady rest and start looking at each elk again they have no clue I am there the wind is slight but it is blowing from them to me(never forget that) Once elk smell you the gig is up the climb is for nothing , and you are going home with no elk because they have boogied to parts unknown! 20 to 40 minutes have gone by you are controlling your adrenaline as best you can focus on the elk they are as close as 35 yards and as far as 250 but you keep focused all of a sudden the fog rolls in thick you can not see squat you start to think maybe it is not your day and you are hearing running elk they have spooked for some reason but you know they did not smell you the wind is still right then as fast as it rolls in the fog rolls out and you see a cow running from left to right about 150 yards in front of you you know the yardage because you used the range finder you bought just for this type of situation and behind the cow is a spike chasing heryou get the scope on him and start to take the slack out of the trigger when poof he is gone behind some brush afraid maybe today is not the day but then behind the spike comes a 5 point bull you were just on the spike so getting the 5 point in the scope is easy and quick he stops for just a second and the gun goes off you see the hit is right behind the shoulder and you fire again on instinct and he is down the hunt is over and the work is just beginning but we will talk about that another day, you give thanks for the animal and you have a feeling of both elation and sorrow yes you got a elk and yes that is why you are there but you see the beauty in the hunt the animal and the nature of it ,it is a good day and you feel humbled.
