First Sheep Hunt in the Books

[Wildwillalaska]

Rifle is one of GAP’s lightweight extreme hunters they just built for me this spring. It has a carbon manners stock, lighter contour barrel, think it was a 2b, big #2contour, cut to 23” and visa mini break. Went with bel style bottom metal over box magazine to save weight. They did not recommend fluting on the lighter contoured barrel, but once in hand—its not that thin of a profile, and think it could easily made use of fluting. It’s deadly accurate, but finished out heavier than I would have liked coming in at almost 7lbs. Since already a chunk, decided to go ahead and put a chunk of glass and threw one of my nightforce compact, this one a 2.5-10 x42 on it. Was shooting 140gr Nos AB’s over H1000 in Norma 7mm Saum brass necked down.

Didn’t get the load completely dialed with th limited time with it and hear the barrel will continue to speed up these first 150-200 rounds. Did get an initial load that will make ragged holes of 5-shots. Consistently sub 1/2 MOA out to 800yards. Will tweak the load this winter and play with it out a little further. Our local range has steel out well past 1000 yards.

I’ve had a pile of their rifles over the years, still own 7 of them and every single one shoots lights out. Just wishing their LW Resulted in a more real lightweight package, but barring the extra weight I have zero complaints.

 

[Wapiti1]

Great adventure. Thanks for sharing.

Jeremy

 

[wind gypsy]

Rifle is one of GAP’s lightweight extreme hunters they just built for me this spring. It has a carbon manners stock, lighter contour barrel, think it was a 2b, big #2contour, cut to 23” and visa mini break. Went with bel style bottom metal over box magazine to save weight. They did not recommend fluting on the lighter contoured barrel, but once in hand—its not that thin of a profile, and think it could easily made use of fluting. It’s deadly accurate, but finished out heavier than I would have liked coming in at almost 7lbs. Since already a chunk, decided to go ahead and put a chunk of glass and threw one of my nightforce compact, this one a 2.5-10 x42 on it. Was shooting 140gr Nos AB’s over H1000 in Norma 7mm Saum brass necked down.

Didn’t get the load completely dialed with th limited time with it and hear the barrel will continue to speed up these first 150-200 rounds. Did get an initial load that will make ragged holes of 5-shots. Consistently sub 1/2 MOA out to 800yards. Will tweak the load this winter and play with it out a little further. Our local range has steel out well past 1000 yards.

I’ve had a pile of their rifles over the years, still own 7 of them and every single one shoots lights out. Just wishing their LW Resulted in a more real lightweight package, but barring the extra weight I have zero complaints.

Thanks for sharing. Was contemplating bringing a similar SAUM setup next year to the Brooks range. R700 custom, #3 contour (25"), BDL with the same NF compact scope. First barrel on it was a spiral fluted #3 and it would string shots, so I am a bit gunshy on fluting too.

Only hesitations are weight and that I'm hoping to add a griz which it might be a bit light in firepower for.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Usually if I am targeting bear, I go heavier which typically for me is 338 with 250gr AB's. Last few seasons I've tried out a HS Precision 325wsm that I love and a GAP 300WM both throwing 190-200gr. I head out to Kotzebue for moose and typically help with predator control if a grizzly presents opportunity, and again I'll carry the GAP 300WM. My father-in-law loves one of my 338's and always brings it.

That said, there are a few folks up here that swear by the 6.5mm ELD-x devastation, including bear. Pretty sure Luke Moffet or his wife took a nice brownie with 6.5 creedmoor. Shoot him a PM and bet he would happily share more. Between him and his wife, they put a lot of critters into the freezer each year and he has really taken a shine to the 6.5 Creed, especially with the Eld-x. 6.5 SAUM would just do it all faster. I love mine, and will most likely carry it for sheep next year too--but admit I am seriously expecting to leave it behind for moose. Hell, as I type this, now I am thinking about PM'ing Luke to see if he talks me back into drinking the 6.5 cool-aid and taking it for moose/bear. We'll see.

 

[mcseal2]

Congratulations on a great hunt and thanks for sharing the story.

I tried the 143gr ELD-X last year in my 264 win mag. I shot a big bodied, one of the biggest I've shot, Midwest whitetail at 150yds in the shoulder. The buck had just taken off and l lead him a bit to much, I couldn't have hit more bone on a whitetail shoulder if I tried. The bullet completely came apart. It did not exit and I did not find any pieces big enough to weigh, just a few pieces of jacket. My rifle starts them at 3240fps and impact velocity would have been around 3000fps so it would have been tough on any bullet. I shot a doe later during antlerless season at 321yds with much better results. From my VERY limited experience so far I think the bullet performs much better at lower velocity like the 6.5 Creedmoor would have. I would be hesitant to use the ELD-X bullet from a real high velocity 6.5 if I might have to stop a bear with it. I don't know that any bullet that isn't a bonded, metal, or partition design would have held up to that bone at that speed but I know a whitetail shoulder isn't as tough as a bigger critters bones.

Anyway I'm not trying to derail the thread I just wanted to throw that out there. Good luck on all your hunts this year. I'll be packing my 300WM to Alaska on 9-15 for a moose hunt, can't wait to get up there!

 

[wind gypsy]

Usually if I am targeting bear, I go heavier which typically for me is 338 with 250gr AB's. Last few seasons I've tried out a HS Precision 325wsm that I love and a GAP 300WM both throwing 190-200gr. I head out to Kotzebue for moose and typically help with predator control if a grizzly presents opportunity, and again I'll carry the GAP 300WM. My father-in-law loves one of my 338's and always brings it.

That said, there are a few folks up here that swear by the 6.5mm ELD-x devastation, including bear. Pretty sure Luke Moffet or his wife took a nice brownie with 6.5 creedmoor. Shoot him a PM and bet he would happily share more. Between him and his wife, they put a lot of critters into the freezer each year and he has really taken a shine to the 6.5 Creed, especially with the Eld-x. 6.5 SAUM would just do it all faster. I love mine, and will most likely carry it for sheep next year too--but admit I am seriously expecting to leave it behind for moose. Hell, as I type this, now I am thinking about PM'ing Luke to see if he talks me back into drinking the 6.5 cool-aid and taking it for moose/bear. We'll see.

I PM'd a bit about it with Luke previously and the guide I hired said it should be fine with "good bullets". Still stuck on over analyzing!

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Over analyzing is par of the fun of hunt planning I think. If you plan a big hunt a year or two in advance, you have plenty of time to obsess over most aspects of your hunt/gear at least several different times each.

 

[mcseal2]

Definitely guilty of that with the moose hunt I booked with a transporter in 2015 I leave for on 9-15!