Western bow hunter with a rifle tag

[mikemootry1]

So I’m trying to transition all my tactics and E scouting to rifle but I know there is rifle guys out there that can help, I need a rifle for deer and elk and advice on how to adjust my tactics. I’m used to spot and stalk inside 100 yds and already had to upgrade my glass . Any suggestions help also not concerned with ultralight stuff I’m not planning to backpack in sun crazy distance


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[Mykolaivka887]

Your archery gear that you've used out West will work for rifle hunting. All you'll need to add is a rifle. Anything in the .270 class or larger will work.

Pretty much the same tactic/technique that you used for Western archery hunting will work for Western rifle hunting. Hunting big game out West with rifle or bow is about the same.

 

[grfox92]

Your archery gear that you've used out West will work for rifle hunting. All you'll need to add is a rifle. Anything in the .270 class or larger will work.

Pretty much the same tactic/technique that you used for Western archery hunting will work for Western rifle hunting. Hunting big game out West with rifle or bow is about the same.

What he said. Hunt the same exact way, just don't have to get as close to shoot.

In terms of a rifle, 90% of people on RS will tell you to get a stainless Tikka in 6.5 Creedmor, and that's probably the best answer.

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[huntnful]

All the same gear besides the weapon. A good rangefinder, preferably with ballistics and angle compensation. Or one without ballistics, but gives you the corrected shoot to yardage based off angle.


Pay more attention to opposing ridgelines for shooting vantages, and not always thinking about working down the same face or ridgeline of the animal. Think about how you can get across from them, and how far the shot will be from that angle.

 

[RockAndSage]

The advice that @huntnful shared is absolutely solid - think in terms of shot angles, and how to move yourself into them, as opposed to getting right up in the buck's bedroom. This includes thinking ahead to where they'll be when feeding along some sort of path, and finding a shoot angle/location that you can get into in enough time for when they arrive.

Regarding rifle and cartridge - There's a famous/infamous thread on there for .223 successes, that includes grizzly, walrus, and elk, along with other threads for .243/6mm, and .25 cal. The evidence for capability of even ol' .223 is encyclopedic.

If I were to summarize bottom-line lessons from all of it, it's that

1) Shot placement matters more than anything,
2) Only practice gets you excellent shot placement
3) Low-recoil allows for a lot more shooting and less likelihood of developing a flinch, allowing for more practice, allowing for better shot placement
4) Bullet construction matters far more than casing dimensions in actually doing the killing - an excellent small bullet placed well kills far better than a magnum freight train missing the vitals.

In short, choose the setup that you can absolutely shoot the most, as often as possible, flinging the best bullet for the task at hand, with reasonable inherent accuracy built into the gun and ammo loading. You have an advantage in choosing a cartridge wisely, because as a bow hunter you understand that even a sharpened razor blade on a stick will kill extremely well - if you put it in the right spot. Now, just find a cartridge you'll enjoy shooting a hundred or more rounds out of your gun at a time, so that you can do that at greater distances.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

If you're a Western bowhunter, you don't have to put much thought into angles and positions for rifle shots, because you're already proficient at getting within 200 yards or less of target animals. Therefore, I wouldn't be worrying about; "how do I position myself for a shot?".

 

[RockAndSage]

If you're a Western bowhunter, you don't have to put much thought into angles and positions for rifle shots, because you're already proficient at getting within 200 yards or less of target animals. Therefore, I wouldn't be worrying about; "how do I position myself for a shot?".

I think what we're talking about with this isn't anything about angling the bullet into the deer - we're talking about finding a specific chunk of terrain to shoot from, that gives you an angle to see and hit the buck.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I think what we're talking about with this isn't anything about angling the bullet into the deer - we're talking about finding a specific chunk of terrain to shoot from, that gives you an angle to see and hit the buck.

Right, and as a bowhunter out West, he'd already be familiar and adept with doing that. Just sayin' .....

 

[huntnful]

If you're a Western bowhunter, you don't have to put much thought into angles and positions for rifle shots, because you're already proficient at getting within 200 yards or less of target animals. Therefore, I wouldn't be worrying about; "how do I position myself for a shot?".

Potentially very different positioning. Getting within 100-200 yards of an animal when you’re completely out of sight or behind the opposing ridge from them is easy as anything.

With a rifle, you can see the animal and then look for vantages off to the side on parallel spur ridges and what not to kill them from. Had a buddy mess up on a great rifle buck because he’s primarily an archery hunter and approached the buck in that fashion. Came down on the deer from above with no view of the deer until he was right on top of him and busted him out. Could have easily just viewed the whole scenario before making a move and killed him from a vantage only a few hundred yards away.

I hunt with bow and rifle. It’s a different setup and approach to kill with either weapon normally.

 

[RockAndSage]

Right, and as a bowhunter out West, he'd already be familiar and adept with doing that. Just sayin' .....

Bowhunting, and to a lesser extent muzzleloader hunting (esp with a traditional sidelock, open sights), is a lot more about picking a pathway for your stalk that will get you extremely close to the deer - until you're practically within rock-chucking distances. That's a very different thing from circling around the back side of a ridge to take an across-the-canyon shot from 350yds. Not the same mentality. That's what we're trying to say. It's different thinking, for a different weapon and its capabilities.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Getting within 100-200 yards of an animal when you’re completely out of sight or behind the opposing ridge from them is easy as anything.

With a rifle, you can see the animal and then look for vantages off to the side on parallel spur ridges and what not to kill them from.

Yeah, if you're a bowhunter switching to rifle, getting within rifle range and making the shot is a cake walk. I bowhunt and rifle hunt out West every year and as a bowhunter, positioning for a rifle shot is super simple.

 

[huntnful]

Yeah, if you're a bowhunter switching to rifle, getting within rifle range and making the shot is a cake walk. I bowhunt and rifle hunt out West every year and as a bowhunter, positioning for a rifle shot is super simple.

Oh I totally agree. I was just pointing out that he has the option to approach the scenario differently with a rifle now.

 

[mikemootry1]

Wow these are awsome responses. Thank you guys so much and a lot of it makes sense and hearing it again validates my feelings on how to approach the hunt. Next up is getting my rifle and getting it dialed in to shoot consistently inside that 2-300 mark and continue refine my glass tactic and look for those shooting vantage and try to get as flat of a trajectory as I can find.


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[WRO]

What he said. Hunt the same exact way, just don't have to get as close to shoot.

In terms of a rifle, 90% of people on RS will tell you to get a stainless Tikka in 6.5 Creedmor, and that's probably the best answer.

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It’s not 90%, it’s the loudest 10%.


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[mikemootry1]

Right I respect it though and any knowledge is usable so I love it. I’ve been thinking 300 winmag, but creedmore is def my next closest choice. Any idea on ammo prices and the diff between the two and what kind of ammo is best for sighting and shooting groups


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[huntnful]

Right I respect it though and any knowledge is usable so I love it. I’ve been thinking 300 winmag, but creedmore is def my next closest choice. Any idea on ammo prices and the diff between the two and what kind of ammo is best for sighting and shooting groups


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Considering your yardage limitations, I’d absolutely just get a 6.5 creed or 6.5 PRC and shoot 147 ELDM factory ammo. Shoot the same ammo for everything.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Shoot the same ammo for everything.

This /\/\/\

Same bullet type and weight, for everything.

 

[OKHunter84]

A rifle caliber and choice is going to end up boiling down to personal preference and money you want to spend. It would be the same as getting on an archery sight and asking what's the best bow, arrow setup and broadhead choice.

You could do a rokslide special like guys will suggest (Tikka 223, SWFA scope) and get setup cheap. You won't be able to use a 223 in every state, for every animal, so if you're wanting one rifle for everything I'd look at 6.5 creed or something bigger. My dad still shoots 25-06 and it's very effective. I just setup a 7prc this year, even in a rifle that's 8 pounds scoped, the recoil isn't bad. I have a Browning hells canyon speed in 6.5 Creed with a Burris veracity scope and it's served me well. Scope recommendations will be a whole other can of worms for you. You can get a nightforce SHV 3-10 for not crazy money and it's a nice scope. Really just depends on budget and what you like.

 

[Badseed]

Lots of good info shared already. I think that it is much easier for a bow hunter to adapt to rifle hunting.

Like has already been mentioned, you would be fine buying a 6.5CM or more ideally a 6.5PRC if you plan to use it on elk and deer. Your chosen barrel length will help settle the which caliber to choose. Negligible recoil, good BC bullets and perfectly capable of taking those animals at reasonable distances. The main key is to practice and be familiar with your weapon. Establish your maximum effect shooting distance before you go hunting. Don't assume you can hit an animal at 600 plus yards without practicing at that distance first.

E-scouting is similar regardless of hunting method chosen with a few minor exceptions. As a rifle hunter you have more options for vantage points given the fact that you can now be lethal way beyond archery range. Consider lines of sight more than just accessibility to the “deer habitat”. As was mentioned previously, it is critical to have an angle compensating range finder if you plan to shoot more than a couple yards.


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