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MOA Maximum and the Wyoming Goat Hunt. (Pic Heavy)
My daughter and I took off a week ago for a grand adventure in Wyoming. We were officially on our Goat Hunt. The last time we'd been antelope hunting was when she was 6 months old in Montana. Back then, I carried her around in a Papoose Backpack. This time, she'd be standing on her own two feet. So, we hit the road and didn't look back. Making the entire 21 hour drive in one grinding leg. Arriving at my friend's door just before midnight, we unloaded and crashed into bed.
First order of business on Saturday was to get the guns up and running. I'd brought my .25-06 "Goat Gun" with me and had another waiting for me when I got there.
I recently conned an MOA Maximum Specialty Pistol out of my friend but hadn't actually handled it. He'd been getting some work done to it by The Man, The Myth, The Legend........Rich Mertz, the founder of MOA Corporation. Since he is weak and easily swayed.......I was able to talk my friend out of the gun. Boy, I am glad he caved in. I'm in love with this gun!!!!!
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Specs
.308 Winchester - 14" Douglas Premium SS barrel w/ 1-10" twist
Vais Brake (makes barrel approximately 15")
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.338-06 A-Square - 18" Lilja SS barrel w/ 1-10" twist
MOA Brake (makes barrel just shy of 20")
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6.5-284 Winchester - 15" Krieger (I think) SS barrel w/ 1-8" twist
(Not shown as it currently is threaded for, but without brake.)
As the 6.5 barrel wasn't complete and I didn't have loads developed for the .338-06, the .308 Winchester barrel was gonna get the nod for this hunt.
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So, I needed to get the .25-06 zeroed for the location change and zero the MOA as well as check my dope for both guns.
Due to time constraints, I didn't spend a lot of time shooting groups with the MOA. Just mounted my Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 and got to shooting. After a couple sub minute groups in the bull at 100 yards with the pistol, we pushed out to distance. I didn't even walk down and measure the groups. But, the paster was 1" and the bullets were clustered WELL within the paster...........good enough for factory loaded Hornady 168gr A-Max and a goat hunt. I'll get you a better range report at a later date.
We had a quirk with the scope base on the MOA, but my friends buddy who owned the range we were shooting at and just happened to be the owner of Mac's Gunworks with shop on sight.........fixed the problem with a vertical mil and some elbow grease. I LOVE that man! He saved the hunt!!!!!
Side note: A .308 Winchester in a 14" Specialty Pistol has some dramatic recoil when fired with a loose grip. Enough to rip a scope base loose.
Side Note to a Side Note: Vais brakes work fine on a rifle to control recoil. They do NOT (however), control muzzle rise on a Specialty Pistol and the resulting torque. If you want to brake a SP........use a different brake.
Anyway, got her fixed and got the dope for all the guns. We were set.
Keep in mind, this hunt was all about my daughter. I wasn't after any monster horns. I have them already. I was looking for stalks my daughter could make with me and enjoy the experience. I wanted her to be a part of every aspect of the hunt. I didn't care if the goat was the new world record. If my daughter couldn't be a part of the stalk.........I would pass.
Day one, we passed on several smaller bucks first thing in the morning until we saw one we figured we could close in on. Unloaded and took off. Using the ridges and draws, we stalked the buck in question with the MOA Pistol until we were as close as we could get. Using a BOG POD and a pretty trick little rear rest called a Sgt Sniper Rest, I got in a sitting position. My friend gave me a range of 344 yards. My daughter right behind me, I waited for the buck to clear some brush on the far ridge. When he did, I shot him in the shoulder and down he went.
The Position
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The View (Arrow Showing Location of the Buck)
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My Friend
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Needless to say, Ernie was pretty proud of me, a long gunner, and my first Specialty Pistol Goat. I was impressed with the pistol!
We drove to the base of the hill and climbed up to the goat.
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My daughter was so excited! Of course, so was I that she could be there with me.
****
We drug the buck down the hill, butchered it in the field, and loaded it into the cooler. As always, my daughter wanted to play with the eyes.
****
Now, I'm not ashamed to admit that Ernie has been a bad influence on me and driven me to a love of Specialty Pistols. But, I am proud to say that I have been an equal influence on him. As we continued to hunt, we found an old goat who was limping and battle worn resting in a wide open expanse. Egging Ernie on, he pulled out his rifle..............YES.........I said RIFLE (which I had a hand in him having built).......and began the stalk.
Crawling up the fence line, we closed to 309 yards (could have sworn my rangefinder said 308 but Ernie's Eliminator said 309) and Ernie took him laying down with the 6.5x47 Lapua and 130gr Berger Hunting Bullets. After a short, staggering, half circle run, he fell over for good with a fist sized exit hole just past the ribs. The entrance was in front of the near side shoulder. Who says Berger Bullets blow up on impact? A nice old buck with battered horns. I was proud of Ernie. The corruption has begun.
****
Again, we butchered in the field. My daughter was adamant about learning and helping to skin and quarter. Both Ernie and I helped her through the process. I was beaming ear to ear over her involvement.
****
First order of business on Saturday was to get the guns up and running. I'd brought my .25-06 "Goat Gun" with me and had another waiting for me when I got there.
I recently conned an MOA Maximum Specialty Pistol out of my friend but hadn't actually handled it. He'd been getting some work done to it by The Man, The Myth, The Legend........Rich Mertz, the founder of MOA Corporation. Since he is weak and easily swayed.......I was able to talk my friend out of the gun. Boy, I am glad he caved in. I'm in love with this gun!!!!!
****
Specs
.308 Winchester - 14" Douglas Premium SS barrel w/ 1-10" twist
Vais Brake (makes barrel approximately 15")
****
.338-06 A-Square - 18" Lilja SS barrel w/ 1-10" twist
MOA Brake (makes barrel just shy of 20")
****
6.5-284 Winchester - 15" Krieger (I think) SS barrel w/ 1-8" twist
(Not shown as it currently is threaded for, but without brake.)
As the 6.5 barrel wasn't complete and I didn't have loads developed for the .338-06, the .308 Winchester barrel was gonna get the nod for this hunt.
****
So, I needed to get the .25-06 zeroed for the location change and zero the MOA as well as check my dope for both guns.
Due to time constraints, I didn't spend a lot of time shooting groups with the MOA. Just mounted my Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 and got to shooting. After a couple sub minute groups in the bull at 100 yards with the pistol, we pushed out to distance. I didn't even walk down and measure the groups. But, the paster was 1" and the bullets were clustered WELL within the paster...........good enough for factory loaded Hornady 168gr A-Max and a goat hunt. I'll get you a better range report at a later date.
We had a quirk with the scope base on the MOA, but my friends buddy who owned the range we were shooting at and just happened to be the owner of Mac's Gunworks with shop on sight.........fixed the problem with a vertical mil and some elbow grease. I LOVE that man! He saved the hunt!!!!!
Side note: A .308 Winchester in a 14" Specialty Pistol has some dramatic recoil when fired with a loose grip. Enough to rip a scope base loose.
Side Note to a Side Note: Vais brakes work fine on a rifle to control recoil. They do NOT (however), control muzzle rise on a Specialty Pistol and the resulting torque. If you want to brake a SP........use a different brake.
Anyway, got her fixed and got the dope for all the guns. We were set.
Keep in mind, this hunt was all about my daughter. I wasn't after any monster horns. I have them already. I was looking for stalks my daughter could make with me and enjoy the experience. I wanted her to be a part of every aspect of the hunt. I didn't care if the goat was the new world record. If my daughter couldn't be a part of the stalk.........I would pass.
Day one, we passed on several smaller bucks first thing in the morning until we saw one we figured we could close in on. Unloaded and took off. Using the ridges and draws, we stalked the buck in question with the MOA Pistol until we were as close as we could get. Using a BOG POD and a pretty trick little rear rest called a Sgt Sniper Rest, I got in a sitting position. My friend gave me a range of 344 yards. My daughter right behind me, I waited for the buck to clear some brush on the far ridge. When he did, I shot him in the shoulder and down he went.
The Position
****
The View (Arrow Showing Location of the Buck)
****
My Friend
****
Needless to say, Ernie was pretty proud of me, a long gunner, and my first Specialty Pistol Goat. I was impressed with the pistol!
We drove to the base of the hill and climbed up to the goat.
****
My daughter was so excited! Of course, so was I that she could be there with me.
****
We drug the buck down the hill, butchered it in the field, and loaded it into the cooler. As always, my daughter wanted to play with the eyes.
****
Now, I'm not ashamed to admit that Ernie has been a bad influence on me and driven me to a love of Specialty Pistols. But, I am proud to say that I have been an equal influence on him. As we continued to hunt, we found an old goat who was limping and battle worn resting in a wide open expanse. Egging Ernie on, he pulled out his rifle..............YES.........I said RIFLE (which I had a hand in him having built).......and began the stalk.
Crawling up the fence line, we closed to 309 yards (could have sworn my rangefinder said 308 but Ernie's Eliminator said 309) and Ernie took him laying down with the 6.5x47 Lapua and 130gr Berger Hunting Bullets. After a short, staggering, half circle run, he fell over for good with a fist sized exit hole just past the ribs. The entrance was in front of the near side shoulder. Who says Berger Bullets blow up on impact? A nice old buck with battered horns. I was proud of Ernie. The corruption has begun.
****
Again, we butchered in the field. My daughter was adamant about learning and helping to skin and quarter. Both Ernie and I helped her through the process. I was beaming ear to ear over her involvement.
****
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
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That's a .308 in his hands.
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and that's 349 yards to the doe antelope he just dropped with it!!!!!
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Not one to be denied.........not only do I have photos of these breakthroughs with Ernie..........I have VIDEO!!!!!! He can't deny it now!
The A-Max is assuredly an adequate hunting bullet. It is devestation on antelope, I can tell ya that! Not as destructive as a .30cal 150gr ballistic tip (a good thing), but it leaves fist sized exit holes everywhere it goes.
The next day, we continued the the hunt. I wanted to take an antelope with the .25-06 Rifle my friend had built for me. Finding a herd with a nice big 'horned' doe, we closed in and I dropped her with a broadside shot through the shoulders with a 115gr Berger Hunting Bullet. Again, the Berger penetrated and expanded perfectly!!!
Such a nice doe and beautiful country!
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The heard wasn't overly spooked and there was a NICE buck with them. Ernie grabbed his MOA Pistol in 7mm Mag Improved and took off after them. My daughter and I in tow.
Sneaking over the ridge they'd just topped, we spotted them milling in a bowl nervously. The grass was just too tall for a prone shot. Figuring they were about to bust and run over the next ridge, Ernie stood up, which of course got their attention........took 4 long quick strides........dropped to a prone in a clear patch of dirt.........I called out "196 yards".........and shot the big buck as he gathered to bolt. Not bad for a snap shot with a SP!!!!
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That was the biggest buck we saw the entire week. Nice............very nice!
All the game butchered and quartered, we headed for the house.
Final day of hunting, we try for a Muley buck for Ernie. Actually, we'd been trying every sunrise and sunset but the does and small bucks had been teasing us. No big bucks to be found. But, this morning, we gave it all we had. A beautiful morning! Crisp and cold with frost on the ground. We scoured the back country looking for a big one. Only to find more does and small bucks.
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Yes........that's a rifle in Ernie's hands again.........he's toast!
No joy on the bucks.
Well, I had one antelope doe tag left. Might as well use the MOA again. You know........when in Rome and all that.
Found a big herd but they crossed the boundary fence before we could catch up to them. Looking back to the west, we saw 4 does on the bottom of a hillside. Maneuvering around, we put a ridge between us and came up to the military crest. Putting our best worm imitation on, we slithered over the top.
At 167 yards the lead doe took the 168gr A-Max through the shoulder. Stumbled, faultered.........and fell to the ground. What a wonderful hunt! My daughter right there on her belly beside me. Crawling all the way.
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The arrow shows our shooting location.
After loading the doe in the cooler, we drove for home. Stopping as we went to take a picture of this young buck.
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Who obviously knew we had no tags left. That, or he's about the dumbest goat around.
An awesome hunt!!!!!!
I'm greatful to Ernie, my friend, for allowing me to come up and spend time with his family. For providing my daughter to oportunity to experience so many new things. New country, new game, new lessons, new skills. She is not the same girl who arrived in Wyoming a week ago. She has grown. And.........she loved every minute of the trip. Ernie............YOU are the man! I'm in your debt.
We finished the week shooting guns, taking my daughter to different places, visiting with friends, and thanking God for the awesome experience He'd given us.
I even got to meet Rich Mertz! That's one cool dude. I like him.
Ernie..........I like you too. I can't say that about a lot of people. But you........you make the grade. Thank you, my friend.
Also........dude..........they eyeballs........no, just no!
:tooth:
:beer:
Sako
Glad to see you have proof that Ernie has turned to the dark side more than once... The only thing left is to talk him into a Savage long gun in 308.:tooth:
Love the look of that country, especially from a hunting point of view. Might have to head that way one day just to have a look.
.
Yes
The time flew by fast even though we were up early and to bed late (early morning) almost every night.
Watching Zee's daughter change every day, sometime by the hour was a joy.
It kept reminding me about very similar experiences I had with my daughter when she was around that age.
I still prefer SP's for sure, but I do enjoy shooting rifles.
Now, a 308 Savage rifle is pushing things to far:nono::tooth:
I know the 308 is very capable for what it is designed for, but many times I like shooting beyond those design parameters.
I know the 308 can do that as well, but there are other cartridges that do it better/easier.
If you noticed, my longest shot was a smidgeon under 350, and a sitting shot at that, with a 308 Win MOA Maximum (At least it was a SP:usa:).
With the new HD BOG-POD by BOG-GEAR and the Sargent Sniper Rest it would have been easier to go further from the sitting position.
The friendship Zee and I have is deep and the time we spent together further solidified the relationship.
I also took pleasure of intentionally spoiling his daughter.
The hunting was fun, but the time spent together is what made it special. I am sure we will post more as we have time.
Zee did keep mentioning he would be glad to clean up my man cave, but I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that:uhm::jester:
"The Un-Tactical"
congratulations
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
I'll let Ernie take care of those as he needs to.
Ernie and his family are wonderful people. Again, as to be expected from this forum. They took great care of my daughter and I.
Weather was great. We had snow twice and cool weather the rest of the week. Warmed up on Thursday for more time at the range and a visit to Rich Mertz. There are many folk who, after doing there job for many years, get run down and grumpy. Rich is still full of zeal and excitement about what he does. With an infectious smile, he builds an awesome product. I could spend all day with that man. Reminds me so much of my friend at home. Great guy. I see another MOA in my future. Because the gun is that good and because I simply want more stuff that man has built.
Every night, my daughter was wiped out tired. We just did so much, she would go and go until she crashed. Then, Ernie and I would visit and tinker until 1:00 in the morning. Just to get up at 5:00 and do it all over again. I am exausted after this trip. But, it's a good kind of tired. Very satisfying.
Great country. Great people. Great time.
.........
Yes. Yes we did.
:rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao:
A year in the making. Planning, discussing, making calls..........it all worked out in the end. We both did well as far as getting game. Some descent shots and some close stalks. All was well.
Its screams to be hunted with. It has a rugged feel that fits your hand like a revolver. Sweet trigger that can be adjusted to stupid light and a balance that seems easier to stablize than a bolt action handgun.
Don't get me wrong, I love my XP-100. It's stupid accurate. But, this MOA has a ruggedness the XP can't touch.
If you like revolvers and want to get into hunting with something different........Try an MOA Maximum!!!!!
I think the furthest we shot on Saturday was 500 yards with any gun.
On Wednesday morning I did shoot some unsuspecting rocks from around 400 to over 800 yards hoping to get some movement during mid-morning with the 6.5x47L rifle.
We had some really fun stalks.
I think the most memorable was the one when we had to go through multiple muley's to get to our desired shooting spot.
"The Un-Tactical"
Mike
N454casull
Yep! Few things better than good friends, kids and hunting....Thanks for sharing
I would have liked to do some LR shooting just for fun. We just crammed too much other fun into the week. Obviously, we didn't need it for the goats. That's the beauty of stalking!
Yes, that particular stalk was awesome. Busy all the way, trying not to bust the Muley and spook the antelope. That was the best one. Everything worked out perfect!
Lots of good meat for the year!
You are SO right Jayhawker. That's what it's all about.
I've eaten sage grazed antelope and I've eaten grass fed antelope. They are both good. The sage is just a little stronger flavor.