I had a great opportunity this year to go out to New Mexico and film my friend on a combined mule deer and Elk Hunt. The first afternoon we were there, he spotted a nice buck, and with one shot from his AR-15, he dropped the buck in its tracks at 600 yards. I've got the shot on film, the 87 gr. powdered tungsten bullet really hammered this deer. With the mule deer hunting over with, we pursued elk for the next few days. On film I now have several misses of some pretty nice bulls. One miss occurred at 1500 yards, perfect elevation, but the shooter got dyslexic when he held off for the wind.
After several days and finally a kill at 550 yards on a bull elk, the guide looked at me and said, "How much money do you have?". Of course I responded with, "why do you ask?". The guide says, "well you'd been carrying that dang camera for a few days, a thought you might want to shoot something instead of just film." Well now, I just happen to have a rifle with me, the same one I zeroed 4 days ago, while Bubba was shooting his rifle. "What would you like me to shoot?", I asked. He then proceeded to tell me how he had a few extra cow tags, and thought I might like to take some meat home with me. Bubba chimed in with, "I'll split the cost of the tag with you if you give me the hide." Well the deal was cut, and I was going to shoot a Cow elk. We only had one morning left to Hunt, but I wasn't worried. I had seen more elk on this ranch in four days than I had seen total in the rest of my life. The next morning we drove about six miles around the north side of the ranch that bordered the Indian Reservation and stumbled upon a herd of probably 40 bulls and 80 cows. They heard the vehicle, and were on the move to jump the fence on to the Indian Reservation. No time for video cameras, I threw my rangefinder to Bubba, yanked my rifle out of its drag bag as fast as I could, threw the Bi-pod open, and cycled a round into the chamber. I told Bubba range the first large Cow that stops running. He answered with, "do you see where the line bends to the right?, they are slowing down there, and some of them will have to stop." Bubba has killed more elk than I have prairie dogs, and was right again. Sure enough, not three seconds after he spoke one cow came up to the traffic jam peeled left and stopped. I said "there she is". Bubba responded with, "720 yards". Before he finished the 'S' on the word yards, I had placed the 700 yard tick mark high on the cow's shoulder, held one minute into the wind, and broke the shot. She did the Texas two step for about 12 feet and collapsed into a large pile of back straps and roasts. The guide looked at his son and said, "boy, you've been looking for a cannon, you better have that man build you one of those Wolfs, there is your cannon right there!"
Since I build rifles, I didn't have the heart to explain to him the reticle is just as important as the rifle. I guess in retrospect having a trajectory integrated with the reticle is a beautiful thing. Especially when you're pressed for time to break a quality shot. These situations are exactly what the Integrated Wolf/R2 is made exactly for. It was awful nice of them to offer me a cow tag, and I think of them every evening I cook up Elk steaks. Because of their generosity, I have been eating quite well this winter!
Truth and Objectivity are Mutually Inclusive
-Rod-
