Author Topic: Shooting Elk Hearts in the Rock Pit  (Read 486 times)

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Offline sabotloader

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Shooting Elk Hearts in the Rock Pit
« on: August 12, 2011, 07:55:06 AM »
I really have been itching to get out and do some shooting with a Knight and some Lehighs... I have been working all summer and have not had time for my normal therapy sessions behind a rifle...
 
Chetmark put up a post about his new Mountaineer and going elk hunting and that made the itch even worse!!!  We have a 'green field' elk season going on now till 9-15.  I have always said I would not hunt elk in August - just darn hot - but I neversaid anything about September.  That might be fun on a cool early fall morning.
 
Terry had a big meeting here at the house last knight and I thought that would be a perfect time to go shoot... grabbed the 52 and the supplies and vanished.
 
I had not shot the 52 since early last year and that would be the rifle I would use for elk so - I wanted to make sure it were ready.  This was suppose to be a fun trip to the rock pit - just shooting for relaxation... I must have gotten really relaxed or really into it because between 6 and 7:30 I ended up shooting 29 shots and walking up and dow the rock pit four or five times.
 
I did not even set a paper target out... by the time I got to the pit I had already devised a plan - I was going to set out 6 birds a set - but they were not going to be birds! they were going to represent the heart of an elk - so Iwas going to be shooting elk not clay pigeons - that was important.
 
I got the first set of birds (hearts) out and posted on the basalt rock formation, then set up the portable bench with a front and rear bag on the table.  I did pop two primers and at that point I loaded up and commence to shooting.  That first 6 Hearts went way to easy.  You know shooting a Knight and Lehigh/Bloodlines really makes you a better shooter than you really are, but it is really really good for the confidence.
 
So back down to the wall with 6 more birds only this time I also set up some pieces pf birds here and there to increase the challenge a bit... Those peices were naturally to represent 'buck' hearts...
 
One thing I forgot to notice much of... 120 grains of T7 and a 300 grain bullet shooting from a bench - kinda rocks your shoulder a bit - but I love it - still softer than a 12 gage 3" turkey shot.
 
Anyway it was a great time at the rock pit.  I recommend that u-all go shooting SOON! it really is goot fer whut ailes ya...
 
Keep shooting muzzleloaders - they are a blast....