58 Colonial and The Bull Elk

[Crooked Creek]

A lot of work put into that hunt and it paid off! I enjoyed reading the play by play. Congratulations!

 

[Bigpete]

I must politely ask you with what do you hunt these animals? My reading these last recent years has myself arriving at the conclusion that all New Zealanders have been effectively disarmed.

I suppose that includes Australia and Britain too ? Just because we can't run around with ARs and pack pistols in public doesn't mean we aren't allowed firearms lol. I can't believe people still think that

 

[JB Books]

I suppose that includes Australia and Britain too ? Just because we can't run around with ARs and pack pistols in public doesn't mean we aren't allowed firearms lol. I can't believe people still think that

My understanding as far as GB goes is that all (allowed) firearms have to be kept at a club location which= disarmed to me. And as I am also a fan of air rifles I also know that GB regulates these as well based on energy levels to such a low number a slingshot is a better option.

 

[BigAl52]

Congratulations and the write up with pictures was excellent. One other person also asked but maybe I missed it. What state was the hunt in?

 

[t_carlyle]

A great story and beautiful photo of your Colonial next to your elk. Well done and congratulations on a fine hunt

 

[Bigpete]

Great story, very nicely told. Thank you for sharing it.
Ignore the fool from across the pond, for knows not of which he speaks.
Read some of the old tales of the early days of British hunting safaris in Africa,,, they dump more rounds into an animal at times than a Marine trying to put down a drugged up jihadi. And seem proud of it.

You did excellent. Your 1st shot would have been enough, but given the circumstances could still have resulted in a lost animal, following up was the right thing to do.

Great pictures too by the way, do you have any more from the hunt?

Teddy Roosevelt was extremely guilty of that as well

 

[mark_fare]

With first-light beginning to scatter the darkness of night, I can faintly see the buckskin shapes of the magnificent Wapiti moving quietly through the sage.

The wind is perfectly in my favor. The lightly falling rain has softened the land, and silenced most of it's sounds. The smell of elk is all around me.

The terrain is comprised of shallow canyons full of old growth timber, and separated by open meadows of sagebrush and juniper trees.
My license is only good for a bull elk, and he has to have a brow tine (no spikes).

While slowly moving with the herd through the timber, I keep a close watch with my binoculars,....cow, cow, calf, spike, cow..?
Then I notice an extremely light colored elk moving through the openings in the timber. I can clearly make out his antlers. A legal bull!

The shot is an honest 80 yards through the broken timber. I take a knee to steady my shot, the bull see's my movement and stops, nicely framed in an opening through the timber. I thumb back the hammer with my soaking wet hand. The rain pours off the back of the lock... oh, I hope this thing goes off! BOOM!. The shot broke perfectly and I was quite proud of my follow-through given the excitement of the moment.
Down in the timber I can hear the unmistakable sound of the big roundball hitting hair. Whuomp! The heavy blue smoke just hung in the now quiet forest.

Dropping my backpack on the ground, I retrieve my possibles bag and horn from my pack and put them on. I quickly reload my rifle and flag the tree with a piece of toilet paper to mark the spot where the shot was taken.
(Now I know that an experienced hunter will wait a period of time for the animal to expire before giving chase... but when you're hunting public land on opening day, you don't wait, or someone else will inevitably be claiming your animal as their own.)

So I moved towards the area where I'd last seen the bull. 30 yards to my right he appears out of nowhere, throws his head back and with that perfect elk gate, he just trots over the ridge.

I scramble up the ridge and can see the bull going straight away slowly through the sage and junipers about 70 yards out. A big 4-ft boulder offers a solid rest. I line up the sights for the dreaded "Texas Heart-Shot" Bang!!...nothing(?) Missed my opening and blew a 58 caliber hole through the middle of a 5-inch tree at 20 yards. Ughhh..RELOADED!
Now the bull is at 100 yards and slightly quartering, so I aim to allow the ball to exit the opposing shoulder by way of his right hip...Bang! The thick blue smoke seemed to hang forever, and as it cleared I could see the bull struggling back to his feet...RELOADED!

Loading on the run I head out into the sagebrush. As I prime my pan, and snap the frizzen shut, a glance up to see where I'm going and I run right past the bull elk. He leaps to his feet and makes a full gallop circle past me like a flushing pheasant at 30 yards.
The 58 caliber hole from my first shot is now clearly visible right behind the shoulder. I recall thinking to myself "just stay on the gun and follow through", and I trigger the lock....Bang! At the shot the bull immediately slowed to walk and then stopped and stood 40 yards from me. RELOADED!!
As I quickly begin to reload my rifle, his Royal Majesty noses over, and gives up his spirit.
"The Beast is dead, long live the Beast"

Now, watching a bull elk run past the long barrel of a Kibler Colonial is hard to describe, it just has to be lived,..And yes, it is even more exciting than it sounds!
God Bless
View attachment 176791
The smoke from my last shot is still hanging in the sagebrush in the background of this photo.
Such a grand experience and a total blessing to be out amongst God's beautiful creation.
View attachment 176792

Kibler Colonial
58 caliber
.570 Lead RB
.018 Ticking
Neatsfoot oil lube
100 Gr. 2ffg Olde Eynsford
1816 fps Chronographed
View attachment 176793

Very well written story. Thank you for sharing with us.

 

[Freedom]

You guys are great! I could not have asked for my story to be any better received. All the PM`s, great comments, and questions are greatly appreciated.
I've been part of this family of fine folks for a lot of years. And being able to share the thrill of this hunt with everyone has been very rewarding for me. So thank you folks!

 

[appalichian hunter]

You guys are great! I could not have asked for my story to be any better received. All the PM`s, great comments, and questions are greatly appreciated.
I've been part of this family of fine folks for a lot of years. And being able to share the thrill of this hunt with everyone has been very rewarding for me. So thank you folks!
View attachment 177400

 

[DuncNZ]

I must politely ask you with what do you hunt these animals? My reading these last recent years has myself arriving at the conclusion that all New Zealanders have been effectively disarmed.

Nope only CF semi and pump rifles have gone, and magazine capacity restrictions on shotguns and rimfires . I have 7 muzzle loaders and about 20 other types of firearm in a safe about 10 feet from where I am sitting .

 

[Freedom]

By day 2 of the opening week of my Montana general season, the rain had turned to snow.

The ice, snow, and wind transformed the landscape overnight. What was once beautiful fall colors are now the black, blue, and white shades of winter.

I still had a deer, bear, wolf, and mountain lion to hunt with my license. So fresh tracking snow was a welcomed blessing.

I walked far, nearly 40 miles in 5 days.... I followed a deer track into this downfall jungle and spent the next 5 1/2 hours walking the elevated sidewalks of the forest....and falling down.

I fell down so many times it was ridiculous. Once I fell across the Kibler so hard that it knocked a rib out. Chiropractor put it back in after the hunt!
My body was so cold and numb by this time that I was more worried about my stock anyway.

I lube up my lock and barrel channel junctions liberally to keep my flints running when they're wet. Frontiers Bearpaw anti-rust lube works well.
This photo was taken right after I got my bull the first day... this much Lube still remained after 4 shots.

This whisp of smoke rolling out across the pan is affirmation enough for me. Considering the lock was packed with snow most of the day. Not once did I change the 4ffffg prime this day.

From building it, to its first hunting season, "my" Kibler Colonial has been a great chapter in my life.

Thank you "Jim Kibler"
God bless you all.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Great photos above!
Gents, at the risk of upsetting anyone, I just want to say that in the UK, there are still a great deal of guns and rifles in private hands.
There are no central storage facilities for privately owned and used forearms. all are kept at home.
I have lived in Canada since 1984, but still have friends over there who keep me posted on current events.
I must say it pains me to see the slanging matches between a few Brits and the guys from the US.
It should never happen like this to bugger up someone's great thread on his hunt.

Now, both sides can start chucking rocks at a bloke living in Canada instead! LOL!

All the best,
Richard.

Ps,
Freedom,
That last picture would make a fantastic Christmas card!

 

[JeffG]

With first-light beginning to scatter the darkness of night, I can faintly see the buckskin shapes of the magnificent Wapiti moving quietly through the sage.

The wind is perfectly in my favor. The lightly falling rain has softened the land, and silenced most of it's sounds. The smell of elk is all around me.

The terrain is comprised of shallow canyons full of old growth timber, and separated by open meadows of sagebrush and juniper trees.
My license is only good for a bull elk, and he has to have a brow tine (no spikes).

While slowly moving with the herd through the timber, I keep a close watch with my binoculars,....cow, cow, calf, spike, cow..?
Then I notice an extremely light colored elk moving through the openings in the timber. I can clearly make out his antlers. A legal bull!

The shot is an honest 80 yards through the broken timber. I take a knee to steady my shot, the bull see's my movement and stops, nicely framed in an opening through the timber. I thumb back the hammer with my soaking wet hand. The rain pours off the back of the lock... oh, I hope this thing goes off! BOOM!. The shot broke perfectly and I was quite proud of my follow-through given the excitement of the moment.
Down in the timber I can hear the unmistakable sound of the big roundball hitting hair. Whuomp! The heavy blue smoke just hung in the now quiet forest.

Dropping my backpack on the ground, I retrieve my possibles bag and horn from my pack and put them on. I quickly reload my rifle and flag the tree with a piece of toilet paper to mark the spot where the shot was taken.
(Now I know that an experienced hunter will wait a period of time for the animal to expire before giving chase... but when you're hunting public land on opening day, you don't wait, or someone else will inevitably be claiming your animal as their own.)

So I moved towards the area where I'd last seen the bull. 30 yards to my right he appears out of nowhere, throws his head back and with that perfect elk gate, he just trots over the ridge.

I scramble up the ridge and can see the bull going straight away slowly through the sage and junipers about 70 yards out. A big 4-ft boulder offers a solid rest. I line up the sights for the dreaded "Texas Heart-Shot" Bang!!...nothing(?) Missed my opening and blew a 58 caliber hole through the middle of a 5-inch tree at 20 yards. Ughhh..RELOADED!
Now the bull is at 100 yards and slightly quartering, so I aim to allow the ball to exit the opposing shoulder by way of his right hip...Bang! The thick blue smoke seemed to hang forever, and as it cleared I could see the bull struggling back to his feet...RELOADED!

Loading on the run I head out into the sagebrush. As I prime my pan, and snap the frizzen shut, a glance up to see where I'm going and I run right past the bull elk. He leaps to his feet and makes a full gallop circle past me like a flushing pheasant at 30 yards.
The 58 caliber hole from my first shot is now clearly visible right behind the shoulder. I recall thinking to myself "just stay on the gun and follow through", and I trigger the lock....Bang! At the shot the bull immediately slowed to walk and then stopped and stood 40 yards from me. RELOADED!!
As I quickly begin to reload my rifle, his Royal Majesty noses over, and gives up his spirit.
"The Beast is dead, long live the Beast"

Now, watching a bull elk run past the long barrel of a Kibler Colonial is hard to describe, it just has to be lived,..And yes, it is even more exciting than it sounds!
God Bless
View attachment 176791
The smoke from my last shot is still hanging in the sagebrush in the background of this photo.
Such a grand experience and a total blessing to be out amongst God's beautiful creation.
View attachment 176792

Kibler Colonial
58 caliber
.570 Lead RB
.018 Ticking
Neatsfoot oil lube
100 Gr. 2ffg Olde Eynsford
1816 fps Chronographed
View attachment 176793

Wow! Some people just live right! Congrats!

 

[HighUintas]

Thanks for the extension your story and the extra photos! I'm dying to get my rifle finished and get out into the woods after elk with it next season.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

HighUintas,
I always wanted to see those mountains!
For me, I hunt a lot harder with a flintlock than a modern gun! You will too, I am sure. The challenge and all that!

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'm from the UK and I think you did just great buddy and I would of done the same.
Err, have done the same, err regularly. It happens!
Ever wondered why magazines were desirable and repeating arms!
To many folk like to think it happens like Hollywood portrays, it don't.
Bet it was fun extracting!

 

[William Sublette]

You guys are great! I could not have asked for my story to be any better received. All the PM`s, great comments, and questions are greatly appreciated.
I've been part of this family of fine folks for a lot of years. And being able to share the thrill of this hunt with everyone has been very rewarding for me. So thank you folks!
View attachment 177400

Great photo.

 

[mountainman_53223]

I know of an Aussie that travelled half way across the world to hunt Montana, hunted hard, shot an elk across a gully, hiked up the other side just to see some SOB tagging it. He called the warden but apparently that's legal and there was nothing he could do. He wasn't happy understandably.

I know a guy that was out hunting with friends. One shot a buck and got the rest together to help track it. When they found it a little white later some guy was starting to put his tag on it. A yelling match broke out and my buddy said fine, go ahead and tag it. Right after the guy tag it, he opened up with his 12 guage with slugs and so did his hunting buddies. I guess there wasn't enough for that guy to take home and he wasted his tag on a deer he didn't shoot. Man, that's funny but also scary

 

[Brokennock]

Teddy Roosevelt was extremely guilty of that as well

This is true. Many of that Era would be "guilty" of it.
Different times.
My bigger point having been that shooting a large animal more than once isn't unheard of, in fact was the norm at one time. At that time a poor 1st hit wasn't looked down on as much as now,,,,, and in the case of our o.p. the 1st hit was a good one,,, the others were "insurance."

 

[B P Arn]

...A big 4-ft boulder offers a solid rest. I line up the sights for the dreaded "Texas Heart-Shot" ...

"The Texas Heart Shot"!!! That cracked me up!!!