Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Arizona elk tag, Questionable Hornady bullets

I got rained out of work on Tuesday so I came home and decided to go elk hunting. It started raining at the house pretty hard early morning so I had to stick around long enough to pump the water out of my yard. I got out of town about 1pm on Wednesday. I ran into some horrendous rain on the way to my area; streets were flooded, washing running across the road- you name it. These hurricanes pack a punch!

I got about 20 miles from the area I could hunt and the rain was behind me with mostly blue skies. I knew I would at least get an evening hunt before anything moved in.

Picked my buddy up at his house about 4:15 and headed out. Drove to a couple of spots where we could glass for a few minutes but nothing was out in the sun. Parked at a spot we know and headed into the brush about 5:30. Since I knew it was in tight cover I opted for iron sights. I flipped a coin and took my 458 Lott. My first bullet was a 430 grain LBT cast bullet and the magazine was full of 480 grain Hornady DGX round noses.

I told my buddy I wanted a raghorn to do a Euro style mount. He wanted a bigger 6x6. I told him that if a small bull came in I would shoot and a big one, he would shoot.

Reached a little vantage point at 6. I chirped a couple of times on a cow call and within 5 minutes a bull appeared on the river bank. He was roughly 200 yards. I pointed him out and he said "there is your little bull". I shot him with the 458 and hammered him to the ground. He eventually crawled into the brush and I didn't get another shot as he was moving more than I wanted to risk tearing up that great meat.

Went down and crossed the river which was about 5" deep and 20' across. Found his trail into the brush and caught up with him and put a finisher in.

By the time we had him dressed it was about dark. We headed back to get a 4-wheeler to get him out. When we got back to the river something didn't look right. It finally dawned on me- the river was bank to bank and 3' deep now. It was chocolate brown and running fast. We slogged our way across and made it back to the truck. I knew there was no getting back across as the water was still coming up.

Had to wait until daylight to find a way to get in from the other side.
Another guy I know was in there on horses hunting the next day and he found my bull and guided me in. I was able to get about a mile from the bull in my truck. I hiked in and quartered it. Lost the neck meat and one hind quarter due to heat and some lousy shooting on my part crazy

I hunt the meat over one of his saddle horses and carried the head out. We made it to a fence with no gate so I had to pack the stuff the last 200 yards- all said an easy pack for elk.

I was pretty disappointed in the bullet performance. The cast bullet exited and made a good hole but left some coin-sized slivers behind. The DGX however came completely apart, changed directions and got jacket and lead everywhere. I thought these were supposed to be dangerous game bullets?? More like lion loads in my opinion. I wasn't pushing them fast either- about 2100 fps.

Anyway, I was gone from home about 25 hours in all. Could have been less than 24 but I wasted a lot of time trying to find a gate to save me that last 200 yard pack!

Super! Congrats on some good eats.

This is LITERALLY EXACTLY what you told me a month ago when you were planning this hunt... "I want a rag horn to hang in the low ceiling bedroom and the good meat"

Congrats man. You are a stud to get one on that tag!

I figured with the storms they would be itching to get out in the evening since it quit raining. Worked out perfect. I got the little rack I wanted and my freezer is full!

I figured with the storms they would be itching to get out in the evening since it quit raining. Worked out perfect. I got the little rack I wanted and my freezer is full!

Awesome Dennis, those otc hunts are tough!

Which unit? Nice bull man.

Great hunt.
A 350gn TSX or 400gn Woodleigh would be great for this use.

Congrats! Great story...nice bull. Never believed a DGX would behave like that.

Way to go Dennis. miles

Good job Dennis...

My wife wants me to take her on one of the OTC elk hunts thus fall. Wish I knew some of the areas better. We are almost out of elk meat!

Nice post and pictures!! The part that gets to me the most is "got rained out of work Tuesday and decided to go elk hunting" !! Way to live! Where I live if I get rained out of work the best I can do is go to Wally World

I went again yesterday-just got home. All I got this time was tired. i did talk to a couple of lonely bulls from my sleeping bag last night

Good job Dennis. Headed to 7E for a late season cow hunt in Dec myself. Will be using the 30-06 with a 150 Barnes TTSX.

Congrats on the elk. Very cool hunt!

Congrats!

Limited opportunity hunt? I can't imagine you'd be gunning specifically for a raghorn on a standard early rifle AZ bull hunt...

He'll make a nice Euro mount, my sister has a similar one. Looks good.

I have killed big bulls and am out of wall space so I wanted something that would fit somewhere other than a high wall in the vaulted ceiling rooms. I can never find a small bull that isn't broken. No, the general rifle hunts don't start until this coming Friday.
IF a 380 had stepped out I wouldn't have turned him down but I would have turned down a 330. In fact, I wish this bull was just a tad smaller in the frame but he is pretty nice for a rag.

Dennis, if that's the truth then you get a hold of me next year and I'll gladly come shoot one of those bulls on this otc hunt! In fact, I'll shoot ANY elk, with my really pretty neck turned 7LRM brass

Nicer work Dennis; looks like a few meals there!

Yeah he is, probably not even considered a rag in other states.