Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Looking For Sharpshooters Volunteers

Use a cattail.

I want to know where are the sand dunes.

Those poor elk have to be starving.

I can stack 'em in one hole all day long if I've got a cattail for a rest.

It's been lost in all of the "discussion" here. When is the day you get to qualify?

Show off

Next week, but I might punt. The kneeling position just ain't working for me with the .300 Weatherby. That's the rifle I specified, because it's the only one I had a load worked up for copper bullets. That was a mistake but can't change it now.

Last weekend I shot using a post but I used the big post (roof support) at the range and just pushed my sticks up against it. I could kneel upright with my back straight and it worked fine, hit the plate every time and absorbed the recoil just fine I was thinking no problem. Then I went back and looked at the video and saw that his post is a short one, too short to use it for a brace if you're kneeling upright. If you notice, he's bent over and leaning pretty far forward, looks like it works well with a suppressed rifle but it doesn't work so well with an unsuppressed magnum. I tried it that way yesterday, didn't cut myself with the scope but came damn close, no thanks.

And I'm just not good enough kneeling upright with sticks and nothing to lean against, I shot that way yesterday and did OK but missed enough that an 8-hour round trip is not worth it. I'll re-load my empties and try again this weekend, see if I can get comfortable enough to guarantee no misses but right now it's not looking good. I'm sure they'll have plenty of others willing to help with their cull.

Try using a backpack under your right arm under the butt stock if you're a rightie....

I shot it last week...and failed. Not making excuses. 100% me on this one. Went 3/3 on the kneeling then missed the first shot at 300 prone. Not sure why. I practiced both, and never missed prone at 300. Might have been over confident as I was more concerned about the kneeling. I've shot enough competitions, national televised even, that it wasn't stress. Just didn't take my time to get a good natural point of aim on the 300. Oh well.

Here's how it works. 30 shooters show up all at the same time. It's a cluster f*ck with no organization. The parks and wildlife guy (PWG) tells you all about how everyone fails and how easy the shoot should be. Then goes on to tell everyone that the "culling" is not hunting. They are having a problem with the elk refuging on a wildlife refuge near the sand dunes and they are trying to scare the elk back on public land so hunters can hunt them. Um, that's the entire state of CO during hunting season. Not sure why this location is so significant. Anyway, he says most shots are 200-300 yards and shooters only get a few seconds to get into position, hence the nature of the shoot. So I agree it's a good test for that situation. He said, bumpers, hoods, backpacks, tailgates can all be used during the actual hunt. All the hunt dates are Tuesday or Thursday's and they are filled through early January. So future hunts are late Jan. and Feb. Personally, that didn't appeal to me and I would not have applied had I known that. Might to you. That speech takes about an hour. You just stand there.

Then he goes into demonstrating the shooting position and how to shoot the COF. He missed 5/6 shots. Yup, Mr. PWG that gave us the run down on how easy it is, how it's so doable, and that it's a test of how well we know our rifle, missed 5 of 6. Said, and I quote "must have bumped my scope."

You have to show him your ammo, make sure it's lead free. You don't know the order of shooting. He calls off three people, baseball style. Batter, on deck, and in the hole. You do not know when you will shoot. So you keep standing there. It was 22 degrees and I stood there for 1:45 before I shot. You can't leave because you don't know when you will be called.

Of the 30 people that shot, I think 5 cleared it. Going from memory...except for one guy, the ones who competed it, had some serious gear. One guy was military and had a tripod that likely weighed 20lbs. and rifle was probably over 12lbs. Serious military sniper set up. Shoot the kneeling exactly as he shows you. Reverse kneeling with the post and use your bipod. The winners' rifles looked more like PRS style than hunting and very few people used anything more than a 308. I used 300wm and was a rare exception. Lots of short action, 6.5 and similar calibers based on what I could see of the brass from 20 feet.

If I could do it again. . Get there at least two hours early and take a few practice shots on the range - others did, and I didn't know that was allowed. The 200 and 300 yard target rows are pretty obvious. Double check your hold at that elevation. I sighted in at 10,000 (where I hunt) and this was around 7500ish. Dress really warm! I thought we could sit in our trucks while others shot. Nope. The targets are said to be 12" tall x 14" wide but honestly looked smaller. I'm sure he wasn't making up the measurements, but they looked smaller than a standard Shoot N C 12" target which were visible at the same distance.

Thanks for the run-down 10m.

Dang bud, I was excited about following this. I get it though.

Great run down! Sorry you didn't qualify. The kneeling would seem to me to be the most difficult.

I tired that, and also tried putting it on my left calf and sitting back on it. I'm not flexible enough to rock back and sit on my heel like some guys do. Helped, but still no cigar.

If you have the tripod you talked about, use it. You can use your sticks if you think you need a rear support like in my video.

You can do this

If you’re missing a 12”x14” plate at 300 yard from prone with a bipod and rear bag, I have no words

You should have those more often.

Lol

I’ll just post memes

LOL. I respect a man who can laugh when he is zinged.

Well, I teed up a softball.

Thanks for the help RC. A tripod with sticks for a rear rest, I will try that. Most likely I could do it but looking at the total picture of what's involved with the "not-a-hunt" taking a day off work, 8 hour round trip just to qualify, I think I'll probably pass, just not that motivated to participate. Didn't cost anything to apply, costs even less to un-apply.

The thing I'm motivated to do now is get off my ass and get a suppressed rifle.

Good info and thanks.

Chuckled at the part about Mr. PWG!