The Beast from the east slays an Elk
 

Last week I thought I was done elk hunting for the year. Well I talked my self into a couple more days. I left on Thursday night during another flash flood slash wild fire. I don't understand how a flash flood can hit and a wild fire break out at the same time. Anyway, I hit my favorite spots and nothing. I don't know if the weather or the fires or the choppers or the moon or what. I was not seeing any elk. Today was the last day and I was wanting to try one last spot. I get there and head up the hill to the ridge. As I was making my way up the hill I see an animal looking over the top. It was an elk, the only elk I have seen in 4 days hunting. My tag was for a cow with a Muzzleloader so I was not picky, she would do. I watched her go back away from the ledge and I made a run for it. I get to the top and she is 200 yards away. I was stuck! Ya I can shoot my "Beast from the east" AKA MK 85 that far but I didn't want to wound her so I waited. Soon she looks my way. So I put my hands beside my head like a set of ears. I raise up so she can see me and then I lower back down. Here she comes. I got ready behind the only brush between me and her. I put my rifle on my shooting sticks took off the safety's and waited for her to step into the open.
When she stepped out I let her have one of my paper patched 500 S&W bullets. I have wanted to take out an adult elk with my 500 S&W bullets for some time. Last year I shot a calf but I wanted to test them on a big elk. The shot was quartering to me. The bullet hit her on the point of the shoulder. I found it in the flank. After the shot she ran about 50 to 75 yards. She wobbled and went down. The sound of these bullets hitting game is more like the sound you hear when an 06 hits them. It is a loud WHOMP!!!

On a side note. This elk was shot I am assuming last year and lived. I saw an old wound in her and dug out a tumor. There were bones from the old wound in it and a piece of lead. It only penetrated 3" at the most. It stopped at the rib bone.

I didn't have my camera so I took pictures with my phone.
Sabotloader, Thank you so much for the tool to clean this gun.
Ron

Wow!! Excellent job. That bullet really did a number. Congratulations on the elk.

idahoron

Awesome!!!! See that beats the heck out of fishing... + a lot more meat per cast er shot....

mike

Congrats on the elk.

Congrats Ron!

Great job....some mighty fine eating there too.

congrats, great shot

That's pretty clever growing them ears like that! Good job! Good bullet penetration! Nice you were able to see the hunk of lead do it's thing.

Great shootin Ron what did the bullet look like? Ihavent recovered one yet.

Here is what the shoulder looked like. I am only using 80 gr of pyrodex P. The bullet was found in the off side flank.



This is the bullet. It weighs 291 grains. I am with you, I have never seen one recovered and I have shot and seen a lot of animals shot with them now. Ron

Wow!! Ouch.

She is cut wrapped and in the freezer right now. That bullet after I cleaned it weighed 363 grains. That shoulder bone was hit dead on. The bullet actually split down the middle. I found another piece that was about 70 grains on the shoulder.

I know sometimes you don't have an option, but that's why I don't like shoulder shots.

Shoulder shots drops them quick. I don't like to track elk because they tend to get a guy into trouble if they stay on their feet. I had to back pack this one but it was not bad. If she would have kept going the way she went I would have had an up hill pack at best. Ron

WOW! I like that exspantion! Congrats on the elk!!!

HA

Ron, you can't kill an elk with 80 grains of Pyrodex. Gosh man - it takes 120 grains of Blackhorn to kill a whitetail.

Nice job my man.

If you drop them where they stand then you know right then how far ya gotta pack them!I like DRT !!! Gotta love those big bullets.

Awesome Ron, congrats!!! :D:D:D

Very nice congratulations

:happy0001::happy0001::happy0001::happy0001:

I got a little more expansion than your test did. But I did hit a very large bone. I had no doubt that the bullet was going to do it's job. Ron

Congrats! Very nice elk!

Thanks everyone. Ron