Mike WHACKED a Bull!!

[MEF]

I got back yesterday afternoon from my Az unit 6a muzzleloader hunt. I managed to whack a bull that was unofficially scored @ 352+ inches!! A perfectly symmetrical 6x6! What a TOAD!!

I hunted with guides Ty Goodman and Preston Mercer from Payson, Az. To make a loooong story short Preston spotted the bull at a range of about 2 miles Saturday evening. Sunday am we spotted him again from about 800 yards so Preston and I put the sneak on him closing the gap to 200 yards(the last 60 yards was done in our socks!). I set up my T/C Encore on the bi-pod and squeezed off a shot, BOOM! WHACK!, and the bull acted like he'd been hit by a freight train(348 grain powerbelt in front of 150 grains of pyrodex). We found the bull dead in a ravine where he had fallen about 40 yards down a steep hillside from where he was shot. The bullet broke a shoulder, went through a rib, took out the aorta and a piece of lung, and stopped before hitting the off side ribs. I just weighed the recovered bullet and it weighed 276 grains(76%). I'll post pics after I get them developed. Mike

 

[Speckmisser]

Way to go, Mike! Can't wait to see pictures of that beast!

Sounds like a danged good hunt, all the way around. Good shot, too.

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

 

[DanD]

Mike congratulations!!! If I read it right, a 200 yard muzzleloader shot? That is one hell of a shot. Do you have a scope on that thing?

Again, congrats.

 

[sambarr]

352 score! cant wait to see the pics,get em on soon,one of my dream hunts is for a big bull elk...........like a million others of course!

 

[wmidbrook]

That's awesome~!

Interesting to hear that the Powerbelt only lost 72 grains--nice shot placement~! That's a smoker load

 

[MEF]

DanD,
I was Using a T/C Encore with a 6x Leupold scope, Harris bi-pod, 348 grain Powerbelt bullet, 150 grains of Pyrodex pellets. I was sighted in 2" high @ 100 yards, 2" low @ 150 yards, and 10" low @ 200 yards. We ranged the elk at exactly 200 yards so I was confident with my shot placement.

Wmidbrook,
Yes, 150 grains of Pyrodex and that 348 grain bullet load gave me my first scope crescent in my forehead!

Mike

 

[Hook]

MEF,

Congrats, that is awesome...can't wait to see the pics...what area did you hunt in 6A? I was in the Rocky Park Rd. area.

 

[subfan]

Mike,

Awesome job

How many points did it take you to draw 6A?

Was it expensive to use the guide service?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[MEF]

Hook,
I was hunting in the Cedar Flat area. I am waiting for pics from Ty and Preston as I didn't have my camera with me when I shot the bull(I had dumped everything except rifle and extra loads during the stalk and that left my camera 1/2 mile away).

Subfan,
The hunt cost $4,000. I have never used an outfitter before but for this hunt I found it necessary as I have physical limitations(collapsed arches, bad ankles, fused vertebrae

) and I just would not have been able to get an elk out by myself. Also, Ty and Preston have some of the best eyes for finding game that I have ever come across! Now for the good part, I only had 2 bonus points!

Mike

 

[MEF]

I finally got pics! I can e-mail them to somebody that is knowledgable and willing to post them for me! Shoot me a pm and I'll send the pics. Thanks. Mike

 

[Dave in LB]

The link below will take you to the bruiser Bull Mike shot. I am having some issues getting these posted but You all need to see this old boy. Congratulations Mike on a grat trophy and an excellent shot to take him.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=644822

 

[Cda55]

Nice Bull Mike.

 

[Hook]

Mike,

That is an awesome bull...congrats.

 

[Speckmisser]

Dangit! The work censors aren't letting me connect to webshots! Have to wait 'til I get home...

 

[BDB]

Great bull nice work !!! Here are the pics that are posted on webshots.

 

[wmidbrook]

Very, Very nice bull~!

 

[BDB]

And the second one......

 

[Speckmisser]

That IS a nice bull. Way to go, Mike!

 

[Loye]

NICE BULL!!!!

 

[FTTPOW]

That's a keeper! Good job!