Big Game

There’s a new cartridge on the block, and it’s one cool customer. Built to fulfill the desires of the classic .270 Winchester shooting crowd while meeting the demands of today’s long-range shooting and hunting protocol, the brand-new 6.8 Western steps into the arena and doffs its ten-gallon hat.

Your thoughts are turning to spring adventures. You’re planning a turkey hunt or two, of course, but what else? My advice: Look to the Lone Star State.

The Turnbull Winchester 1886 rifle we tested is a spectacular firearm. The color casehardening, in particular, is extraordinary. We had zero malfunctions, the rifle shot well, and carried nicely in the hand and in a saddle scabbard. Accuracy was good.

Suddenly, I saw antlers showing at the edge of the timber. Josiah flopped down prone and readied for a shot as I ranged the bull at 205 yards. No shot offered, so I blew a soft cow mew. The antlers swiveled our way, and a moment later the bull answered with a bugle. Then he walked out of the timber…

Steep country and mountain goats go together. The goats are built for rocky cliffs where few other animals can maneuver. Their feet are much more square than a deer or elk, and besides a hard edge

A once-in-a-lifetime bull elk gives a split-second opportunity for a risky shot. He’s running broadside through medium-thick old growth Quaking Aspen timber at roughly 60 yards. Do you take the shot?

It was great to take such a unique bull in conditions that do not provide many opportunities for success, using a technique that is so high risk. So many times, hunters are restricted by weather and are helpless. In this situation, I was able to draw on experience and a little luck and make something out of nothing.

This season, when you’re hunting public land, take a risk. Push past the perimeter sign. Move-in on bedding areas and put yourself in a position to kill a big buck.

I drew a premium deer tag in Colorado this year, which just so happened to coincide with the mule deer rut. I had seen many advertisements for the Ultimate Predator decoy on television and social media and believed that this tag would be the perfect opportunity to see if the product was all that it was cracked up to be.