Myself and fellow member DarrellH are headed to Colorado this October to hunt elk. I believe in good practice. I mean practice that really simulates the hunt for real learning and confidence building. That means we needed an elk to shoot. Have you priced a 3D elk? 1200 + dollars. I brainstormed how to make us a full size elk target and stole some ideas from online.
I started by hand sketching an elk on paper, drawing a measured grid over it, calculating the scale, then transferring the drawing to a 4'?8' sheet of 5mm plywood.

I then cut the silhouette out with a jigsaw.

Then is was time for a rattle can renaissance.


...and then...the good part! Darrell and I shot the elk with a 454 Super Redhawk, a 44 Super Blackhawk, and a 35 Rem Contender from 64 to 168 yards using only field positions. We shot offhand, kneeling, sitting, off the side of trees, and off a PSR. No kidding, we hunted this bull.

And we had a fun and educational afternoon of practice.


In full disclosure, those errant low bullets were mine. Darrell showed up and showed out.He killed it, with every shot from his revolver, from 64 yards out to 162.

Great practice.

AWESOME!

I see some dead elk and great stories in the future.

No better practice my friend...the Elk don't have a chance...practice makes perfect

IN PREPARATION FOR AFRICAN HUNTS I USED TO PRACTICE ON AN IHMSA RAM STEEL TARGET, GOING UP THE FRONT LEG AND INTO THE SHOULDER. I TOO USED DIFFERENT SHOOTING POSITIONS. AFTER A WHILE IT WAS INSTINCT TO GO UP THE FRONT LEG AND SHOOT FOR THE SHOULDER. CMNASH AND DARRELLH HAVE GOT THE RIGHT IDEA.

That?s a pretty clever idea.

Great way to practice.

Looks like fun and pretty damn good shooting guys. Darrell i expect nothing less, but be glad you didnt have mag primers in your 454!!! matthew im sure you can layout any elk in your sights.

Ingenuity at its best. Best of luck in Colorado.

In 2012, my family and I planned a trip to Wyoming to hunt pronghorn. My goal was to get it done with an open sight revolver.(didn't happen) I prepared by shooting my SBH 44 out to 100 yards. My targets of choice were milk jugs, and I got proficient and confident at 100 yards.
Then I modified the cardboard deer they sold at the box stores to simulate an antelope. I set up my antelope at 100 yards and went to work with my 44. My shots struck danger low on the simulated goat. On the same day, same gun, and the same ammo; a center punch on a milk jug was a shot nearly in the legs of my cardboard critter. It tooks two clicks up on the rear sight to hit the animal shape properly.
My theory is that the highly visible jugs allowed me to sharply focus the front sight. I suspect that when sighting on the my spot in the vitals of an antelope, I lowered the front sight ever so slightly to see better over them.
Lesson learned. Now I know, my practice needs to be as realistic as possible.

I do similar with cardboard cutouts of deer. IPSC target pasters cover the bullet holes and keep the target "fresh".

Ingenuity, some Artistic talent, and the ability to put it all together, produced an awesome target. Good shooting and keep up the practice. You are both going to have success this fall.

Charles

Matthew--Good shooting for you and Darrell... Have you decided

Which gun will be doing the HONORS?

Good paint job too.

You notched another one to experience Matt....

A great lesson in proper preparation. Well done.

Once again, great way to practice. The only thing I would add that might help is to get your heart rate up before taking a shot. All the elk hunting I've done has required hiking in steep, rugged terrain and often having to cover ground quickly in order to get an opportunity. Its much harder to place shots accurately when you're out of breath and your hearts pounding. Practicing that way will build your confidence even more. I look forward to hearing about your hunt!

Very good shooting fellas! I dont know whats more impressive, the shooting or how real that "elk" looks

I have a 30 yard rimfire range off of my porch. I find it truly beneficial to shoot 15 rounds of .22 several times a week versus a marathon session on the weekend. Shooting a scaled target lets me get quality trigger time from my porch at my convenience.

When shot at 30 yards by a .22 using the exact same scope as my .35 Rem TC, the scale elk looks like 180 yards. So I get plenty of practice looking at an elk at my maximum range.


Here is full size elk target version 2.0

I will be hosting an elk shoot at my home in Clarkesville GA Sept 8th if anyone wants to take a shot at it, pun intended. PM me if
interested.

My money is on the mountain boys from GA bringing home some elk!

Nice shooting Matthew and Darrell!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HuNGEKNaPFpYjNkh8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qdfhZECxfKjS9Cnu7

Lost the first try at posting, so maybe these photos will do until later....

But, basically, we had a great time at the 1st Handgun Hunter's Rendezvous at "Nash.ville"!

BTW, the photo linked below may contain the only image of the full sized elk cutout taken that day. (When it was almost dark.) Distance about 150m. It's the smallish blob crowning the "Elk Queen":

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ExM9RrMzFe5N5E2W8

Had a GREAT time.. Thanks again Matthew and Heather for your

hospitality and friendship..

And a chance to play on a 4wheeler again

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Update: Just showed these pics to My wife Bonnie. She commented,

"Matthew COLORS really good". As an ex-kindergarten teacher on

her way toward an RN degree she should know.

Colors good? I'll take it; as long as the bullets stay inside the lines.

I enjoyed the company of three other handgunners Saturday. We all got a shot at the elk, and as I had hoped, it was entertaining and informative.

I like it! Great practice set up.