Elk Hunting Blog

My grocery store is less than two miles from home. Inside, you’ll find pieces of animals, stripped of their outer layers, unnaturally dyed to appear more natural, and shrink-wrapped to styrofoam trays. This is not how we were meant to live. To remedy this, a few of us threw on our camo, loaded up the trucks, and ventured into the Colorado backcountry in search of elk.

Tommy and I jumped into an already established hunting party. John, another Swampy, invited us to join his camp. He’s been hunting with his father and brother since he was of legal age, and I was honored to be included. Before this hunt could happen, there were a few things that needed to be sorted out. For one, I needed the right rifle. 

For this hunt, I picked up a Ruger American Gen II bolt-action rifle in .308 Winchester. I had used the first generation of American rifles and found them to be adequate. They’re not the first gun I’d grab to show off to my friends, but they worked well. Fast forward to Gen II, and what a difference 12 years makes. The Gen II wears a textured splatter pattern on the entirety of the stock, and it does a great job of staying put. The 22-inch barrel is spiral fluted and ends with 5/8x24 threads, and comes finished with a muzzle brake from Ruger. Instead, I mounted an Anechoic Suppressors AnechoX 30. It's a shorter can, which is nice for keeping a fairly long gun handy. It’s also made from titanium, keeping it ultra lightweight. I also mounted a Magpul MOE bipod, which is not necessary for hunting, but it did come in hand while sitting and waiting. Inside the magazine were a few rounds of G9 Defense 145-grain barrier blind .308 hollow points. A .308 will easily do the trick, but choosing the wrong bullet can turn a good shot into a pointless one.