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What have U shot with your R-1


stid2677

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Day 4

 

We get up early and hunt them have breakfast and pack up camp. We float down until we cut some moose sign. We found an old oxbow and it was covered in tracks. We camp nearby. While looking for firewood I discover another oxbow with even more sign. I go back to camp and tell Charles. After dinner we decide to each hunt a different oxbow, I go downriver and Charles goes upriver. I make a blind and spend the next few hours calling until dark. I meet Charles back at camp and enjoy a campfire and hot dinner. We swap lies and stories for a while then off to bed.

 

Day 5

Up before daylight and in the blind, spend several cold hours calling, still have not seen anything in this spot. Head back to camp and have lunch and take a nap after camp chores. We both head out early today for our afternoon sit, the weather is changing and it is one of those days you just feel that game will be moving. I decide to hunt up on the side of the ridge tonight, wanted to see more area. Not long after reaching my spot over looking the river, I see a wolf across the river out or range but still something to watch. He is trying to dig up something, I thought about trying to get on him but the river was too deep to cross with out the raft, plus I had a feeling that tonight’s the night. I enjoyed the show. I called a few times and settled in for a wait. Down by the river I thought I saw a flash of something white. I scan with my binos and that is when I saw him standing behind a tree thrashing it. I watched him for several minutes and he continued to rake the tree giving me a head on shot. I cow called to him and he threw his head up and started walking to me all stiff legged, waving his head side to side. He was right by the river, so as soon as he turned I let him have it with my Benelli R-1 300 WM, BOOM, BOOM, still on his feet, BOOM, BOOM, last shot broke his back, all 4 in the boiler room. After the last shot he fell out of my sight. I knew he was down and find it hard to put to words my feelings. As I neared him I was in awe of his size, this thing was a horse with antlers; I could hardly move the head.

Charles came to see what all the shooting was about and was happy to see me with my bull. We took some pictures and cleared the area around the bull and started a fire. There was bear and wolf sign everywhere and we were nervous to say the least. I hike back to camp and get my game bags, axe, and frame pack. I take a pain bill for my back because it is already hurting and I have some serious work ahead. When I get back to the kill site Charles has the fire going and he and I get started butchering at 5:00pm and we were done with all but cutting off the head by 8:30pm. We stacked the quarters on a bed on driftwood and covered it with a tarp. We got back to camp and had dinner and crashed exhausted.

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Day 7

 

Charles wanted to move after I killed my bull, I wish we had stayed there longer I’m sure we could have killed another Bull there. We got up early and packed and finished the bull by removing his head and antlers. We lined the raft over to the kill site and loaded up the bull. We floated hard that day; towards the end of the day I learned a lesson. The raft was heading into a sharp bend I was standing holding the raft by the bow trying to keep it from slamming into a sweeper in the bend when I was dragged in over my head, freezing cold water filled my wader because I had no belt on. I was just able to reach shore without drowning. I was wearing fleece underwear and was able to drain the water from my wader and continue on. We found a good spot and stopped to hunt. We had an awesome camp and in a good spot. We started to hunt together now and hunted hard for a few days.

I was getting worn down from the pace and told Charles I was going to sleep in the next morning. He was up before light and out the door. He returned and said that he had seen a small bull and a few miles off the river. We ate breakfast and I started to clean up, Charles wanted to try to find a straight trail to where he had seen the small bull, I ask him to wait and I would go with him. He did not want to wait and headed off, I finished breakfast and was washing my pan when I heard a noise by the river. I looked over to see a bull caribou looking at me. I looked at him and he just looked back at me turning his head from side to side, trying to figure out what I was. I dropped my pan and went for my rifle and he took off back the way he came. He was running by the river and I was on a game trail above it, with trees and brush between us. We ran down the river this way until I had a opening, I shot and missed I planted my feet and fired again breaking his back and fired once more to end it quick. Charles came running back, to see what was wrong and could not believe his luck; he would have had this bou if he had stayed. He wanted to move again, so went back to pack camp while I butchered my caribou. The bugs ate me alive while cleaning this animal, I had left my bug spray behind trying to cut weight thinking that the bugs were done for the year, boy was I wrong. Over the next few days the bugs had my hands so swollen that I was afraid that I was going to have to cut off my wedding band. We get everything packed including the meat the raft is now getting heavy. We find another spot to hunt and setup camp.

 

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Day 8

 

This hunt is work at this point with daily requirements to tend the meat. We find a few good spots and continue to hunt hard into the night and up early each morning. Charles is feeling the pressure and we are hunting hard to get him a bull. As the last day of the season comes and goes we except that we were blessed to take the animals we did and that was all the land was going to give us this trip. We Packed up and floated to the take out, ever mindful that if we passed it we were in trouble. We arrived at the take out to find a few others waiting to fly out. We got the tent setup and the raft packed and the meat hung. I had to debone the meat to fly it out, that took me awhile. After I got done we all sat around the fire sharing stories and pictures. I cooked up a bunch of moose and we shared an adult beverage and had a great time.

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Day 10

Hunters came and went while we waited our turn. While there I saw how unprepared some hunters were. One hunter’s gear got left and he had a moose cape in a black plastic bag, that thing did not smell good the next day. We waited a day and a half for weather and to get our turn. I was glad to get out because the temps were getting warmer each day. We made it back to Tok and got everything loaded up. We split the meat made sure we both had transfer forms and Charles headed back to Anchorage and I to Delta Junction to stop at Delta meats. I loaded my moose and caribou in game bags and strapped it to a hitch haul. I get to Delta meats parking lot and get ready to spend the night in my RV. During the night I feel the RV shaking, I think I’m dreaming but it won’t stop. I look out the window and a gigantic dog in chewing on my moose. So this dog and me fight all night over this meat. Finally at 8:00am they open, I go in and say I got a bunch of meat and she says can’t take it until Thursday and its Monday. So I rush into Fairbanks and finally find a place that will take it. The temperature was in the low 70s and I had to get the meat cold.

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Summary

I learned a ton on this hunt; from now on I always have a head net and deet. I wear a belt with my waders and I don’t try to drag stop rafts. Moose are big and a lot of work more than most realize. Handling meat for days gets old fast, have a plan if it gets warm to get it out. Two hunters and gear plus a couple animals are a raft load. Buy good gear Alaska is tough on gear and a remote hunt is no place for failure. Swift rivers are hard to cross even shallow ones and even harder in the dark. I try to camp and hunt on the same side.

Charles and I had a great hunt and enjoyed fine conversation and debate, You really get to know someone when you spend a few weeks in a tent and raft with them. This hunt really gave me the float bug. For those this may inspire please, Alaskan river are dangerous and are to be respected. Prepare yourself and have a blast.

 

Well the day are getting longer and warmer, it won't be long before it's time to dust off the R-1 and head off for a few weeks of bear hunting.

 

Hope you enjoyed the read...

 

Have Fun Steve

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I am 20 years old and a beginning hunter. I have hunted Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, and rabbit with my shotgun and own a early model 1894 Winchester 30-30 which cannot mount a scope due to being top-edjecting. I am planning to get a deer and bear tag this year so I have been looking around for a good rifle and came across a 300WSM comfortech miss marked at a store for under $600. I almost bought a browning A-bolt II for the same price. But the Benelli name stood out on the rifle so i put it on hold and researched it that night where i came across your goldmine of photos and many other people who love the gun. I went back 1st thing in the morning and purchased the rifle and i am now looking for a good scope and amunition to use. All advice will be heard and appreciated.

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All the info you ask for has been talked about on this forum, just do some reading. I tried several different brands of ammunition with my Benelli and found the Federal Premium to shoot best for me. I believe in Barnes bullets, so the triple shock is my bullet of choice. Make sure you clean it after each firing, to include the gas piston assembly. You should be able to find a nice scope in that range to top it off. Look forward to pictures of your first harvest.

 

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=294

 

Hope you like your new rifle as much as I love mine.

 

Steve

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Thank You Steve. I have read this forum and many of the others and noticed this has been recieving the latest hits. I guess the reason I am asking what has already been answered because i am just excited to pick up my gun and really hoping that it doesn't let my hopes down. I live in So Cal where you are unable to pick up your fire arm until after a 11 day backround check. I am really anxious to hold it, fire it, take it apart to clean it, and to get to know it. It is such a beautiful gun and I have never owned an auto loader before.

 

Jake

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I am 20 years old and a beginning hunter. I have hunted Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, and rabbit with my shotgun and own a early model 1894 Winchester 30-30 which cannot mount a scope due to being top-edjecting. I am planning to get a deer and bear tag this year so I have been looking around for a good rifle and came across a 300WSM comfortech miss marked at a store for under $600. I almost bought a browning A-bolt II for the same price. But the Benelli name stood out on the rifle so i put it on hold and researched it that night where i came across your goldmine of photos and many other people who love the gun. I went back 1st thing in the morning and purchased the rifle and i am now looking for a good scope and amunition to use. All advice will be heard and appreciated.

 

You are one lucky person to have it for $600 only.

 

In Canada, it is $1899 plus GST and PST (total 15% tax) so around $2185 and a box of federal premium ammo is close to $70 in 300wsm

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You are one lucky person to have it for $600 only.

 

In Canada, it is $1899 plus GST and PST (total 15% tax) so around $2185 and a box of federal premium ammo is close to $70 in 300wsm

 

 

Here in Colorado I went to all the major outlets. (Bass Pro, Gander Mtn, Sportsman’s Warehouse ect.) and at least 7 guns shops and was only able to find 1 .300 for $1,850 and 30.06 for $1.499. I ended up finding a 30.06 that looks new. It was on consignment at a local gun shop for 850. Before I purchased the gun I called Benelli with the s/n to find out it’s past. The lady was very nice and said it was owned by their local sales rep and had been in once for a spring issue on the barrel locking bolt. Still not sure if I got a deal or not I guess I’ll have to wait until hunting season to find out.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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I have told my friend Greg over and over about how much I like my Benelli R- 1. When his father started hunting He decided that the R-1 in 300 WSM would suit his needs. They ask me last spring if I would host them on an Alaskan Bear hunt. They flew into Fairbanks and we loaded up all the gear and headed for Prince William Sound. Once on the water we headed out to the cabin and got camp setup. The tides in PWS fluctuate dramatically making it hard to hunt the shoreline and keep your boat from being left high and dry. Because of this I use a small inflatable raft with a jet engine on it to access small rivers that run into the sea.

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After we got camp all ready we towed the raft to the hunting area and ran up a small river. As soon as we got to the spot and stopped the raft we spotted a breeding pair. We were over 200 yards away and moved in closer to have a better look and to make sure the bear was a boar. As we moved closer the wind shifted and they winded us and they disappeared in the dense brush. We got down wind and decided to wait and see if they would come back out, after about 30 minutes a nice boar came out to the grass. We stalked to within 120 yards and glassed him over real good. Greg decided that this was the bear he wanted and we got ready to take him. I was ready with my R-1 to back him up, but his shot was true and Greg had scored his first bear.

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We called Pop (Greg’s Father) over and we took some pictures and got down to the work. After we got him skinned out, we loaded him up and headed back to camp. Back at camp with the hunting over for the day, we enjoyed an adult beverage by the campfire under the midnight sun. The spring was a couple weeks early this year and the green growth that draws them to the shoreline was growing everywhere and we were finding it hard to spot them on the shoreline. I had found some well used trails while scouting and decided to setup a ground blind over looking a couple trails.

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We hunted it the first night with not luck. We decided we would try a little earlier the next night and stay longer. As soon as Pop got into the blind he started coughing and tried for the next hour to cough one in. Finally Pop got it all coughed out and got quite. Not 15 minutes later a nice boar with a white blaze on his chest comes down the trail and looks into the blind at 11 steps. Pops topped his R-1 with a 4.5x14x50 scope and found it hard to got him so close. Pop finally found the sweet spot and fired, the bear spun and ran and Pops fired a quit follow up shot as he returned to his back trail. The bear traveled only a short distance before piling up. Pop’s was overcome with excitement, he had took his first bear at point blank range from a ground blind. We took some photos and him dressed out. Pop’s backed him out to the raft.

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Greg and I severed together in the Army and have shared duty stations, including Iraq. It sure was a contrast to the time we spent there. I really enjoyed seeing a father and son share time in the field together. We caught Shrimp, Halibut and Rock fish and we had incredible weather for this time of the year.

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