I know, KNOW , that some time in the past few months, I read a magazine article by Col. Boddington about an elk that he shot with a .270 Win. I think the hunt was on the NRA's Whittington Center. Now I need to reference the article for other info, but can't find it. Can someone help me ??

I think the article in question was in Guns & Ammo but I am not sure about the month.

ZM

It's in the September 2002 Guns & Ammo titled the "270 Bull". In it he takes a six by six on the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. In the story he takes it with one shot from 410 yards. He uses a 150 grain Nosler Partition over 56 grains of RL22. I have it out if you need something specific. -Sean

THANK YOU SEAN !!!!!

From Boddington's recent scribblings, I'm amazed an elk can be killed with anything less than a "HOT" 300 or 8mm. 410 yards to boot!

Some PHs in the RSA were having a "Boddington Moment" when I was there. They were laughing about his use of "hot pants" hunting shorts, and how in one trophy photo he was displaying the family jewels.

Frankly after Wooters retired, my favorite writers are Wayne van Zwoll, Jon Sundra and Boddington. I generally come away with some increased knowledge after reading their work.

I don't really feel Boddington has blown his own horn as much as other people in the writing community have done him a dis-service. I read an article a few years ago written by some old fart that wasted two paragraphs going on about how great Bod was, and how close they were. I kept thinking the next paragraph was going to tell me how much fun it was to shower with him.

Now that Finn Aagard is gone, the "My Favorite Writer Award" is only a two-way tie. Between Ross Seyfried and Jeff Cooper.

Wingnut

Nice quote at the bottom of your post...
You must also be a BIG fan of JOHN WAYNE God bless is soul.

Scratch

Well 410 yds with a 270 is pluasable should have had 1700 Ft-Lbs of energy left at that range. Hell I was watching a show this weekend and a guy took a nice bull at 230 yds with an inline 50 cal Muzzle loader , 130 BP with Barnes 250 gr MZ!! So much for a short range weapon. And he shattered the shoulder in the process.

Shooting an elk at that distance with a 270 is just plain irresponsible and Boddington should be ashamed of himself. If he had been a foot off (wind, poor rest, whatever), he would have hit the paunch. There would have been no exit hole and no blood trail. Pure irresponsible behavior.

500grains, don't be so hard on him. The Elk would have only made it to the other end of the fence, and Craig would put another one in him. (joking)
Seriously though, I have a .270win and I would Limit myself to 250-300 yards, and that would still be under Ideal circumstances. Craig has much more experience than I, but I still question a 400+ yard shot with a .270win on a bull Elk.
Then again I wasn't there, he was??

[ 01-22-2003, 20:46: Message edited by: Mark G ]

I think Craig has some idea of his field shooting ability. and the conditions under which he took the shot.

chuck

Have you guys forgotten that Col. Boddington is a Marine?? I'm sure he's well aware of his shooting capability..

I see where you guys are coming from saying Boddington has the experience and the ability to make that shot. I wouldn't doubt that he can,

BUT

He is a "role model" to some extent and writing about such shots MAY cause others to think they can do the same thing. Just as gunwriters can convince the "public" to like or dislike certain cartridges depending on how they write them up in their articles.

just my .02

I've hunted with and guided Craig Boddington a few times here in Mt. He is a good friend and can share a fire with us anytime. In fact his last hunt with us was when he came with his Dad, Bud and we had a good time. Bud passed away not long after that.
Craig is PLENTY capable of handling a rifle so worry not. He has contributed an inmeasurable amount to many thruout the world in hunting and shooting sports.

Also have guided Ross Seyfried a few times and he to is the real thing. I saw Ross shoot a pronghorn at minimum of 125 yards with an open sight .454 Casull. Some incredibly beautiful Damascus design. Polished Mastadon tusk hand grips with scrimshaw of a sabertooth tiger on one side and a beautiful woman on the other. I'm sure he did an article in G&A several years ago now.

The buck was lying down and facing him in a wind driven blizzard with over a foot of snow on the ground and snow nearly covering the buck. All we could see was black horns and face. Aimed under it and killed a very nice 15 inch buck. Now that was impressive.

1. Shooting a pronghorn antelope is different from shooting an elk, as the former tends to go down with even a toenail hit and the latter is a very tough and resilient customer.

2. Putting faith in Boddington's 'ability' to push the envelope equates to a belief in his infallibility. We all screw up shots, and the chance of a screwed up shot is greater as distance increases. Craig was downright irresponsible.

3. Paragraph 2 above assumes that Boddington really shot the elk at 400+ yards. Maybe he is just exercising his gunwriter typewriter, and the elk was really at 100 yards.

500grains
I don't consider this shot any worse then these LRH(Shooters) on this board! Hey if they can do it and get away with it why can't Boddington. His shot shows more skill than sitting at a shooting bench on top of a mountian with a target rifle.

[ 01-23-2003, 02:13: Message edited by: Gunnut45/454 ]

If a gunwriter asked you to jump off a bridge would you do it? We are responsible adults and can make decisions on our own. Nowhere have I been given the impression that Craig Boddington thinks of himself as infallible.

chuck

Irresponsible... broadside elk at that range? Give me a break. A statement like that causes me to wonder what your real hunting experience is... his story surely beats the hell out of your wounded cow elk fiasco from a couple years back.

quote:

---

Originally posted by 500grains:
Shooting an elk at that distance with a 270 is just plain irresponsible and Boddington should be ashamed of himself. If he had been a foot off (wind, poor rest, whatever), he would have hit the paunch. There would have been no exit hole and no blood trail. Pure irresponsible behavior.

---

Get over it Brad.

This is just about unbelieveable-people saying that a 400 yard shot on an elk is not a good thing to do. I believe one even said something about limiting his shots to 250 with a 270! Ouch this is just too much!

Things like this is why I get on these boards less and less, not that anyone cares nor do I.

However this is my comments. First off 400 yards is not very long, in my opinion it is a chip shot! To the fella who has a understanding of shooting at range, has pracitced at it and has the discpline to know when to and when not to shoot, and knows his rifle as he should this is no big deal and I would take the shot at quite a bit farther than that with no reservation!

I'd much rather a good rifleman or riflewoman take this shot than most any shot at a moving critter. And yet how often do people get all twisted about the idea of shooting at a moving elk? Hey we don't ever talk about that. But we all know the people are out there doing it all the time. With most of the hunting public not really being all that good with a rifle.

I have no doubt that there are more elk wounded that are shot at when they are moving, than there will ever be ones that are wounded by people who know what they are doing at 400!

And yet bring up shooting at 400 at a broadside critter at a mere 400 and with a mere 270 and people get all twisted.

I'd have no problem with the guys I hang with and shoot with taking that shot all day long. Be it they using a 270 a 25/06 or my beloved 6/06. At that range under those conditions that is a cake walk, and putting it in there ear is certainly more than doable!

So lets all lighten up a bit about shooting at 400 and with a 270. It really isn't much of a thing to spend much time on.

So I am gonna move on and get some sleep. And dream about hunting elk, and it certainly won't be about whether or not one should shoot at 400 at a broadside bull with a 270.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Mark, exactly... getting one's panties in a wad over a 400 yard broadside shot is laughable...

Well Brad, I can see you are true to form. Does your boss write 'unable to get along with others' on your performance evaluation?

Your religious belief in the 270 just doesn't cut it. Nor does your religious belief in your own or Craig's ability to never screw up a shot. Maybe you are a member of the crowd feels macho by hunting with a small for the species caliber, I don't know.

I would like to see Craig write an article in which he admitted to not making a perfect shot. I would also flike to see a discussion in which you do not need to resort to insults because you feel unable to argue the point logically.

Best wishes.

I've read articles in which Col. Boddington has admitted missing shots. I'm not about to pour through 10 years of Hunting back issues to prove it though so don't ask. As for whether or not his shot was a responsible one, only he can make that determination. He knew the conditions, he knew his abilities, and presumably, he knew his rifle/load combination. I think this speaks wonders about his confidence in the Nosler bullet. I also think he anticpated some backlash or he wouldn't have written the article...

If Craig made a clean kill on his elk with that .270, then I don't see what the problem is. I've hunted with Craig before, and he's the real deal, no drugstore cowboy, and he's got an incredibly vast amount of honest experience under his belt as a rifleman and hunter to back up any play he'd care to make. He can hunt with any rifle he cares to hunt with as far as I'm concerned, and it's no one else's busniness as to what that rifle might be on a given hunt.

I've used the .270 Winchester before on elk with excellent results, and I know several guys here in Oregon who've killed a great many elk with that cartridge, including some very, very big trophy bulls. No, it's not my ideal elk rifle (I'll take a .300 or .338, thank you) but it's surely a heck of a lot better than it's sometimes portrayed as buy those who just plain hate it or have some other vendetta to exorcise.

I think I'll hunt elk next time with my .270. I've found motivation here to do so.......

AD

500 Grains,

1. Thank you for pointing out to all of us the size difference between a Pronghorn Antelope and an Elk.

2. Perhaps you should consider reading more of his material. I've read about his fallibilities more than once in his words. Craig is not a man that blows his own whistle.

3.It sounds like here you are calling him a liar. I'd suggest that rather than airing this to the no face cyber world that you just ask Craig. He responds to reasonable questions.

400 yard shot at a bull elk. Irresponsible? I do not agree. Yes, it is a long shot but it is quite doable especially if one knows his own abilities. I'm with Mark and Brad and we will suffer in our irresponsibility as we punch our tags.

Seriously, I respect your own set limits but they do not apply to everybody.

Bottom Line, you need to know your limitations.500's limitations are more than Boddingtons.
I too, have heard of him telling of missing animals. I have missed and I suppose just about everyone here has missed at one time. If you haven't you haven't shot much.
People get caught up in the foot pounds deal.
It's the worst indicator that you can use.
If the bullet is going fast enough when it hits the animal and is the correct bullet for the job, it won't bounce off!

I've never shot at game past 300 yrds,because that is what cirumstances have given me.

But I'd shoot at an elk at 400, if conditions were right. However, I'd do it with a .300 or .338, not a .270. And it would be ethical and fine.

However, Boddington can probably shoot twice as good as me, and for him to use a .270, I'm sure it would be fine.

I think if Boddigton had a choice, he'd use a .338 or bigger for elk.

It still comes down to shot placement, not whacking an elk 6 times with a .458 or whatever, in the wrong place.

I am with mark and keith on this one. it comes down to shooter ability. i took a cow elk this fall with my 270 weatherby mag. distance was over 400 yards. she took 5 steps and fell over dead. there are folks who shouldnt shoot over 200 yards. then there are folks who can take critters way out there. after years of shooting coyotes at + 400 yards it makes elk seem like shooting at a barn. i had a solid rest and no wind, and she was standing still, broadside. like mark said it was a chip shot. i would take the same shot if i were given it again.

Craig Boddington likely has more experience then most of the other writers, and a great lot of them combined. Who can say they have been on 50 african hunts, let alone 50 hunts together? Not to tarnish Saeed's experience, but he is widely respected on this site for his hunting experience, but Boddington has atleast 37 MORE african hunts under his belt.

Countless amounts of game, countless amounts of shooting experience, a marine too boot and you can damn well put your bet he is more then capable of a 400 yrd shot.

Mark R Dobrenski, I am the one that said I would limit "My" shot to 250-300 yards on an Elk with My .270. I didn't say Craig should or you should or Allen should, or Brad should or anyone on this board should. I didn't discredit the cartidges ability in any way. I said I would limit "myself", mainly because I don't get to shoot much over 250 yards at my current range. So for me it's just a matter of being comfortable. That is not laughable it is responsable. I could sling lead 500 yards all day long at any animal, and hope my ballistic charts are right, but I don't feel that is the responsable thing to do. Do you?

I did say that I would Question the 400 yard shot. Not meaning disaprove, but rather assessing the need of such a shot. I do a large part of my hunting with primitive weapons (bow/muzzle loader), so I am always trying to get closer. That is what I meant there. There are a lot of fat asses out there that don't like to work for a good shot (That bugs me). But sometimes Terrain, time, or daylight won't permit getting closer.

I know Craig B. has more experience than I could ever dream of. Thats why I stated "I wasn't there, he was" I don't mind being quoted just keep it in context. I am not some Jonny come lately hunter and don't like to be painted as such. By anyone!

This spring I will have access to a new range where I can get out over 400+ yards. Maybe next fall I will feel more comfortable out at that range with my .270 or my .338win.

[ 01-26-2003, 08:28: Message edited by: Mark G ]

I have little to comment on Boddington except to say he has more experience than anyone else I know. Unless you know him personally then I feel there is little you can say about him with any authority behind it. To argue otherwise is a sign of ignorance or immaturity. I do tire of armchair experts critiquing those of experience.

I am interested to hear that Keith was the guide on that particular hunt with Seyfried. I've always wondered who that was. FYI Keith, the gun was his Bowen best grade 475 Linebaugh otherwise known as #13. Kudos to you on a fine hunt with Ross.

After reading Craig's books and basically tons of articles written by him, on taking game, and seeing pictures to prove it, I think the man knows what he is doing. He also took a grizzly in Canada (can't remember what area, but it's in his rifles book) with a 340 WBY at a little less that 400 yards, and the bear was across the canyon. One shot, I believe. Personally, I wouldn't shoot beyond 400 yards, and never needed to. Craig made a great shot on that elk in my opinion.