Was fortunate enough to tag an elk this week with my Patriot XP-100 in SW Colorado. There weren't many of them down where we were at, but we knew of a hidey hole and two of us with cow tags were able to put some meat in the freezer. There were four of us in our group all using handguns.

Ernie

Excellent. I get to chase them with a smokepole come December. Hopefully my hunt will turn out like yours.

Congrats on filling your cow tag. I haven't had a chance to shoot a Elk with a hand gun but have got two deer with a 454 raging bull. What a challenge it is to hunt with a handgun when everyone else is using a rifle. My friends think I am crazy but it is their loss. I went with five guys all carying rifles and I was the only one with a pistol I got my deer they went away empty handed. Once again congrats
Swede44mag

"xphunter" What caliber is your XP?
Swede44mag

The 7.82 Patriot is a 30 caliber Lazzeroni Short-Action Cartridge which is in essence a shortened and necked down 416 Rigby case. This center-grip single-shot XP-100 has an H-S Left-Hand Stock, tight-necked Shilen SS 15.75 Sporter Barrel that started life as a Zytel stocked 221 Fireball.
I'm using a 180 SGK (BC .501) with a MV of 2788 sighted in at 350 yards, which puts my Ballistic Plex reticule on 12 power set at #1 bar 400 yds., #2 bar 500 yds., #3 bar 600 yds. I shot prone over my internal frame pack at an elevation of right at 8700 ft. above sea level with no discernable wind. Range was 416 (impact velocity right around 2270 fps) yards which was double/triple checked with a 1200 & 1200 Scan Leica rangefinders. After my first shot (The animal didn't move much after the first shot), Steve called a hit (set up with a Tripod & Leupold spotting scope) and told me to send another and after a brief time called for a third shot and suggested I aim a liitle lower. Upon examination of the cow we found three exit wounds forming an upside down triangle measuring three inches. Entrance wound group size was 2.25 inches. Yes, all three shots were in the lung area. It may sound unbelievable, but there were three other guys with me who witnessed all of this and we have pics which are in the process of being developed, not to mention a salted hide in my garage. The SGK's left thumb hole exit wounds and the Patriot put them in the boiler room. It was a small cow, but the best thing is the bullets didn't waste any meat and it will soon be in my freezer. This load has been chronoed, run through the Exbal ballistic software and shot at actual distances before the hunt.
Ernie

I can't put my Raging Bull in your distance category. Over 400yrds man that is some excellent shooting for a pistol. Here in Kansas I have seen some deer that far but they have been on private land. Where I hunt I can�t shoot that far too many trees in the way. I was thinking about an Encore but I don't think it can shoot that distance accurately, the Bolt action XP-100 sounds like the way to go. I like to hunt with a pistol more than any other firearm. Sounds like a project for a future deer hunt.
Swede44mag

Swede44mag,
The Encore when set-up right can perform at those ranges. Both the Contender and the Encore are capable of outstanding accuracy at Long Range. Yes, the XP is a more rigid action which gives it an advantage, but the Encore can do the job on big game at ranges at which most hunters are comfortable shooting at.
What part of Kansas do you live in? I live in Hutch.
Last year I shot my whitetail at around 25-30 yards off-hand with my Patriot XP. It does a good job at close range also.
Ernie

"xphunter " I live in Wichita not that far from Hutch I do most of my hunting at Cheney and Kingman Lake. I hope they get the target range open at Cheney. Currently I don't have anywhere to sight in. I have often thought about going Elk hunting maybe one of these days.
Swede454

There is the Bullseye range which has a 100 yard indoor rifle range in Wichita proper. I am a member @ Central Kansas Gun Club and you could come up some time and shoot with me as a guest.

Ernie