2 Alaskan Scout Rifle Shoot' en Story. As
told to T. Morgan by Chief AJ (This true story goes "Indian Mystic")
This Scout Rifle adventure starts in Louisville, KY at the State Fair Ground complex. It is February 95 and Chief AJ is doing a gun show in front of a large crowd of people. The Chief has done many Gun Shows in Louisville for that is where the National Gun Day Show is held. Many customers have bought rifle form Him and they are back for more rifles. At the shows Chief AJ has a TV set up showing His Shooting Videos. The one where He sits on a Trius Trap holding a Scout Rifle in His left hand. Pulls the rope to release the clay bird with His right hand and then mounts the rifle and breaks the clay flying away at 55 mph. Some who have seen this call it poor mans trap club. The trap boy running the tarp and shooting the birds with a .22.
Showing this Video at a St. Louis gun show the Chief was asked "What good does it do to be able to shoot trap with a rifle?" Chief AJ was inspired by this to show the practical field value of this feat. This brings us back to Louisville and the show at hand. Chief AJ was telling all week end that He was leaving for Alaska in 8 days to hunt Wolfs. He was showing the special MINI 14 Scout Rifle He had customized for the trip. With this special rifle the Chief was gong to make a Video to show the partial field shooing that can be done with a Scout Rifle. Chief AJ has been working out the detail for this Wolf Hunt for two years.
The Wolf hunting rules has changed in Alaska and make it really hard to take a Wolf by fair chase. The hunter haste to be 100 years from any motorized vehicle before He could shoot at a Wolf. No shooting out of aircraft and no shooting from a snow mobile. The Alaska fact is that the Wolfs had learned the new rule also. When the sound of a motor changed in tone they were on the run away form the sound. Several Alaskan Guides has given up taking hunters after Wolfs.
They told Chief AJ that no one had a change to hit a running wolf "a way out there". Finally Chief AJ found a Alaskan that would give him a change at a running wolf. It would cost $5,000.00 just to get a shot at a running wolf which would be over 300 yards. The Chief had paid in advance and had this special Ruger MINI 14 Scout Rifle ready to go. Then at Louisville, KY just days before He was to leave for Alaska a dentist offered Chief AJ a $200.00 premium to buy that rifle. Chief AJ sells rifles. At the end of the Show AJ was going table to table trying to find another MINI to trick out. The only rifle there was a beat up abused mini with parts missing.
It took three days of skill to get this poor thing shooting straight. New white stock, comp, trapper job, hand lapped bore, scout mount and Burris 2 3/4X Scout Scope. Tweaking and tuning, shooing and redoing until it would put 3 into 1" at 100 yards. Now, time to fly form Illinois to Anchorage, AK. Then on to Willow, AK and into a striped down- hopped up Super Cub experimental aircraft. Mark Bills flew the Chief over the Iditarod Trail and on to the Cathedral Mountains and a Alaskan Cabin.
On the trip to the cabin base they saw many Moose kills by packs of Wolfs. With the new hunting laws the wolf population was increasing fast and the Moose declining This now was the first week in March. What this means that there is still lots of snow to land the Super Cub with skies on. Now in the first week of March there is lots of daylight not like February. The temperature is still -30 so that the wolf pelts are still prime. The very best time to wolf hunt. First day of the hunt was taken up in flying to the cabin.
The very next day broke bright with Sunshine on all the snow and frozen rivers. Flying at 1000 feet Mark pointed out a Wolf making tracks in the snow below. The night before Mark told the Chief how this going to work. As planned, Mark landed the cub behind the running wolf and glided to a stop. There no smother landing than on show and skies. As the plane came to stop Chief AJ climbed out and then turned back to the plane and reached in for His Scout Rifle. Then He steeped to the rear of the plane and out of the way as Mark took off again. The wolf keep on going and going. Now the plane is way over 100 years from Chief AJ and His rifle. The Wolf was going full out over 300 years and heading for pressure ridge in the frozen river. 35 more yards and the wolf would be out of site gone behind the wall of ice. Standing in show up to His wait Chief AJ did the mount, got the sight picture and did trigger control not letting up until the wolf was rolling in the snow just short of safety. At this time in the show at 30 below with AJ did not know that Mark was able to Video the action form the cub way up overhead. The was Chief AJ counting steps in the deep show to the wolf. 325 steps counted to the trophy. The Wolf was prime indeed and taken by fair chase. Chief AJ had a nonresident trappers license to be able to do this.
Mark landed and taxied to where the Chief and the wolf were and told AJ how that He had seen the whole thing and videoed it. Mark was excited saying that was sure some rifle shooting. The wolf was draped over one of the wing struts and they flew back to the cabin.
Sitting in the cabin over hot coffee Mark keep going on about the running game shot. Then Chief AJ told Mark that He was sure that He had hit the heart. That was just too much for the Alaskan to take so Mark went outside hung the wolf on the porch of the cabin and skinned the wolf. This hide being worth $500.00. Then Mark opened up the wolf and sure enough one half of the hart was shot off.
On the third day the two hunters flew over wolf tracks leading over frozen rivers up one side of a mountain and down the other. Yes, wolfs do eat Mountain Sheep and goats right at the top. They flew over the Iditarod Trail and old mines. They saw more Moose kills. A moose kill from the air looks like a circle. A circle of wolf tracks and in the center there are moose legs and rib bones sticking up.. The snow around the seen is red with blood and left overs are being packed at by ravens. Then Mark saw a Wolf working up a frozen river. Over the intercom ear phones Mark said to Chief AJ "You know the drill". Mark flew over the wolf and way up the river in the direction the wolf was going. About 3 miles ahead of the Wolf , Mark landed and let out the Chief. This abut High Noon and the temperature was now up to -28. Chief AJ hid in a tree line at the edge of the ice and waited. It was a double ray band day. Bright Sun reflection off crystal of ice and snow. A white river valley surrounded by white mountains. Super clear blue sky, what a hunt chief AJ was having in the Cathedral Mountains of Alaska.
It took over 30 minutes until Chief AJ could see the speck of the wolf coming His way up the river. Chief AJ keep saying to him self wait, wait, wait let the Wolf get into decent range.
At the minutes ticked by the wolf appeared a little larger to the Chief. He had to fight himself to stay hidden and wait. The urged to shoot was strong. Still to far away. The wolf was in no hurry working his way along the river. For Chief AJ it was hard to tell the distance to the moving wolf but ever step the wolf was getting closer. The tension was building and Chief AJ forget all about how cold it was. Probably 15 minuets had passed now and the wolf was still at extreme range. Then the Wolf started to deviate off the river and go toward the brush lined bank to the Chief left. Now seeing that the wolf may diaper into the brush the Chief stood, mounted the rifle and saw the small dot of hair through the scope. He could see the first few shots falling way short n the snow. He move the cross hairs two feet above the now running wolf and keep doing trigger control. Down went the wolf. There was a lag in the bullet getting to that range even starting at 3,400fps. The wolf was down and Chief AJ look to the sky but no plane for Mark had let this wolf travel the river undisturbed. Nothing to do but start the step count to the wolf. 436 steps to trophy number 2. There stood Chief AJ in the middle of the bright day taking in the grander of the whiten frozen Cathedral Mountains. It was an overwhelming spiritual experience having been successful in the hunt and beauty of creation.
It was a while until Chief AJ heard the cub coming and landing for him. Mark has been scouting for next days hunt. Mark was not surprised at the trophy but could see by AJ’s tracks in the snow what a long running shot it was. The very limit of the .223 with 50 gr Nosler BT. There on the ice and snow Chief AJ did not know how things were to change.
On the next day the weather sure did change and AJ and Mark were cabin bound. Late that day Roy from the Gun Shop in Wasilla, AK came into from cabin arriving by snow mobile.
For Roy it have been a 3 day trip staying at cabins the past two nights along the way. Roy had stooped to shoot some ptarmigans with a .22 rifle and all feasted on this tundra birds. After this there were two more no fly days.
Back in the air and below Mark and AJ is a pack of wolfs. They were travailing single file on a rive bank. They do this for the lead wolf to break the snow for the others and they take turns braking the snow in front. Mark said that they were problem going up stream to where there is an island they like. This is Mark’s hunting ground. He fly on up to the Island and let Chief AJ and told Him just to hide and wait and Mark took off. Chief AJ was on a small clump of land with frozen river and snow all around Him. About 50 yards across the ice from Him was more clumps of land. After about 45 minutes there appeared a wolf on that clump at 50 yards. The Wolf was looking right at Chief AJ. Chief AJ mounted His rifle and the sight picture was the face of a wolf brought really close by the scopes magnification. Like the Wolf’s glowing bight yellow eyes just 18 yards from the Chief eyes. Their eyes locked and here on Chief AJ has not related this before telling only me, T. Morgan, the Chief long time friend.
Chief AJ did not touch the trigger, the cross hairs were centered between the eyes of the wolf. Chief AJ said that He was caught up in the stare of those glowing eyes. A warmth came over him and he felt like his whole body has just taken on strength He thought he was running on all fours with the wind streaming by him. Running with a power that was a great feeling. His brothers were running beside Him and then Chief AJ felt He was running down a Moose. The furry of the hunt was on and AJ was one with the Wolf pack. The snow was flying all around Him and he could feel a hoof grazed off of his rib cage. Now he was rolling in the snow only to get back up and be in on the kill. AJ could smell the fresh warm blood from the moose. At that point Chief AJ was shaken awake by Mark there on the small island. Mark asked what had happen. Chief said a wolf was right over there. Mark walked the 50 yards and found were the wolf had been standing, starring down Chief AJ. Mark found no blood and asked AJ is He had shot. The Chief had to answer that He just did not remember. He remembered the yellow grow of the eyes. The eyes.
Mark said that He had heard of people being mesmerized by wolfs and this was the first time He had been there on the scene.
That was the end of Chief AJ’s wolf hunting. He would never again take a wolf. To this day Chief AJ graves to eat wild game meat. He dreams several times a week that He is running with his brothers: the pack.
EPILOGUE
After the fancy Scout Rifle Shooting back in the base cabin. Mark Bills said to Chief AJ: "Now that your wolf hunt is over, I want to ask you a favor."
Chief AJ: "Sure, Mark what favor."
At that Mark went to the far corner of the cabin and pull out a beater of a Ruger Mini 14. Mark told AJ that He had brought this Mini 14 to His cabin hoping that is would be good for hunting but He could not hit a thing with it. He had given up on it, but now He had seen how a Mini can shoot and He wanted AJ to "make it shoot". It had one of those after market scope mounts on the receiver and a cheep 4X. Chief AJ says that Mini’s just should not have the scope on the receiver but the gas block scout mount.
Mark went on to say to Chief AJ: "Now Chief if you ever want to fly out here, fix my mini."
There in a Alaskan Cabin Chief AJ took the Scout Mount with Scope attached off of His Mini and put it on Mark’s beater 14. Next AJ removed that worthless receiver mount and cheep 4X. He then put Marks top gas block on his rifle. Next the Chief took off His comp and put the comp on Mark’s mini. Then He traded trigger groups with Marks rifle. Chief has tricked out His trigger group with trigger job, over travel stop and jeweled pins. A USMC National Match Trigger job just like the Chief learned in the Corps.
Chief AJ handed the now MINI 14 Scout Conversion back to Mark and pronounced that it will shoot. Mark put on all His cold weather gear and told AJ to get ready we are going to group shoot Mark’s rebuilt beater. Now, Chief AJ did not want to bench rest shoot at -28 but the Chief did want to fly out.
Mark had laid a quater on a scrap of drywall and drawn around it and ink it in.
Chief AJ told Mark to do that twice one for sighter and one for group. Mark carried the Dinning Table out the cabin to the porch and then He ran the makeshift target down range 100 steps.
Mark sat Chief AJ down at the table with sand bags and said shoot.
The first shot was in quarter. Taking off the mount and scope and putting on another MINI did not change zero. Shoot two into the quater. -28 makes your eyes water when trying to shoot a group. Chief AJ bared down and put shot #3 cutting the outline of the coin. Hey, three shot at 100 steps all under a quater is good for any hunting rifle. Over the years Chief AJ has received many reports of good shots Mark’s rebuilt Scout 14 has made.
CHIEF AJ Top of this Page Story #2(Wolf)
RTC This is where you can learn to shoot Scout Rifles
See a MINI 14 Scout Rifle being built: Gun World Scout
02/18/06 11:36:47 AM
.223,
3,400fps