Another Ktag hunt

[jon_norstog]

Well, it's off to Idaho for a couple weeks. With my trusty Krag carfle aNd a carload of steak, eggs and potatoes. I moved to OR last year but am not sure I like the way they run elk hunts here, plus the Lolo Zone is our hunting grounds. See you in a while!

jn

[psteinmayer]

Bag one for me Jon! Happy hunting, and God Speed!

[ww321q]

Bring camera ! Good Hunting !

[BudT]

Good luck, be safe and have a great time.

[jon_norstog]

Well that was the hunt that was. I spent 11 days up around Mex Mountain, all but one day it rained or snowed. Good hunting weather. It was cloudy at night and no moon so the animals weren't moving around much except when they got short breaks in the weather. We never heard wolves or coyotes, either one, but they are still there.

The big news was there was a herd of elk living large on the mid-slope east of the Mex. One big herd bull and maybe 4 or 5 cows. We never caught up to them but they sure were tearing up their selected areas. There is unlimited forage and if the herd stays together the cows will probably all calve and keep their calves alive. One of the reasons the wolves were so successful in the area previously was the elk's habit of wandering off alone or cow-calf pairs. Anyway it's probably just as well we didn't get the herd bull. He'll be around next year, probably with a four-point hanging around waiting his chance to take over.

My brother left camp early and I was up hunting alone for a couple days. I took a day off to go down to Kamiah and pick up some supplies, take a hot shower, charge my phone and make some calls. I called my wife. She had fallen and cracked her knee and wanted me to come home early, so that was it. No elk, no deer, but I did bag about 50 pounds of Chanterelle mushrooms.

There's still some deer season left and there is always next year.

jn

[CJCulpeper]

Well that was the hunt that was. I spent 11 days up around Mex Mountain, all but one day it rained or snowed. Good hunting weather. It was cloudy at night and no moon so the animals weren't moving around much except when they got short breaks in the weather. We never heard wolves or coyotes, either one, but they are still there.

The big news was there was a herd of elk living large on the mid-slope east of the Mex. One big herd bull and maybe 4 or 5 cows. We never caught up to them but they sure were tearing up their selected areas. There is unlimited forage and if the herd stays together the cows will probably all calve and keep their calves alive. One of the reasons the wolves were so successful in the area previously was the elk's habit of wandering off alone or cow-calf pairs. Anyway it's probably just as well we didn't get the herd bull. He'll be around next year, probably with a four-point hanging around waiting his chance to take over.

My brother left camp early and I was up hunting alone for a couple days. I took a day off to go down to Kamiah and pick up some supplies, take a hot shower, charge my phone and make some calls. I called my wife. She had fallen and cracked her knee and wanted me to come home early, so that was it. No elk, no deer, but I did bag about 50 pounds of Chanterelle mushrooms.

There's still some deer season left and there is always next year.

jn

Even one day on the mountain is better than chained to a desk/work bench/fill in the blank. Hope you get something in deer season. Give your Missus my best regards and hope she heals up quickly.

[madsenshooter]

Mmm, chanterelles! I like them even more than morels, no bugs to pick off the chanterelles because they produce a natural insecticide that doesn't harm humans!

[BudT]

Those mushrooms would go great with a big ole chunk of backstrap wrapped in foil salt pepper garlic a couple of slices of thick sliced bacon and slow roasted.

[jon_norstog]

Well, this is the first time since 2007 that we could see a definite sign of the animals' return. The elk are definitely back, although nothing like the numbers in the old days. But they have plenty to eat and don't have to travel unless they feel threatened. They are hanging out in places where the wolves (and the hunters) have a tough time getting at them. If that herd stays together through the next year I'm guessing most of the calves will survive. And the herd bull is either huge, or else he has big feet and takes big s**ts.

Last year there was a plague of tiny whitetails. This year IF&G set an "any deer" season, there were some nice ones and a really nice buck and doe that hung out near our camp. I had a line on those two and would definitely have got one (preferably the doe) if I'd been able to stay a few more days. But family comes first.

There was a logging show going on next ridge over and we got to talk to a lot of the locals. They said there were wolves around where they were working, also coyotes. They all have wolf tags and shoot them on sight year-round. So between the humans and the coyotes the big dogs no longer have a free ride.

I'm betting next year we won't have Mex Mountain to ourselves.

jn

[PeteDavis]

You get any pictures of this area? And what's your rifle look like?

PD

[jon_norstog]

I got some pictures of the rifle, but it looks like the site isn't going to let me put them up today. The insert attachment feature isn't letting me into the album with the hunting pictures. I'll try later.

jn

[jon_norstog]

Pete,

Here's some pictures of the Krag, anyway. It was built up by Roy Bedeaux in Albuquerque, using an early Model 70 barrel.


jn

[butlersrangers]

'jon': Your 'hunting' Krag certainly looks to be a very functional 'Business Rifle'. I am assuming the Model 70 barrel has been re-chambered to .30-40?

That is a very interesting Hybrid 'no-drill' receiver sight: A "Pacfield"! It appears to have the virtues of the Redfield 70KH (micrometer adjustments) and the Pacific K-1 (solidly fills the 'cut-off void' for smooth cartridge feed).
Are the two sight bases 'joined' together?

I am guessing this rig can be easily taken-off and returned by removing the side-plate screw and the K-1's 'Allen' screw, without disrupting sight adjustments. This would solve the problem of having to raise the elevation slide in order to remove the Krag's bolt.

[jon_norstog]

Butler,

The Redfield screws into the rear side cover screw holes. It had a second part that went into the mag cutoff - but it was messing up my feed. I replaced that part with the Pacific mount block, then used Gorilla Glue to keep the Redfield sight from going adrift. No receivers were damaged in this desecration. I can knock the glue loose if I need to remove the bolt, take the sight off and reglue afterwards.

jn

[PeteDavis]

I need to come back here more often. Very cool piece. I bet it's been a reliable performer and friend through the years. An aperture sight is about the only sight I can get a bead with these days. Thanks for showing!

PD

[butlersrangers]

Jon: I know what you are speaking of with roughness of feeding with some Krags, when the cut-off is removed. Redfield eventually realized the problem they were introducing. Their later instructions advised cutting the lever off the magazine cut-off and putting the cut-off shaft back (properly oriented) into its hole.
You came up with a novel solution. Have you considered making a small sheet metal 'L' shaped bracket, that could be anchored to the rear of the Redfield base and secured with the 'coin-slot' screw to the Pacific base? You could dispense with the glue and have your micrometer Redfield quickly detach by taking out two screws. Your set-up is so solid; I am sure the sight settings would be preserved in spite of dismounting and remounting.

[jon_norstog]

Hey, I might give it a try! M<eanwhile we had an early thanksgiving, and there is a little bit of deer season left, so my brother and I are going out. Happy thanksgiving, one and all!

jn

[madsenshooter]

Friend of mine was having trouble with feeding in his 96 carbine after installing the Redfield. He made a copy of the cutoff shaft out of drill rod.

[JimF]

Friend of mine was having trouble with feeding in his 96 carbine after installing the Redfield. He made a copy of the cutoff shaft out of drill rod.

As did I . . . .

I never could figure out WHY Redfield didn't include this shaft with their sight!

[mannparks]

Yes I also know some one with that issue.

[Bob S]

M1898 rifles and carbines seem to be prone to have the rim hang up on the forward shoulder of the cutoff mortice when the cutoff itself is removed. M1892 and 1896 rifles/carbines seem to feed fine with the cutoff removed. The difference is the position of the forward shoulder of the mortice. The 1898's have the "short" cutoff with matching short mortice; the older rifles have the longer cutoff and the shoulder of the mortice is further forward. By the time the rim of the cartridge gets there, it has started to enter the chamber and has pivoted away from contact with that side of the receiver.

Respectfully,
Bob S.

[psteinmayer]

I never had this problem with my 1898 sporter. I had the Redfield 102K, and it always fed fine. The problem I had was with un-crimped spitzer bullets (bullet telescoping into the case neck), which I solved by employing the Lee factory Crimp die.