The builder gets to hunt!

After seven years of missing Wyomings general elk season, I was excited to get the chance to go! (Even if it was only for 3 days) My good friends Ryan Martin, Jeffrey Walker, my partner in crime Jen, and my daughter Isabella were off! One thing I was even more excited about was getting the chance to use the new for 23’ SJA Shinobi Pro Hunter!

Okay, so let’s back this up. For the last seven years, I have very carefully and painfully crafted some of the finest lightweight match grade carbon fiber hunting rifles available. Sending them not only all over the United States, but to several other countries for hunters around the globe to enjoy! I wanted nothing more than to be “the guy” that got to use one in the field!

First Impressions:

Ultra light, wow! Really this thing is stupid light! Coming from a competitive background in long range match rifles, lightweight is not normally a good thing. However I am 45 years old now, and not in the shape I was 20 years ago! So maybe a 5.9 pound rifle is a good thing. After all we did intend to hunt at and around 10,000-11,000 feet in elevation.

The rifle:
I choose a 22” proof carbon fiber barrel, I chambered in 7PRC. This barrel pairs up excellent with the Falkor LW7 action. A Bix and Andy tac sport pro trigger, and the new SARV flush fit DBM gave me mag fed performance and reliability in feeding. Without the risk of an external mag release that often snags garments or backpack strap’s causing one to loose a mag in the field. A rugged Alaskan 36 suppressor to keep things quiet and the Leupold Mark5 HD 5-25x56mm kept my eyes on everything! All neatly tucked into a ultralight Manners Pro Hunter carbon fiber stock. This rifle really checked all the boxes for me. It’s not only light, it gives me familiar ergonomics the same way my match/tactical rifles do. You can lay your head on this stock and take a nap! It’s that comfortable! The vertical grip on the stock makes braking the trigger straight back at 90deg effortless as it should be. The left side flush cups in the stock gave me more sling options and that’s always a plus when steep terrain demands a different sling position as the terrain changes.

So does it shoot?
Yes indeed. With no time to work up a load or time to break in the barrel, I was able to zero my rifle at 100 yards, fire 5 rounds on the magneto speed chronograph, and check drops at 1100, 1030, 720, and 596. This all happened with just one box of Hornady precision hunter 175 grain ELDX factory ammo. Not wanting to get into that 60-75 round mark where most barrels speed up, I went back to my 100 yard zero and fired just three more rounds and was able to squeeze out a .391MOA group.
So not only was the accuracy good, I was surprised that the barrel and ammo was clocking in at 2901 FPS. Now, let’s be honest! When shooting a 17 pound match rifle on the bench, you can make a lot of mistakes before it shows up on paper. Shooting a sub 6 pound rifle requires more discipline. My breathing definitely played into its performance. If I did my job the rifle did it’s.

The hunt:

We set off early in the morning, the crisp 2 degree Wyoming air filling our lungs as we worked our way off the ridge into the basin. The terrain was rough, and extremely steep, the kind you really have to mind your footing on. The lightweight Shinobi PH made the journey much more manageable. The anticipation was palpable, each of us eager to see what the day would bring as we waited for shooting light.

We reached our hunting spot just as the sun was beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the vast landscape. The sight was breathtaking, reminding me why I loved this sport so much. I set up my tripod and mounted the rifle using the built in ARCA mount on the rifle and began to glass. The silence only broken by the occasional bird, and a large pack of coyotes howling across the ridge.

Only a few minutes after sunrise, I spotted a herd of elk grazing in the distance about 1100 yards below me. In the spirit of the hunt, I decided to close up some distance and make the most ethical shot I could. The terrain was tough, really tough! I was able to close off another 400 yards after taking several spills and loosing my footing I decided it was now or never as I couldn’t go any further without making to much noise and blowing them out. My heart pounded in my chest! 10,000’ is no joke, only 2 degrees above zero my hands where cold as I used my rangefinder and calculated my drop and wind. The Leupold Mark5 HD scope provided a clear view of the herd, allowing me to pick out a mature bull. I took a deep breath, as I loaded the rifle into my shoulder and squeezed the rear bag supporting the rear of the rifle and squeezed the trigger.

The shot rang out, echoing through the mountains. The herd knew something was up! Not knowing what had just happened they slowly began to wonder off, but the bull I had aimed for dropped to the ground! 701 yards and he was done. A wave of relief washed over me as I pulled the rifle off the tripod. The suppressor had done its job, keeping the noise to a minimum and preventing the rest of the herd from being spooked. My partners been sitting with me could have easily taken another elk.

I made my way over to the fallen elk, the reality of the hunt setting in. It was a beautiful animal, and I felt a sense of respect and gratitude for the life it had given. Now the adrenaline is wearing off. Reality is setting in. I shot from the ridge, I am now standing in the basin! Thank God for friends, a good knife, a chainsaw winch and a gallon of gas! 200 yards at a time we winched the quartered out bull elk to the top of the ridge. Work is where the respect for the hunt happens!

As we made our way back down the mountain, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Not only had the hunt been successful, but the Shinobi PH had performed beyond my expectations. It was lightweight, accurate, and reliable, everything a hunter could ask for in a rifle. One part we seldom think about, is how the rifle packs! I am so thankful I had a lightweight rifle, as the pack out was tough, and any extra weight was weight I was unwilling to carry.

The Wyoming general elk season may have been short, but it was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. And with the Shinobi PH by my side, I am already looking forward to the next season.