“Yep,” replied Fred. “We’ll wait a few
more minutes till it gets good and light.
They’re not going anywhere this morn-
ing.” ... And then, after perhaps 10 more
minutes, he asked again if I was ready,
told me to get comfortable and to take
the shot when I was ready.
“I’m ready,” I said, ensconced prone
behind my rig, an HS Precision PLR
loaded with the latest darling cartridge
of the long-range world, the Hornady
.300 PRC. The 212-grain Hornady ELD-X
bullet it fires leaves the muzzle travel-
ing almost 2900 fps. At 500 yards it’s still
traveling 2250 fps, and carries 2,383 ft.-
lbs. energy. To say the bullet gets there
fast with authority is an understate-
ment. I’d learned all that when Hornady
unveiled the cartridge in Texas a couple
of months prior to this, wringing it out
on steel targets out to 1,400 yards and on
at least one pig at 433 yards.
Boom! The shot was 479 yards, as
measured by the Leica Geovid rangefind-
ing binocular around my neck. That’s not
a chip shot, but it’s not a super-long poke,
either, if a rifleman wields the right rig
HUNTWORTH
SOFT SHELL
In Colorado I wore Huntworth’s Mid
Weight Soft Shell Hunting Jacket in the
company’s Disruption digital camo pat-
tern. That’s it in my trophy shot. With
other layers it is great outerwear for fall
weather across much of the country—
warm enough in the morning but not
too stuffy in the afternoon when the sun
shines bright.
A couple of features I like include a
full-length zip front, drawcord hem at
the waist, articulated arms for a nice fit,
a removable hood, a zippered pocket
along the left side of the chest and a
pair of pockets on the right side that
are big enough to hold a small bino or a
rangefinder while in the field or a spare
beer while standing around the camp-
fire. It’s constructed of a triple-layer
fabric: the company’s In-Velvet low-pile
fleece bonded to a waffle fleece and
a windproof, breathable film. A dura-
ble water-repellent finish sheds light
rain. Another great feature is the price:
$159.99. huntworthgear.com Photo: Forrest MacCormack