Every summer I like to take a trip or two up the mountain to sharpen my shooting skills shooting rock chucks. In the last couple of years I have been taking Dallen. Since the area we hunt takes a half-day to hike into we pack along a tent and spend the night and make it a two-day trip.

Dallen has been taking his Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 223 Rem. and I take my Winchester Model 1885 in 243 WSSM. We enjoy the hike and Dallen just loves spending the night in a tent.

This past year Dallen found his first moose antler while we were on our chuck hunting trip.

Dallen usually takes chucks in about the 200-250 yard range. Anything under 200 yards just is a little too easy even for a 10-year-old. I like to find chucks in the 300 and beyond range to give me a little challenge.

This past year I took my furthest rock chuck across a huge canyon at 682 yards using my Model 1885, 243 WSSM. My Model 1885 shooting the Winchester 55g Ballistic Tip bullets at 4240 fps puts new meaning to flat shooting. I top this rifle off with a Bushnell Elite 4200, 6-24x Mil-Dot scope, one varmint hunting machine of a rifle. 

A good friend calls small-bore flat shooting rifles like the 243 WSSM  "Death Rays." I definitely think my Model 1885 in 243 WSSM meets "Death Ray" status. You can view a video of this 243 WSSM "Death Ray" in action on a rock chuck in my 243 WSSM Rock Chuck Hunting with Video in 2010 entry.