Kyle Lamb Goes Elk Hunting: The Rifle

The ultimate quest was to build a 300 PRC. At this point in my hunting career, I had shot elk with a 300 Win Mag, 375 Ruger, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, 30-06, and a couple with sharpened sticks. I carried a 6.5 PRC for a couple of seasons but couldn’t seem to get in the position to kill anything other than a Scimitar Oryx in Texas.

So, with the 300 PRC as the ultimate North American hunting cartridge, the mantra echoing in my head, I started gathering the parts. First and foremost was the barrel and action. With a call to my trusty gunsmith, Chad Heckler from 5x5 Precision, also a member of Team MDT, I soon held a Proof Carbon-wrapped barrel and a Lone Peak Fuzion TI Titanium Action. I chose this action and barrel configuration to keep weight at a minimum. I had Chad do the work because he is really good and particularly fast, given the time frame most gunsmiths work at. I say again, he is fast. And good!

I became aware of the MDT HNT26 while at the SHOT Show one year. If it could support a 300 PRC, then it would be the chassis for me. It took a while to get one, but when the box arrived, I was pissed. They sent me an empty box, well, really, what can you expect from a bunch of Canadians…

Luckily, before I threw the box away, I decided to see if there were at least some stickers and the mandatory lime-green empty chamber indicator. To my surprise, there was a chassis in the box. The HNT 26 is ridiculously light. So with a few apologies to the descendants of Alexander Mackenzie, I was well on my way. FYI…Alexander Mackenzie is the first European man to cross the North American continent. I suggest reading his Journals. He is Canadian, and I’m pretty sure he would have carried an MDT chassis on his hunting rig if they had been around at the time.

Next up, lightweight rings from Hawkins and a Leupold MK-5 5-25 PR2 MIL reticle. The perfect setup for any type of mid-range big game hunting. To fuel this lightweight wand of death, I used Hornady’s 212 Grain ELD-Xs. I also added a Triple Pull MDT Ckye Pod.

Field Testing

Once this Death-Dealing Elk-Killing Machine was put together, it felt unreal. It was so light I just had to weigh it. With a loaded magazine, the weight is 9 pounds, not including the Triple Pull. Now, I was concerned. If you are reading into this that I was scared, then you are wisely extrapolating what I’m putting down. 9 Pounds, I have had several 300 Win Mag’s that weren’t anywhere this light, and they were shoulder busters. So, with trepidation, I headed to the range. Just to be safe, I advised my wife that I would take one shot, then call her to let her know I wasn’t concussed or in even worse condition. She smiled and went about her business. This wasn’t her first rodeo when it comes to me and outlandish requests.

I did bring a mouthguard and a crash helmet for the maiden voyage. I’ve been beaten up, stomped by bulls, jumped out of airplanes, and occasionally shot at, but other than that, life has been pretty good. So with safety equipment in place, I squeezed the Trigger Tech trigger, awaiting the skullduggery. I know that’s not really the right word for this situation, but it sounds cool. Anyway, squeezing the trigger to a butt-whooping for those of you who speak redneck.

I was surprised at how comfortable this rifle is to shoot. It’s not light recoil, but it doesn’t hurt to shoot. Once again, I headed to K&M Shooting Complex to get dope out to 900 yards. If you don’t have a Kestrel, a Garmin Chronograph, and range-finding binoculars, this can still be achieved. It’s just going to take a little longer to shoot and confirm at numerous yard lines. I prefer the electronic shortcuts and may I say the precision of using the proper tools. So, with this quickly achieved and confidence built from a few non-standard shooting positions, I headed home to put together my elk-hunting kit. With a few more trips to the range to test the validity of my data, I felt confident with the newest addition to the Lamb firearms family.

In my next article, I will discuss my elk hunt! See you on the range! Kyle Lamb

About The Author

Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb retired from the United States Army after 21 years of service, 18 of which were with US Army Special Operations Forces. His time in the service includes 16 years with 1st SFOD-D Delta Force. Lamb has served in many conflicts, including Mogadishu, Somalia, for the Black Hawk Down incident; Desert Storm with 5th Special Forces; Bosnia; and 5 tours to Iraq during the Global War on Terror with Delta. Lamb has been decorated for valor several times for operations around the world, including the Silver Star.

Kyle and his wife, Melynda, are the founders of Viking Tactics, Inc., a Tactical training and equipment business that caters to the warfighter and law enforcement market. The Lamb’s also recently started the Stay in the Fight Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization intended to help bridge the gap for working Americans in need.

Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb is a highly sought-after instructor, speaker, and mentor. Lamb has also written three books: Green Eyes and Black Rifles, Stay in the Fight!!, and his latest book, Leadership in the Shadows. Leadership in the Shadows highlights lessons in leadership learned from battlefields around the world. In his free time, SGM Lamb forges knives and tomahawks and spends many days fishing and hunting.