Kelly McMillan: The Three Amigos are Now Two

October 8th 2021
The Three Amigos of New Mexico (L-to-R): Kelly McMillan and Derek Rogers. Three years ago, Paul Phillips and Paul Phillips shared the joy and fellowship that came with a successful New Mexico Antelope Hunt. Kelly died unexpectedly on June 1, 2021. Paul Phillips posted yesterday, October 7, 2021: “Three Years ago today. This hunt with Kelly McMillan, Derek Rodgers was a wonderful memory. Kelly is a dear friend and colleague. Yes Paul, many of us who considered Kelly a friend and colleague miss Kelly, and think about him often. This is not your typical hunting story. These weren’t your average hunters. Derek Rodgers, the reigning FTR World Champion and past King of Two Miles, is the current F-TR World Champion. Paul Phillips is the 2019 King Of 2 Miles. He was also a member the Silver Medal-winning FTR Team McMillan at 2018 Nationals. Kelly McMillan is the third hunter and needs no introduction. Kelly McMillan, the former owner of McMillan Fiberglass stocks, was a prominent figure in the gun industry for many decades. He was also a supporter of many top rifle shooting teams. This story is a tribute to Kelly and all that he did for shooting sports. These three friends gathered together to hunt in New Mexico, Derek’s home state, on October 2018. Paul Phillips was the most successful hunter, with him capturing the largest Antelope. Derek shot the longest, hitting his buck at a staggering 510 yards. This was verified by a laser rangefinder. Paul Phillips wrote: “Our New Mexico Antelope Hunt with Kelly McMillan & Derek Rodgers was a great success. It was a dream of mine to hunt with these two legends. My buck was shot at 389 yards by an 18-mph wind through a barbedwire fence. It was a large trophy buck measuring 84 3/8 inches. Derek shot his Antelope to 510 yards using a.308 Win equipped with a suppressor. Kelly shot a fantastic 230-yard shot from a tree crotch as dusk approached. Paul observed: “All three bucks had different challenges and funny stories. All three hunts required teamwork in stalking and communication. All three hunting buddies had high-quality rifles with McMillan stocks. You need your drops to be spot-on for long-range hunting. Paul wrote: “When you do 30-45 minutes stalk… you need all your ballistics to be perfect or they get away.” We were happy that we had a practice hunt the day before to confirm our zeros as well as verify our ballistics. Kelly observed: “Paul Phillips scored a nice 80+ buck in New Mexico. It was Paul’s first antelope. The.338 LM rifle had a Stiller TAC338 Action, Bartlein 20? barrel, McMillan Stock A5 and Nightforce ATACR scope. Paul talks about how he made the shot, straight into the wind, in the Facebook video. Both Kelly’s hunting partners, the Amigos, were deeply saddened by his death. They will miss him as well as all of us who knew Kelly. Derek Rodgers wrote about his hunting partner and friend: “It is hard to express how deeply saddened we feel about Kelly’s passing. What began as a shooting relationship quickly turned into a close friendship many years ago. It was an honor to get to know Kelly. I will never forget his caring nature and unending kindness for others. He will be missed forever. Paul Phillips wrote: “I have no words for how saddened and shocked I am that we lost an icon of the shooting industry.” Kelly McMillan was not just a great friend, but also the most generous and giving person I ever knew in the shooting industry. It is impossible to list all the things he did for hunters, competitive shooters, and hunters. Kelly, you were a one-of-a kind person. I will always remember your friendship and how much you advocated shooting sports. R.I.P. My friend. Similar Posts: Tags :.338 LM Antelope Hunting Kelly McMillan Long Range Hunting New Mexico Paul Phillips