I want a longer range Coyote load, but can't justify another rifle for it.

Right now I am hunting with a 16" 223 semiauto that get 2960fps mv w/Speer52HP's. I figure it will kill reliably/humanely out to 200yrds.

If I have a Coyote sitting out @ 400yrds I don't want to pass on him. I have a 7-08 that will be better than the 22's in the wind and I would like to load it with Sierra 100grHP, Hornady 100grHP or 120grVMax, or Speer 110grTNT bullets. Hides are important to me so I would like the 7-08 bullet to not blow up on impact or have an exit @ 200yrds+. What do you think the best bullet would be and what impact velocity would be too little or too much?

Deke.

Deke- first off define long range?

Secondly, I do not think you have a chance in heck of finding a bullet in your 7/08 that will not exit at 200 yards, and or beyond.

Seriously, how many dogs a year are you taking now (I would guess not many) and how many a year do you plan to be taking?

And what is your issue with exit holes? I mean they can be sewn.

I believe you can attempt to control the size of the hole via bullet selection and with bullet placement. But you are not gonna control whether or no it exits at that range.

How many dogs have you taken to date in life?

Mark D

Have you asked this before? It seem familiar to me.

IMHO the 7mm and fur "friendly" go together like oil and water.

You mentioned a short barrel semi auto. So is it an AR, and is it accurate enough at those distances?
If it is I'd recommend a heavier bullet, VLD style, and just try it out.

I've taken a 'yote real close to 300 yards with my mini-14 and Speer 52gr HP's. He was hit in the chest, spun around a time or three, and tipped over. That's a long shot for me with that gun and the longest I've made with it on 'yotes.

It sounds to me like the perfect excuse to gear up with a new addition! Nate

Lastly I would in your 7/08 go with a 120 TX.

I would also do all that I could to miss the shoulder,spine and the breast bone (for this one I mean on facing you shots).

If you miss the big bones then you should have a chance to have smallish holes. I would guess less than one inch for sure.

I've shot quite a few dogs with my 6/06 using the 85 TX and it works wonders as long as I miss the major bones.

Mark D

at 400 yards on old thin willie, i doubt that the 7mm bullet will really have enough velocity left to expand much. i think you'll just have a clean hole thru and thru

A Longer Ranger bullet would be a silver bullet---oh forget it,thought you were looking for a Lone Ranger bullet.

If you want a 400yd rifle, buy one. Why don't you just get a .22-250, work up a good load with Sierra 55gr SBT's or HPBT's and be good to go out to 500yds (if you are willing to practice enough to be doing it at that range, that is). Keep your 7-08 for hunting deer, what it does best, and don't try to make it into something it is not. You clearly recognize the limitations of your .223, and need also to recognize that there's no magic bullet to make your 7-08 a 400yd coyote rifle.

What makes sense to me is that you develop your calling technique a little more. It will be a lot more satisfying in the long run and will help you harvest a lot more coyotes. That little .223 you have should be good to near 300 yards. By the way that’s a very good choice of bullet you’re using. But a 7-08 like Versifier says it’s really a deer rifle I don’t believe it would make a good compromise. If you really want to use another rifle a 20 something or a 22-250 makes a lot more sense than a deer rifle.

MarkDobrenski,
"Longer Range", not "Long Range" is longer than the 200yrd limit I set for the 16" 223, but probably not more than 400yrds (maybe I underestimate it....). As far as how many Coyotes I have killed, 2, I have hunted them 1/2 a dozen times the last two years on about 12 stands total with my 6 and 8 yr old kids. I am doing this cold turkey without guides on land that has iffy sign and would like to get good advice through this forum. BTW, did I make a claim to be a Coyote God or are you just trying to be an asshole (don't mean to piss you off, but based on your first response it seems like a valid question)? Holes are important to me since I don't want to sew up big ones (if I don't have to), and the local taxidermist I hope to sell Coyotes that I won't tan myself pays less if the Coyote is torn up. It is not my goal to set a world record of kills at unbelievable distances. I am out to have fun with my kids, help conservation by managing predators, and not waste fur.

Others,
Sounds like the 7-08 is not the answer, another rifle is not justifiable at this time, but I am glad I asked (sorry if I asked before, but I don't remember, heck I am only 42, am I going loopy). The 223 is a SU16 which being new I have not totally figured it out. Using its bipod without much load development it shoots 1MOA, maybe a bit better, my guess maybe better yet once I have a chance to play with OAL's. BTW, I have gotten best velocities w/IMR3031. Is there a fast burning powder that will give me much more velocity in the 16" barrel (it shoots IMI M193's @ 2988fps)? The recomendation that I hone my Coyote skills is one I am sure will take time/practice and reap the most benefit.

Deke.

If I had to consider a 7/08 for long range coyotes at 400 yds, yet the bullet needed to be fur friendly without blowing up.....

I'd guess my first pick to take to the range and play with it.. would be the Sierra 130 grain MatchKing bullet.... and then compare it to the 150 grain MatchKing at 400 yds...

Then the 100 grain HP....

This combo tho, is like saying I want a car that is roomy, gets 60 mpg and will do zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds......and is cheap....

I'd spring for another rifle, in 6mm Remington....

cheers
seafire

Since another rifle is out of the question, your .223 can be used humanely and effectively at longer range than you have been limiting it to. If it shoots MOA, it can certainly hit the 6" kill zone of a coyote at over 300yds. IMR 3031 is a good powder, H335 and AA-2230 are worth trying, too, for the added velocity (as long as the accuracy doesn't suffer). I would be looking at Sierra 55gr bullets like #1365 SBT GameKing, #1390 HPBT GameKing, and #1455 BlitzKing. You want boattails for more retained energy at longer ranges, and the little extra weight won't hurt your terminal ballistics either. Theres's no reason your .223 can't do the job out to 300+yds with a good bipod, decent scope, and some practice at the longer ranges. That's not the 400+ that a .22-250 would give you, but it is a realistic and reachable goal with the rifle you have at hand.

Deke , it's too bad your AR has the very short barrel , which limits you some at the longer ranges . Any chance you could trade the upper for a longer barreled one , or maybe swap the whole thing ? An AR is a pretty valuble piece.

You could switch to a bullet with a higher B.C.

Next thing is maybe a scope with some sort of ballistic recticle . If that is out of the question , you maybe have a duplex style recticle and that can be used to figure holdovers with some practice . If the budget allows , maybe pick up a rangefinder . Natchez usually has some re furbished units that go pretty reasonable .

I wouldn't be overly concerned that the 223 is not up to the job of stretching the range a bit , especially since you are wanting to be as easy on the fur as possible .

Deke, I love .223 and hunt coyotes out to 200-350 yds alot.

What is the twist of your rifle? This matters alot on the grain bullet you should shoot. I have Ruger with 1:14, AR with 1:8

Great recomendations. I like the 130and150MK idea since I am still looking for a good 200/300m bullet for my silhouette comps. Gonna stick with the FB 52HP for now because very reputable old timers have told me that it is so fur friendly and from loading it in two rifles (one was a 22-250 that I traded away, I know, go ahead an flame me ) it has shot MOA without any experimenting with OAL's. I do have a rangefinder and consider it very valuable with most rifle shots over 300yrds. Want to stick to the SU16 though (1:9 twist). It is pretty nice being foldable and so light, especially at the end of the day when I'm carrying a tired 6/8yr old, light pack and a coyote or two off the plains or out of the mountains on my back (sometimes I feel like a pack animal, but wouldn't trade being a Dad for the world). I do realize that it is not really a long range setup and may opt for somthing else way down the road. The scope on the 223 is a duplex but so is the scope on my 7-08 which serves me well out to 500m in my silhouette comps. I really like simple sight pictures, since when the game appears I want the least to think about, I want to predetermine ranges and don't want to range animal if I don't have to, I want to focus on the game and a simple holdover (top of shoulder, point of thick reticle on shoulder, etc.). If my 223 w/2940fps mv is good to 300yrds maybe all of this is moot since the Coyotes I have called in (at least the ones I saw) came to within 150yrds or less, I just don't want to pass on one that is out there 400yrds+, but cannot get another rifle at this time.

Deke.

I'm not familiar with the SU16 but if you can get MOA out of it then I think you're under-estimating your .223 a bit.

If you go to a 55 or 62-63 gr hpbt, with the higher b.c., you have the same energy at the distances you're talking about. I've taken rockchucks at over 250 yards with a Contender 14" in .223 with 50gr Hornady spsx's. The faster twist rate may destroy the sx & blitz bullets in your 16, but the heavier ones should be fine. My mini-14 turns the SPSX to dust coming out of the barrel.

As your skills improve you'll be asking how to stop them from getting to close before you can shoot them!

I'm taking my young boys out calling too, and one thing I noticed is the fidgeting. The movement attracts attention quickly and the coyotes hang up. Set up your kids on the stand and walk out about 40 yards or so, and look the stand over. What do you see? Faces, shiny barrels, hands, shoe bottoms, ect. stick out a lot and will stop a coyote. Even camo thats to dark will make you stick out . I believe in lighter color camo, face viels, and camoing a gun even. Kids fidget and it's hard to get after them because the whole experience needs to be fun. A foam pad to sit on helps. I like to describe my approach to calling predators much the same as people describe calling turkeys.

I'll put up a couple links you may find encouraging. Nate
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/BigNate_93268/GagesFirst12_26_46.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/BigNate_93268/IMG_0638.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a7/BigNate_93268/Kids.jpg

BigNate,

Great pics. I am sure you guys had a great time.

Know what you mean about the fidgeting especially with the 6yr old. Will do better job of checking out the setup and definately agree about the camo darkness.

Do you get pass throughs with the heavier boat tails and if so, are the holes big?

BTW, was the 1st coyote and cat killed with a 22LR and if so, at what range?

Deke.

Deke,
The reasons I suggested switching to the 55gr Sierras are better accuracy and better terminal performance at longer ranges. They won't leave gaping exit wounds, and will turn the lungs to mush, killing quickly and cleanly. The extra weight will make a difference, and are about the heaviest that should perform reliably on your platform. Out of the dozen .223's and .22-250's I have owned and dozens more that I have loaded for in the last 30 years, (Savages, Winchesters, Rugers, Remingtons, AR's, T/C's) I have never found one that wouldn't shoot the Sierras to a noticably better level of accuracy than Speers. The longer the range you are contemplating, the more important an issue the better accuracy becomes. I do shoot them at those ranges. The cost of a box of bullets is a minor expense to make your rifle perform at optimum levels.

Versifier covers my thoughts on the Sierra Hp well, and having a 1:9 barrel the 60+ gr. bullets should stabilize pretty well. The 69gr. and up I don't know as I have not tried them at all. I'm using Hornady seconds in my mini-14 right now (52 or 53gr, don't remember) and it shoots well out to 200 yards.
The slightly heavier bullets don't usually exit on a chest shot, but will if it angles through before breaking up. That's where the 52 gr speers with the large opening rule. They (heavier) will tear a hole if it exits the paunch.

I set my boys up one left of me and one right based on thier being left and right handed. The youngest to the right usually is using the .22 Mag, and the oldest to the left usually using the mini. This gives them a natural stopping point in thier swing. For instance, being left handed, the youngest can't swing as far left, and vice versa for the older boy. This helps them to recognize thier shooting "zone" by comfort as well as what I've tried to teach them.

The first pic is my 7 year old with his first 'yote, taken with a .22 mag at about 35 yards. He hit the shoulder and dropped it, but it stood up and started biting at itself. The boy was hesitant to shoot at a spinner so I did and hit it in the hips as he spun. It put him down and a quick followup behind the ear followed. The mag does much better behind the shoulder.
The cat was also taken with the .22 Mag at about 15 yards I guess. It was pretty close. I did the shooting and the older boy (9 at the time) was beside me. He was sportin' the .22lr but didn't shoot in spite of my urgings. The youngest was asleep in the jeep about 60 yards away hidden behind a small ridge in the brush.

I mostly posted the pics so you'd know I really am giving you advice based on experience taking kids along, not just sharing opinion. Also it kind-of shows how much more the green camo shows up compared to the lighter desert camo. You definately have to pick your background when wearing green here. The cushion like the turkey hunters use helps keep wiggling down.
Incidently, the older of these two is 10 now and he has tried .257 Roberts on for size. He fired four shots with some left over 100gr Nosler BT and was ok with the recoil. I'll be loading him some 75's this week end I hope. That will free up the mini for the younger boy. It doesn't take long to get them going, but it's hard to find guns short enough to be comfortable. The Roberts has a shortened stock but it still is a little long.

The time you spend with them while thier little will be worth ever drop of sweat! My oldest boy was nearly 6 when my wife and I married and he never really got interested in hunting and shooting, though he does love to fish. These little boys have been with me on outings starting when they were still in diapers. In fact, at one point my CJ had two car seats in the back! Nate

Deke-my apologies for PMS'n yesterday, my bad.

On a serious note though. I am a fairly serious dog hunter. Most years my partner and I take between 45-60 yotes.

A couple of things about yoru 223. It can/could be made to work to 300. IMO and IME once you get past 300 with a 223 too many things can go against you when taking yotes. I've hit them farther with it for sure but I honestly believe it is a 300 yd yote round day in and day out.

Taking yotes at long range is fairly challenging. The farthest to date we've taken one was at 634. It hung up and would not come any closer. If they've got you pinned down many times they will just sit there and bark at you. This one did , we put the 600 yard dot on is top side and tipped him right over.

Obviously a range finder is a absolute. Then sighting your gun is another thing. IN both of my long range rig I've a Leo 4-14 and or 6-20 with Premier dots in them to 700 yds.

You'll find that unless you're turning clicks or using some sort of a range/dot system that hitting a yote much past 300 is a pretty tough thing to do. Can it be done, you bet, but I would not expec high odds of first round hits. And as you know by now after the first round that things get a lot tougher.

The other thing about sighting for long range dogs without some sort of range system is that if you sight in 3" high or something to that effect (at 100). That you will most likely shoot over 89% of the yotes in the under 275 range or so.

Without a range sytem I would sight in 1" high at 100 and learn the drop out there.

You will find that the vast majority of your yotes will be taken at under 200 yds.

Lastly about getting a bullet to stay inside a yote is very tough. For the most part to get it to happen the yote has to be close, the speed very high and the bullet quite fragile.

With the exception of some loads I use for the 6 weeks a year here when the pelts are prime I personally do not worry about holes.

Do I try my best to control them during that 6 weeks, yes I do. But unless I am serious about skinning/stretching/cleaning/sowing etc I am just not gonna worry about a hole. And honestly I passed the stage of trying to do all that about 20 years ago.

I do try to control the size of the hole for those 6 weeks and these are the ways I've found to do so.

Bullet construction, I tend to use a tougher bullet, something like a preme bullet for big game. To date the Trophy Bond and the TX have done really well with me. I use them in both of my long range rigs. The one is a 6/06 and I use the 85 TX with it. The other is a 7 Mashburn Super and I use the 150 TX in that one. Using a tough slug like these will help minimize the hole.

Now if you hit the spine/shoulder/or the breast bone (this one on a frontal facing you shot), then...big holes are gonna happen about no matter what you use on them.

The trick here is to place that bullet to miss those bones. I've found if I can get a yote to go sideways at range I've a fairly good chance of getting the bullet in behind the shoulder far enough to not have issues. if I drif that bullet thru the shoulder then big holes are gonna happen. But you also need to keep that bullet in front of the diaphram so said yote doesn't leave the country.

I've worked with a 7/08 for a bit. In fact I sold it yesterday. But, if that is the round I needed to make work I would do the following.

Scope it in a manner and with a reticle that made it as easy as possible to make first round hits.

Secondly I would try to make the 120 TX fly and if it didn't work the way I wanted I'd next try the 140 TX.

You can give the 130 MK a go and the 150 MK a go. I honeslty did not try them on game in my 7/08.
I have used them a ton in the 7 Mashburn Super and at those speeds it is not kind to the pelts in anyway shape or form. Who knows it may work in your 7/08 but I've my doubts.

Calling yotes is one of the funnest things to do on this earth for sure. I truly love it, I've always said that aside from our cats that El Bun (yote) is our smartest and toughest critter out there.

I've also called in a few wolves here and right at 70 bruins. I do love the call.

Good luck and sorry I was such a grumpy old dog yesterday.

Good luck

Mark D

MarkD,
Thanks much for all of your words. My kids don't call me griz for nothin..... so I can certainly relate and sorry for my reaction as well.

To All,
This has been the most informative discussion I have had on a forum and I really appreciate it. Very good advice that in many cases is not what I would have thought and therefore tried. I will shift into silhouette mode in March through August so I will stick with the current setup through the end of this month, but you can sure bet that I will tap into this wealth of information next fall when I start gearing up for fur season.

What is the richochet potential of some of the tougher bullets. Of course the trick is to know whats in the direction of where you are shooting and to try to bury the bullet in the dirt if not the Yote. However, there are some farm homes and ranchettes within a mile or so of some of the rangeland I hunt. I have yet to send a round in their direction, but nothing will end hunting rights quicker than a whistler over someones house. I mention this because a 180XLC coupe de grace from my 30Gibbs through an Elk's neck this winter was quite musical after it did not bury in the dirt and took off for parts unknown. What do you think, how far will a heavy 223 or a light 7-08 ricochet off rangeland?

One more thing, to get my kids started I was thinking 22LR at short range. It worked well on Grey's when I was a teenager back in Florida, and a friend of mine says they have worked well for him (especially HP's) inside of 75yrds. Do you think this would be wise before they move up to 22Mag?

Deke.

I havent had any experiance with a 16 inch barrel but you should be able to shoot 300 yards with no problem. I have an AR-15 with a 20 inch barrel 1-9 twist that shoots out past 300 yards very well. Sunday i called in a coyote that came in about 250 yards down wind (of course) and hung up. Shot it with a 55 grn V-max and no exit.

quote:

What do you think, how far will a heavy 223 or a light 7-08 ricochet off rangeland?

Deke , I think you are pretty safe if the bullets have a varmint type construction . V-Max and the like . The thing is though , you can bet the 120ish varmint slugs in the 7mm are gonna put alota big holes in the pelts . The mid-weight match bullets or the even tougher slugs like the triple shocks , I would not be using in any settled areas, including here in this neck of the woods . I don't doubt they will work for small holes like the guys say , but the potential for a richochet carrying lethal energy is very real , in my opinion .

Deke:

I think you will find that developing your calling is more important than long range shooting. I personally never get shots over 300 yards in AZ unless you see them in field on the run. Call them in and shoot them from 150 yards or less.

If u do need to take those kinda shots with the 16" 223-- might try the 55/60 polymer tips to get a little advantage over the others to that range in wind, and most importantly have some sort of tactical system established for your load/optic, so that when the dog shows up, and won't come any closer you'll have a much better chance of getting him than simple Kentucky windage/elevation. This is relatively simple to do, and can probably be done easily enuf with just your plex reticle as their are 3 other stadia in that reticle that'll provide for more downrange zeroing and windage reference than just the x-hair itself. One thing's for sure if u wanna go beyond the rig's point blank range with any degree of consistency you will have to--

1) know the range
2) accurately estimate wind speed
3) Have a system established with the optic to reference BOTH the vertical and horizontal holdoff.

I've shot the 55gr. Sierra for many years. I've found that they hold together, fly straight w/ good terminal performance. My 22-250's have all had the 1:14 twist barrels on them and using anything more than 55gr doesn't stabilize, even with max velocity (3700+). I have rechambered my 700 VSSF to 22-250AI. I can get a 40gr Nosler to 4200+ but it loses velocity to quick for the long range shoots (400+). The 55gr Sierra's work great. If I push them I can get (3900+/chrono'd) Barrels not going to last long, oh well. I have used the 55gr Sierra FMJ's, used to use the Speer FMJ, but haven't seen them for a long time. I loaded them way down and usually had an entrancd hole with no exit. I used "Kapock" like Dacron to hold the powder again the primer, worked great out to about 150-200yrds. I'm testing some 60gr. V-Max now, they are listed for use in a 7-12" twist rate, but I'm hoping that the extra velocity of the AI will be enough to stabilize them, I find out the weekend.
With Dogs you don't need to worry about "pelt" damage, in fact you want as much red mist as you can get. I don't know if this is much help but I hope it does. I know you want to stay with the .223 but you could rechamber to something larger, without to much problem, you didn't say which weapon you were using, Savage rifles aren't hard to change bolt heads, I don't know what a gunsmith would charge on any other rifle...... Thanks, Mike

Deke, I'd have them go with the .22 Mag straight off. If they get to shoot the .22 lr enough the change will almost go un-noticed when it's game time. My boys went from .22lr to the .22 Mag without batting an eye. The mini-14 in .223 has noticably more muzzle blast and the cycling of the action are still a little unnerving to the 7 year old. I think I'm gonna try to find either a Encore in a youth carbine .223 or maybe just go pick up a NEF in .223 for him. The .204 Ruger may be a better first 'yote getter for him but I've never shot one.

AI22-250, "Red Mist" doesn't fit his desire to save pelts and avoid sewing up big holes. Driving the bullets as fast as you mention really makes messes at times even with the Sierra's.

As for riccochets; I haven't noticed a problem with any of the .224 frangible types I mentioned, nor with the 75gr. fbhp Hornady's in the Roberts. I'd not be willing to guess what would happen with 120's in the litle 7mm. The TSX's would probably have the highest probability of a bad hop for any of the expanding bullets and likely would be about like shooting a fmj. Not sure, but I'd be cautious. I'd try the 55gr. Sierras and let us know what you think.

The ranging advice given by sscoyote is good. I zero for close shots because I rarely shoot over 100 yards at a 'yote. If you practice using the power ring and the point of the wire as an aiming point at long range you won't be guessing. You may even paint a 200 yard and 300 yard mark on the power ring, and just crank it up if you feel you need to. I use a fixed 4x on my mini-14 and have considered going to a red dot.

Long shots will soon be a thing of the past. You will improve your skill, the kids learn to sit still, you'll tweek your setup and approach, you'll find coyotes in your lap in no time! I had my Dad take a picture of one once that litterally dropped at arms length from my boots. It left "evidence" hanging off the barrel, branch, and even got some on my boots! Your next questions will be how to deal with charging dogs, and how to improve your CQB skills! Nate

A couple more questions a little off topic, but coyote related for sure.

What do you think about decoys, you read alot about them, but what are your experiences?

Also, how much attention do you pay to scent, I am ALLWAYS aware of the wind, but do I have to be scent free as possible and if so, how far do you go?

Deke.

Decoys help but aren't critical to sucess.

As for scent control, I don't take as much care as I do for big game but I don't take calling as serious either. Their noses work very well. I try to set up where one of us can see downwind quite a ways. They'll circle downwind. In pressured areas they seem to use the wind way more than in uncalled areas. Nate

In the areas where I call in Montana and Wyo if they see you or scent you you're done for.

I always prefer the first stand of the morn because I can get in during the dark. So sight is not so critical.

I big time worry about wind though, any time of the day or night.

Decoys are nice and from where I sit they take the focus off of you if you're using a mouth call.

IMO once a dog hits the 800 yard mark they know within 15' of where the sound is coming from. Once they break 1/4 mile then they know within 3'.

Mark D

I don't worry about scent control, but I am very aware of the wind direction. They always circle downwind so I try to set up so I can see them before they hit my scent cone, or set up with a barrier, like a pond or stream downwind.

I can fool their eyes and ears, but I don't think I can fool their nose.
Fred

I will continue to use the decoy if it does not hurt. With the two that I have shot (may have been others I never saw) I was amazed on how they zeroed in on my position. One was running full speed from upwind and passed 15' from me, saw somthing (I was well camoflaged down in an eroded bank) then circled back around a hill where it stopped 150yrds at my scent. The other circled with his nose to the ground, but eyes up at my position, stopped again @ 150yrds. If they will give me a 150yrd shot before hitting my scent, I won't trouble myself with scent-free measures. Great fun, just wish I could do it more.

Fred,
Have you hunted the woods anymore and have you had any success there?

Deke.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Dobrenski:
In the areas where I call in Montana and Wyo if they see you or scent you you're done for.

I always prefer the first stand of the morn because I can get in during the dark. So sight is not so critical.

I big time worry about wind though, any time of the day or night.

Decoys are nice and from where I sit they take the focus off of you if you're using a mouth call.

IMO once a dog hits the 800 yard mark they know within 15' of where the sound is coming from. Once they break 1/4 mile then they know within 3'.

Mark D

That is why I love remote electronic calls - they may not sound as good as a good mouth caller, but they keep the focus off of you.

Another Azwriter-so true to what you said, for the most part though I am a bit of a prima dona when it comes to calling critters.

In other words I want it me against the animal and to me the call is part of the equation.

The electronic calls are super effective and all but IMO then the calls are doing a good share of the work and it is not me.


Mark D

I have been playing alot with my 223's I have a ruger 22-250 that up till now would not shoot for beans,so its been a safe queen for the last couple years. I have tried making long shots on dogs and wringing the last ounce I could from the 223, to be honest the 223 is my favorite caliber, the only problem is there is only so much it will do, If you move to heavy bullets, you get rainbow like trajectory, it aint no 22-250 and never will be, after seeing what I get speed wise from my 22-250 and looking at ballistics it offers me so much more, it makes a 300-350yard shot with 50grn bullets doable, where as with the 223 its more of a hail marry. my suggestion is get some 50 grn vmax and load them up to the max, It will at least make the 223 a flatter shot out to 300 or so

Deke,

I have been up there for spring turkey since we went, but not for coyotes. When I hunt the mountains, I tend to go farther west, around Kenosha Pass/Fairplay or up around Kremmling.
Fred

Well we hit paydirt Thursday afternoon. First Coyote I killed with both of my older kids in tow. The first two stands of the day were not good. I worked on all of the above (mainly the kids being still, not goofing off with each other, and me not getting gruff because they were being..... kids), and after a couple cottontail distress calls, she came in from my daughter's direction, daughter told me one was out there, but her young eyes outmatched mine and she had to point it out at which time Coyote said lets get out of here, As I was swinging into place and kids hunkered down holding ears, I stopped her with a bark and killed her with a shot high between the lungs/liver. My kids went crazy! Thanks again for all of the help.

Deke

Deke-you da man-that is an awesome story and the fact that your kids were able to be along and help to make it happen only makes it better!

My absolute hats off to you for taking the lil ones along. I know a couple of fellas that won't take their kids cause they can't hunt as seriously with them there.

You're on the right track to taking them, I well remember the times my Dad and Grandads and Uncles took me. They will not forget and this just helps to keep them going with you and not going to town and getting into some kind of trouble.

"DWD" (darn well done)

Mark D

i just got into coyote hunting seriouse this past year for the most part its always been larger game for me this is my new coyote setup.

ruger m77 25-06 barns 115 gr tsx bullet. 53 grains of rel 22 and fed 210 m primer 4 shot string will print half inch and under at 100 yards all day long. this think kills and kills real well so far my longest shot was 476 yards using a lazer range finder.

Deke that's AWSOME!

It make it all worth while doesn't it? I am not good at bringing the camera along and boy do I regret it! That is a very cool picture. Nate

Way to go!!!

Nothing like taking a kid hunting.
Fred