Long Range Coyote
Jan 18, 2014 14:44:27 GMT -5
Post by 1coyotemaster on Jan 18, 2014 14:44:27 GMT -5
I had cabin fever pretty bad after 3 days of below zero wind chills and when the temp got up to +5 I had to get out. The snow was fresh and good cover but had a crust on it from the previous storm and all the wind. I spotted a Coyote just on the edge of town, he'd probably been in town overnight looking for a bite as the mice are pretty thin and rabbits and pheasants are really scarce. I parked the truck and got permission and ended up with a lot more walking than I had planned. He heard me coming and took a stroll that covered about 1 1/2 miles. I couldn't seem to get any closer than 400-500 yards and he would move again. I finally realized where he wanted to be and got laid down on a drift with the shooting bag and waited for him to come up a fence line. I ranged the end of the hedge and it was 605 yards but he was angling in toward the center. I am not sure if he had spotted me laying there but when he showed up in about 10 minutes he sat down and surveyed the situation about 75-80 yards from the end of the hedge. I checked the cheat sheet on the stock and dialed 6 1/2 min. into the scope and was shooting into 1/4 value 3 mph wind. I held just a little off the fur on the windward side and wished him luck. The bullet caught him between the shoulder and the neck-drifting about 8"- and he dropped right in the scope. The rifle is a Remington 700 with the wildcat .17 Predator shooting 30 gr. Nagel bullets at 4150fps. Scope is a Weaver V16.
I have missed a bunch closer--just his unlucky day I guess.