Reloading EverythingLee PrecisionLoad DataRepackbox
WidenersRotoMetals2Inline FabricationMidSouth Shooters Supply
Titan Reloading
Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Stupid... just plain stupid

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    eastern Montana
    Posts
    707

    Stupid... just plain stupid

    That's how I felt! Last week wasn't real good for calling coyotes here in eastern Montana. The weather was too nice. It was balmy for Dec. and we had no snow at the time. But it was supposed to be a clear, calm morning. So I had to go out and at least make some noise.

    For quite some time I'd been wondering how a cast .44 bullet would do on a coyote. I knew it'd kill one; guess it's just something I hadn't tried so I had a hankerin' to do so.

    Since the hunting hadn't really been too good I thought now would be a good time to satisfy my curiousity so I grabbed my Contender .44 that is wearing a TruGlo red dot sight.

    It was still so dim I couldn't use my mesh face camo when I made my first call. Holy smoke! I had a whole choir of coyotes answer back. So I talked with them a while. And the whole bunch must have been hungry 'cuz within 10 minutes I had six coyotes there. Wearing my Prairie Ghost camo three of them ran right past me at only 30 yds. Another came up to the other side of a creek 600 yds. away and barked at me. Must have been previously "educated". Number five came in from my left and saw the one that was barking and ran off. But number six came straight at me. It must have been the No. 1 dog in the area 'cuz it just ignored all the rest and came right at me.

    I blasted that last one at 20 yds. before it could run over me. I've concluded that the big cast bullets don't kill coyotes real fast unless you hit the spine or something that will really put it out of commission quickly. A lung shot kills them but they run off a ways.

    But the biggest lesson was that a single-shot pistol isn't the thing to use when calling coyotes. I've shot a bunch with the Contender using a variety of bbls. The coyotes usually come in singles or pairs. But if they're going to gang up on me I'm going back to my magazine bolt rifles! This was fun and exciting but I sure felt plumb stupid. Six coyotes and me with one shot in the tube!

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Lake Havasu City, Arizona
    Posts
    21,303
    Lovedogs

    Well now I've never done anything that stupid calling coyotes! Yeah right! Been there done to many things like that myself when calling 'yotes. Seems everytime I think I've got the answer to the question they change the question....anyways I had about the same results with .357, 41 and .44 SWCs in handguns on 'yotes, just not real quick killers unless they were cast soft (1-20 or 1-16 tin-lead), hollow pointed and pushed fast (1400-1500 fps). However my fovorite cast bullet gun for calling 'otes is the M1 Carbine with the 313631 (105 gr GC'd SWC made for the .32 H&R) over 14 gr H110. They run right at 1940 fps so at "callin' distance" 'yote will take about all it's got to give. Shot quite a few with that load and I try to envision a baseball low between their front legs and put the bullet through the baseball regardles of the angle. Farthest 'yot shot traveled about 35-40 yards afer being shot thus broadside breaking both front legs also. He pushed himself with his hind legs that far through the snow. However, most shots I've had are frontal shots and that little SWC at that velocity does a lot of damage inside of them from one end to the other. Can't recall not ever having a through and through. Never had one drop to the shot like with a really fast J bullet will do unless the cast bullet hit the head/spine. They did drop pretty quick though.
    Last edited by Larry Gibson; 01-03-2007 at 08:27 PM.

  3. #3
    "Moderator Emeritus"

    krag35's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Central Oregon
    Posts
    535
    Best I ever did on late winter coyotes was 2 for 6. That was with a bolt 223. I did shoot one with a FIE 9mm once, but I missed his mate with the rest of the mag If I call with a partner (becoming more often now as my son gets older) One of us carries the 223 and the other my BPS 10ga. for the upfront and personal encounters. coyotes are the only animal I know that can dissapear in ankle high grass.
    Krag35

    I have never met a dishonest dog.

    Expatriate, in my own country.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    dk17hmr's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Wyoming
    Posts
    2,205
    Way to go on the coyote, are you selling the pelts?

    I have been out a few time this week, here in MI we are limited to rimfire and shotguns at night, I havent even seen a yote or a fox yet. I take one of two rifles when I go out, my Henry 22lr or my AR-15 with the 22lr bolt in it, loaded with CCI Mini Mag soilds.
    Doug
    .................................................. ........................................
    Sticks and stones may break my bones but hollow points expand on impact.

    Taxidermists are cheaper than surgeons....keep shooting

    ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Some people measure success in Minutes of Angle

  5. #5
    "Moderator Emeritus"

    krag35's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Central Oregon
    Posts
    535
    Best "dog calling" I have ever had was at night in the snow with a full moon..give it a try fellers. the colder the better according to Waksupi, and I wouldn't doubt him a bit.
    Krag35

    I have never met a dishonest dog.

    Expatriate, in my own country.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    420
    I don't know, I have bang flopped a many coyote with a .360 180 LBT over the years.

    One nice morning in Jan. 98 I sat down to call in a coyote and with in one minute of my first call I had a 140 LB cougar all but in my lap, One shot from my Win 94 in .357 and the 180 LBT and there was dead cougar less than 10 steps from me.

    The same year I bang flopped two coyotes with one shot at around 120 yrds with the same gun and load. I never seen the second coyote, total accident or luck how ever you choose to look at it.

    The best calling rifle I have ever used is a Mini 14 with a Accuracy rifle systems barrel, bedding and trigger with a Leopold 3x9 compact, loaded with WC 846 and thre Rem. bulk 55 gr HP.

    good luck

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    US, Wash, PA
    Posts
    4,924
    Yep. I agree with Larry. If you can't generate velocity to do the work, then you need to go soft. And the smaller the animal, the softer or more tricks you need to do to create expansion so that you get some energy transfer through the shorter distance / lighter path of animal flesh it must travel. I really like 20-1 for this purpose in almost any caliber. It's expensive to make, but my lead is free, so I can deal with it for the relative few used in hunting.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check