# Back to reality!



## yooperyotebuster (Dec 13, 2005)

The last two days have put me back to thinking about what I've been doing. After two years of not missing a single critter I've missed three this year. Sure I missed a shot at a running dog with a .22 mag but the last two were sitting still gimme's. Two nights ago I called in a beautiful mature red fox. I could not believe how big or how much white he had on his belly and chest. I missed a wide open shot with him sitting still at 60 yards. I was wishing I had my shotgun and had worked him a little closer but come on 60 yards with a scoped rifle. Last night just before dark I called a nice coyote around the shoreline point and missed a standing dog at 250. It's a shot I have made at this set up at least a dozen times.

I got cocky. I was talking smack to my friends and hunting partners who knew from the past if I pulled the trigger it died. This past October I pulled off a shot at a confirmed 517 yards another at 472 and one at 412. These were all shot across a hayfield across the road. I knew I could make these shots and was confident. I've had the best marksmanship training in the world!

We're all human. These last two mishaps have made me realize a few things. I don't hunt just to make the kill, It's nice when we do but it's just an added bonus. The excitement of fooling the smartest critter on earth on his terms is what keeps me going. I've sot this morning. Remembering my fundamentals. I pity the next dog that crosses my path!


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

I think thats called the "canis latrans" humility check and It gets us all sooner or later . :beer:

Jaybic


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

517!?!?!?! Holy SH!T


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## TheDogSlayer (Feb 2, 2006)

yooperyotebuster,

What caliber gun have you been shooting, what bullet weight and what yardage is it zeroed at?

TheDogSlayer


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## Shooter (Sep 21, 2004)

I somewhat know how you feel. I haven't shot nearly as many coyotes as you have but last weekend we were out at about 10 p.m. and i had one come from behind me and got as close as about 30 yards. It was completely unexpected since it was walking down the same path we had walked in on and had to have walked within a hundred yards of the pickup. It was also on the upwind side of me and the callers. Anyways, I waited for it to get past me to about 70 or 80 before i moved for the shot but it heard me moving in the hard snow and took off before i could get the first shot off. I couldn't really think of a better way to go about getting a good shot off without it hearing me. It was really frustrating having it be at about 30 yards and not being able to get the kill. :******:


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## 1lessdog (Feb 4, 2004)

After reading what yooperyotebuster had to say about no misses in 3 yrs made me think.What is your longest string without a miss?(How many animals have you shot without a miss)Back in 1997 I had a 56 shots without a miss and quit for the yr.Then went into 1998 with 27 more shots before I missed.This yr it 63 shots and 61 kills.I had to shoot 2 Coyotes twice.Thats animals I called in not animals you see in the field and shot at.If you know your Rifle you should very seldom miss.

You can be a world class Howler or caller but if you can't hit them whats the point of going out.I dont have to shoot all the time I just like calling them in.But I won't let a Coyote go.But I will pass every Fox up that come in.(I passed up 9 so far this yr.)

Whats everybody elses record????

Dont be shy


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I had some of that happen this year until i realized i had developed a flinch and my barrel was spraying bullets all over. No matter how long you have been doing this or how many coyotes you have shot we all still get "Coyote fever"


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## yooperyotebuster (Dec 13, 2005)

The rifle i'm shooting is a savage 12fv with a 26'' bull barrel. My accutrigger is adjusted down to about 1 1/2 pound. Caliber is .22-250 with Hornady factory ammo and the 40 gr v-max. At the time the rifle was zeroed at 450 yards. This was a huge set up on these dogs! My neighbor had been shooting at them with his .22 for weeks at ranges well over 200 yards. I would bow hunt over there and see them every night. All shots were taken in the prone posistion off a bipod and there was absolutely no wind. As I said this had been planned and practiced before it was done.


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## TheDogSlayer (Feb 2, 2006)

yooperyotebuster,

With a 22-250 zeroed at 450 yds. and 40 grain v-max bullets (assuming your shooting about 4,000-4,100 muz. vel.) your gun would shoot over 9 inches high at 250 yds. If you are holding right on a coyotes chest (half way between the brisket and the back) you would likely shoot right over him at 250 yds. Also, the fox at 60 yds. Your gun would be shooting over 2 inches high at 60 yds., that may be enough to explain that miss. Why do you zero your gun at 450 yds? Do you have a lot of very long range shot oportunities? I guess 450 yds. is OK as long as you can tell yourself to hold low on animals between 150 to 350 yds.

How do you judge yardage at those distances (400+ yds)? Do you use a range finder? Thanks.

TheDogSlayer


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## yooperyotebuster (Dec 13, 2005)

DogSlayer,
My rifle is usually zeroed at 200 yards about .4 inches high at 100. These coyotes were all pups from the same litter I'd guess and were working this field every night. We knew exactly what part of the field they were using and the distances to the area. I had a flag on a stick at the 450 mark in the field so I could tell the wind. That yardage was shot with a range finder. I shot my rifle in my inlaws field at this distance and was very confident I could put a round in a paper plate every time out to 500 yards. Like I said these shots were well planned before they took place. It was the first time I had a chance to try it on a coyote. Did it for a few years on larger targets :wink: But my normai sight in is a 200 yard zero for the .22-250 and 100 for the .17 REM. I missed the fox with the .17. I've shot both since then. It was me!


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## price403 (Jan 3, 2006)

I zero my rifles at 200 yds and count the number of clicks to zero to 300, 350, and 400 yds. This way I can make the close shots and the long ones fairly easily. I usually don't get shots over 200 yds in the day and at night it's usually 100 or closer.


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