On my way home from Cheyenne this morning I ran out to talk with a couple ranchers I know are calving now (not the actuall ranchers... the ranchers' cows). Spotted a coyote right as I turned east off 85... he was right on the side of the road and headed out poste haste. Glassed up a couple more on some property I don't have permission on... yet. Then meandered my way to the property...
Anyway... I was chatting with this old rancher friend of mine when I look up on the hill and say to myself: "Self, that bush wasn't there a minute ago". Threw up the binoc... low and behold... a big dog just meandering across the hill about 1/2 mile out. I grabbed "Tom Swifty" and the sneak was on. I closed the gap to just under 400 yards and ran out of cover. The dog had no idea I was there... so I dialled 3" on the 6.5-20 Leupold, settled in, deep breath... WHAMMY... dog down. The Rem .700 VSSF .220 Swift launched that little 50 grain NBT out of the 24" barrel at just a tickle under 4k (42.5 grains RE-17)... hit him just behind the first rib on the entrance side... angled through the vitals and piled into the off-side shoulder... didn't exit, but it definatley busted some stuff up in that shoulder. Nice big male, about 35lbs (pushing 80lbs after I packed him 1/2 mile)... still pretty red, though he was starting to fur-up decent. Rancher buddy was pretty stoked.
Here's the dog and "Tom Swifty"...
Anyway... I was chatting with this old rancher friend of mine when I look up on the hill and say to myself: "Self, that bush wasn't there a minute ago". Threw up the binoc... low and behold... a big dog just meandering across the hill about 1/2 mile out. I grabbed "Tom Swifty" and the sneak was on. I closed the gap to just under 400 yards and ran out of cover. The dog had no idea I was there... so I dialled 3" on the 6.5-20 Leupold, settled in, deep breath... WHAMMY... dog down. The Rem .700 VSSF .220 Swift launched that little 50 grain NBT out of the 24" barrel at just a tickle under 4k (42.5 grains RE-17)... hit him just behind the first rib on the entrance side... angled through the vitals and piled into the off-side shoulder... didn't exit, but it definatley busted some stuff up in that shoulder. Nice big male, about 35lbs (pushing 80lbs after I packed him 1/2 mile)... still pretty red, though he was starting to fur-up decent. Rancher buddy was pretty stoked.
Here's the dog and "Tom Swifty"...
