nvbroncrider
Handloader
- Aug 20, 2011
- 3,085
- 4
Got home this morning after a long night at work and was gonna shoot the Swede. Looking for the dog (hates guns) and took the glass out to search the cut alfalfa for a badger or any other unsuspecting pest. As I looked I saw a head and ears. 'Yotey! Been holding off the songdogs all year due to my rabbit and gopher problem, now that it's somewhat under control songdogs are fair game. By that time the dog was at my feet and took her into the house grabbed the 243 by the door jacked a round in the chamber he was a ways off I was thinking probably 400 yards or so got a good bead on him held about a foot over him and fired. Hit way low close to 10-15 feet in front on him. He scampered off to the back corner of the fence went and grabbed the quad figuring he was long gone to check the fresh badger holes I saw.
As I got to the NW corner I saw him again in the sage jumped off to the fence post. Just as I lined him up at about 200 he ducked behind another piece of brush I tracked him outta sight. So I went back and checked my badger holes no luck there either. Went back to the house to see if my brother or our friend wanted to shoot the Swede.
They were in rough shape. I guess half a 1/5 of Jager and a 1/10 of Crown makes for one heck of a hangover. After a little BS'ing I looked at the clock too late for me to get the Swede out for testing. So I walked out the front door to glass the field one last time. My yote came back so I grabbed the 243 again and walked to the edge of the fence. Looked it over and my landmarks I judged him to be 300-400 yards. Laid the rifle across the post and tracked him as he moved right to left. Stopped, move a bit farther and faced me with his hips cocked to my right. Laid the crosshairs over the tips of his ears and down his nose, took a deep breath and squoze the trigger.
Thwak. I hit home. Dog flopped. DRT. My friend who was watching through the binos goes you got him. Jumped on the quad and went out there. Took about 5 minutes to find him. When I picked him up I found the entrance wound about 2 inches above the bottom of his chest dead center. The bullet went the length of him and exited his belly/rear flank before crushing his right rear leg at the hock.
After finding him and looking back at my shooting location I judged it to be around a 350-400 yard shot. My first attempt was much farther probably in the range of 550-600 yards. It was a good feeling since I try to keep my shots much closer 0-200 yards and it was my first time streching one of my rifles out. With the risers and the wheel lines in the field year around I have to make sure where they are and where I'm shooting at. Not to mention the range cattle meandering on the desert behind us.
I was using a 70gr BT out the barrel at 3550ish. I was surprised that it held together as well as it did and went the length of the dog. All in all a great way to end my day!
As I got to the NW corner I saw him again in the sage jumped off to the fence post. Just as I lined him up at about 200 he ducked behind another piece of brush I tracked him outta sight. So I went back and checked my badger holes no luck there either. Went back to the house to see if my brother or our friend wanted to shoot the Swede.
They were in rough shape. I guess half a 1/5 of Jager and a 1/10 of Crown makes for one heck of a hangover. After a little BS'ing I looked at the clock too late for me to get the Swede out for testing. So I walked out the front door to glass the field one last time. My yote came back so I grabbed the 243 again and walked to the edge of the fence. Looked it over and my landmarks I judged him to be 300-400 yards. Laid the rifle across the post and tracked him as he moved right to left. Stopped, move a bit farther and faced me with his hips cocked to my right. Laid the crosshairs over the tips of his ears and down his nose, took a deep breath and squoze the trigger.
Thwak. I hit home. Dog flopped. DRT. My friend who was watching through the binos goes you got him. Jumped on the quad and went out there. Took about 5 minutes to find him. When I picked him up I found the entrance wound about 2 inches above the bottom of his chest dead center. The bullet went the length of him and exited his belly/rear flank before crushing his right rear leg at the hock.
After finding him and looking back at my shooting location I judged it to be around a 350-400 yard shot. My first attempt was much farther probably in the range of 550-600 yards. It was a good feeling since I try to keep my shots much closer 0-200 yards and it was my first time streching one of my rifles out. With the risers and the wheel lines in the field year around I have to make sure where they are and where I'm shooting at. Not to mention the range cattle meandering on the desert behind us.
I was using a 70gr BT out the barrel at 3550ish. I was surprised that it held together as well as it did and went the length of the dog. All in all a great way to end my day!
