557-yarder last week

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sscoyote

New member
500-600 is pushing it with the 223-based case on a coyote, but these were ideal conditions with no air movement, and this rig is capable of MOA to that range with no wind at all, so...

Was out at one of my favorite haunts last week and got 1 at 557 with my ISSI AR 223 AI/65 SGK @ 3150/225 zero/Weaver V16 3 MOA TK Lee reticle pictured here. Interesting story. Spotted him from the middle butte in the picture and he was laying raising his head now and then. Lasered at 880-some yds. Too far with this setup. So i sees this closer butte off at a tangent (the lower one above the muzzle). Lasered it and figured it would get me around 500-600 yds--close enuf. So i marked the spot as well as i could and took off after the closer butte. 5-10 minutes and i was setup on top of it ready...but couldn't find the coyote at this different angle. I knew he was close to 1 of 2 big cholla cactus, so i get setup and howled. Studied 1 of the cholla for a couple seconds--nothing. Then scanned to the next 1 and sure enuf he's sitting up looking at me. Quickly took a reading with the Geovids at 557. Checked my dope in the Butler Creek scope cap cover and i had to aim 2.8 3 MOA subtension units down for the shot--totally calm conditions. Looked back into the ocular found him put the 2.8 interpolative spot on him and shot. Regained sight picture and saw him scrambling around. He regained his feet for a couple seconds made a short death run and it was over. At that range bullet hit slightly low and ripped him up pretty good. No time to skin him ut took his tail. Oh well--
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Weaver3MOATKLee.jpg


I like this optic/reticle but i prefer the 3-9x 22 Long Rifle Rapid Reticle, and will put that back on this rig shortly.
 
Thks. guys. That range is definitely pushing it, but drops r calcd and tested to 600 so i was pretty confident...except he was facing me sitting, not broadside like i would've preferred. Impact vel/energy was 1870 and 500 so that wasn't the issue. Wind would've been had there been any at all.
 
Originally Posted By: RubenatorImpressive in my book! But can you do it again?

That is the true test of it all isn't it? Facing me as he was, i'd have to say no. Figuring maybe 3/4 to 1 MOA accuracy from field positions i guess it would avg. out to be maybe ~50% on a 3" wide tgt., ONCE AGAIN WITH NO AIR MOVEMENT AT 500-600 yds. with a .3 BC bullet. I would say that broadside would yield 75% or better. I believe these rigs with the higher BC bullets are effective to 500-600 in ideal conditions if the system is accurately calcd. and tested. Nothing's perfect in the field.
 
Originally Posted By: doggin coyotesNICE shot! That skyline picture looks real familiar. lol

Hey Doggin', have u hunted these pastures before?
 
Yeah, if it's where I think it is I have hunted those pastures quite a bit. Years ago those prairies were loaded with coyotes. Not near as many nowdays. I've killed some with mange out there the past few years. I would imagine that's not helping the numbers.

This is all presuming I know whose pastures those are. lol.

That land belong to J.T.?
 
No--these are out close to Avondale. But i hunt John's mostly these days. I know where you're thinking about though. Close to the VOR near the airport, ehhh? There aren't as many coyotes out there these days. But i can usually count on some kinda' encounter most days.
 
Originally Posted By: Recko555Nice job! You are liking those JLKs huh!
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Actually this was with the 65 Sierra Gameking, but i'm going back to the 65 JLK's shortly.
 
Originally Posted By: sscoyoteOriginally Posted By: Recko555Nice job! You are liking those JLKs huh!
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Actually this was with the 65 Sierra Gameking, but i'm going back to the 65 JLK's shortly.

For this kind of shooting, why not the 75's like Hornady's BTHP or Sierra's 77gr MK? I think they are around a .370 BC IIRC and can be loaded mag length. Just curious, I've been thinking of moving up to a higher BC bullet.
 
I had thought of trying them, but elected to see what kind of terminal performance the 65 would give me at long range. I was using the 65 JLK Low Drag that has a BC of ~.4. That is super-high for a flat-based bullet but it has a looongg ogive, and as it turns out the boattail portion doesn't lend that much more to the BC of the bullet. I can't remember seeing an external ballistics advantage by using the 75/77's, but i might have to take a look at that again. Jimmy Knox originally designed the LD's to compete with the 6mm benchresters at 200 and 300 yds. with std. 14, 12, and 10 twist barrels. I just ordered a meplat uniformer from Dave Tooley to try and get a slightly larger HP from the 65 to help with terminal performance. We'll see how that goes.

GH, there is an option for the longer bullets from an AR, and that is the old DPMS VLD magazine that allows a bullet to be loaded into the guide ridge of the magazine, and single-stacked. But they aren't making them anymore, though i'm trying to get some comapnies to consider them. Here is what it looks like--
DPMSVLDmagazine.jpg

Pretty slick huh?

 
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