Author Topic: Practiced Kentucky windage or blind luck! Pic (Read 1396 times)

Silvertp · « **on:** September 28, 2009, 07:14:29 AM »

You decide.

Single shot taken from hasty sitting position. Critter trotting on sagebrush flat below me with a very steep downhill shot presented. Distance 215 yards measured after shot.

Ruger #1 with my 350 grain "woods load". Scope set at 4x and sighted dead on at 100 yards.

I swung the crosshairs a full coyote length ahead of his nose and held over his back (about a coyote body depth). At the shot I was rewarded with a hollow sounding "Kerwhoooop! Bullet entered just in front of the rear leg and centered up and down on his body.

Did I pull this shot out of my bottom??? Or was this a "dead coyote trotting"? Whatcha think?

Silvertp

securitysix · « **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2009, 11:34:46 AM »

Quote from: Silvertp on September 28, 2009, 07:14:29 AM

Did I pull this shot out of my bottom??? Or was this a "dead coyote trotting"? Whatcha think?

Silvertp

Can you do it again? Like, every time? If so, credit for skill must be given. If not, we'll have to chalk it up to luck. That said, I'll take luck over skill any day of the week. I've also found that the more skill you have, the more likely you are to have luck in your favor, so...

trotterlg · « **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2009, 01:57:26 PM »

That must be some slow Varmint Rifle to take a Coyote length and a half lead at 200 yards and drop a Coyote heigth to go 200 yards. Larry

calling4life · « **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2009, 04:54:00 PM »

Luck favors the prepared, there is something to be said for your natural instincts here, your preparedness, and luck... He!!, we are lucky just to be able to enjoy this sport and the days we have left, it is a force that follows us through life.

torpedoman · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2009, 05:39:55 PM »

The harder i work the luckier i get.

Blue Duck · « **Reply #5 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:59:09 AM »

No lead a flying, no meat a frying........ Congrats on a fine shot.

Silvertp · « **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2009, 01:03:58 PM »

Thanks guys for your thoughts.

Security Six...No way I could do that everytime, just too many variables. The challenge I enjoy about hunting, at least the "making the shot" part, is there are never two opportunities that are exactly the same. I guess if I was good I'd have placed that shot in the front-half.

Larry...I forgot to include that the rifle is in 45/70 caliber, not one I would usually use for hunting yotes. The 350 grainers are a moderate load I put together for hunting whitetails in close cover.

Calling4life...I'm with you brother. I can't explain why I must hunt, but I sure feel fortunate to be able to enjoy the sport.

Torpedo... Agreed. Im constantly amazed at the numbers of those type of shots I pull off. No time for a solid rest, range finding or anything else. Just getting the sights where they are needed to do the job and let the brain and trigger finger do the rest.

Blue Duck...I like your saying about getting lead in the air; similar to one I frequently use "Ya gotta hit'em to get'em". I make an effort to be a little more precise with my shot placement when the game I am hunting will end up in the "frying-pan".

Guess the point I was exploring with my question is where does "skill" end and "luck" take over in this sport of ours?

Sorta like comparing shooting a firearm to to throwing a football. Sure, there can be a lot of precision in shooting a rifle off a bench or when you are not under pressure or time constraints. But in many field conditions / shooting is more reactive, when brain/eye/trigger finger take over. Kinda like a quarterback taking a snap, figuring out where his receiver will be when the ball arrives and making that throw as he sidesteps a tackler. Luck may put game on the ground occasionally (providing your putting bullets in the air), but you also need practice to develop skill, if you want to score a high percentage of hits.

Silvertp

billy_56081 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 30, 2009, 01:23:25 PM »

I always have said, "if ya don't shoot ya can't hit em".

I've made a few long range running shots on yotes, some of em are just like "wow". I remember one that was running quartering away at about 500 yards. Boom, end over end he went.

454Puma · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2010, 12:43:37 PM »

Sounds like a man that knows his rifle very well!

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2010, 01:45:02 PM »

Educated guess. Works for me.

hillbill · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2010, 02:18:19 PM »

go into a good reloading manual and look at your load, with the bc of your bullet, and your muzzel velocity yu can tell exactly what it will drop at any range.ive tried it and it is usually pretty close on.but trust me ive made shots i shouldnt of and missed shots i should of made.

hillbill · « **Reply #11 on:** January 21, 2010, 02:26:30 PM »

reread orig post, steep downhill shot?on the level yu would of had to hold over a few more inches than what yu did? just curious, im sure there is a formula for the percentage of grade. anybody got it?

Silvertp · « **Reply #12 on:** January 21, 2010, 04:48:16 PM »

Hillbill...

The drop would be based on the horizontal distance. Guess it would be basic geometry. My rangefinder doesn't compensate for up or down hill so the distance from muzzle to dead dog was 215 yards. I'd say the vantage point where I was sitting was 200 ft. higher than the flat the coyote was running on. That would calculate out to a 204.4 yards horizontal distance.

Glad I didn't have to do that calc. in my head afore I touched it off.

Silvertp

Oldshooter · « **Reply #13 on:** January 21, 2010, 05:18:40 PM »

Quote

Glad I didn't have to do that calc. in my head afore I touched it off.

+1 on that, If it comes to that I'm just gonna have to wait till he stops and take my chances!

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2010, 04:32:21 AM »

Quote

Did I pull this shot out of my bottom??? Or was this a "dead coyote trotting"? Whatcha think?

DEMON TWEEK!

The same skill that sometimes lets you tune a car's timing by ear and right now.

Also the same skill that lets you bust a Dove with a shotgun that came out of nowhere.

A lot of us have also from time to time viewed a bullet hole in the target then adjusted the scope or irons to the bullseye in one setting.

It is operating on instinct alone. You gave a good description on the windage and elevation but also claimed that it was a hasty thing. Did it seem to you that the rifle kind of jumped to your shoulder by it'self and you instinctivly fired but knowingly allowed for a little lead and elevation without really thinking about it?

I like cold, deliberate, shots but sometimes instinct takes over with the result being great satisfaction.

Silvertp · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2010, 11:30:18 AM »

Quote from: glanceblamm on January 22, 2010, 04:32:21 AM

Quote
Did I pull this shot out of my bottom??? Or was this a "dead coyote trotting"? Whatcha think?

... the same skill that lets you bust a Dove with a shotgun that came out of nowhere.

It is operating on instinct alone. You gave a good description on the windage and elevation but also claimed that it was a hasty thing. Did it seem to you that the rifle kind of jumped to your shoulder by it'self and you instinctivly fired but knowingly allowed for a little lead and elevation without really thinking about it?

Glanceblamm...both your web name (glanceblamm) and the description above sum the coyote shooting experience best. Almost like..."there it is, now its over". No "conscious thought" about distance, angles, range, or when to touch the trigger.

Silvertp

351 power · « **Reply #16 on:** January 23, 2010, 03:11:43 AM »

i'm with glanceblamm. instinct. shows you're familiar with the feel of that rifle

Sourdough · « **Reply #17 on:** January 25, 2010, 06:56:21 AM »

OK, good shot with a 45-70. Now do it again, and again, and again. You can not quite till it gets boring.

Silvertp · « **Reply #18 on:** January 25, 2010, 12:51:28 PM »

Quote from: Sourdough on January 25, 2010, 06:56:21 AM

OK, good shot with a 45-70. Now do it again, and again, and again. You can not quite till it gets boring.

Im game, but the coyotes aren't cooperating.

Even lightened up my arsenal with a .17 Remington.

Silvertp

Stuart C. · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2010, 02:14:03 AM »

I always thought that on any incline, up or down, bullet drop was markedly LESS, due to less gravity pull over the shorter horizontal distance. A body width of hold would be quite a bit, then. No?

FredWT · « **Reply #20 on:** January 31, 2010, 07:05:16 AM »

It was a good call and a good shot. I am glad ya went for it.

oldandslow · « **Reply #21 on:** February 01, 2010, 05:57:15 AM »

If you can say you can pull this off 50% of the time then you are familiar with your rifle, know you bullet's trajectory well, are very good at estimating distance, and estimating lead required for the speed of your target. If you can only do this now and again you are just lucky.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #22 on:** February 01, 2010, 07:02:58 AM »

Nice shot ! You did it , enjoy . Luck beats skill everytime !

Silvertp · « **Reply #23 on:** February 01, 2010, 09:26:41 AM »

Quote from: Stuart C. on January 26, 2010, 02:14:03 AM

I always thought that on any incline, up or down, bullet drop was markedly LESS, due to less gravity pull over the shorter horizontal distance. A body width of hold would be quite a bit, then. No?

You are correct. In this case I was sitting on a high terrace (think of sitting in your tree stand in the top of a 200 foot tall tree) and the coyote was running on a big flat area close to 200 yards from the base of the tree. In this case there isn't that much difference between the measured distance and the horizontal distance, thus the bullet drop is only a little less effected by the downward angle.

The other extreme would have been to be sitting on top of a cliff with a sheer drop off of 200 yards. The coyote is only 200 ft. from the base of the cliff. In this case the bullet would only be influenced over a 200 ft. horizontal distance. If you estimated the coyote at 200 yards distance and held for a measured 200+ yard shot, you would hit very high.

All I can say is if uss'n shooters had to make measurements and do the math before pressing the trigger we would all be going home empty handed.
Silvertp

Stuart C. · « **Reply #24 on:** February 01, 2010, 11:00:16 AM »

(think of sitting in your tree stand in the top of a 200 foot tall tree) and the coyote was running on a big flat area close to 200 yards from the base of the tree.[/quote]

Oh. I misread and thought it was more extreme than that. Wow. Nice shot.