I'm starting to question my shooting ability.

[Shoots100]

Went out Monday PM, called in a small yote, shot at it, looked like I hit it, never saw it exit the scene, found some blood and didn't recover the body.

Never had this happen two times in a row.

I didn't check zero after this occurrence, but the other time it happened, I did and it was dead nuts out to 200 yards. 

It's a proven weapon, cartridge and scope combo, with all one shot kills this season.

I'm going to try again this week and weekend and hope I can redeem myself before the season ends.

 

https://youtu.be/srczRiZRoNo

[Shoots100]

Looking over the video with a clear head, I think I hit a stump, as I can see the glow of a bullet strike at the 57 second mark after I take the shot.

That probably fragmented the 40 grn projo, causing it to wound the coyote.

SJC

[Shoots100]

Well, I got my confidence back and redeemed myself on the 27th by killing a coyote that was harassing bovine at a local farm.

These coyote probably were responsible for the death of a newborn calf the weekend before.

We spotted them at over 350+ yards away and closed the gap with a 250 yard stalk.

One of my most memorable coyote hunts.

Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/OgSh6tetSfU

 

[dmandoes]

Nice video! What scope?

[Steuben Jerry]

That's a great vid! Love these scope videos!

[Five Seasons]

i'm sure none of you play COD Warzone, but that followup shot reminded me a lot of finishing off a downed enemy. Very cool and suspenseful video. Man that 20x zoom is rough though.

[Shoots100]

15 hours ago, dmandoes said:

Nice video! What scope?

Thanks.

Pulsar Thermion XP38.

Love this scope and it's been a real performer.

Going to mount it on the Savage Impulse predator.243 I'm picking up from my FFL tomorrow and it'll be my main 2021 predator rig, if it performs. 

[Shoots100]

12 hours ago, Belo said:

i'm sure none of you play COD Warzone, but that followup shot reminded me a lot of finishing off a downed enemy. Very cool and suspenseful video. Man that 20x zoom is rough though.

I cut out a lot of the down time I had in between, as I had a fellow hunter with a NV scope that was with me, that has never shot a coyote at night and I was waiting for him to shoot for a couple of minutes, until I couldn't take it anymore.

I had several times that they were side by side and it would've been nice to shoot a double with one shot, but I was using the 20 practical that night and a pass thru might not have happened. 

Thermal rules.

[Shoots100]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:26 AM, dmandoes said:

Nice video! What scope?

The image and detail you see in the scopes display is much better than what you see in the compressed footage.

I was going to get the XG scope with the BAE core, but they didn't have it in stock yet and  they only offer it in the 50mm version.

The base mag is 3x and I wanted to have the 1.5x base mag and FOV of the XP38 for the terrain I hunt in.

If I lived out west, I would've bought the XG.

I've looked through scopes and mono's with BAE cores before and the clarity and detail of that core is almost as good as a cooled sensor unit.

With the low prices of decent thermal scopes and optics these days, everyone should have some type of thermal optic in their kit bag.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Shoots100

[Five Seasons]

On 4/2/2021 at 10:32 PM, Shoots100 said:

Thanks.

Pulsar Thermion XP38.

Love this scope and it's been a real performer.

Going to mount it on the Savage Impulse predator.243 I'm picking up from my FFL tomorrow and it'll be my main 2021 predator rig, if it performs. 

i googled the cost of that scope for giggles.

 

wow

[squirrelwhisperer]

4 hours ago, Belo said:

i googled the cost of that scope for giggles.

 

wow

wow is right

 

[Steve D]

5 hours ago, Belo said:

i googled the cost of that scope for giggles.

 

wow

And then to be in the "in" crowd of modern predator hunters you need a thermal hand held for scanning, for $2000, and along with that a $ 150-$200 bipod, not counting the "AR" to mount it to

[Shoots100]

2 hours ago, Steve D said:

And then to be in the "in" crowd of modern predator hunters you need a thermal hand held for scanning, for $2000, and along with that a $ 150-$200 bipod, not counting the "AR" to mount it to

You want to play, you have to pay !

640 res thermal scope + extra batteries $5,000+

Gen 3 NV goggles for navigation - $1,800+

Decent 384 res thermal scanner -  $1,300

Decent Electronic call - $200+

Trigger stick tripod and rifle clamp - $175

Ruling the dark - Priceless

[Steve D]

1 hour ago, Shoots100 said:

You want to play, you have to pay !

640 res thermal scope + extra batteries $5,000+

Gen 3 NV goggles for navigation - $1,800+

Decent 384 res thermal scanner -  $1,300

Decent Electronic call - $200+

Trigger stick tripod and rifle clamp - $175

Ruling the dark - Priceless

Not me...I still hunt the old fashion way with lights. I go to have fun not be stylish, and I sure as hell am not lugging all that crap around or spending that kind of change to bag  a $10 fox or $20 coyote. I did purchase a thermal handheld that comes is useful for quite a few things.

I also have no desire to video or to add a 2 lb. scope to my rifle. To each their own and I know the price of toys can get VERY expensive but I try to keep it light and effective so it is easy in and easy out.

 Hell I even still hunt with a rimfire but did upgrade to a semi-auto a few years ago

[Five Seasons]

13 hours ago, Shoots100 said:

You want to play, you have to pay !

640 res thermal scope + extra batteries $5,000+

Gen 3 NV goggles for navigation - $1,800+

Decent 384 res thermal scanner -  $1,300

Decent Electronic call - $200+

Trigger stick tripod and rifle clamp - $175

Ruling the dark - Priceless

If I could eat them... maybe haha. You sure as shit will be prepared for the next civil war though and I hope you're on my side

[Shoots100]

23 hours ago, Steve D said:

Not me...I still hunt the old fashion way with lights. I go to have fun not be stylish, and I sure as hell am not lugging all that crap around or spending that kind of change to bag  a $10 fox or $20 coyote. I did purchase a thermal handheld that comes is useful for quite a few things.

I also have no desire to video or to add a 2 lb. scope to my rifle. To each their own and I know the price of toys can get VERY expensive but I try to keep it light and effective so it is easy in and easy out.

 Hell I even still hunt with a rimfire but did upgrade to a semi-auto a few years ago

I started out with lights 43 years ago and got into thermal in the early 90's.

Thermal prices have gone way down and the resolution has gone way up compared to what I paid back then.

I'm not in it for style, I want the best gear for my money to to be able to kill more efficiently.

To some of my hunting friends, $5,000 is an entry level price for a thermal scope.

I try to get the most for my money and I've had scopes that cost twice as much as my XP38, but I didn't get twice the performance for the money, so away they went.

It can sometimes be a very expensive learning experience.

I'm in it for the kill.

Thats my main focus, so sometimes I record and sometimes I don't.

I'm not in it for money either, as I leave them where they lay.

I'd have to go out west to make money hunting coyote.

That would then be called work and thats not why I hunt.

I still have friends that hunt with lights and all power to them.

I know what their missing and it's a lot.

Calling them in and not seeing them schools the coyote and that makes them tougher to hunt.

I don't look down on hunters that don't have the latest gadgets and gear either, as most of them go hunting way more than the hunters that have all the top gear.

I only carry what I need for the type of hunt I'm going on.

It's the same gear I use to hunt deer, so carrying the same gear around for a month+ before deer season, prepares me for deer season.

Coyote is my poison and if I had to go back to square one, by hunting them like I used to, with a rayovac flashlight tied to a single barreled shotgun, I wouldn't be a happy camper, but I'd do it.

[Steve D]

I agree with just about everything except the part about just leaving them lay. Again to each their own if it is legal. 

 I truly enjoy predator hunting but am not going to shoot them and let them lay. I never hunt just for the money but it is somewhat comforting to know that regardless of the price there will be a use for the animal I just killed.

For me if I can't eat it, sell it, or know of someone that can use it  I don't hunt it. The few exceptions would be like a woodchuck, crow, or a diseased creature that I know is not going to survive.

Not criticizing or pointing fingers. I know quite a few that hunt the same way but it just isn't for me.

[GreeneHunter]

On 4/5/2021 at 8:08 PM, Shoots100 said:

You want to play, you have to pay !

640 res thermal scope + extra batteries $5,000+

Gen 3 NV goggles for navigation - $1,800+

Decent 384 res thermal scanner -  $1,300

Decent Electronic call - $200+

Trigger stick tripod and rifle clamp - $175

Ruling the dark - Priceless

Damn ..... think I'll stick with this during the day and hope for the best !  LOL

[Shoots100]

14 hours ago, Steve D said:

I agree with just about everything except the part about just leaving them lay. Again to each their own if it is legal. 

 I truly enjoy predator hunting but am not going to shoot them and let them lay. I never hunt just for the money but it is somewhat comforting to know that regardless of the price there will be a use for the animal I just killed.

For me if I can't eat it, sell it, or know of someone that can use it  I don't hunt it. The few exceptions would be like a woodchuck, crow, or a diseased creature that I know is not going to survive.

Not criticizing or pointing fingers. I know quite a few that hunt the same way but it just isn't for me.

I put coyote into the same category as skunk, woodchuck, crow, starling and English sparrow.

I try to give them a quick clean death, the same as any other animal I hunt.

I don't eat coyote, but bugs and other critters do, so it's not going to waste.

Deer, fowl or fish never go to waste.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Shoots100