windypants
Well-Known Member
I had one 135 pencil through and then I started checking tips with a wire drill, and they've all been quarter- sized exits at any range, mostly bang-flops. But haven't shot a lot with that rifle since.
Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote
- Thread starter DSheetz
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Can you tell me more about the wire/drill? What diameter wire?
You can get orifice drills in a set that come in an aluminum tube that has a small chuck on one end of it from welding supply houses. They are sold for cleaning the holes in the end of cutting tips for cutting torches, they may call them tip drills. You can also get smaller number drill bits. Do you carry your ammo in a plastic case tip down or tip up? Look at the tips to see if the copper has been dinged and is smashed so that the hole can't be filled by flesh as it strikes the animal as that is what actually causes it to expand. An example of the different hollow points can easily be seen by looking at Sierra 52, 53 grain match hollow points then look at the hollow point on a 55 grain game king hollow point all in the .224 diameter bullets. The 52 and 53 hollow points have a smaller hole in them than does the 55 grain bullets as it is designed for rapid and complete expansion. I have also been known to use the tip of a scribe or awl to make sure that the hollow point is open the pointed end of a cheaper built compas for drawing circles will also do it. Many, many years ago they used to make what were called hollow pointers for people that bought full metal jacket surplus military ammo so they could make them into hollow points and get them to expand.
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Ed; I really don't like the number of high winds that we have been experiencing the last three years. not only is it hard to hunt, call, trap, or snare in it it's just plain hard on everything not just us humans. My truck windshield has so many small pits in it now that if you are driving toward the sun it's hard to see through it and the wipers don't do a very good job clearing it. I even have several chips in the paint from the larger chunks of sand being blown by gusts of up to 98 mph. I don't care how you set up your predator control equipment those kinds of winds will mess with it and as you said it's hard to be out in it as well as not safe. They have closed the interstate highways several times to high profile and light weight vehicles in this state still people ignore it. We had a semi turn over hit a tow truck killing both drivers a couple of days ago on I-80. I am glad that your home wasn't damaged badly by whatever hit it, and glad it wasn't you or a family member that was struck by it. that type of strike kills whatever it hits. I hope that everyone stays safe.
windypants
Well-Known Member
Dave covered it perfectly. I use the .027 torch tip cleaner just to make sure the hole is open.
We had a really nice day here weather wise. The sun came out and there was nearly no wind it got to 31 degrees the snow settled a lot and I-25 is now open. It was mostly closed north bound as there really wasn't any place to go north but the south bound was open. It will be pretty muddy next week, and I like to not cut ruts in the two track roads.
When my kids were young, I started taking them with me to learn about coyote control, but I also gave them jobs to do at the same time. I would have them drive the truck on two track roads that saved me some time at the gates, I would open the gate, they would drive through it I would close the gate. It let them learn where the wheels were so that they could avoid big rocks, holes and things like that and gave them something that made them feel good to do. One day in August when my son was 8 he pulled up to a gate I opened it he drove through it I was closing it when lighting struck a couple of hundred yards down the fence. I was bent down hooking the gate post in the bottom loop when it hit knocking me off my feet. I got up hurried and finished closing the gate got in the truck, his eyes were open real wide he said now I know what they mean when they talk about balls of fire did you see it rolling down the fence dad. That particular pasture was in the mountains and was notorious for lighting strikes. One of the ranch hands was riding there one day he woke up laying on the ground his horse was dead he had a burn on his head. I guess he was lucky. Another time I was up there the day after a storm went through and found two adult coyotes and five pups laying on a hill side dead from lighting. I tried to be done in that pasture by August when we got most of our thunderstorms after that.
windypants
Well-Known Member
Spring's here! Bluebirds, meadowlarks and…
windypants
Well-Known Member
Speaking of spring; I often watch coyotes on that last high ridge before the mountains (4+ miles away). I saw one this morning out mousing, but acting differently. It seemed agitated and in a hurry— trotting and loping back and forth as it was hunting, and then went back over the hill where it came from at a fast trot. Possibly a new father?
It's really hard to say for sure what was going on with it. It might have been an interloper; it may have had an interloper in its area, it may have been looking for its mate or there may have been a threat to it or its mate in the area, there might have been another coyote talking in the area that it felt was a threat or close to its boundary line, giving it some interrogation howls. That's a really nice view.
Airedale56
Well-Known Member
You guys in central WY got hammered with that storm. I had to go around the I-25 and other closures to get home on Monday.
Cheyenne to Torrington, Lusk, Newcastle, Moorcroft, Gillette, Buffalo and finally, Sheridan overnight.
Then Sheridan to Billings and south from Laurel to Cody on Tuesday. Roads were wet, drifted, slushy and icy along the way.
No coyotes seen during the trip. But we did get to see a pack of rez dogs eating a dead deer in the snow in Crow Country, MT along I-90 as we passed by.
The go-around added 350 extra miles to the trip but at least I wasn't stuck in Cheyenne for 3 nights. I saw the highways closed behind us after we got home. Heck of a spring storm this time.
Cheyenne to Torrington, Lusk, Newcastle, Moorcroft, Gillette, Buffalo and finally, Sheridan overnight.
Then Sheridan to Billings and south from Laurel to Cody on Tuesday. Roads were wet, drifted, slushy and icy along the way.
No coyotes seen during the trip. But we did get to see a pack of rez dogs eating a dead deer in the snow in Crow Country, MT along I-90 as we passed by.
The go-around added 350 extra miles to the trip but at least I wasn't stuck in Cheyenne for 3 nights. I saw the highways closed behind us after we got home. Heck of a spring storm this time.
Airedale56
Well-Known Member
CrossChoke, nice job on that pair.
Man you really have some beautiful country to look over! Every pic you post is better than the last one! I'm jealous!
