75vmax runner

[1tonpower]

I shot a coyote this morning at about 150yards. Impact wast a little high and behind the shoulder. It was a bang flop at first, I saw it laying on the ground stuff legged in the scope, By the time i drove to it, it had got up and was trotting laway. I saw the solf ball sized hole on the off side. Tough little critters. I'll go back later today with the lab and try to recover it.

 

[jt183]

Wow, that is a tough critter. I used the 75 V-Max out of my .243 for two seasons and never lost a coyote. Most of them never even wiggled after being hit. Post a picture of where you hit him if you are able to recover him.

 

[1tonpower]

His head was down when I got out of the truck. I was able to get this before he got up..I'll headed back there in an hour or so with my tracking buddy...the bloody spot on the shoulder is the exit side. He was standing broad side when I took the shot... The rifle was behind the seat I wasn't able to get it out in time. I lost sight and there was little blood, and the ground was frozen. I won't make that mistake again.

 

[jt183]

Wow! Looks like a really nice coyote. Hope you found him.

 

[Riptide]

Hindsight is always 20/20, and I don't want to armchair-quarterback this one - but I had this happen to myself one time using a Vmax in a .223. Wasn't anyone's fault, in my opinion, it was a good hit and the bullet did what it was supposed to...some coyotes are just hard to kill.

Anyway, since that day I always carry a pistol for this reason (and a few others). I don't like to see things suffer any more than they have to.

 

[dstark]

Dang hope you find him! I had a similar experience, shot a smallish coyote at about 200 yds with a 243win 100gr SP. Dropped in his tracks stiff legged. I chased after some other dogs he was with and then came back to pick him up about 25 minutes later. He had a softball sized hole behind the shoulder and when I was about 15 yards from him he stood up and tried to run. Finished him off right there but wow what a tough dog to hold on that long with a hole like that in him! You'd think blood loss and no vacuum in the chest would have killed him way sooner. Love em or hate em you have to admire the tenacity.

 

[1tonpower]

i shot this dog on the top edge of a sand pit..the dog ran down into the low area. the last time i saw it, it was at the base of the hill with a lot of under brush at the base of the hill. the way it ran off i wouldnt think that it had the strength needed to climb the hill. i went back with my dog and searched every inch of the low areas, checked all the wash outs and rock piles. 3 hours of poking around the area only to come up empty handed. the sand was frozen so tracking it was near impossible. and no blood other then when i shot it. my lab has helped recover down deer before so she has what it takes to trail down game. it was just a bad day all around...

im in the national guard, and it was my drill weekend. thats why i didnt have all my hunting gear with me. the rifle never leaves the truck during the season. i had time to get to my favourite spot for sunrise before i had to be at the unit. i fired the shot just after 7. running short on time and seeing how the dog went stiff and tipped over, i rushed to pick it up...that was my number 1 mistake and will take head shots next time im on that kind of time crunch. that dog ran on pure adrenaline.
a hard lessen learned...

 

[dogbuster0006]

Guess he was just that one in a million tough old dog I'd never have thought he'd run with a hole like that in him. Hate to see anything suffer but got to respect his tenacity. Sorry to hear you didn't recover him but he's definitely dead somewhere. If this is you're only negative result with that load don't write it off just yet might have just been a bad bullet I know that doesn't happen often but, there's an exception to just about every rule out there.
Good luck and happy hunting

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I never, ever walk up on downed game without my rifle. No telling what you may see or find when you get there.

 

[weird1]

Here is a quote that applies to this thread

"Turns out death is not easy to calculate." - Bryan Litz.

 

[1tonpower]

these eastern dogs are a little on the larger size...id like to try a front on chest shot next time. if broad side again, and in side of 200 it will be getting a pill in his head.

 

[westcliffe01]

I read a story like this, then you see people recommending 55gr 223 bullets for 400 and 600 yard shots... I have had many a coyote run off after being hit with a 55gr Vmax, but at longer range, typically 250+ yards.

This kind of issue was the reason I went to 243 and 95gr VLD's. I have never had a coyote make it more than a few yards after a hit with one of those and there was no getting up afterwards either.

My work is all on a sheep farm, and we just want the coyotes dead. No consideration for pelt value.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

No doubt for that job a fast expanding bullet is the ticket but. I want as good a hide as I can get. Different bullet same gun can do either well.
And I would rather loose one once in a while rather than destroying most of the ones I get a shot at's hide.

 

[valleyloader]

I shot one while bear hunting in PA 8 years ago that was hit broadside through the vitals including the heart with a 30-06 165 grain sierra gameking at 10 yards. I thought I missed it because it just ran off, no blood trail or any sign of a hit. Later that evening a friend was about 100 yards out walking toward me, he radios me that he is following a blood trail heading in my direction. He came through the laurel right where the coyote disappeared, we followed the trail back the way he came until the trail went down over the mountain where the coyote laid. The coyote weighed 52 pounds and traveled around 200 yards after it was hit in the heart and lungs by a 30 cal projectile at 10 yards. The coyote went about 75 yards before the blood trail started, if my hunting buddy wouldn't have happened upon the trail I would have assumed I missed because I couldn't find any sign of a hit.

In this picture I weighed 330lbs, and I am 6 ft tall and the dog near the bottom of the photo weighed 55 lbs. just trying to give some scale to the coyote.