A Coyote Hunting Misadventure

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Cory takes me to a neat stand overlooking a beautiful little brushy ravine that has a pond right in the bottom of it. I start calling and right away we have a big coyote headed our way. We can see that he has mange because of his hairless rat tail. He checks up at around 75 yards and Cory puts a 55 grain Ballistic Tip through him. The coyote takes off at the shot and over the rise where I can't see him. I stand up, find him in my binoculars and see him flop over on his side. His tail is giving the last wag or two before he dies.
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This is a thread for discussion of the article, A Coyote Hunting Misadventure, By Troy Adams. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.
 
The last two trips to Montana has sent me packin with my tail between my legs. Last Xmas , I was determined to make it to coyote mecca- Zortman. After making a set and weather and nite turning against me , pointed my truck to mecca. I turned off the blacktop and headed into the abis . Crossing a cattle guard my truck rolled to a stop, my tac reading 1600 RPM. Going through all the gears, checking fuses' I prepared to set out to walk the 3 (?)mile to Zortman. Through the nite, head lites appear, a young Marine and new bride heading to Zortman to go coyote hunting. Next morning the highways had turned to glass. Called a tow truck from Lewistown to get me to the chevy garage. Yup, blown transmission.
Calling my Insurance, I had No road hazard. Renting a vehicle , I proceeded to Great Falls for Xmas. Picking up my truck , I licked my wounds and headed back to Minnesota.
Forward 6months.
Turning north from Winnett and into the interior, I round a corner to hear an evil hiss. Yes, right rear tire is going flat. A very kind rancher stops to assist, but not wanting to be reduced to pilgrim status, I decline. After all, I carry tire patch and mini compressor. To my surprise it won't patch. I'll change the tire. The cable releases to the ground , tire won't come down. Chevy has installed a mechanical device that will NOT release. I return to Winnett at a high rate of speed to a garage. This man is saint. My tire is shot, and can't get a new tire till tuesday. The spare is reluctant to come off. He scratches head says "had one of these a year ago!" O-yea, on bolt the bracket. Once more, I lick my wounds and head back to Minnesota.
 
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Per the AR jamming up. It is probably no fault of the AR. They will jam up like that when you put a shell in them from another AR that hasn't been full length resized. The action on an AR closes quite harshly, so if the shell is too big, it will jam good enough that it will take a screw driver to pry the action back open. I generally only neck size my AR shells once they've been through that AR, but if you put them in another AR, they might jam. Since the carrier isn't all the way forward, the firing pin isn't struck by the hammer. Once you've fired it, the saftey won't engage until the gun is cocked, but you can't cock it because it's jammed. So everything looks froze up, but it's just a stuck shell. You can get a flathead screw driver in through the magazine well to pry the carrier back. Try to pry against the carrier and the barrel extension since they are steel, vs the upper or lower which are aluminum.

Naturally, you've arleady fixed it by the time you read this, but this is for the future or anyone else who has the problem.

Gene
 
Thanks for the in AR info . I shot factory ammo. Sounds like a good thing all AR shooters should know. I'll have to take a look and learn how to do it. :)
 
rcrdps, that is interesting. The only problem is that my partner only owns one AR and if his ammo was shot previously it would have been from his AR. By removing the pins he was able to get the safety off, and then put everthing back together. Once reasembled he pulled the trigger and the round went off. It functioned fine for the next few shots, but he just didn't trust it and ended using his 22-250 for the rest of the hunt.
 
It may not be the exact senario that I described, but I'd still say it was a "stuck" shell for whatever reason. Coulda been dirt or something. Might have been just oversized enough that it didn't fully seat, but the hammer dropping on the carrier seated it. So then when he took it apart and re-cocked the hammer, it was able to fire. When it fires, it jerks that shell out with quite a bit of force that is fairly impossible to duplicate with the charging handle. So it's jammed until it fires or until you pry it out. I have shot shells where I knew if they didn't fully seat, I was in for an unjamming session. I'm hard headed like that and didn't feel like dissasembling them and resizing.

That's all hypothetical of course. I have no clue what caused yours to stick. But I think the way it jammed and the fix is still the same. The saftey not moving is by design. You can't engage the saftey unless the hammer is cocked. Well,... you can, but you have to force it. It's not designed to do that though.

Gene
 
rcrdps, I'm going to send a link of this thread to my friend with the AR. I do think you are probably correct. Since it's not my rifle or my handloads I can't say for sure what the history was. However I expect he should find your comments very helpful. Thanks.
 
Great Story. All hunters should be as self aware. Glad your friend got "tire religion". Every wonder with the G&F boys carry two? Been there, done that more than once. I also suggest you put a farm or Hi Lift jack in your truck. Mine has saved my butt more than once. A More Power Puller isn't bad to have too. Recovery tools are really inexpensive compared to the alternative.
 
My son is USAF Security - Montana . He told me their humm- Vees get flat tires a lot. Got any quick fixes ? An employee told me he used pan head screws (10 x 3/4) . No he showed me, really did. One never knows what mite help in pinch.
 
I know what a high lift jack is , but do you westerners know an alternative use for them ? What is a More Power Puller ? And what do you ranchers use to fix your flat tires? Do you really change every flat tire ? Just curious? lightbulb
 
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