 DISPATCH #4: Use Enough GunThe red fox that who was about to die paused, trying to get a lock on where the faint kissing sound had come from. The driving snow pellets caused his eyes to squint and his ears to flatten against his head. He stood looking crosswind, searching for the dying jackrabbit that he believed to be source of the sound. As he did, a tiny 25-grain fusion of copper and lead parted his white chest fur at a velocity approaching four times the speed of sound, hydrostatically shocking his vital organs into a jelly-like mass. He dropped earthward as though sucked to the ground by some magnetic force and never so much as twitched. A millisecond later, the crack from the .17 Javelina reached the predator's ears but he didn't hear it.This story is a retelling of a few moments' events in the field featured on my video "Winter Magic", which captures the last few seconds of a hunt known as "The Windy Day Fox". The effect that a tiny .17 caliber or other small bore centerfire bullet can wreak on a predator's physiology is truly amazing, deadly efficient and a wonder to behold when it happens effectively. Let us take a look in general at the hyper velocity small bore calibers so suited to predator hunting. First let me state that I am no Craig Boddington, no ballistics expert. But I do have a competent knowledge of predator hunting rifles, calibers and cartridges. I receive emails often that ask about suitable calibers for coyote, fox and bobcat. Inevitably, almost every such request asks about one caliber or another that is underpowered for predators at long range such as the .22LR, .17HMR, .22WMR, etc. Yes, these calibers and others in their class can conceivably kill predators under rare circumstances at close range, but not at all with certainty, consistency and efficacy under a wide range of conditions and yardages. I am a believer in what the great Robert Ruark said: "use enough gun". Enter the small bore centerfire calibers. The predator hunting rifles and ammunition available today are quite simply awe inspiring. Never before have we had such a variety of predator rifles chambered in small calibers to choose from. For example; .17 Rem., .17 Javelina, .17 Mach IV, .204 Ruger, Tactical .20, .20 Vartarg, .222, .223, .22-250, .220 Swift, and this is only a partial list of what's available. Using enough gun is critical when hunting predators particularly due to long yardages common to this type of hunting, diverse wind conditions and particularly the sheer toughness of an animal such as the coyote.It is my belief that 70 or 80% of your shots should kill the predator stone dead on the button, with the balance resulting in a doomed animal that doesn't live long enough to utter a "Hail Mary". Those kind of results come through using a suitable caliber and cartridge, combined with skilled marksmanship. That is what you'll see on the 22 hunts on "Winter Magic", that's what you should strive for in the field. So what is the best caliber to buy? I believe it comes down to this. Any of the .17, .20 and .22 high velocity centerfire calibers are suited to all around predator hunting. Recently I had an opportunity to gain exposure to the .22 Hornet and it's a zinger for predators out to the 100 yard mark and in the right hands, beyond. Some calibers and cartridges are more subject to wind drift, some shoot heavier bullets, some shoot lower velocities, some offer a wider choice of bullets, etc. But here's the rub: all will do the job. Research the characteristics of each caliber you are considering and make an informed decision, then shoot within the ability of your gun. Good hunting. John Summerfield  |
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