Z ZZZ ZZ zzzzzzzz

[lb]

Nobody has a problem, a brag, a new something?

[CrossJ]

Off season LB. Work is in full swing now. Been waging war against starlings in my shop though....lol.

One question though....don't you have a 223AI? I may need some info from you on that at some point.

Maintain

[lb]

Yes, I do. It doesn't suddenly become a 22-250, but handles 55 grain VMax about 50fps faster than the stock chambering. I think it's just enough for close cover, inside 100 yards.

Of course, our friend, Randy saw my first cripple with that load, which was embarassing, and I let him get up and run off, while plinking at him a couple more times before he got over the hill. So did Randy. He said, hit him again, and I didn't believe he really needed it? 'Course, why didn't he do it? Well, lesson learned, it's still marginal, but a step in the right direction.

Full compressed load of Varget is what I use. LB

[Furhvstr]

" Just enough for inside 100 yds" C'mon LB.

It gets a little more credit than that from me.

I have one that is super accurate with 26.5 grains of H4198 at 4030 fps. with a 40 g bal tip.
Trouble is that it doesn't feed well. Pulled the barrel of it a few years ago and built a .17 rem with what was left. Figured I'd make up a single shot with it (the .223 imp barrel) someday and never have.

Ml

[cooncrazy]

they make a .17 remington barrel for a ar-15 style rifle? might have to look into that critter!!

[lb]

Mercer, so what terminal performance did you get from a 40 gr. ballistic tip? I loaded 40 rounds of 40 Gr VMax for my Texas trip a couple months ago but decided to stick with the 55's. LB

[Furhvstr]

You know me LB the faster the better. Only shot maybe 40-50 yotes with it. Mostly all called. 50-225 yds no worries. 50-55 grain bullet would probabaly be a better choice. I run the 50's through the straight .223. I geuss it depends on what is required by the trip/conditions. I would think that it would be a great Texas calling rig with the forties, as long as it feeds consistantly.

ML

Ahh, seems like just yesterday..

[lb]

Hey, great pic! Very nice cat, too. A couple of handsome dudes, also! Won't soon forget that night.

[trappnman]

so do cats, generally, get right up to you before you see them, or can you see most coming in from a ways? Or are cats just a night thing?

[lb]

so do cats, generally, get right up to you before you see them, or can you see most coming in from a ways? Or are cats just a night thing?

That's what we might call a multifaceted question.

First of all, they could "get right up to you" but if at night, you generally see them from a distance. But, if they step around an obstruction, like a rock, or brush, yeah, they could get very close before you are aware of them.

I won't go so far to say that cats are a "night thing" but if you hunt day and night, you will take three or four times as many at night and the reasons are several. First, that's when they are out hunting, just like coyotes. Second, you see them so much better when working a light. These animals are routinely missed, meaning, not discovered, in the daytime because they move so stealthy, and some cats take longer to come in than a coyote, so they break off the stand too soon. That's "some" cats, not all cats.

That particular cat in the pic was spotted driving between cage sets and misidentified as a gray fox, the first time. On the return, he was spotted again, same place and after a frank discussion about what it was, Mercer took a shot at something like 300 yards on the side of a mountain, with a 17MK4. The animal ran, I was on the light and had him marked pretty well, and helped guide Mercer to the location.

It's very difficult to categorize bobcats if you are addressing when, where and how you get them. However, their habits usually tip them off, way before you see them in a scope. I never saw him at all but knew what it was because of where he was and what he did. Or, more accurately in this particular case, what he didn't do. LB

[17Wonk]

I never saw him at all but knew what it was because of where he was and what he did. Or, more accurately in this particular case, what he didn't do. LB

Care to elaborate LB?

[lb]

Well look. If we had lit up a gray fox, he likely would have come down the hill. Flying down the hill, in many cases. But he didn't. He didn't even sneak off.

On the turn around, he was still in the same place. Gray fox don't behave that way, but bobcats do. They feel safe, up high and will look at a light for a long time, whereas, a coyote won't probably be up on the side of that hill, in the first place, and secondly, if you put a burn light on a coyote for any length of time, they will depart and they sure as hell won't be there an hour later, same rock. Had he been in a draw, instead of on that rock, it could be a bedded mule deer, but you can identify a deer from a long ways off. And, they generally look at you with one eye. By behavior alone, that was a cat, no question about it. LB

[17Wonk]

I'm just gettin into this night thing but thats pretty much what I thought you would say based on my limited experience. Thanks for sharing.

[Furhvstr]

Pretty good LB. I didn't think you were paying attention that night.

ML

[lb]

Yes, at my advanced age, and since it was well past my bedtime, I am just glad that I didn't nod off and mess my pants. They say that age and treachery beat youth and talent every once in a while. LB