A guy can have too many friends.

[Furhvstr]

Had a friend up on the trap line with me. He was a big help for a couple of days- running video, checking traps and pulling the line. Good guy to have in the truck - easy to get along with.
Part of the deal was that we would try and call him up a nice cat to mount. spent half of the first night running hard and got smaller Tom. The second night the wind was blowing trees over so we stayed in the rack and went out at 2AM once things settled a bit.
By 6 am we had run across just a coyote and it wasn't looking good as we were checking out that day. The sun was starting to glow to the east when we pulled in a set of eyes down in the flats on our way up to our last hope canyon.
Eventually a coyote showed from the direction of the initial sighting. We fooled around with the un-cooperative dog for a minute or two until he left but before leaving I scanned around once more accompanied by a little lip squeaking and found the original set of eyes in the same place we had first seen them.
I told my buddy that we need to go check it out. It was acting pretty catty and down here in the flats that if it was a cat it would defiantly be the one he ws looking for.
We grabbed a couple of flashlights and walked for a 100 yards or so.
We set up and I hand called a bit calling him in a bit closer before hanging up at around 150 or so. I could see him just fine from my knees but too flat for my buddy to see in the prone position with a low bipod.
We had to find a higher point to shoot from so keeping the light above the cats head we walked backwards around 25 yards to the only high spot we could find, a big flat rock around two feet tall.
My buddy was able to get on him from there and confirmed what I was sure of by this point that it was a cat. The gun went off so quick that I figured he had lit it on accident not being accustomed to the 12 oz triggers on my night guns.
When the "thud" reported back to my ears I new he had made a solid shot.
The sun was peeking over by the time we got back on the road with our last minute cat in the back. The best cat of my two week trapping/hunting break from work. Easily a $4-$600 cat or maybe more depending on what the market does this year. Dorsal skinned it for a mount instead of a stretcher. Too many friends sometimes.

ML

[17Wonk]

Ouch! Nice cat tho...

[mtbadger]

Beautiful cat Mercer.

I am going to have to get your video on cat handling....

[trappincoyotes39]

Could I ask the need for a 12oz trigger on any hunting gun?

[lb]

I like a light trigger, but 12 ounces is not possible unless it is aftermarket. A pound and a quarter is usually doable.

[trappincoyotes39]

LB I see your point and would have to be unless a Savage Target rifle they can be bought in the Oz's of pull. I have a new savage model 10 hunter max 1 in .243 a sweet gun accutrigger which is around 2lbs and that is about as low as I would want for sure, not so much lbs of pull but how crisp in my book.

The accutrigger beings a 2 stag protects the sear from accidental discharge because even if jarred can't go off unless the first stage of the trigger which acts as a block is fully depressed.

One gets below 1.5 lbs in a hunting rifle and IMO your asking for issues, I have seen the issues from some that think they need a 6oz trigger in a hunting rifle, and the misfires from gloved hands, not paying attention and the such. Let alone such a trigger and operation in the dark of night! No thanks...............

[FWS]

TC, that rifle is a CZ 527 which has a set trigger, which if you're familiar with them can be 'set' for a light pull by pushing the trigger forward. With the pull weight measured in ounces. Though Mercer may have the first pull adjusted to 12 oz. or an aftermarket trigger installed.

I had a couple Canjar triggers for Rem. 700's that were set triggers, didn't care for them for hunting because of the width of the integral trigger shoe. But for shooting offhand at silhouettes they were great.

[diogee]

What stock is on that CZ? Looks very nice. Curious minds want to know.

[Furhvstr]

Sorry guys- I never re-visited this post until now. I see there were a couple of questions.

Yes that rifle in the pic is a CZ with the factory two stage trigger which sets when you push it forward and is set at less than a pound. The primary trigger is more like 2-3 lbs or so I guess.

The stock is a McMillan "Sako" style ordered blank and custom inletted for the CZ. It (19-.223) is not my normal night hunting rig it is my back-up. I keep it in the truck for calling coyotes and to put into service for night hunting should something happen to the night gun which is exactly what happened. The night before we found a cat and my buddy missed it twice. I ripped the gun away from him and took my shot hitting the cat mid-body as he was walking up and away. The next day we set up a target and the gun had obviously taken a hit as it was way off.

The guy that shot the cat, as it turns out is an exceptional shot and quick with the gun.

TC- my two normal night guns are set up strictly for night hunting. One has a Jewell trigger set at 12 OZ and the other is another set trigger set at 12 OZ . They are single shots with no magazines. They never have a round in them until the bipod is out and you are on the cat. I don't like sewing holes or ruining skins so they must be super accurate. I am shooting cats square between the eyes at distances up to 210 yds or so at night and light triggers in expensive guns are the only way I know to do that consistently. I have experimented with lighter and heavier pull weights and have settled on 12 Oz. I have never had a misfire due to extreme cold or the like.

I did shoot a round off one night this past season as I was changing positions. (the second one in 27 years) Thank goodness good muzzle practices have become an ingrained habit. I think it would have happened with a heavier trigger weight. I lost my balance and re-gripped the rifle.

I would agree, as a general rule light triggers on hunting rifles should not be recommended.

ML

[lb]

Mercer, I always meant to ask you about that cat we got last year, another nice one, BTW.

Anyway, where did you aim, if you remember? He moved laterally at least 50 feet after the shot, but I never actually looked for a bullet hole? I assume it was a chest shot, more or less? LB