The WORST shot ever!!!!

BadMedicine

Moderator
Please, no pointing fun, I'm broken up about this enough already :)

So yesterday, We go out looking for some birds and bunnies to shoot. IT's starting to get pretty cold, and the snow-shoes are starting to turn white, and that makes them easier to spot, since there isn't snow yet. We just took our shotguns, it was going to be a short trip, because we had stuff to do in the afternoon. I have my Winchester model 37A 12 ga. and we've jost gotten to a good area to look for stuff. Down the road about 50 yards, there's this dog trotting strait for us, just kinda looking off to the side for a meal.
"coyote"
"No, it's a wolf" (looked really big)
(in stereo) "nope, coyote"
It had turned and walked slowly into the brush and we could see the actual size and color. So we drive up to where it had went into the brush, and I jump out with my sceery calls, but before I could use them, this DUMB coyote walks right out in front of our truck about 30 yrds away. I have 6 shot in my gun, for rabbit, but at 30 yards it should have been attiquate(sp). So I pull up and fire, and the dog, who was before just ambling back towards the brush, put some adrenaline on the burner and shot back into the woods. He didn't yelp, he didn't roll, just ran into the brush. I go up and check the spot where he was, it was 27 yrds. No blood, no hair, all I could see was claw marks in the hard-packed dirt where he had tried to get some traction. I walked into the woods and brush a ways, to see if maybe I had got him, but didn't see any sign of him. I couldn't believe it. I missed a coyote at 27 yrds WITH A SHOT GUN!!!! I can't remember a more buggered shot than that. Oh well, there's a long winter ahead. I did end up shooting a pigeon (It was a great shot!) and My brother got a snow-shoe that had already turned about half white. I'm not too worried about the coyote, he wasn't prime hardly at all, but up here, they're somewhat rare, and you shoot 'em when ya see 'em. I just can't believe I missed! :(
 
BadMedicine, you may not have missed. The #6 shot at 27 yds. may not have had enough oomph to penetrate the fur, or, more likely, did penetrate but not enough to leave blood/hair trail. If there was penetration, it would be individual pretty small holes, and the surrounding fur could soak up any blood that oozed, before the wounds scabbed over. So no trail.

Bad news, I think you just wounded the critter.
 
Yep, I'm willing to bet that yodel dog got himself a sting and an education. A couple friends had the opposite problem a couple weeks ago. We were sneaking up a salmon creek looking for a brown bear. Got to where we were thinking about turning back and 4 or 5 coyotes popped out just across the creek. My buddies were in front of me with rifles raised and aimed, uncertain whether to shoot or not until I said 'Take 'em!' Then all hell broke loose as 300 Winmag and 35 Whelen-sized holes started appearing in coyotes. :eek: Not pretty, but very good penetration ;).

------------------
RKBA!
 
It didn't even yelp! At 30 yards I'm sure I'd have gotten some decent penetration even if I was using light loads. We've stung dogs before and had them yelp and yip for a long while, all while making tracks, but this one was quite. Either way, He's an educated dog now. Educated to roads, and educated to "things that go Boom." He still don't know calls yet though. Maybe we'll go make some noise in that area next weekend :D
 
Because of the relatively long shots on quail and doves down in this desert country, I use high-brass Winchester 7-1/2". A pretty good thump at both ends, even with a 30" Model 12.

I looked out of my kitchen window one evening and saw a bobcat just outside the yard. Somewhere around 25-30 yards. Stuck the muzzle out the door, pulled trigger and saw the prettiest somersault a cat could ever do. And that was the end of his quail-hunting.

Seems to me that 6s could do a number on Wiley Coyote. Unless, of course, you just flat missed His Highness...

:), Art
 
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