king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated Magazine Dec/Jan 2008 - Coyote Crazy! - Index

BY HAZER BULKLEY
66
A NEW TWIST ON
PREDATOR SHOOTING
The most popular theory on
disposing of coyotes is to make
a light bullet travel as fast as we
can make it. That is why the 22-250,
243, and now the 204, which are all
traveling around 4,000 fps, are so
popular. The problem with these
speedsters is the range limitations.
These rifl es have a range of 300 to
400 yards tops with consistency.
Out West, we have big tough coyotes
that require more ft. lbs. of energy
than these light bullets can deliver.
If you have chased these elusive
animals a day or two, you will have
realized that wind is the rule - not the
exception. Many hunters know the
drop of their bullets from 300 to 400
yards, but how about throwing in a
10-mile per hour wind? With the
growing number of coyote callers,
there are a proportionate number
of educated coyotes. It has become
common to hear, “The coyote just
sat out there at 400 yards looking
HUNTING ILLUSTRATED.com
at me.” As the coyotes evolve, so must
our shooting style.
Fear no more, help is here.
The solution? High ballistic coeffi cient,
heavy for caliber match bullets. These
are 75-grain to 90-grain, 22 caliber
bullets or 95-grain to 105-grain, 6mm
bullets travelling 3200 fps or faster. I
can almost hear some of you laughing,
but take a look at the chart below. High
performance and extra coyotes come
at a price - gunsmith installed custom
barrels. These long range performers
require a faster twist, or rifl ing, than the
factory rifl es provide. Most 22’s and
6mm’s have a 1-10 or 1-14. This means
that the barrel has one full revolution
every 10 or 14 inches. If you try these
heavy bullets, they will tumble and often
keyhole (hit the target sideways). When
ordering a new barrel, request a 1-7 or
1-8. The faster barrel twists are needed
in order to stabilize the heavy bullets.
Fear not speedsters, the new twist will
still let you shoot tiny, light bullets. It’s
FAST TWIST
RIFLES
For more information
on custom rifl es with fast
twist barrels contact Bison
Barrels at (307) 687-1176