Coyote John

With such a wide selection to choose from it can make your head spin!  I firmly believe that you can hardly go wrong with any choice in today’s market.   With all the competition for the sportsman’s dollar and with the help of the internet I don’t think a sub-par rifle would last very long.

I can remember years ago when I only owned one centerfire rifle, a Winchester 670 in .243.  That rifle did everything from varmints to predators to deer and antelope and even accounted for one cow elk.  It was just an extension of my body and I can’t ever recall it not being able to put “meat on the table” or take care of the coyote that answered my handcall. 

As the kids grew older and left home I found that we started to have more disposable cash than ever before — when all four left home — WOW.  It was now time for the wife and I to start buying some of those “things”  we wanted.  Naturally I went to the gun stores.  For a year or so I bought a new rifle or shotgun every month.  The old Win 670 got pushed back further and further into the closet until it was completly dust covered and forgotten.  Why shoot a cheap 670 when I could have a new Win model 70 or a Rem 700 or Sako or Beretta or any number of newer and better guns?

Today I have a rifle, shotgun, pistol for almost every occassion and enjoy using them.  If  I’m just out walking in the desert looking for a possible calling place I’ll have my little Anschutz 1518M in 22mag topped off with an Armsport 4X scope.  This little rifle is super accurate and has accounted for many ground squirrels, jackrabbits and the occassional coyote in the 100 yards or less range.  It will shoot Win Super-X 40gr JHP and Federal GAME-SHOK 50gr JHP into one ragged hole all day long at 75 yards.

If I decide to call in the thick cat-claw and sage and my shots may be in the 200 yards or less range I’ll be using my favorite, a Sako Vixen in .223.  This is a full stocked rifle built on Sako’s L461 action and sports a Weaver GrandSlam 4.5-14×40.  I have killed more game with this rifle than any other rifle that I own, to include a fairly decent desert mulie.  I would like to add that this rifle was a gift from my wife to whom I will be forever thankful. 

If I’m going to be calling in the open were shots tend to be a bit on the long side I’ll have my Rem 700 BDL heavy barrel in 22-250 wearing a Leupold.  This rifle is extra special for me.  It belonged to “The Colonel”  a good friend of mine for many a year.  He and I have hunted many a place for a wide range of vermin, not all four legged.  “The Colonel” passed away some years ago and shortly thereafter his wife said she knew he would want me to have one of his rifles - my choice.  I still miss the old S.O.B. and at times get mad at him for leaving us so early in life. 

If I get lucky and draw a deer tag, as I did this year, I’ll use the rifle I’m going to hunt deer with.  I’ll start my calling season with one of my 22 centerfires but as we get closer to deer season I’ll start using either my Win Mod 70 FW Classic in .308 or my Ruger 1B in 25.06.  The .308 also has a Weaver Grand Slam in 6-20×40 and the Ruger sports a Bushnell Elite 4200 2.5-10×40. 

It hasn’t happened in Arizona in the past 15 years but if I’m going elk or sheep hunting I will call coyotes with either my Win Model 70 FW Classic in 270WSM or use my wifes Sako Finnbear in .270. 

I swore that once I retired from the Army I would never have a military type rifle again.  One should never use the word never.  I recently purchased a Armalite M15A4.  I have only been to the range with it one time and haven’t worked up any reloads for it.  However it shoots the cheap Win white box .223 ammo into a 1” group at 100 yards.  It may be time to retire that little Sako Vixen and put the AR to work.