Coyote Trouble/Bullet Failure

nchunt101

nchunt101

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I took my six year step son on his first deer hunt yesterday and shot a doe using 110 gr Hornady SSTs in my 6.8. I shot her in the shoulder and figured she was DRT. We kept hunting and had a small buck run through the beanfield like he was being chased. I didn't hear any dogs so figured a decent buck was about to come out. Five minutes after the buck ran out the doe staggers up from where she had been laying and gimps towards the woods. I shot her again trying and she fell over like she was dead in the woodline. I didn't was somewhat surpised she got up as we were able to see her in the beans looking dead for close to thirty minutes. My stepson was ready to go so we picked up and walked back to the truck then drove to go pick up what I thought was a dead deer. I saw blood from where she had laid in the field and found good heart blood/sign she had laid down from the second shot but it looked like something had spooked her. I kept trailing her and found a fresh pile of coyote shit not two feet from blood. I kept going another thirty yards and see another fresh pile of coyote crap. We keep tracking another five minutes then all of a sudden coyotes open up yipping 50-75 yds of us scaring my step son to death. I called off the search at this point and got him back to the truck.

I was shocked that the coyotes were so bold about going after the doe. In my experience they tend to be very wary and will avoid any possible human contact.

From what I saw I think the bullet exploded on her shoulder and failed to penetrate. I have heard that SSTs will occasionally do this with shoulder shots but I have killed a pile of deer with them that fell like Thors hammer hit them. They shoot sub MOA for me and I was shooting from a rest so I doubt I pulled the shot. We both had a good time but I hate the way the hunt ended. This is the first deer I have lost in 10-11 years and hate it happened in front of my stepson. If anybody knows a good trapper in the Warren/Vance area let me know.
 
This is why I hunt with an AR.

I’ve had hogs come up under me in a stand (and on the ground bivoucacing in a sleeping bag only at Ft Benning), and if a pack of brave coyotes wants to take my kill....having an extra (I use 20rd mags in my AR) 19 rounds on tap and an extra 20 in my pocket is comforting
 
Coyote at my house yesterday was sneaking up to pounce on this years fawn I suspect. I scared him off with a kiss but got one of his women as she came out a few minutes later to sniff around. My house is eat up with them.
 
11B CIB said:
This is why I hunt with an AR.

I’ve had hogs come up under me in a stand (and on the ground bivoucacing in a sleeping bag only at Ft Benning), and if a pack of brave coyotes wants to take my kill....having an extra (I use 20rd mags in my AR) 19 rounds on tap and an extra 20 in my pocket is comforting
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I hunt with the 6.8 a lot for this reason. Where I was tracking was so thick that by the time you would see one it would be on top of you. I admit carrying a shotgun was comforting in the woods last night.
 
Did you go back in after you got the kid to the truck to find her?
 
The yotes around my area are not what western ones are. The ones I have dealt with are nowhere near as vocal and more stand-offish. I don’t hunt them but will take a shot at any I see as long as it is a safe shot no matter what I am doing ... I popped one while bush hogging summer before last as he was crossing a power line cut. I have popped two just before dawn on deer hunts (except for a few eastern counties you yotes are like feral pigs 24/7-365) which pretty much screwed up that day but that yote was worth it. The urban yotes are even worse as they will lay in wait for pets and people don’t realize they are there until little Fiffy yelps as the yote carries him back into the brush. I’ve seen a few heading behind a strip mall to the dumpsters for a buffet and they just stop, look and trot on. Yotes are like feral pigs ... if we don’t do more than just shot them we will be loosing ground. I hate spring traps because it can hurt innocent other animals but damn if I’d not think hard about setting a few with the NC Wildlife guidance if even one was making my property his. Contact them and they’ll help get you going in the right direction.
 
BBD280 said:
Did you go back in after you got the kid to the truck to find her?
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By the time I would have gotten back it would have been a carcass. I am not thrilled I lost the deer but getting my stepson back in time to get ready to go to his dad's was higher on the proirity list. This is the first deer I have lost in over ten years and honestly I wouldn't be suprised if they coyotes hadn't all ready started on her while were were walking back to the truck.
 
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Burt Gummer said:
Coyote at my house yesterday was sneaking up to pounce on this years fawn I suspect. I scared him off with a kiss but got one of his women as she came out a few minutes later to sniff around. My house is eat up with them.
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Sounds like you and I need to have a suppressed night hunt for Yotes.
 
Chdamn said:
Sounds like you and I need to have a suppressed night hunt for Yotes.
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I don’t have a suppressor but I do have a night vision scope.... close enough right? :D
 
nchunt101 said:
...shot a doe using 110 gr Hornady SSTs in my 6.8. I shot her in the shoulder and figured she was DRT......I think the bullet exploded on her shoulder and failed to penetrate. I have heard that SSTs will occasionally do this with shoulder shots but I have killed a pile of deer with them that fell like Thors hammer hit them. They shoot sub MOA for me and I was shooting from a rest so I doubt I pulled the shot. .
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Back to the Bullet. I shoot 117 grain Hornady SST's in my .257 Roberts. Most accurate bullet in that particular rifle but like you I have some mistrust about the reliability. I shot a doe in the neck with an SST bullet last year. The resulting wound was explosive. So much so that I was glad I didn't make a shoulder shot.
 
Cocked & Locked said:
Back to the Bullet. I shoot 117 grain Hornady SST's in my .257 Roberts. Most accurate bullet in that particular rifle but like you I have some mistrust about the reliability. I shot a doe in the neck with an SST bullet last year. The resulting wound was explosive. So much so that I was glad I didn't make a shoulder shot.
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Until I shot this deer the SSTs had allways preformed admirably on shoulder shots. Her shoulder looked a peeled apple from where the bullet blew up on bone. I hate to switch loads since the SSTs are by far the most accurate but I am thinking I will go to a bonded bullet.
 
I used to shoot SST in a few different calibers. Up close when the velocity was still high they pretty much grenaded inside the deer with no exit, but always resulted in a very dead deer. At 100 yards it SHOULD have slowed down enough to get good penetration, not saying that was the case...... Have you shot your rifle since then to check zero?
 
nchunt101 said:
Until I shot this deer the SSTs had allways preformed admirably on shoulder shots. Her shoulder looked a peeled apple from where the bullet blew up on bone. I hate to switch loads since the SSTs are by far the most accurate but I am thinking I will go to a bonded bullet.
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I like soft points. They work well for me.
 
I shot the top of a Does head off at 150 yards one evening in a hay field in siler with an SST out of a 6.8. All I could see was her head and decided to see if I could pull it off. Just make head shots from now on ;)
 
One deer 2 yrs ago DRT was with Speer 150grain (30 cal for 308) Grand Slam. Shooting/hunting buddy said that is all he uses so I tried them and he was right. The other bullet I had great success with was 150 grain Hornady RN 30-30 bullet in a 308 loading. It just wallops the deer. You can hear that "meat pop". They dont go far if they go anywhere. Ballistic tip type bullets or other bullets with high BC at 100 to 200 yds just whistle thru deer in my experience. Have not hunted with Hornady new ELD X bullet but the ELDM bullets are incredibly accurate and the BC is second to none including Berger.
 
I am going to experiment with 110gr Sierra Prohunter this evening. I shot 2 quick groups over lunch that were a little over an inch at 100 yds. Got to love having a berm at work.
 
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I think Federal fusion do a pretty good job on deer and coyotes! I have a model 7 rem that shoot them into 1/2" groups and a 6.5 that is moa all day. They flat just work and work well! Barnes bullets work good too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Conraq said:
I think Federal fusion do a pretty good job on deer and coyotes! I have a model 7 rem that shoot them into 1/2" groups and a 6.5 that is moa all day. They flat just work and work well! Barnes bullets work good too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Yep. Im a fan of all the electrobonded bullets like fusion, hornady whitetail and winchester deer season xp. Fusion has impressed me enough that its my only factory load over several calibers and cartridges
 
nchunt101 said:
You are a hell of a lot more dedicated than I am.
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Nope, it's more that I'm lazy. My Rottie lives inside & before she was fixed, she wore pull-ups twice a year. I figured dog in heat would work during song dog rut, plus we had a garage freezer.
 
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Burt Gummer said:
Is Josh trapping them on the farm?
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Same guy as last year but think diffrent josh than you are thinking I told you wrong last name before. Two off the farm this year in a week and these two off your side of dona rd down in bottom.
 
6.8 guys like the 100 & 110gr Nosler Accubond. I've taken one deer with the 110 & DRT. Very accurate from my 18"er.
 
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