Advice for a 1st big bore
I want to start predator calling with airguns. I have hunted yotes, bobs, coons, and fox for along time and feel a big bore would meet my needs.
I would like a DAQ or a Haley .308 but jack is ill and I have heard its hard to get on the list for DAQ. The Recluse is the only other rifle that’s caught my eye. Any thoughts or suggestions? Most of my stands are sub 50yrds pelt damage is a concern with fox and bobcat. Will a .357 shred the smaller critters? Are there other rifles that I’ve overlooked?
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MAW,
Working on “UPGRADING” my Corsair as we speak. And your quite right, the smaller the better with this gun. AND SO IT SHALL BE…….LOL!
LEADBETTER,
That little Marlin sounds sweeeeet. And ok, your right then, my particular TD257 is EXACTLY what you are used to shooting then. Our numbers are very much identical. That’s some good info
Hi Tof,
Sorry for the late reply been swamped. I’ve used the 25/20 for a long time. My cast bollit load is similar to the performance of some of the airguns mentioned. 90grs @1000 fps due to a pitted bore and thats the sweet spot for accuracy. Killed some yotes with it over the years neck shots usually result in a drt dog. I’ve had some runners with chest shots but my Kerr needed the exercise. Beer cans out to 200 yards are easy target even with the marlins aperture sights 😀 no need to apologize for a rant I do it my self. I think I might buy one of the .357 rainstorms or even the fugly lookin bullpup if PA ever gets them in stock not near the power level i want but it should hold me over for a bit.
What about the Corsair, do they still have them thru Randy, or not, surely better then the Korean, without a tune, I like my Corsair and Jerry’s 117.5 grain bullets, sure everyone has there preference, they did have Corsairs in 357, one I would prefer but I already bought mine in the beginning 308, 200-250 FPE is what I would be thinking of and the smaller the caliber the better.
Leadbetter,
Ummmmmm, SORTA! Same bullets but the 25-20 is just a TAD bit faster being a powder burner and all. Now, in a Haley or if i had DOUG bump up my power, then maybe the ballistics would be a touch closer. Factory Winchester ammo goes about 1400+- fps and my TD will do about 1000 fps with 80+ gr bullets. Dougs Condor 257 is about 70+ fps FASTER than mine. RoachCreeks Haley is about 100-150+- fps faster than mine. So the 25-20 just about DOUBLES my guns power output and is about 400- fps faster
These lil 257’s are really deadly on small game and i can see why the 25-20 was considered a great small game getter out to 150 yards. Once i decided to make my TD a 257, i did a bunch of research on the 25-20 and its ballistics. And that’s the first thing that made me recognize the 257 as a good small game caliber especially in an airgun. Decent BC #’s (for an airgun) and decent power (+- 200 FPE in an airgun)!
And if any rifle in 25-20 has the accuracy (like my TD257) then 150 yards is NOTHING!
SORRY FOR THE RANT BUT, I NOTICE THAT WRITERS and EXPERTS REALLY DOWNPLAY POWER and RANGE in many calibers. Maybe they mean, “the gun has the power BUT accuracy is not there”. Instead of, “the caliber only is good on small game out to 150 yards”…..lol! Sorry LeadBetter, that thought just came to mind and i went with it………. 😀 I can buy a can of refried beans and lay the can on its side facing me and at 160 yards, i can put a HP 257 bullet right in the middle and the FPE will BLOW THE SEALED lid clean off the can and the beans go everywhere. That’s a lot of pressure remaining at 160 yards. So small game at 150 yards……………IS NOTHING…… 😆
Hi Tof,
I agree with you. Seems I can’t ever make a perfect calling setup and yotes just will not sit still for brain surguery. That .257 you got sounds nice. Is it similar to 25/20 ballistics?
Hi rc,
That’s a nice fur collection you got there. Biggest problem I have had with long shots is shooting the wind. I’ve wounded a bunch of starlings over the years when gust of wind blew my shot one way or the other. Most of the yotes I call in are usally around 50 yards or less I try to get close to den areas. I might take a look at the ranger. Thanks for the reply’s
Dustin
The problem is trajectory.
And much depends on if you want to find them and have a trophy. A pellet thru the lungs will kill them, but they will run.
As far as head shots, how many times have you tried a longish shot and the pellet hit low because of that loopy trajectory?
Now add in the factor of excitement at the challenge, field shooting conditions and you have in my opinion, from a man who has killed a few hundred of them, too much room for error and a broken jaw and a long lingering death.
Myself, I would want a bullet and a lung, heart, spine, or broken shoulder bone shot possibility if I wanted a trophy.
I have wounded and watched many coyotes escape, some were shot with 12 gauge #4 buck, 223 and 308 using full patch ammo, some with jacketed bullets at ranges that were simply too far and I got greedy for that hide. But bear in mind much of my years of hunting were to protect livestock and after I pulled the trigger I could have cared less how far the coyote went after being hit, the fact that they were not coming back was the goal at the time.
But the common denominator at the time for a coyote to be retrievable with a shoulder shot, was to break bone that impaired its mobility while it died.
I have about the finest two air guns for coyotes, the Haley 257 with HP 257420 bullets and the Ranger 45, however, I would limit myself to 90 yards and I am at that point in life again that I don’t care if they run for a couple hundred yards after I shoot them.
I have simply skinned and fleshed and sewn up way too many of them to ever want to do it again.
Regards,
Roachcreek
At one point i thought long and hard on using my Rapid 25 (50FPE) on Yotes. Main reason is because its a flawless working gun and the accuracy is ALWAYS right in line with the crosshairs on any given day.
The problem is the pellets being domed shaped. The gun has enough power to kill a yote with a headshot but i wouldn’t too much trust it on a body shot. AGAIN, Domed 25 cal pellets. So me using my R25 on a Yote was thought out long and hard but it was decided that NO, IT JUST WON’T DO! I make no judgement against others who use the MROD. That’s their choice.
My 257 came along and it shed NEW LIGHT on the subject. Its basically 4x’s more powerful than my Rapid as well as a few other things. That gun would be my minimum Coyote killer. It gives me options. I honestly would take a 250 yard shot with my TD257. Body (heart/lungs) or Head. But with my 50 FPE Rapid, it would be a 75 yard HEAD ONLY MAX! And we all know that yotes BOB and WEAVE and that not every instance hunting them is gonna give you a perfect head shot.
So, in my opinion, can a 50 fpe gun kill a yote? HELL YES! THE ACCURACY AND POWER IS THERE! But the conditions gotta be just right IMO. But a 257 or 308 or 9mm will do a better job at much further distances and will ALSO allow for just a little bit of “SHOOTING ERROR”…lol!
Hi butcher, I haven’t counted out the Sam yang guns. I really like the recluse, and hear Will P can do a hell of a tune on one. Even stock I think the recluse is flat shooting and powerful enough for my needs. The only thing I dislike about the Sam yang guns are the die cast receiver, but on a hunting gun that’s going get dropped and bumped who cares.
A tuned Samyang works great for that application. Short/handy and powerful rifle for the ranges/game you speak of.
Check my post history for the Bobcat/coyote hunts showing minimal fur damage from my tuned SamYang .45 shooting EPP/UG’s.
Leadbetter,
I like your plan, I’d go with 257 or 308. My friend John Bowman has been whacking dozens of coyotes out near 400 yards with his 257, plus many accounts of guys on line with pics of coyotes down at long ranges with 308. With my limited experience, from what I have learned from other’s advice, don’t mistake the pcp 308 for a lot of similarities with the 308 centerfire. slower bullet = less damage, but plenty of knockdown power for a medium sized game like a coyote.
go for a flat shooting trajectory so you can hold dead on your target animal without worrying much about range estimation and holdover, I agree with everything everyone else is recommending to you.
good luck,
AK Andy
Thanks Steve, I’m probably gonna wait til Jack gets to feelin better and order one of his rifles. I got plenty of time. Your right about yotes not giving a fellar much time to figure his shot placement. I’ve been reluctant to jump on the .25mrod bandwagon for those reason. A good friend of mine who is a great caller and has put lots of fur in the dirt with sub sonic .22 Lr target loads in a anshuzts sportter recently bought a .25 mrod because of ammo shortages and has not been pleased with it on predators. I don’t want to buy into hype like he did so I’m going to wait and make a educated decision. Hopefully Jack gets well soon so it won’t take long for my decision .
What I found out about korean bigbores is they will develope leaks and they arent powerfull enough, the trajectory is more pronounced. I use a Jack haley 308 and it is flat shooting helping with not holding over under. The last thing you want when you have a coyote coming in is having to think alot to make a shot you want to get the scope on em and drop em not am I holding high enough or low enough. Coyotes dont give you alot of time so if I where you Id be looking into a custom with higher power, in either 257 or 308 .
Yeah deff don’t sleep on the korean guns!
80 grit,
Who is Doug ?
Tof,
I figured pelt damage would be similar to cast bullets in handguns on similar sized game, thanks for confirming my assumption. I really don’t need a big bore right now but I really want one so I’m leaning towards a recluse. Any suggestions on a proper mold? Most of my .357 molds are 158 gr + is that to heavy? Thanks for the help.
😀
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What would you think of one these big boys !