WampusCat

My buddy is is deathly allergic to stinging bugs. Whether overseas or back in the states our job finds us in pretty remote locations. He carries Epi-pens no matter where we go. Anytime we get a new guy or we are with a different group than usual he asks them for 1 minute of their attention. He pulls out an Epi-pen from a pocket so they can see where he keeps them and then explains the why and how to use them in the event he can't do it himself. My advice would be to do the same and educate anyone you spend regular time with and hunting buddies who may be your only hope a few miles from the truck.

What model Browning camera is that? It takes great looking pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

Always great looking mounts. That Javi with his hackles up looks awesome.

Any 45 gr load info will work for that pill. A word of caution for that particular 45 grainer... It will likely have an extremely thin jacket as it was designed for 22 Hornet / 218 Bee cartridges. Those lower velocity cases require super thin jackets to do their work (expand). 223 velocities will provide violent expansion. Also I'd guess that the bullet inside the box doesn't look like the picture. That bullet was made specifically for a 218 Bee with the crimping cannelure and flat point to be used in lever guns.

Longe Range is a passion of mine and I got into a 338 Lapua along the way. It was a beast of a chambering with a ton of capability! (300 gr SMk's literally punching holes through 1/2" mild steel at 500yds) The biggest downside of stepping up to the lapua is the cost to feed it. I only reload for my centerfires and even buying in bulk didn't help with the Lapua. It just flat out cost a lot to feed it and it was heavy! I carry heavy rifles as the norm, but the 338 was a bit too much. I found myself leaving it at home when heading to the hills. After being honest with myself and my needs (killing elk and smaller out to 1,000). I sold the rig and invested elswhere. Any of the big 30s or 7's for that matter with high BCs pack enough heat to tip elk and deer at distance. If you must have a 338 I would think about barrels 28" and longer to take advantage of the cartridge. This will make it hard to keep as a lighter hunting rifle. Also plenty of 338 cans out there. Even some with built in brakes to tame the blast. (ThunderBeastArmsCorps)

First I apologize for the lack of pics of the actual rifle but I didn't hunt this season due to work and all the tools are being stored for now. The only pics I have are the ones saved on the puter now. I would also like to add that this is not intended to portray the .17 Hornet as the "be all, end all" of fur rifles because there are just too many different hunting styles with different needs than mine. I primarily target fox and cats in rough canyon country as well as coyotes in wash bottoms and creosote flats. While home visiting family I also pitted this caliber against the heavy furred winter dogs I grew up calling. I purchased this rifle summer of 2013 with proceeds from a couple fur checks and a real interest in this small caliber. After a couple years of playing with different powder/bullet combos for a few different calibers I was still hunting the perfect fur load. My perfect fur load would be one that hits hard leaving a small entrance hole and enough gas left over to completely use up all its energy inside the vitals of the predator I launched it at. I have always dreamed of a caliber that could tip a grey fox over without popping it like a water balloon yet still be capable enough to pile up a coyote at 200 yds while leaving the pelt in great condition not requiring any sewing. There are a lot of variables in a shot like angles, bone encounters, and just plain ole freak happenings. The best success was with 36gr Varmint Grenades out of a 22-250 or a modestly loaded 52gr Speer HPs from a .223, but still not what I was chasing. When hunting a confined canyon or a wash that limited max visibility to an average of 100yds I found myself grabbing a 22 mag as I headed out. If I am honest with myself I would say that 90% of the critters who expose themselves and commit to the call in these situations end up within 50 yds of the end of my rifle. My thoughts are always that if I am calling them in close why not use a smaller rifle to limit fur damage? My next stop was going to be the .17 Remington until I read about the 17 Hornet. I did some research and a friend purchased the Savage model 25. The gun shot great but had lot of issues with feeding. I chose to go a different route and ordered a CZ 527 in the lighter weight barrel. Once the rifle arrived I sighted it in and was very happy with the results. The groups hovered around half MOA with factory ammo. It wasn't fox season yet so I made a cardboard one to test the old Leopold scope I had decided to mount on the rifle. I lasered off 200yds and was anxious to see what the rifle could do in a little wind on a relatively small target. The fox was intended to resemble a grey but was more proportionate to a kit. The wind affected the little screaming bullet but not nearly as I would have guessed. I was pumped with the results even though fur season was a long way off. Some low desert scroungy coyotes would have to suffice as test medium for a while. Fast forward to season and as the varmints began hitting the dirt I was grabbing the Hornet every time I left the house. At the shot almost everything folded up and tipped over. I had a couple coyotes that were hit in the vitals without hitting bone and made it 50 yds or so. Most looked like they were hit with a larger rifle in respect to the way they flopped over. The most interesting thing to me was the lack of fur damage. In many cases when shot center mass in the chest (common when called critters stop at the last 50 yds reviewing the situation) the animal didn't even bleed. I could carry by a front foot back to the truck and not be drenched in blood from a massive hole. I don't mind blood at all but the lack of clean up, washing of pelts, and sewing in the fur shed is really the reason I seemed to pursue a smaller rifle for fur all the time. Throughout the rest of the season the little round kept amazing me at its abilities to drop stuff in its track and leave little evidence of a being shot. Here are a few pictures from the season. Some are only phone pics while I was hitting the hills alone. Here are a couple close up shots during fur put up that showed the damage or lack of. More critters On a trip back to KS the little hornet had no trouble putting these bigger coyotes down. Notice the severe mange on the face and fore legs of this coyote surviving in the snow. Tried for a Kit to complete a Yuma Slam but couldnt get it done. The only negative thing I encountered was reloading the little hornet. After buying brass, powder, bullets, and dies in an attempt to make a good thing even better with a HP bullet instead of a VMAX, I could not keep it from blowing primers. Even after reducing powder charges the pockets just wouldn't hold. I researched and found I was not the only one suffering from a large batch of tapered primer pockets. Oh well I will try again when they work the kinks out of their brass. One last dog in June of last year before I jumped on a plane. In short I love this little round and the lightweight compact rifle that shoots it. It fills a niche that I live in very nicely where I call for the thrill of the hunt and for their fur. Lots of my opinions could be countered by someone with different needs or who holds other things more important than me. If you operate inside it's capabilities it will be just the ticket for lots of fur hunters. Although this rifle is awesome I think I will start tinkering with a .17 Fireball when I get back. Happy hunting.

Yup, looks like a Model 107 Supermatic Trophy. ("trophy" models had the gold trigger,mag release, and safety) Extra mags and the barrel weights are always scarce. Seems like they always come with the one mag when they pop up for sale. My opinion would be its marked a bit high but you will find lots marked similar. At that price you will need the guy looking for that specific pistol and it will need to be in the prime condition he is looking for. Everything else aside those ole high standards are my favorite. I have a couple of them that are shooters. Before your edition that model and it's predecessor the 106 were marked "military". High Standard changed the grip shape and angle to mimic the military colt 1911 platform.

My only regret is now I feel like I "need" them and want more.

First CBP and now cops, as soon as they start bashing the AZGF they will have completed the elusive trifecta. HALO + low flying bird = lawn dart!

I doubt border patrol has a C-130 or Cobra helicopters. The AH-1 Cobra is an old bird phased out by the services except the Marine Corps. It has a very different mission hence the name AH (Attack Helicopter). Now you may have seen these operating in the area as a result of the prime flying conditions that southern AZ has year round or the similarity between that region and current overseas theaters. The southern units also offer vast unpopulated areas to conduct flight training in. We hunters are a tiny percentage that may be disturbed by their presence there as opposed to more populated areas. It is however, interesting how someone can interpret a different bird in the air as "new budget killing tools" or "luxury items"? The military has been working jointly with BP forever on things ranging from construction projects to surveillance. These projects offer great training opportunities that are mutually beneficial to both parties and to the tax payer. The military is not there to grab bodies. That is BP's job not to mention Habeas Corpus. The military simply provides the manpower and technical skill to areas that would require hiring a civilian contractor or assistance in specific tasks. So you saw an agent driving his truck too hard? Maybe he was on call? Maybe his presence was needed somewhere else in a timely manner? The BP guys out there on the ground or in the air are the least of your worries.

Windy, I agree you can get a bad hit with any caliber. My problem with the HMR is that a less than great shot can appear to be a very bad shot on a coyote sized critter in my experience. If it was all I had I would shoot it and pick my shot very carefully. I will not say anyone is wrong for using the HMR. Lots of folks tell me the Hornet is too small but I have had a different experience. The intent of this post was to identify a particular round that I feel fills a particular performance gap and suits my personal needs very well.

Awesome! It blows me away how that land down there supports big toads like that. Great buck, congrats.

Ha, I promise CZ is the way to go on this little guy. Their set trigger is icing on the cake. Hope you are stacking up all the fur I left in the desert for you.

You may check this recent post out. Both camps throw in their two cents. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/53754-straight-vs-angled-eye-piece/ Straight scope guys like the ease of acquiring the target when switching from binos to spotter. Myself and the angled guys like the ability to naturally and more comfortably look down into the scope while seated.

Thanks Willie! HunterB17, I won't tell you an HMR wont kill a coyote but I will say you may be frustrated with some of your results. Shot placement will be a key factor! Fox is a different story and I think the HMR is a great fox round when called inside 100yds.

Fair enough. When I read Ackley I immediately thought Ackley Hornet. He worked his magic on the little case long ago. Hornady just breathed new life into it.

Well, since the spring results are out and I won't be hunting this year, I thought I would make a post that I meant to long ago. I thoroughly enjoy introducing new people to our way of life and that includes preparing and eating wild game. Once or twice a month at work on friday we try to BBQ and I try to bring something wild. They have seen it all from fish, to frog legs, to dove, to elk steaks and everything in between. I bought a left over tag two years ago and headed East with a couple buddies who had never hunted much less eaten Javelina. They had heard stories from a knucklehead at work that came from Texas. He told them about how it wasnt really hunting and the meat was terrible. I was determined to show them a good time and a glimpse into my love need for the outdoors. Being an avid reloader and predator hunter I have spent many summers fine tuning what I think is the best balance in a fur load in several calibers. This trip we were toting ARs in .223 and I had lots of 52gr Speer hollow points loaded from the previous fur season left over. These have been reliably putting down critters for me so I figured they would work on a Stink Pig just fine. We promptly found a nice ridge a began glassing. No pigs but I called a coyote we spotted right in for an easy shot. I think they believe it's just that easy now. They have much to learn. It was the next day before day we glassed a nice herd and closed the distance. We played the wind and picked a spot that would offer a good shot when pigs came out of the brush. I debated whether to attempt calling them since we have had such a blast while chasing them with archery equipment but I decided against it since everything was falling into place. The pigs filtered out and we watched for a bit. I picked the largest of the group and put a single round in his shoulder. The pig dropped and as I turned around looking for a high five my buddy said the pig was up again. I shot again and the pig was down just as fast. Another round behind the ear for good measure and we were off to check out the pig. It was a great pig and it was even better showing these guys the tusks where the Javelina get their name. This all happened inside of 150 yds so I was surprised at what happened. I was even more suprised when I skinned the pig out and found my first bullet just under the skin on the "near side" from where I shot. Absolutely zero penetration. That pigs body armor literally stopped a bullet from entering the pump station. While I love that bullet for fur it is defintely not a Javelina bullet. We went on to kill one more pig the next day (different bullet) and headed home. Once back home I promised the guys that Javelina was indeed good to eat. It was just a matter of field care and preparing the meat. The meat was carefully cleaned without touching the hair or skin. After cooling on ice for a day I grabbed a random rub and went to work. After the rub was on I wanted to try something new and weaving bacon sounded like a great idea. The woven bacon made a perfect wrap that I hoped would help the meat from drying out. Then into the smoker they went. It's a bit difficult trying to keep a big metal smoker down at the right temperature in the Yuma sun but we made due. After a few hours we couldnt wait any longer as the smell had attracted a platoon of hungry animals. I diced both of the juicy chunks up, bacon and all. Mixed in a bit of BBQ sauce and served it on a bun with a slice of provolone. There was hardly a scrap left shortly after.

Incredible shots! Not an easy target but you are amking it look easy. Those deer are lucky you didnt pack a bow. Are these with your 400mm lense you mentioned in a previous post?

Very cool heavy buck. Glad you got back out there.

The Hornet is dang near the exact same thing as the Ackley. The only damage I had with this caliber was on a fox that jumped up on a boulder 5-10 yds in front of me as I called a big canyon. It startled me and I took a poor shot. I believe at the angle I hit him in the shoulder blade any chambering including a 22 mag would have removed a lot of "mass". More my fault than the caliber. Other than that instance the Hornet has behaved very well.

Thanks everyone. Jim, if you break out the smoker post some pictures.

I wouldn't call it creep but imagine about a half pound take up before you hit the actual wall. I prefer the 2 stage for the mental prep stages it lets me go through. It may be a carry over from match shooting days but I like feeling the purchase I have on the trigger and taking up the slack. When I make contact with the "2nd stage" I can stay there and wait for the sights to settle on the target knowing any more movement rearward will release the hammer. When its time, I make the final movement. There should be zero creep after the 1 stage is taken up. Do not confuse a gritty or sloppy single stage for a 2-stage. Depending on the specific model of course but I bet your Sig 400 has a single stage. I would recommend hitting up a gun store and dry firing a few models that have a 2-stage before you commit.

+1 on the Geissele. They make some of the best triggers out there for different applications. If you like a 2-stage look at the "G2S" model. It is my favorite for price vs quality. Bought a few of them in the $165 price range. Their important surfaces are EDM finished and the springs are stout.

Thanks Havasu, I too had a 22 hornet a while ago and I had similar results as you describe. For reloading the 17, I was using lil' gun and the brass was fine except for the primer pockets. Your remarks on the lack of recoil and watching the impact are spot on and I can't believe I forgot to mention them in the post.

Pretty incredible! Dreams are made of beautiful country like that chock full of elk.