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Author
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Topic: My apologies...
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 10, 2026 10:37 AM
My apologies to C-dog.
Last time Lance was here he mentioned his gunny sergeant told him to zero his AR at 50 yards, and I gave him a bad time about it. This school of thought does have merit and was brought to light last night by my nephew.
I had my ackley at gunsmith to get barrel threaded so I put my thermal on my Bergara 22-250. We were in a hurry and Nephew said just zero it at 50 yards.
So I did and then we checked it at 100 yards and was almost 2" high which would keep me on fur out to 400 yards roughly. The thing with my thermal is you have to zero it for whatever distance and it stays there as you can't make a dial correction like you can with a day scope.
A day scope I would just zero at 100 and be done with it and then dial if I was going to shoot farther.
Nephew has all that ballistic crap on his phone, so had it all figured in for what i needed.
At night its little tough to range a coyote unless you have thermal with range finder and auto dial, I don't so thought I try the 50 yard zero.
Nephew and I loaded gear back up and went and made a stand. I made nephew do the calling this time so I could see how well he is coming along as far as that goes.
20 minutes in we had a pair of coyotes on way in but the smarter one was holding back behind the other by couple hundred yards. I whisper to nephew to take close one when he ready and I'd go for the long shot.
Just as I heard the pifffffft sound from his AR I squeezed my trigger and let one rip on my coyote.
I could hear a double plopp sound almost same time and my coyote dropped. Nephew's coyote ran a little then collapsed.
We both turned on our green Lazers to mark our dead coyotes and made it easier to find them in corn stocks.
My nephew was using his Valkrie shooting a 55 gr. bullet and it made a mess of things, not sure if it splashed or just blew a big hole coming out. uuck.
Got to my coyote which I shot with 22-250 and a 52 gr. Berger H.P. and we could not even find a blood spot to indicate where bullet went in. I like that even on a worthless coyote.
Off to gunsmith to pick up my Ackley as it only took him a day to thread barrel plus I'm taking two barrels in for Nephew to get threaded as well.
The 22-250 is a little louder compared to my 224 Valkrie but its manageable. That bullet whizzing sound really fucks up some of the coyotes though..
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5935 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted February 10, 2026 12:41 PM
I have never touched a dial on a coyote, If I can’t figure it out with a midrange zero, there’s no hope.
I’m also old school on my zero. Old habits die hard so I just figure one or 1 1/2” high at a hundred yards and that is more than good for anything out to 400 yards, which is where I draw the line for several reasons. I’m speaking of night hunting with a light, Primarily. Of course you have to be shooting at least 22-250 or 243Winchester. Myself, I always use a little more gun than that, 22-250Ackley, 25’06Ackley, 6mmRem, or 270, or 243Ackley.
The point is a flat shooting cartridge and then I never have to worry about dials, put crosshairs on a coyote, Allow for another fraction depending on estimated range and it’s fire and forget. I seldom get a cripple, runner or anything but Bang/flop. I am anal about positively marking an animal by some available landmark, and putting a laser on it if possible so there is less shouting and directing by the light man, who can continue to hunt while the shooter is shagging the animal. When a team has these things down pat, there will be few wasted searches or time and coming up empty to boot.
Anyway, that’s what has worked for me for a long time.Daytime stands are a different animal, different guns, different gear and apparel. And the shooting distances are less than half those of night hunting. Not always, just usually. Cartridges are pretty standard, except I’ve always stayed away from AR’s and 223’s
In fact, I am annoyed hunting with someone using a fucking Assault Rifle! You can’t say anything or risk offending somebody, but I don’t even like the way they handle their “WEAPON” between stands. They tend to be lazy about put5ting it on safety, and calling it good. IfI say anything they will make an effort to place the weapon sideways, so it doesn’t shoot me in the back.
If they unload the WEAPON, this is always noisy when parking and being quiet, but there is nothing quiet about loading the fucking weapon. In short, as far as I’m concerned, an AR Assault Weapon makes a poor coyote rifle. Period. Maybe just as bad is those break open gadgets, forget what they are called, but Higgins used to like them. Yeah, unique single shot, accurate, etc. but I can’t warm up to them. Very hard to beat a bolt rifle.
Just my opinion.
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33034 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 10, 2026 03:24 PM
for daytime dialing is more exact for shot placement and don't always get a 100-200 yard shot and not going to limit myself buy guessing hold over.
Can't dial a thermal so I do the 50 yard zero now and good out to 400 for night shooting. Out to 400 you always be on fur and can cheat a little if you think it's just tad farther.
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5935 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 11, 2026 08:07 AM
Another good night with coyotes being a sucker to a few good howls. But did have one stand with a pair coming in over a rabbit screaming. On pair I aimed for the coyote in the back and just as I squeezed the trigger the lead coyote stepped in front of second saving its life. LOL turned out to be a female. A buddy up north sent me a thermal vid. of a young wolf he called in and was cool to watch as it came right in to the E-caller then got whiff of scent and took off.
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5935 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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JoeF
resides "back east"
Member # 228
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posted February 12, 2026 07:10 AM
Tim, take a pass through the on-line Hornady calculator and check out a 25 yard zero for that 223 or the Valkry.
I hunted with a late friend who was a Hornet and 223 fan and he swore by a 23 yard zero and he was probably the most effective coyote shot I've seen.
I can say that his 223 with that zero and dumb ole 55's were a little high for my skill set at 175-200 yards if you didn't keep his sight-in in mind.
Personally, I'm somewhat like LB. 270, 243, 22-250, even puny 308 and 223 gets set something like 1.8" high at 100. Lessor used Hornet is my exception, I kind of treat it like a glorified 22 LR and zero at 100.
At the ranges I limit myself to, and that generally imposed by terrain, I have no intentions of twisting on a scope knob.
Posts: 662 | From: Midwest | Registered: Aug 2003
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted February 12, 2026 10:20 AM
That Joe F seems like an intelligent and enlightened fella!
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33034 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 12, 2026 12:05 PM
My Nephew runs loads through his ballistic calculator, but this is just for thermals at night because you cannot adjust them once set so you have to rely on holdover at times. But with 50 yard zero I'm good to 400 yards on fur and little less with Valkrie.
On day scope its a 100 yard zero and I just dial to next distance, not much on using hold over when i don't have to.. You dial for intended distance you miss just that much less. LOL
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5935 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted February 12, 2026 01:00 PM
You must have all night to dial in, and you don’t even have an accurate estimate of range? My employment of holdover only comes into play at distances beyond 250, or so. I have never fiddled with knobs; and I mean never. I’m talking about a presentation, animal is out there and unlikely to come closer. You kinda just know when he’s locked up and evaluating the situation.
In my experience, I know my load and expect that I’m dead on, regardless of range-out to my self imposed limits of about 400 yards. And then, it’s like holding about an inch high, if I’m shooting headshot between the eyes, I just hold on his forehead. Anyway, it works for me. This fucking long range FAD is really a bad idea, in my opinion. We aren’t shooting metal, big whoop if you miss it, And, there is seldom time to take scope caps off and in the dark, remembering which way to turn. That’s not the way I hunt. And, it ain’t one bull elk or go home empty handed. A coyote may or may not hold while a bullet is in flight. As far as I’m concerned, these open turrets are just in the way and liable to snag on branches or your hood ties, who knows? I think it’s a fucked up trend! Yes, a sniper hunting humans may be able to fuck with his settings, but that’s what it is, the difference between a sniper and a hunter; between humans during war and recreational HUNTING. I think they are bastardizing the hunting conditions and almost making it into target shooting.
Creasing the 9 ring is cause for a raised eyebrow; but if Nimrod hits his buck in the cheek, you now have a sorry mess! And all because you couldn’t HUNT a little closer, or didn’t want to, thinking you might be more of a hero if you made a 503 yard shot! If you can’t sneak within 400 yards, maybe you got 3 more days to fill your tag? I dunno? I think the LONG RANGE trend is fucked up and I don’t mind sharing my two cents about it!
And these assholes never mention how far any animal can move, while the bullet is in flight! I assure you, a buck can decide to move six feet while your bullet is in flight, at say 600 yards. And that’s not the end of it, they talk about 800-1,000-1,200 yards! This is BULLSHIT! So is the whole trend, fast twist barrels, extremely long, heavy bullets, short/velocity robbing barrels and then they hang a can on the end! What we are left with, I do not recognize as big game “HUNTING” as the concept was explained to me; at my father’s knee. Yes, I’m probably fighting a losing battle, but these guys need to cover their tracks at some point because the best plans….and there be many a slip, twix the cup and the lip!
So, go ahead, pay no attention to this grumpy old man!
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 33034 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TA17Rem
Hello, I'm the legendary Tim Anderson, Southern Minneesota Know it all
Member # 794
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posted February 12, 2026 05:58 PM
I don't dial in at night; I said that before that's why we now using the 50-yard site in and good out to 400 yards. If coyote just fits inside my reticle circle or little, larger its game on and just aim for fur. Don't need a range finder. and it's not long range by a long shot.
Day time is different ball game and play accordingly..
Thermals come with like 4-6 different reticles learn to use then for ranging as well as aiming.
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What if I told you, the left wing and right wing both belong to same bird!
Posts: 5935 | From: S.D. | Registered: Jan 2006
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