Far or moving?

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OKRattler

Well-known member
If you had your choice of the two to shoot at would you rather have a coyote standing broadside at 300+ yards or a moving coyote at 200 yards or closer?

For me I'd rather have the moving, closer coyote. I'm not that great at longer range targets especially if it's a shoot now or never get another shot type situation. I'm talking more of the heat of the moment scenario where a coyote winded you or you shot at it and missed. No time to range it and shoot or anything. It's a hail marry shot at 300 yards or more or you're shooting at a moving target from where your rifle is sighted in at or closer.

Me personally, I've connected on more coyotes flat out running like the devil was chasin them than I have coyotes at 300 yards or more. So I'll take the movers over the long range coyotes standing still.
 
Tuff one to answer for me. Longest I've taken with thermal was a touch over 250 yards (according to my huntstand app). I can do okay at running shots 100 or less. I don't think I'd want to take many shots at running coyotes at 200 yards though. I guess I'd say 300 standing still. It wouldn't take much practice to figure out my hold over. All of my misses are due to poor judgement of distance. This year I've upgraded to a thermal with LRF.
 
I will take the 300yd standing shot, I know my gun and how it shoots, I am not much good at moving target shots close or far that's daytime hunting, night with lights I want them less than 200yd not moving at all.
 
300 standing all day every day for me. Not a hail mary at all with my calling rifles. They all shoot flat enough to hold point of aim to beyond 300. Except my AR. Which I have only even attempted a couple of shots that far with. But it's a hoot to hose down close in runners with!

- DAA
 
300 standing if I had to choose. I’ve made a few moving shots over the years but never at 200. All inside 100 and just trotting. Not an all out run. All night hunting.
 
Never claimed to be the brightest, but this thread prompted an “Ahh Ha” moment, lol.
In answer to the question, I honestly have no clue, never had the option at either.
Now the “moment”…
I’ve never understood why y’all have these scenarios, but I now understand. Y’all can see that far and the coyotes can too!!!
My farthest is 198yds and I just happened to see them on our fresh harrowed dove field. A “normal” shot down here is 50-100yds. A 150 might be possible under optimal circumstances. Heck, our coyotes may hang up at 300yds but I’d never know it cause I can’t see that far. I have seen glimpses when I have the high ground, but not enough for a shot. Plus most of the time they’re coming in. A hang up here would be maybe at an opening or field edge and we’re still only 150yds MAX. We face more close or chip shots for y’all than we do anything with distance. Try getting on a coyote streaking by at 25yds. Sounds easy enough for y’all making those longer running shots, lol
 
Spurchaser said:
Never claimed to be the brightest, but this thread prompted an “Ahh Ha” moment, lol.
In answer to the question, I honestly have no clue, never had the option at either.
Now the “moment”…
I’ve never understood why y’all have these scenarios, but I now understand. Y’all can see that far and the coyotes can too!!!
My farthest is 198yds and I just happened to see them on our fresh harrowed dove field. A “normal” shot down here is 50-100yds. A 150 might be possible under optimal circumstances. Heck, our coyotes may hang up at 300yds but I’d never know it cause I can’t see that far. I have seen glimpses when I have the high ground, but not enough for a shot. Plus most of the time they’re coming in. A hang up here would be maybe at an opening or field edge and we’re still only 150yds MAX. We face more close or chip shots for y’all than we do anything with distance. Try getting on a coyote streaking by at 25yds. Sounds easy enough for y’all making those longer running shots, lol
Click to expand...
Ha! Yep… My thoughts immediately went to you guys down in the thick. Figured I’d give you the opportunity to explain the reality you deal with. Lol… Not that I’m in a spot known for long distance shooting, but I do have some spots that allow 300 yards. I rarely setup in ways that require that distance though. I prefer 150 and in at night.
 
Having taken coyotes at 330 standing, and made a running shot at 150, both with thermals, I'll take longer range every time, if it's dark. Only reason I took the running shot was that he was already hit and got up, and we were in a tournament. Thermals have lag, not alot, but some. Running shots are a guess at best.

Now daylight, I don't stop dogs. They are pretty predictable when moving, lead them a little and your good.
 
I’ll take the 300 yard shot with confidence all day. With a steady rest I will hit that shot way more often than not. I have shot them out to almost 700 yards. My confidence on a running shot is a lot less.
 
I forgot to clarify. For me a 300+ yard shot is a hail marry shot. I misjudge distance easily. I call a wide variety of terrain. I can call spots that are flat enough to see thousands of yards to places where it's so thick you'll be lucky to get a 200 yard shot to rolling hills and canyons where it's really hard to judge distance. Those rolling hills make it harder to judge distance in my opinion. I've held over on a coyote calling in that terrain and ended up wounding it. For some reason the hills made it seem as though the coyote was further than it actually was. I held over just a smidge and clipped the coyote in the head. I should have just put the crosshairs on it. That wasn't a rushed shot at all it was actually very deliberate. My eyes just played tricks on me.

Some guys are very good at judging distance. I'm not one of those guys. Even on flat ground in the heat of the moment I wouldn't put it past me to shoot over or under a coyote.
 
Even in the wide, wide open, the big majority of the shots I take on called coyote are well within 100 yards. I can't hit runners consistently like I used to. So I don't shoot at them nearly as much as I used to. So I'm getting worse, from lack of practice, and you can see where this is headed :D.

But when packing a bolt rifle, big majority of my shots are on standing coyotes at under 100. Packing a shotgun, they're usually running, but at less than 50 yards. My AR, I like to let them run over the caller before I start shooting so I shoot at a lot of running coyotes with it, just because I get a chuckle out of it. I used to make fun of guys that would hose down coyotes with an AR, but now I do it and have to admit it really is a lot of fun.

- DAA
 
My hunting grounds are almost exclusively flat and first thing I do when setting up a stand is to range treelines and/or other terrain features so I pretty well know range to any critter that happens to accept my invitation.
I'll take the 300 yd standing any day, but very rarely exceed 200.

My two longest ever (AR) running shot was one coyote which had been hit but was running broadside @ a bit over 125. Caught up with him on the third shot just as he disappeared behing a bush. The second was a rolling up a coyote running broadside at 200. Don't know who was the most surprised, me or the coyote; it was just his day to die.

And then there was the one I heard running up from my 7 o'clock just as he crossed no more than 10 ft in front of me. Dumped the sticks and missed him 3 times before he made the thick brush line I was sitting against.
Shot behind him every shot, but last one was gettin' close. I'm absolutely sure that if I'd had time for just one more shot.....🤣
 
My vote is a BIG NO to both-I know my limitations and figure there is no need to educate them anymore than I may already have. because "I'll be back" as Arnold said.
 
I too have let some go over the years. Some I went back and killed. Others I never saw again. During a contest I'm more inclined to shoot at every coyote that I possibly can. If you don't shoot, you won't kill them 100% of the time. Fun hunting is a different story.

The way I figure it at this point is if I miss it's not the end of the world. That coyote I may kill again another day. If not it will make more coyotes and there will be fresh ears to call to the following year. That doesn't mean be reckless and make bad shots and possibly wound one. A wounded and dying coyote you can't find is not a good thing any time you're out.

I shoot moving things more often than I shoot things that are standing perfectly still. I often do so, so that when it matters I can hit those bigger moving targets and kill them when it matters. I realize we don't live in a perfect world where every coyote stands there for the perfect shot. So I prepare for those imperfect moments so that when those moments arise, I'm confident enough that I can make it happen.

I don't ever want to be too comfortable with letting coyotes get away. I've had to learn to find that balance where it's the most important thing on earth at the moment and the least important the next. Once it's out of sight whether I missed or the odds were stacked against me and it just got away I have to forget about it right then and there. Like it never happened. Because it may as well never have. A lot of people quit predator hunting before they ever really even get started for several reasons. And that's one of them. Nobody likes to lose. It's funny how a coyote can humble you and it usually doesn't take long into a persons predator hunting journey before it happens.

I understand the leave it for another day mentality. But the longer I've been on this earth I've developed more of a "do it here and now" mentality. That coyote may be around tomorrow. That's no sign I will be. I'd rather get it done today. Time ain't waiting on nobody.
 
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OK-all good points and no argument from me on them, just not for me and at with 74 just around the corner you prolly got more 'time waiting' than me :giggle:, only 1 good eye means range estimation is not even in my vocabulary, and I was not even a very good 'wing shot' when I raised bird dogs:ROFLMAO:. Plus, no competition hunting for me-just enjoyment.
 
300 yards standing over 200 yards running is much easier for me. I've killed dozens of running coyotes but have also missed dozens of running coyotes. In reality I might pass on both shots. If I get the crosshairs on the coyote and I feel good about the shot, I'll take it. If I'm not steady or it doesn't feel good in a rushed situation, I'll often pass.
 
Personally I get quite frustrated and beat myself up anytime I don't make a good shot on a coyote and when I say good shot I mean center chest. Only thing that frustrates me more than missing a coyote is gut shooting it and making a huge mess that requires follow ups.
With that in mind I will quite freely take the longer shot over the runner. My experience seeing running shots in person and in videos is they are seldom perfect and often make a mess.
 
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