Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors This is why I sometimes tinker

Savage didn't make all the guns I need, plain and simple.

My coyote calling rifle is a rotary magazine 22-250 DL but with a wide flat forearm. It has one of those new Savage 99 barrels that came out a few years ago. Took it for a two day camping trip and a long walk in the desert. It seems right at home and quite happy about the situation. I think we can be friends.


Had some freezing fog in the daytime making navigation by sight impossible. Thank God for Mr. Garmin because there was no finding camp in the fog without it. It was down to about zero at night so it's not stayin out away from camp weather. Camped next to a dead and down juniper so I had a nice big hot fire.




Two days hard hunting, saw 14 coyotes. The only dumb coyote I could find came in on my extreme right, almost out of sight and stopped at about 100 yards, and the rifle was facing left on my lap. He had me pinned down so all I could do was wait. He kept looking around like he wasn't alone, but I couldn't spot anyone else. Each time I thought he was distracted enough for me to spin around and get on him his head snapped right back on me. For you guys that have never hunted coyotes they can hear the rustling of your clothing from 100 yards and spot you blinking. I did some lip kisses and he started in. When he let his guard down for a few seconds I spun around and got the gun up. When he popped back up in view he was broadside facing left, still looking for someone else I guess. He probably shoulda been paying a liiiiittle bit better attention to the situation at hand, I think.

He was right behind a barb wire fence and had one strand over his vitals. If I wanted to hit that barbwire it'd take the entire magazine and I wouldn't touch it, so I let'er rip. Well, that barbwire instantly became the size of a bus, and I sure enough hit it. He took off like a lightning bolt and was at Mach 2 when I lit him up and finally rolled him on the fourth shot. My last good opportunity before he was gone! Turned out to be 220 yards when he rolled.

I never saw who he was looking for. You never got em all. They run in big packs out here, but normally come in in a line for whatever reason. I always figgered it had to do with pecking order, and short straws.

Had a hell of a time following the blood trail





A 22-250 makes quite a mess on the off side




The hunts over, I'm home, and gloating a little bit about the rifle. this is my first kill with it, and I gotta say I really like it. If I could change anything it would be weight, it is a bit heavy for all day carry. Maybe I need a featherweight? I was really bundled up and carrying lots of other gear, so maybe that was the cause of my discomfort. Felt good to get it all off when I got back. That's about it for the 22-250 coyote hunting report. Cheers.