I have a Ruger model 77 .223 and i cant judge distance worth a darn. i hunt coyotes with it shooting a .65gr bullet. is there any advice on how to judge distance and how much to aim above or ahead of a coyote?
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I would suggest a lazer range finder. They come in real handy, especially past 300 yards. Past these distances bullets start to fall off rapidly, even magnums.
NBH
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NBH
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A lighter bullet will give you a flatter trajectory while still being quite lethal. This will extend your max. point blank range a bit which makes range estimation easier.
You did not mention how you have that .223 sighted in or what reticle you have in your scope. Determine your MPBR for say a 5" circle and then stay within that as your max. shooting range. You can use a duplex reticle to help you determine that distance if you work with a known target dimension on a range at a known distance with the scope power adjusted as needed. It sounds harder than it is.
With a good load in a .223, you should hardly ever need to hold over, and you won't need a lead if you stick with stationary targets. Good luck.
I carry a Leica rangefinder in the truck with me all year round. Just for fun we use it to train ourselves in estimating distances. I only took it with me on hunting trips once or twice, found it was just another piece of equipment I had to keep track of. Use a rangefinder for training and you will get sufficient range estimation skills to handle coyotes within the .223's range.
Hitting a moving coyote (you asked "how much in front ..." ) is another story. Lots of practice needed - I presume just like in shotgunning there are different styles: a sustained lead, catch up on the coyote and pull forward, shooting at a spot you think the coyote will arrive at. Follow through is important. I shoot a single shot so I don't bother practicing this. I have friends with bolt actions who usually are as disciplined with their shooting as I am, until they spot a coyote running in an open field. Then they unload, but because they don't practice such shooting they almost always miss totally.
Need help on judging distance.
