Small Game, Predator and TrappingFrom shooting squirrels in your backyard to calling coyotes in Arizona. This forum now contains trapping information..
I have the chance to pick up a rifle for predators at a very good price and was curious if any of you could offer any feedback?
The Rifle is a brand new Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow in .223 WSSM equipped with detachable Harris bipod and a Butler Creek sling. It's topped with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x50 Firefly with 30mm tube and flip up scope caps.
What kind of a 'yote slayer would this set up be? Thanks for any feedback on the chambering the rifle or the optics
Model 70 super Shadow
Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x50 Firefly
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Balisticly, there isn't much doubt that the .223 WSSM is an exceptional predator caliber. This caliber I have absolute confidence in and see no reason to select anything else for my personal needs. My question wasone geared more towards the rugged dependabilty and accuracy of the rifle and optics?
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An "archer" tries to see how far away he can get from his target and still connect, a BOWHUNTER tries to see how CLOSE he can get to his!
Are ya buying the rifle used? If so, how "used" is it? If the rifle is new or hardly used, then it should be fine. I'm always a little nervous buying a used rifle, unless I have the chance to fire it and see first hand how it operates/shoots.
The scope is a nice one, it should be fine for predator hunting, although if you also think you might use this set-up for shooting prairie dogs or ground hogs at long ranges, then I think you'd want a little more power on top than the 9 power!
One down fall of the wssm is that you can only put 3 rounds in the mag., which not often a guy needs one more shot, but when mulitple coyotes come to the call, sometimes a guy needs all the shells in the rifle that he can get!
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Sorry IL, I have a bushnell elite 3200 on all my rifles: Ruger .243, Ruger .280, and my 10/22. I've had exceptional experiences with these scopes. IMO very durable scope and I've had no problems at all with mine. I can't speak from experience about the rifle but I'm sure it would do the trick in a hurry. Go for it!!
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One down fall of the wssm is that you can only put 3 rounds in the mag., which not often a guy needs one more shot, but when mulitple coyotes come to the call, sometimes a guy needs all the shells in the rifle that he can get!
If the mag on the one I shot held more, it wouldn't do you any good. Accuracy after about 5 shots was horrible unless the barrel was cleaned to remove all the powder residue. When downloaded to try and keep it from fouling so quickly, it had too much space in the chamber and it would have some blowback coming around the outside of the case. Loading it hot would make blow the case out enough to prevent blowback, but then fouling was again a problem. On this rifle, it just seemed like it was too much powder for that small of a bore. I didn't have this problem with the .25 WSSM.
Now, I've only shot one, and it could have been a lemon. But so far, my verdict on the .223 WSSM is a big .
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.223 WSSM
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