Gun Digest February 2016

As big game seasons wind to a close and winter snows replace the burnt leaves of fall, hunters across the country start gearing up for coyotes, bobcats and other predatory creatures. There’s plenty of chances to hunt them at other times, too, but January through March can make for some darn good hunting. It’s also a great opportunity to hone your marksmanship skills and beat the doldrums of the post-holiday, post-big-game-hunting-season letdown. On a recent coyote hunting trip, my friend Toby, his son Hunter and I braved the -28-degree weather to track down a few dogs on public land. The brutal cold worked its way past the insulation of the cooler in the bed of Toby’s truck, so we reheated our breakfast burritos on the defrost vents in the cab,…

Although many people associate coyote hunting with wide open spaces and long-range-capable rifles firing blistering fast, flat-shooting cartridges such as the .223 Remington and .22-250 Rem., plenty of song dogs have also been taken with shotguns. In fact, in thicker, more brush-heavy areas where a coyote may suddenly appear in front of the hunter without warning after breaking cover, a shotgun stoked with an appropriate load can be much more practical and effective than a rifle. Even predator hunters who typically use a rifle to hunt coyotes may have a shotgun with them in the event one manages to sneak to within 50 yards or so undetected. Other hunters may choose to use a shotgun because it challenges their calling abilities, forcing them to lure a coyote in close before…

The .22-250 Remington was adopted early in 1965, as one of the calibers for the Remington 700 series bolt-action rifles and also for the Model 40XB match rifle. This is not a factory design, but rather a popular wildcat that has been around for many years and made good. Remington’s adoption of the round moved it into the commercial classification. There is some confusion regarding date of origin of the .22-250, which is based on the .250-3000 Savage case necked to.22-caliber. Its moniker is derived from the caliber (.22) and the parent case name (.250). The parent cartridge was introduced in 1915, and a .22 version may have been made up experimentally shortly thereafter. J.E. Gebby and J. B. Smith are usually credited with having developed the present configuration, in…

Customize the Ruger 10/22 2nd Edition By James E. House & Kathleen A. House Welcome to the most complete resource available for the Ruger 10/22! This book guides readers through the almost endless array of aftermarket parts for the Ruger 10/22. With installation instructions, performance evaluations and expert advice, this excellent comprehensive guide leads you step-by-step through the process of modifying and customizing your Ruger 10/22. Complete coverage of new versions of the rifle and accessories make this the most complete and up-to-date resource available to guide owners through the endless array of aftermarket parts currently available for Bill Ruger’s venerable Ruger 10/22 rifle. FEATURED PRODUCT Gun Digest Great Guns 2016 Daily Calendar Ideal for any gun collector, tactical weapons fanatic, or hunter, the Gun Digest Great Guns 2016 Daily…

It’s hard to pick up a hunting magazine or turn on an outdoor network without seeing something dedicated to predator hunting. Try it, and it’s easy to see why calling a predator into gun range is one of the fastest growing segments of the hunting industry. It’s not just challenging, it’s downright fun. That’s one reason gun makers everywhere are building predator-specific models. Some are little more than variations of standard rifles. Others are specially designed killing machines made just for predator country. No matter what they are, they all have one thing in common: They will put fur on the ground as long as you do your job. 1 TIKKA T3 VARMINT Tikka’s T3 Varmint rifle is built in Finland, but it’s a perfect gun for the wide-open spaces…

Predator hunting is an intensive pursuit that requires patience, determination and much skill to be successful. Coyotes, mountain lions and other predator species can be notoriously wary, and once called in, don’t always afford hunters a second chance after a misplaced shot. Paradoxically, they can also be reckless at times, rushing in to the sound of a distress call or of another predator occupying its territory. In either case, predator hunters need to have complete confidence in their ammunition and their ability to take an accurate, ethical shot, sometimes without a lot of time to prepare. This boils down to stoking rifles and shotguns with the right load for the job. Because shots can come at varied distances, and often without a lot of time to determine precise holdovers, most…