# Wyoming Weekend



## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

Rifle deer is one of my favorite seasons - Since I hadn't hunted rifle deer for 3 years, I decided to fly out from Cleveland to take a stab at finding a buck on the closing weekend of the season. I met up with my brother Friday afternoon and we quickly went to work making sure the rifles were sighted in and ready to roll. 

It only took a few shots to feel comfortable with the rifle and it was game on! I pieced together a 22-250 AI on a Bighorn TL3 action earlier this year and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite rifles. I had worked up a solid load with the 88 gr ELDM and RL-23 netting and average of 3150 FPS. 

While looking over one of our alfalfa fields full of antelope, I caught some motion in the sage to our right. Peering through the binoculars, I could make out two grey/brown bodies slowly slinking their way behind a hill 600 yards away. I've encountered plenty of coyotes but never have had a relaxed shot, so I got set up and waited. A few minutes later, the two coyotes popped over the hill into a clearing. One sat and was nursing a wounded leg while the other kept trotting and was lost in the sage. We ranged him and I sent a round just over his back. He ran off, but didn't know where the rifle report had come from. I watched him slowly run back up towards the hill he had come from and stopped once he reached the top. That's all I needed to see - I squeezed the trigger and watched him drop in the scope! It's the first coyote I've shot so far and it definitely won't be the last!











The next morning, we froze in the early breeze waiting for the sun to rise. We were in a great location, but the deer didn't seem to cooperate. While we were driving the side by side to go check another area of the property, I spotted a lone white patch of fur in the sage a few hundred yards ahead of us. A quick look through the binos and I was ready to fill my tag! The buck was perfectly broadside and the 22-250 AI made pretty quick work of him. We loaded him up and got to work breaking him down. 



















We got quite a bit of rain later that afternoon and I was worried the evening hunt would be a bust. It didn't take us too long to turn up a good buck for my brother. One shot later from his 7 SAUM and he had his first mule deer on the ground! 24 hours later, I was on my way back to Cleveland and it almost felt like the weekend was a dream! Next year can't come soon enough!


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

That is a great hunt !!


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

Looks like fun! Nice job


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## DIRTYS6X6 (May 19, 2021)

Great work. What a turn around..


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Freaking awesome - congrats!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I always look forward to your reports. Nicely done!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Really neat!


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## Tail Chaser (Oct 25, 2021)

Quick trips that look like that can sure spoil you. That is awesome!


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Great bucks for the both of you, Congrats! I like your rifle setup. I've killed many deer with a standard 22-250 but now days it seems folks think they need a BIG gun to get the job done. I'll take a well placed shot over a kicking mule any day.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

Thanks everyone!


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

taxidermist said:


> Great bucks for the both of you, Congrats! I like your rifle setup. I've killed many deer with a standard 22-250 but now days it seems folks think they need a BIG gun to get the job done. I'll take a well placed shot over a kicking mule any day.


Thanks! I'm with you there - I've been really enjoying shooting my smaller cartridges lately. For 350 yards and in, I feel pretty confident the 22-250 AI would get the job done on any deer or antelope I'd run into. Plus, it's way more fun to shoot and not get beat up!


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

Heck yeah! congrats on getting er done !


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Glad you are getting it done. Congrats.


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## cdbright (Aug 24, 2016)

Awesome weekend and 3 great animals, I like the rifle setup , BAGARA stock ?


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

cdbright said:


> Awesome weekend and 3 great animals, I like the rifle setup , BAGARA stock ?


Thanks! It's actually a Manners PRS2 stock with their mini-chassis. Super comfortable stock.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

This WAS a weekend that dreams ARE made of! Good job!


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## jlofthouse16 (Oct 18, 2021)

Way to go!


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