I still wonder how it happened. I looked out the window and saw a coyote coming toward the house. I ran and grabbed the 686 and ear muffs, slipped out the back door and he came around the side of the house at about 15 yards. I lined up the shot and promptly missed. I had .38 Special 125 gr. HP Plus ammo loaded so it should have been adequate but apparently I was not.

better luck next time.... one thing for sure is you won`t see that coyote around your home anymore......

Closed both eyes ,Jerked the trigger ,and raised your head up to watch him fall?????????

Bad case of 'yote fever.

I did that once on a caribou about 80 miles down on the Alaska Peninsula, where I was living at the time. I bellied down and slow-crawled to within 25 yards of that rascal, laid my rifle across a little hillock in front of me, took a long, deep breath and gently squeezed the trigger. And missed clean as a whistle.

It took off running quartering away from me. I was so disgusted, and shocked. I jumped up and racked the bolt on that Ruger 77 .30-06, and by this time he was about 100 yards away and had turned and was running broadside to me. I stood and aimed off-handed and sighted that scope in just out in front of his chest and pulled the trigger again. He piled up like he had run into a truck. After 22 years I still don't know to this day how I missed that first shot, nor how I did hit the second one. But I do know it surely happens. To all of us.

It happens. I still have dreams about an Elk Hunt in CO in 92'.
I had been hunting 5 days of a 9 day trip with my Flintlock .54 longrifle. I walked up and down the mountains, calling, glassing and looking for sign. I was walking a bench around a rock outcropping and walked right up on a 5x5 sleeping under a spruce, facing away from me. I was no more than 25yds. I raised my rifle, slowly brought it to full cock and put the front sight on the lung area tight behind shoulder and fired. The elk jumped up, trying to figure out what happened. I jumped behind a tree and reloaded but he was gone. I saw him three times that day while glassing and he didn't have a scratch on him. Will never figure that out.
Mike

So..... I'm not the only one who does this?

Actually, I was very calm and collected. Why I shot with one hand instead of two I don't know, but I blame it all on bad eye sight. I've been meaning to order a red dot for the 686 for almost a year: I'll take care of that today. Maybe he'll come back as surely he thinks there is no danger from me. Of course if he comes back I will use the 617 with the red dot.

No sir....

x2

Try relieving yourself and having a big old whitetail almost run you almost over while you have rifle in hand and still miss the shot.

Blanks

The chip shots get you all the time, been there!

X2
Lack of follow thru will get you most times as you raise your head to watch them fall.
Been there ,done that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I had a dollar for every coyote that I missed when "I had him dead to rights" I could buy one of Ernie's guns.

Now there's a great idea (if I were younger). A quarter a miss jar would have allowed me to have any gun I wanted over the years, or else sent me to the poor house.

Are you still trying to buy one of my XP's??????????????

That was practice, next time will be for speed and accuracy!

I'm sure it has happened to all of us. Funny how it seems to be those easy sure shots that we miss, and connect on the tough ones.

Does a bear sh.. in the woods??????????

Ernie, on a more serious note, if you do have one of your beauties that you would consider selling me, please send me a PM.

Gregg

Let him come back now. I have a Vortex Venom mounted and sight in so there will be no excuse. Not the best 25 yard group but I'll take it for now.Let him come back now. I have a Vortex Venom mounted and sight in so there will be no excuse. Not the best 25 yard group but I'll take it for now.
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Thats minute of coyote any day.
If the butt nut does his part.

That'll do it!

Nice Smith and Wesson....

Teep, what's your opinion on that Vortex? I've got a Viper on my 41, but haven't shot it with the sight installed yet.

As I've only put 12 shots through the gun with it I really don't know what the long term will be. First impressions is that the small size and light weight really makes the gun handle very well. There is a little distortion around the edges but not to distracting. The push buttons are going to take some time to get used to, a dial makes adjustments much easier but would also make the sight larger. Of all the red dot sights I've used I think the Venom is far and above all of them, all tube types. I find the Venom dot very easy to pick up but would like a smaller dot. On the automatic setting I think the dot is too bright for a hunting sight though. I will say this though, I will be buying another to put on my 617.