This is a continuation of a previous thread regarding various attempts to find a sight for my M1 visible to my old eyes: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-a-charm-its-true-for-garands-as-well.839763/
We left off with a rough zero and high hopes in above thread. One final trip to the range with fresh eyes refined that zero. First five shot group was a tad low & right, measuring .65”. Took 4 clicks left & up 2, then shot five more rounds measuring .76”. Called it good to go, with great visions of a coyote in the old girl’s not too distant future.
Now to see if we can't get a coyote with the old gal. We headed for the deer lease for an afternoon hunt. It had been over a year since I’d been on this ranch, so this was to be primarily a scouting trip but would also provide an opportunity for the shakedown cruise of the M1’s third reincarnation.
The afternoon confirmed that our old favorite stands still held coyotes. While a bit more time on stand as well as a more stealthy setup would most likely have been more productive, we would have to settle for the run and gun approach this time.
Two and a half hours after leaving home, we had the jeep’s tires on the ground, and another ten minutes found us on stand 1.
Opened up stand 1 with an invitational howl and, as these coyotes are not usually vocal, was pleasantly surprised to receive an answering howl from the southwest almost immediately.
Fifteen minutes later I declared it a dry stand and we moved to #2, another favored setup on the east fence. Started out w/female invitational again and, after a short silence, followed with adult cottontail.
I’ve been concerned as to whether I’d be able to see the small one moa dot in the field with this new optic, so was aiming it at a coyote sized bush located about 175 yards down the sendero and had about decided that would be the outer limit for my old eyes.
While aiming at the bush, a YOY stepped out @ 150 yards, posing perfectly broadside while staring at the decoy. As luck would have it, a very slight shift of the rifle from the right hand bush above reticle was all it took to center his shoulder.
Took up the first stage on the NM trigger and, as had occurred countless times in competition, long years past, the 2nd stage broke almost automatically @ 4.5# as the reticle settled on his shoulder, this time launching a 125 gr Nosler BT @ 3050 fps instead of the slower 168 gr. Sierra Match King of years past.
Even with the light bullet and the heft of the M1, recoil was sufficient that I lost my sight picture and upon recovery, my first instinct was to wonder if I could have possibly missed? I was pretty sure the sight picture had been as perfect as I could make it, but could not see any sign of a dead coyote.
POA and POI turned out to be one and the same, however, and the coyote had just gone down so fast I could not see him, lying hidden in the grass (indicated by CQB ring of scope reticle above). He had dropped right where he stood without a twitch. Ya gotta love the 125 NBT for coyotes in either the 308 or 30-06 if you don’t save fur.
We ended the day, four hours and 6 stands later, having one vocal reply and three called. Only one shot offered & fired, but crossed off one more item on the old bucket list. Proving my old faithful M1 still has it 65 years after our first introduction…..…priceless!
Regards,
hps
We left off with a rough zero and high hopes in above thread. One final trip to the range with fresh eyes refined that zero. First five shot group was a tad low & right, measuring .65”. Took 4 clicks left & up 2, then shot five more rounds measuring .76”. Called it good to go, with great visions of a coyote in the old girl’s not too distant future.
Now to see if we can't get a coyote with the old gal. We headed for the deer lease for an afternoon hunt. It had been over a year since I’d been on this ranch, so this was to be primarily a scouting trip but would also provide an opportunity for the shakedown cruise of the M1’s third reincarnation.
The afternoon confirmed that our old favorite stands still held coyotes. While a bit more time on stand as well as a more stealthy setup would most likely have been more productive, we would have to settle for the run and gun approach this time.
Two and a half hours after leaving home, we had the jeep’s tires on the ground, and another ten minutes found us on stand 1.
Opened up stand 1 with an invitational howl and, as these coyotes are not usually vocal, was pleasantly surprised to receive an answering howl from the southwest almost immediately.
Fifteen minutes later I declared it a dry stand and we moved to #2, another favored setup on the east fence. Started out w/female invitational again and, after a short silence, followed with adult cottontail.
I’ve been concerned as to whether I’d be able to see the small one moa dot in the field with this new optic, so was aiming it at a coyote sized bush located about 175 yards down the sendero and had about decided that would be the outer limit for my old eyes.
While aiming at the bush, a YOY stepped out @ 150 yards, posing perfectly broadside while staring at the decoy. As luck would have it, a very slight shift of the rifle from the right hand bush above reticle was all it took to center his shoulder.
Took up the first stage on the NM trigger and, as had occurred countless times in competition, long years past, the 2nd stage broke almost automatically @ 4.5# as the reticle settled on his shoulder, this time launching a 125 gr Nosler BT @ 3050 fps instead of the slower 168 gr. Sierra Match King of years past.
Even with the light bullet and the heft of the M1, recoil was sufficient that I lost my sight picture and upon recovery, my first instinct was to wonder if I could have possibly missed? I was pretty sure the sight picture had been as perfect as I could make it, but could not see any sign of a dead coyote.
POA and POI turned out to be one and the same, however, and the coyote had just gone down so fast I could not see him, lying hidden in the grass (indicated by CQB ring of scope reticle above). He had dropped right where he stood without a twitch. Ya gotta love the 125 NBT for coyotes in either the 308 or 30-06 if you don’t save fur.
We ended the day, four hours and 6 stands later, having one vocal reply and three called. Only one shot offered & fired, but crossed off one more item on the old bucket list. Proving my old faithful M1 still has it 65 years after our first introduction…..…priceless!
Regards,
hps
). It had what looked like a new barrel and was in excellent condition. I put NM sights on it, worked over the trigger and completely accurized it myself. It shot as well as the NM M1 which I was issued while on the AMU, regularly printing moa groups w/irons as shown here. 
