So after picking up our 2012 deer sausage from the butcher and heading out to drop some off with all the landowners that were kind enough to let us hunt this past season, the Gag-man and I got out for an evening Coyote squawk! It was a gorgeous sunset, and the strong afternoon wind died down to just a whisper as the light faded. I had been alternating between blowing my guts out into a predator call, and glassing the rolling foothills for Coyotes, when a whole chorus of coyotes lit up around the countryside. What a great sound!
I was just starting to think that the evening was going to go bust, and had started texting the Gag-Man to discuss throwing the towel in when I saw movement directly downwind.....DAMN! I swivelled to get good position, and quickly cranked my new Leupold Mk6 1-6x24 Firedot back to about the halfway point in it's variable power range. There he was! A coyote crested a terrain swell in the stubble field about 80 yards out. I was positioned on the edge of some scrubby un-cut grass in a small island aspen that flowed down the ridge, and I had questionable clearance over the grass to the coyote. He continued to approach, focused intently on my position, and I felt the pressure as it was going to be mere seconds before he filled his nose with me and turned tail to run. I flicked the safety of my ACR off, lip squeeked as I drew a bead on him, and took up the slack on the Super Geisselle Trigger. I was in a sitting position, and was shooting the rifle unsupported, but braced from under the magwell which had a LAR 10 round pistol mag seated. The rifle balanced beautifully, and the sight picture was rock solid. He stopped at the squeak and I was ready for him......CRACK! Great shot placement rocked him straight over backwards.....WOOHOO! The non-restricted ACR scores again!
Turned out to be a nice young male. We were unable to call up anything else, and now that we've been out calling a couple times we'll likely have to switch to early-morning-ambush-mode or still-hunting for the next couple outings.
The Leupold VX6 1-6x28 firedot is a really interesting scope. At about 16 ounces and change, it approximately about 8 ounces more than my 2-7x28 rimfire, but still a whole 9 ounces less than the Vortex Razor Gen II. The scope and mount balance nicely, and while it is heavier, it is not so much that the rifle becomes unwieldy. By comparison, the extra weight of the vortex definately kicks the package into the realm of too heavy, but the Leupold Mk6 seems to be just about the right compromise.
The 1 power is fascinating with respect to how well it creates the illusion that there is no scope there, and is as fast as my aimpoints for getting onto target quickly when I'm playing mall ninja in the basement taking on Boris for CQB dryfire practice. Then at the other end, it's 6 power setting collects ample light with sufficient magnification to be easily capable for coyotes at a couple hundred yards right up until last light. The illuminated dot marries in the utility of the red dot, and the overall package still balances very well with the rifle....if anything it balances better as the balance point now rests squarely over the center of the magwell. I've added a QD swivel to the mid-point attachment on the rifle receiver, and I'll my next project will be a sling!
What a great rifle...I can hardly wait to get out again!
Cheers, and thanks for reading....
Brobee
