The old coyote hunter was short, but fit, with bands of sinew bulging through his forearms like steel cables.

He wore a felt fedora hat, Fred Bear style.

The vintage re-curve bow and his fist was worn, but deadly.

We're shooting an indoor 3D traditional archery league in an attempt to shake off the doldrums

of winter. I knew he hunted coyotes for living and I had to ask

what's your favorite predator cartridge?

Hunting fur he responded I like a 17 Remington best.

Just doesn't do any damage.

But the value of peltz is way down.

Nowadays, sometimes you just about got to do coyote-calling competitions to make a few bucks?

In memory's eye, I seem to see him roll a plug of tobacco from one cheek to the other and spit.

But I'm pretty sure that's just my imagination adding flavor to the long ago scene.

He continued, what I'm calling, I use a 243, can't afford to lose one.

A coyote poorly hit with a 17 will run off. The

243 hits a lot harder. I was interested in a bit surprised that the old predator

hunter skipped right over the 22 center fires such as the 22-250 and

220 swift and so forth. Were I to ask him the same question now, two decades later, I suspect his answer would be different.

Folks, our primary topic today is what I believe is the ultimate predator-killing cartridge, the new 22 Creedmoor.

I'm Joseph von Benedict, your host and this is the backcountry hunting podcast.

Now there's no need to beat around the bush. Let's dive right in and explore the

22 Creedmoor. Its design of course is fairly straightforward. It's a neck down

6.5 Creedmoor case just with the next side down to hold 22

...