995 Carbine For Varmint/Predator Hunting

[jdwolf]

What's the maximum range you feel comfortable with when hunting with your 995 carbine?  Can you cleanly kill a coyote at 100 yards?  How about a groundhog at 100 yards?  To date my 995 has basically been a range rifle but I'd feel confident using it on varmints/predators out to 100 yards. 

[kyelkhunter3006]

I'd have no problem taking a 100 yd shot with mine, but I'd have to have a scope on it.  Past 75 yds, the front sight blade covers too much of a target like the vital zone of a coyote or similar animal, at least it does for me. 

I spent all day last Wednesday trekking around one of the farms that I hunt, scouting, sitting, and watching, you know, just kind of bumming around in the woods.  I took the 995 with me, and I'd have to say that it's one of the easiest packing guns I've got.  I saw a couple of flocks of turkeys several times, and I'd get into a shooting position and just track them as they passed.  Can't hunt them with a rifle in KY....too bad.  I'd have had several that day. 

It made me think that it'd be an ideal rifle for calling in close areas for coyotes and bobcats, it's accurate, and it's got fast follow-up capability too. 

It'd be cool if they could get one out in .223, 7.62x39, or 6.8 SPC, compact rounds in a compact gun, with a little better range capability out to 250 yds or so.

[jdwolf]

I'd have no problem taking a 100 yd shot with mine, but I'd have to have a scope on it.  Past 75 yds, the front sight blade covers too much of a target like the vital zone of a coyote or similar animal, at least it does for me. 

I spent all day last Wednesday trekking around one of the farms that I hunt, scouting, sitting, and watching, you know, just kind of bumming around in the woods.  I took the 995 with me, and I'd have to say that it's one of the easiest packing guns I've got.  I saw a couple of flocks of turkeys several times, and I'd get into a shooting position and just track them as they passed.  Can't hunt them with a rifle in KY....too bad.  I'd have had several that day. 

It made me think that it'd be an ideal rifle for calling in close areas for coyotes and bobcats, it's accurate, and it's got fast follow-up capability too. 

It'd be cool if they could get one out in .223, 7.62x39, or 6.8 SPC, compact rounds in a compact gun, with a little better range capability out to 250 yds or so.

Do you think the 995 carbine packs enough punch to drop a cougar in it's tracks?  How about a whitetail deer (where legal)? 

[kyelkhunter3006]

Well, lets quantify the "drop in its tracks" comment first.  Not every animal will drop in it's tracks, regardless of what it's shot with. 

Now, will a 9mm kill a cougar?  Of course it will, handgun or rifle. 

Cougars are think skinned, light boned animals that are not bigger than an average size person.  The rifle will be a bit more potent than the handgun, because the longer barrel will allow higher velocity and better accuracy because of the longer sight radius.  Lot of people use .22 mags and .22 LR for shooting cougars out of trees, so the 9mm is going to be that much better.  I don't think that I'd try a 100yd shot at a cougar, but for up close and personal, the 995 carbine should be able to handle it.

As for whitetails, it would do ok within probably 50yds or so.  Not any longer than that.  Make sure that it's a good tight shot behind the shoulder to take out the lungs, and don't aim for heavy bone.