preferred caliber for coyotes

[EddieWalker]

I have a 22-250 that's deadly way out there. I wouldn't recomend it because ammo has gotten rediculous expensive for that caliber. I see similar rounds for half the price. I'm also having trouble finding it with soft point bullets, which is what I want for shooting small hogs. The hollow tips are more common, but only good for varmints.

My brother has a .204 and has had great luck with it, and shooting coyotes. He has 40 acres with a nieghor who has 2,400 acres. They owner was very stand offish until he saw my brother shoot a coyote. He raises cattle and doesn't want anybody on his land. That was until he saw that my brother likes to shoot coyotes. Since then, he's killed several dozen coyotes on that guys place and has become part of the family.

I joke with him that buying that .204 was the smartest thing he ever did, and that it's totally changed his life with the doors it's opened.

Anyway, back to what to buy. I'd first look around the shelves to see what ammo is available and what it sells for. Any of the center fire.22 caliber calibers should work fine. They tend to shoot real flat and have plenty of kill power for 50 pounds animals out to 300 yards.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[wolc123]

My longest kill on a coyote with a .22 LR was 140 yards. That was a 65 lb male, standing broadside and I got a complete pass-thru behind the shoulder (thru both lungs) using a Rem, yellow jacket bullet. He yelped when struck and ran about 40 yards before going down. Coyotes are thin-skinned and it dont take much to take them out (especially for broadside, behind the shoulder shots). Most of my shots are at night, from the house, so I love the rimfires as they are quiet and dont wake up my kids as they sleep down the hall. My favorite caliber, during daylight hours when noise aint an issue, is the .22/250. That will take them out easily to 400 yards or so and it dont matter if they are broadside or not.

 

[beersngars]

Not sure which .17 you guys are referring to. My brother has a .17 Remington that is very cool on smaller stuff out to probably 300 yards. I have a .17 rimfire and just love it. Very cheap to shoot and very little chance of richochet since the bullet dissintigrates. I have used it on ferrel cats (hard to kill) at close to 175 yards.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

If wind is an issue at all, go with the .06 or the .308. If wind is not an issue, the .22-250 will put one right in the ear hole at 400 yds real easy. Don't even consider the AK unless you love to throw lead. I will take my AR if I know they are going to run or if there's more than one, but you have to have the right technique. 30 round mag, hold behind them, keep pulling the trigger and sweep in front of them.

 

[RobertN]

My Uncle used to hunt coyotes for pelts. He used a Mini-14, scoped, with full metal jacket for minimal hide damage.

This is so hard to say though; there are just so many cartridges that would work great.

I would want a general rifle first. A basic bolt action rifle with a quality scope in 243, 308, or 30-06 could and would work great. Those cartridges could also be used for other shooting and/or hunting. I would have no issue shooting a coyote with a 150gr soft point in 308 or 30-06. I personnally would go with something like a Remington 700 with aLeupold or Nikon scope.

If just for varmint, I would go with 22-250. It is a classic varmint round. Remington 700 Varmint, with a Leupold, Nikon, or maybe Burris higher power scope.

Just thinking of a couple other cartridges for varmint...
222 Rem
223 Rem
222 Rem Mag
22 Hornet
22 Savage Hi Power
218 Bee
22-250
220 swift

 

[JB4310]

Keep it simple, get a standard NATO round .223 or .308. Might come in handy for other needs.
My preference would be the .223, did a heck of a job on those ferrule hogs

 

[George2615]

so what caliber do you recommend i pickup for xmass? (FYI i dont dear hunt)

I'm sure your wife appreciates that you don't "DEAR" hunt any more.

 

[Code54]

About anything will work. I personally like the .223 in my AR. Quick to follow up and fairly cheap to shoot

 

[studor]

As I have gotten older, the guns I shoot Coyotes with have gotten smaller in caliber and lighter. When I first hunted them I used a .30.06 because thats what I had, then a borrrowed .243, then a heavy barrelled .22-250 now I use a .223. While they all work, I found the .223 just about perfect because I can carry the gun and ammo all day (less than seven lbs scoped), it will hit (and kill quickly)as far as one reasonably should shoot, the pelts end up in reasonable shape, ammo is reasonably priced and the noise of the shot does not make all my neighbours concerned that deer season has started again. If you ever think you will need to dispatch something a little bigger (like a deer) then you cannot go wrong with the .243 -- heavier, louder, more expensive ammo, more recoil (but not enough to worry about) and will kill quickly out to any range you should be shooting. --JMHO

 

[om21braz]

Any of the mentioned rounds will work well - in an accurate rifle. I'd tend to lean with those recommending the .223 as it is readily and cheaply available ammo-wise. Most .223's shoot pretty well right out of the box too.