preferred caliber for coyotes

[buckeyefarmer]

I like the 22-250. I use it for groundhogs at 200-300 yards. I know it sure ruins a fox hide at 50 yds.

 

[coobie]

.22-250?
7.62x39 (ak47)
7.62x51 (.308)
7.62x63 (30-06)


Have had a coyote hanging around my place. with my chickens its bad news.

If i see him on my property my .22 is fine as the shots are usually around 40 yards. but often i "track" him to neighboring feild (this usually means watching him trot from my property into the feild beyond) before stopping.

This morning (9.00am) he came trotting up my driveway and (by the time i could grab the .22 and some boots he was off) into the neighbor cow pasture, stopped on the other side of the valley not quite at the crest of the dam for the pond, light snow falling, range, 100-125 yards. Outside the effective range of my .22 (with iron sites) but i shot at him anyway to scare him off.

With a proper rifle with scope he'd be coyote bate for the next one.

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

oh and the shooting onto neighbors farm ground/pasture isnt a problem so lets just keep this to which caliber and why.

My choice would be 223 or 204 cals.or a 22 hornet useing a hornaday 35 grain V-max bullet inside of 200 yards.coobie

 

[rj's barn]

I use a mini 14 shooting CXP1 ammunition. Its a prairie dog round that flies apart when it hits the target. Thats why you see the red mist when guys hit prairie dogs. 1 shot will absolutely destroy the animal if you hit it anywhere front of the last rib. Dont shoot em in an AR, too tight of a barrel twist, they can come apart. Keep us posted on what you get and how it works.

 

[Specop_007]

I use an AR15 in 5.56 for my coyote needs.

 

[archerm3]

I use an AR15 in 5.56 for my coyote needs.

You forgot to put your bayonet on....

 

[Specop_007]

You forgot to put your bayonet on....

Its on the front of my tractor. I'm one of the few guys here who has a tactical assault tractor with a shoulder thing that goes up.

 

[jayste]

A coyote that has been fooled by a call and not shot is pretty wary about that tune again
I call for a brief spell, then wait, then try again. If I don't get a response in 15 -20 minutes I move on. Lots of good tapes etc to learn from -- when I started about 30 years ago I read the Burnham brothers book and just tried it out -- the first coyotes I called came in as a pair and one sat down at about sixty yards -- shot it a little high (between the eyes when I was aiming at the chest) -- the second one is probably still running
With two people hunting (one calling and one shooting) you wil discover that the call works a lot more times than you think it does and that coyotes are called wily for a reason.

When we call them in and miss we call it "educatin' 'em".

We will usually sit on a calling no more that 45 min. Usually by this time any coyote within ear shot has heard you and if 'ol bobcat is coming he's even close enough to take...if you can see him!

Yes, we call for a about 15-30 seconds and then stop and watch. After about 10 minutes we do it again. If one comes in and hangs up we'll squeak it in by sucking on the back side of our hand. Also, like said above, one person calling and one person shooting gives you the advantage not to mention two more eyes to see with. Electronic calls are great but a mouth call will bring them in.

Have fun.

Jay

 

[Highbeam]

You listed these calibers in your OP.

.22-250?
7.62x39 (ak47)
7.62x51 (.308)
7.62x63 (30-06)

Other than the oddball 22-250 you listed off military calibers using their military names. Most people don't do that unless they are familiar with military weapons and also familiar with the reasons that military calibers make great civilian weapons.

Given your desires for a non-deer gun, cheap ammo, available ammo, and low kick for a smallish animal then I vote big for the 223.

 

[manganos]

.223 in 55gr with a 16" chrome lined barrel.

 

[schmism]

I agree that ammo can be expensive, but how many coyotes are you guys going to shoot?

a few, but there's always the paper ones you have to kill in order to say proficient.

I intend to start reloading, not that that would matter much as all the mentioned calibers are standard for reloading (except for perhaps the rim fire .17)

Seeing the number of recommendations for .223, I think im going to focus my attention toward that round.