.17 HMR for coyotes?

[Len Backus]

There was a very controversial thread on Rimfire Central a while back. Even though some very successful yote killers use it some...other guys almost went ballistic (no pun intended) over the idea.

I would try it close in.

[milanuk]

Len,

Having grown up in a poor rural area... I've seen a *lot* of coyotes downed with a .22 LR... just like I saw a good number of deer taken with .223 and .22-250 (both legal deer calibers at the time in Nebraska). Distance (close) and shot placement (in the head) make up for a lot of perceived ballistic inadequacy.

There are those who throw a fit about anyone doing things they themselves aren't comfortable with (people shooting p-dogs w/ .223 Rem @ 600+ yards bugs the hell out of me), but for some reason they think the Internet a) gives them the right to pass moral/ethical judgement on others in public, and b) that anybody who is already doing so is going to listen to a damn thing they are saying when they go off the deep end about an issue.

YMMV,

Monte

[7mmSendaro]

As a point of refence, a friend of mine who hunts alot tried to use a 17HMR on racoons. He was shining them up in the trees and shooting them. After 3 out of the first 4 coons hit the ground still alive and escaped, he went back to his old reliable 22LR and killed 6 straight with no issues.

I have never owned or shot one but based on what my buddy saw, it may be a bit marginal. However, like the previous post said, shot placement is critical. Shooting a coyote in broad daylight versus a coon in the dark may not be the best comparison.

Not sure this answers anything ....just informational.

[Len Backus]

As with any gun, bullet choice has to be smart. Almost any 22LR bullet won't blow up but some of the 17HMR bullets are designed expressly to do so.

[longbomb]

i own a 17 hmr and have used it coyotes and foxes. for shots 125 yards or closer it definitly does the trick. i have had the gun for over a year and have killed about 25 yotes and a few foxes with it. A 17 hmr also works good on racoons i shot a big old coon at about 50 yards and he didn't go anywhere. shot placement if the biggest factor in effectiveness for this gun but with half inch groups at 100 yards its not hard to be sucessful with the 17 hmr.i say if your confident with your gun and your shooting go for it. happy hunting

[comfisherman]

I hunted yotes with one when it was the only thing available (sophomore in college with no money for a new rifle and only a 22lr a 17 and a 12 gauge). I killed a few within 80 yards, and wounded/ tracked for many hrs/ finally killed several in the 125 yard range. I am a rimfire junky, it was my origional firearm love, I pride myself in my accuracy with all the rimfires I own, and I will gladly admit to them being drastically underpowerd for yotes. My final hoorah was a sub 80 yard coyote shot prone four times in good vitals that only fell to a off chance fifth shot behind the ear. That same day i gimped a badger and spent 4 hrs digging an ornery wounded badger out of a hole.

They are just not designed for tko power which coyotes sometimes need. I switched to a 22 mag handload with a 40 grain v-max and it extended my kill range to about 125 and then shortly went up to a 300 wsm and no longer have to worry about questionable tko power.

I think maybe the yotes back east are rather small or wimpy, seems like folks back there put them down faster with the lil 17. I just have not had the same luck, and I love my hmr. I do shoot a lot of foxes around south kodiak, sitkanak, and the ak peninsula and the 17hmr is the cats meow for that.

But the fox is thinner skinned and way smaller than a yote, and does a little flop/dead all the way out to 150 with the hmr.

just some thoughts

[dogdinger]

22 mag handload????? have i missed out on some new technoligy available out there? AJ