Coyotecaller
Member
22. LR with Hollow-Point Shells (Makes more damage).
What's your caliber of choice, for coyotes?
- Thread starter Bowhunter57
- Start date
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kill_goose
Active Member
Theres a reason the .22-250 is the "varmint" caliber all others are compared to. Its my go to gun.
.308 comes in handy for high pressure areas where they like to give you the 400+ yard hairy eyeball though.
.308 comes in handy for high pressure areas where they like to give you the 400+ yard hairy eyeball though.
Been a fan of the 22-250 for a long time but went with a fairly light 6ppc this year. Acurracy is well above par of course. Mine is a 1-14 twist shilen select match 22" some where around a magnum sporter contour on a savage action. Norma brass and 55gr. Nosler BT with IMR 8208 has been a great load!! Shoulders, chest, end for end it works. Killed em out at a little over 200yds. One male did stand up then collapsed. Except for end for end shots it always exits but never hardly any bigger then it goes in so pelt damage is minimal!!
Really lacks the ballistics of the hot 22's though!
Really lacks the ballistics of the hot 22's though!
hilter1961
New Member
So far, i have been real happy with my Remington R15 in 223. My most accurate load has been a 40 grain V Max, 3/4 inch groups at 100 yds. I know that is lighter than most shoot, but no runners so far. Longest shot though was ranged at 212 yds and it just tipped him right over.
Chupathingy
Member
Bushmaster O.R.C in .223 53gr Hornady Superformance. Twisting up some 52gr A-Max's for next year.
Top: Savage 10FP 40gr V-max and 52gr SMK.
Bottom: Stevens 200 .223 62gr TSX and 55gr SGK's
Bottom: 6x45 70gr SMK's and 70gr SBK's
H&R Pardner Pump 3" Hevi-Shot "T" and 3" lead 4BK and 3" Remington HD BB's.
Chupa
Top: Savage 10FP 40gr V-max and 52gr SMK.
Bottom: Stevens 200 .223 62gr TSX and 55gr SGK's
Bottom: 6x45 70gr SMK's and 70gr SBK's
H&R Pardner Pump 3" Hevi-Shot "T" and 3" lead 4BK and 3" Remington HD BB's.
Chupa
Water-Man
New Member
Tikka T3 in 6.5X55 SE.
nwcp
Active Member
I use 5.56/.223 on coyotes. I have .22WMR and .17HMR rifles, but I've never been comfortable using rimfires on a coyote sized animal. They work fine on small edible game, or other small critters at close ranges. The .17HMR will reach out and touch someone, but it lacks the energy to make an ethical kill. JMHO
freddiej
Well-Known Member
As I have written and commented before on this subject.. there are many really good cartridges out there for coyotes. they are in two classes "hide friendly" and "hide unfriendly".
the hide friendly class would be 17 centerfire (17 Rem, 17-223, 17-222, 17-Mach 4), 22 Hornet, 223/5.56X45, 22-250/22-08, 220 Swift, 223 WSSM, 243 WSSM, 243 win, 6MM rem, and 225 Win.
Hide unfriendly (some of you will not agree with me on this but I have tried many of what I am about to list out.. ) 257 Roberts, 25 WSSM, 25-35, 257 Weatherby, 6.5MM anything, 7MM anything, .270" Anything, .308" Anything or anything larger.
if you are out to make a red mist out of the coyote or are taking 400+ yard shots the hide unfriendly class is the only way to go. My personal faves are 257 Weatherby (two words OVER-KILL) with 100 grain anything that shoots accuratly, 257 Roberts with 90 to 100 grain Nosler B-tips, 270 Winchester with 100 grain Speer HP's
Anything under 350 yard shots I would go with any of the hide friendly rounds. my select few are 223 WSSM, 17 Remington, 257 Roberts. if I am shooting in thick brush and will never take over a 75 yard shot.. the 22 hornet is my best friend with 45 grain V-max.
good hunting gun)
I'm out!
the hide friendly class would be 17 centerfire (17 Rem, 17-223, 17-222, 17-Mach 4), 22 Hornet, 223/5.56X45, 22-250/22-08, 220 Swift, 223 WSSM, 243 WSSM, 243 win, 6MM rem, and 225 Win.
Hide unfriendly (some of you will not agree with me on this but I have tried many of what I am about to list out.. ) 257 Roberts, 25 WSSM, 25-35, 257 Weatherby, 6.5MM anything, 7MM anything, .270" Anything, .308" Anything or anything larger.
if you are out to make a red mist out of the coyote or are taking 400+ yard shots the hide unfriendly class is the only way to go. My personal faves are 257 Weatherby (two words OVER-KILL) with 100 grain anything that shoots accuratly, 257 Roberts with 90 to 100 grain Nosler B-tips, 270 Winchester with 100 grain Speer HP's
Anything under 350 yard shots I would go with any of the hide friendly rounds. my select few are 223 WSSM, 17 Remington, 257 Roberts. if I am shooting in thick brush and will never take over a 75 yard shot.. the 22 hornet is my best friend with 45 grain V-max.
good hunting gun)
I'm out!
PREDATORMAN
Active Member
The "environment ( population, housing, zoning, farms, open public land etc )" you hunt in makes about all calibers acceptable and unacceptable. What you want left of the Hides after the kill ( Prairie dogs to Bears makes little difference ) makes a big difference in your selection. AND.... You have to take into account not only Hide damage but Knockdown Power and what happens to the Bullet beyond the target "hit or miss". As far as I know there is only one projectile capable of stopping at the intended target's range and that is used by the military experimentally. For all predators up to and including Lions Most everything over .224 diameter is more overkill than not. And .243WIN is good for the "average" Black Bear". Save those bigger rounds ( 25s, 30s and above ) for serious Bears over 300 pounds. But I assume you were mostly talking about FOX, KITTIES and COYOTES.
My favorites are:
FOX & BOBCATS - 22WMR, 22 Hornet, 17REM, 223REM/5.56mm( extreme end with the proper bullets )
COYOTES - 17REM, 223REM/5.56mm, 22-250 + 220 Swift + 243WIN
These calibers have served me well in over 40 years of hunting. I use what works. Good Luck and happy hunting!gun)
My favorites are:
FOX & BOBCATS - 22WMR, 22 Hornet, 17REM, 223REM/5.56mm( extreme end with the proper bullets )
COYOTES - 17REM, 223REM/5.56mm, 22-250 + 220 Swift + 243WIN
These calibers have served me well in over 40 years of hunting. I use what works. Good Luck and happy hunting!gun)
VarmintGuy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2008
- Messages
- 46
PREDATORMAN: Good question AND I have a GOOD answer.
I'll give it to you in a minute.
But first let me relay that I killed my first Coyote in 1961 - exactly 50 years ago.
I have used a plethora of calibers and guns (shotguns, Rifles and pistols!) to kill them.
Among the shotgun, Rifle and pistol calibers I have used on Coyotes (successfully!) to date they include:
17 HMR
17 MachIV
17 Remington Fireball
17 Remington
204 Ruger
22 L.R.
22 WMR
22 Hornet
218 Bee
221 Remington Fireball
222 Remington
223 Remington
222 Remington Magnum
22 Remington Benchrest
224 Weatherby
22-250 Remington
220 Swift
220 Wilson Arrow
6x47
6mm Remington Benchrest
243 Winchester
6mm Remington
6mm Remington Ackley Improved
240 Weatherby
257 Roberts
25/06 Remington
260 Remington
264 Winchester Magnum
270 Winchester
7mm Express
280 Remington
7mm Remington Magnum
30/30 Winchester
308 Winchester
30/06
300 Winchester Magnum
38 Special
357 Magnum
40 S&W
12 gauge
Looking back over my useages and experiences and "knowing what I know today" - if I were to be limited to ONE caliber/cartridge for all around Coyote Hunting (heaven forbid that!) it would hands down have to be the 204 Ruger!
No other cartridge I am aware of can compete with the performance on Coyotes in all conditions and all year and all day (24 hours a day!) of the 204 Ruger!
Keep after'em
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
I'll give it to you in a minute.
But first let me relay that I killed my first Coyote in 1961 - exactly 50 years ago.
I have used a plethora of calibers and guns (shotguns, Rifles and pistols!) to kill them.
Among the shotgun, Rifle and pistol calibers I have used on Coyotes (successfully!) to date they include:
17 HMR
17 MachIV
17 Remington Fireball
17 Remington
204 Ruger
22 L.R.
22 WMR
22 Hornet
218 Bee
221 Remington Fireball
222 Remington
223 Remington
222 Remington Magnum
22 Remington Benchrest
224 Weatherby
22-250 Remington
220 Swift
220 Wilson Arrow
6x47
6mm Remington Benchrest
243 Winchester
6mm Remington
6mm Remington Ackley Improved
240 Weatherby
257 Roberts
25/06 Remington
260 Remington
264 Winchester Magnum
270 Winchester
7mm Express
280 Remington
7mm Remington Magnum
30/30 Winchester
308 Winchester
30/06
300 Winchester Magnum
38 Special
357 Magnum
40 S&W
12 gauge
Looking back over my useages and experiences and "knowing what I know today" - if I were to be limited to ONE caliber/cartridge for all around Coyote Hunting (heaven forbid that!) it would hands down have to be the 204 Ruger!
No other cartridge I am aware of can compete with the performance on Coyotes in all conditions and all year and all day (24 hours a day!) of the 204 Ruger!
Keep after'em
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
freddiej
Well-Known Member
Varmint and preditor guys..
I have a real problem with you Preditor guy with your thrust that 243 is good for bear.. I have yet to see a humane or ethical kill on a California Black bear with a 243/6MM of any kind. I have been hunting and guiding for 24 years.. I will not go into detail but the last 6 MM used on a cal black the shooter has one less hand... the bear ripped it off once he caught up to the idiot. he had other injuries but nothing as serious at the missing hand. I was over 600 yards away and could not get a clean shot to save the guy's hand.
Varmint guy.. My hat is off to you using all those calibers for coyotes.. I have used 17 Rem, 22 Hornet, 22-250 Rem, 257 Roberts, 270 Win, 308 Win, 300 win mag and once with a 45-70.. okay I was out for deer and the Coyote was a target of opportunity. I have tried 22 LR, 22WRM, and 17 HMR without good results.
In my old home town the coyotes were thick.. they were healthy and they would laugh off any rimfire. that is one reason why we used centerfire.. 17 Rem, 17 Mach 4, 17-222, 17-223 were all very good at bringing down the coyotes. the 17 cals went in, exploded, never left the other side.. Barns Varmint grenades 224 cal 40 Grainers are awesome on coyotes with leaving very little damage to the hides.
this gun guy is out the door.. the shop needs to be cleaned up and locked up.. its closing time.. I am late for dinner.
gun)out!
I have a real problem with you Preditor guy with your thrust that 243 is good for bear.. I have yet to see a humane or ethical kill on a California Black bear with a 243/6MM of any kind. I have been hunting and guiding for 24 years.. I will not go into detail but the last 6 MM used on a cal black the shooter has one less hand... the bear ripped it off once he caught up to the idiot. he had other injuries but nothing as serious at the missing hand. I was over 600 yards away and could not get a clean shot to save the guy's hand.
Varmint guy.. My hat is off to you using all those calibers for coyotes.. I have used 17 Rem, 22 Hornet, 22-250 Rem, 257 Roberts, 270 Win, 308 Win, 300 win mag and once with a 45-70.. okay I was out for deer and the Coyote was a target of opportunity. I have tried 22 LR, 22WRM, and 17 HMR without good results.
In my old home town the coyotes were thick.. they were healthy and they would laugh off any rimfire. that is one reason why we used centerfire.. 17 Rem, 17 Mach 4, 17-222, 17-223 were all very good at bringing down the coyotes. the 17 cals went in, exploded, never left the other side.. Barns Varmint grenades 224 cal 40 Grainers are awesome on coyotes with leaving very little damage to the hides.
this gun guy is out the door.. the shop needs to be cleaned up and locked up.. its closing time.. I am late for dinner.
gun)out!
