LOOKING for tips on Rifle and Scope set-up for Coyotes??

[benson821]

I have a couple of other posts on this site and thought I would start a new one with a new topic. I am looking for a rifle I can use for Varmint/Coyote hunting and a good gun to carry in the truck.
(I am left handed and would like to have a lefty rifle)

Rifles i have saw are:

1) Remington SPS Varmint Centerfire Rifle - Model 700 SPS Varmint - Remington Centerfire Rifles

2) Savage Model 12 http://guncanyon.com/viewimage.php?photo=3267&width=613&height=216

3) CZ 527 American CZ-USA -> CZ 527 American

4) Savage Model 11 http://guncanyon.com/photos/__swsports_26389.jpg


They are the only ones I have saw at my local gun store in left handed and in small calibers.

I have been looking at 204 ruger or 22-250 for caliber.
Is a heavy barell needed for Varmint/Coyote hunting???

Thanks for all help

benson821gun)

 

[SBruce]

I would say go with the 22-250. I don't know how windy it gets where you are, or far away you plan on shooting, but if you're talking truck hunting.......then you're probably going to have alot of moving/running shots. in my experience, the clock is always tickin pretty fast when coyotes are in the crosshairs. A little extra knockdown power is nice, and you can load a 22-250 extremely fast with light bullets if you want speed.

A heavy long barrel is not needed, and more of a hinderance when shooting from the truck than a short barrel for **** sure! Short heavy barrel.......best of both worlds, especially if you shoot light bullets and fast burning powder.

Once again, the clock is ticking. I highly recommend some sort of ranging reticle with holdover dots/dashes of some sort. Reason is; even if calling coyotes in a full camo outfit, they don't stand for extra movement (like using a rangefinder and then dialing in the scope adjustments). They definately don't usually give you time for this when shooting from the truck!

These recomendations are based on hunting coyotes in pretty open country where the wind blows alot and shots can be pretty far at times. Also based on hunting educated dogs (they stand still until the truck stops, then they are gettin gone!)

Best of luck.

 

[benson821]

Has anybody had any first hand experience with the 204 ruger? I am looking at it because it is a very light recioling round, fast, and a somewhat uncommon round. I have read mixed reviews about the caliber for hunting varmints and predators. So how well does it work for hunting and what is a good bullet for hunting?

benson821gun)

 

[flyin lizard]

I shoot a Sav.Mod.12fv in 22-250 for yotes and woodchucks. For chucks I shoot the 50 gr.v-max and yotes I use the 50 gr sierra bthp. Sierra has less of a chance to splash on the bones of a coyote like the v-max "might"under certain conditions.
A friend of mine had a 204 and was not happy with it on coyotes,he switched to a 22-250.

The 22-250 will handle the wind better too. Also the savage will most likely out shoot the remington, and save you some money that you can put towards good optics.

 

[benson821]

My uncle has a 22-250 and loves it. He says it works great if you have heavy barrel rifle. But reciol may knock it far off target when shooting with a light rifle. So i was opting for 204 ruger.

But for optics I was looking at the SWFA SS 10x42, how well would that scope work for shooting out to 600 or so yards.

benson821gun)

 

[4LClover]

I use a .243 here in windy WY. With the 62gr. varmint grenade it is dynamite. My wife uses the same rifle for deer and antelope. It is a T3 lite.

My other coyote rifle is a 600 Mohawk in .222. it is short and fast handling but only really good out to 200yds. with 36gr. varmint grenades.

Both rifles are very accurate but I am not sure if either come LH. The 600's are really hard to find now.

The "green" varmint bullets have been a real godsend. No more blown up fur.

I use good 3x9 scopes and dial them down to 3X when calling and shoot off the knee with my pack between my legs for stability. If a dog holds up at 200+ I dial up to 9X and let er' rip.
A heavy barrel is great for off the knee stability but a real pain to lug around. Not worth it in my opinion, unless you like to shoot PD's.

You are lucky to be LH. My coyote hunting partner is LH. He sits on the right and I sit on the left and we are able to cover about 270 degrees pretty easy.

Good luck.

 

[Miller Outdoors]

I'd go for the Savage in .243 (with accustock and accutrigger) with a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 with BDC holdover-type reticle. Work up a good load with a 75 to 115 grain ballistic tip or similar bullet and you'll have one awesome coyote rifle. gun)

 

[.30 CAL]

Being a lefty as well I say go with the Remington SPS in 22-250. If you plan on upgrading the rifle later the remington will be the easiest to get parts for.

 

[benson821]

Being a lefty as well I say go with the Remington SPS in 22-250. If you plan on upgrading the rifle later the remington will be the easiest to get parts for.

I was looking at that rifle and thought that it would be too heavy for a walking rifle but i'm not sure it will be that heavy. How is the accuracy on those rifles??

I also saw a Savage model 11 in 223 for $350 and it says it has the accustock and accutrigger would this be a good buy??

benson821gun)

 

[.30 CAL]

The Savage rifle I held with the accustock on it seemed to be a very well built rifle for 350 I would say yes that is a very good deal. I had 2 savages and have gotten rid of one and am trying to get rid of the other one not because they are not accurate but because of lack of aftermarket support. I switched to Remington and now have two SPS one in .308 and one in .243, and another SPS on the way (hopefully soon) in 338 EDGE. As for weight my .308 with scope loaded is just over 10 LBS. I use stoney point rapid pivot shooting sticks and the weight on that style of bipod is perfect. If you plan on leaving the rifle as is get the savage throw a Leupold VX-II 4-12X40 on it and don't look back. If you wanna pinch penny's get a VXI stay away from the rifleman as you cannot upgrade that scope. The others you can have reticle's changed and target turrets added at a later time, that's what I do.

 

[cavtrooper94]

If your wanting to take a long shot at a hopefully stationary coyote then you can go with almost any of the bolt actions that have been recommended. If your serious about Calling coyotes, where they will appear up close and at times in twos or threes, then get an AR-15. The adjustable stock Remington R-15 is about perfect but pricey. A guy could build a similar one for far cheaper. If your a lefty Stag arms even makes ARs for you. Stick with a 16-18 inch barrel and a low powered scope. Good Luck

 

[str8shoot]

I have a remington sps left hand 22-250. It is unbelievably accurate with 50 gr ballistic tips or smk 52s. I have shot many 1/4 moa or under groups with it. I changed the stock to a hs precision, but it shot just as well before. It is fairly heavy, mine is 13#s with a bipod and scope. If most of your shots are in the 200-400 yard range this would be a good choice. If most of your shots are under 200 yards, I would opt for a lighter quicker rifle. If most of your shots are over 400 yards or if you hunt in windy areas I would consider a .243.
Optics also depend on your primary range. I like about a 4-16x with a mildot reticle for wind hold. A 3-9x is plenty for coyotes out to 300 yards or even a bit more. I wouldn't want more than about 5X for a minimum power setting. Like always with optics, spend all you can.

 

[Ron Ankeny]

shooting from the truck

Used to be a person could shoot non-game critters from a vehicle. I think that has changed.

 

[tt35]

I've taken a boat load of coyotes with the .204. That being said, I'm primarily a caller so most of my shots are under 200 yards. I have shot coyotes out to 400 yards with the .204 but I feel the .204 is really a 300 yard coyote rifle. Stay away from the 32 grain poly-tipped bullets for coyotes. Bergers are the best if you plan on saving fur. For varmint shooting out to 400 yards, the .204 is fantastic and allows you to call a lot of your own shots with a heavy barrel rifle. I use 39 grain BK's for varmints because they have a higher BC.

To specifically address your question, go with a bigger caliber for coyotes at longer ranges. My son carries his .243AI for the occasional "drive by" coyote between stands and when we're hunting a contest where it's more important to have DRT's than a nice pelt. The weight of a varmint contour barrel has no disadvantages for a truck gun. Only in close-in calling situations is the heavy barrel a problem. Any extra time it takes to get the heavy barrel deployed will be made up in settling down quicker when you're on the coyote IMHO.

Good luck! Go tear 'em up!