Choice of caliber for coyotes

[OrphanMaker]

Night shots are very hard for sure, but a double lung shot coyote can't make a quarter mile it's a physiological impossibility.
Now ranges are very difficult to estimate at night, I know as I shoot a fair amount at night. Even two hundred yards with no air is a poke.
Not trying to discredit by any means , just food for thought.

I know they went 400 yards because I had to go through knee deep snow to get him which really sucked and i ranged the distance. I know it was a double lung because i skinned it, there was also copper fragments all over the exit wound, 55 grain V-max shot at 200 yards. I know it doesnt seem possible, but im telling you the dogs i shoot at night are nothing like daytime dogs.

 

[cantfixstupid]

Anything from .17 caliber to .243 that produces a MV over 3500 FPS is bad JuJu for yotes, as a matter of fact its bad JuJu for just about anything that has a central nervous system, speed kills period.

 

[lyle2231]

Referring to the youtube video, josh & holly had success with 6mm ARC.

 

[Bigiron71]

Depending on the wind, 25-06 will handle that task for you nicely with 90-110 grain bullet. Without wind 220Swift is hard to beat with 40-50 grain.

 

[ickes123]

You probably already own the gun that will work just fine I would look into bullets vs guns a lot cheaper and more the answer than a gun, however there's nothing wrong with another gun we all need an excuse to buy another one.

 

[300magshooter]

I've used the 22 centerfires, 243, 6.5 creed, but nothing has been as decisive as my 300 RUM and 180 gr Accubonds with a mv of 3525. They don't move and dead is dead lol. The 300 win is fantastic coyote medicine as well. Truth told they all work well.

 

[WildRose]

300 RUM and 180 gr Accubonds with a mv of 3525.

Just curious, what is your load for this one?

 

[300magshooter]

Just curious, what is your load for this one?

I'm shooting 96 gr of RL25. I believe Nosler data shows 3350 is with 95 gr, but a 24" test barrel. My 30-378 would only get 3400 plus a little on the same session and the bolt was getting sticky. No pressure signs on the RUM. My rifle is the first year RMEF stainless synthetic. Unbraked, its an eye opener off the bench with that load.

 

[James DeTorre]

375 minimal. Don't want to find any remains of those smelly dogs.

 

[Shawn Carverelli]

my pic is a 22-250 in an Ar15 platform.
point blank ballistics to 300 yards....and then a magazine of follow-up shots should they be needed.
Not conducive to volume prairie dog shooting for barrel burn up reasons, but the 22-250 will last a lifetime just shooting yotes.

50gr nosler ballistic tip @ 3600fps = yote jelly

 

[Rflshootr]

One thing to think about since you're in PA.....22 caliber is not legal for deer....if you wanted a dual purpose rifle. I would go with either a 6 BR, 6x47 Lapua or a 243 Win. depending on how much horsepower you want...all with an 8 twist barrel.
They all have +'s and -'s. The BR is easy on barrels and burns very little powder but is lowest in velocity. The 243 is harder on barrels but gives the highest velocity. And the 6x47 Lapua is in between. All of them will do what you want and all of them are perfectly capable of taking deer within their limits.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

I will not comply! nor have I. this lead ban has not changed a thing in regard to our Argentina Condors here in Cal, I carry non lead in my pocket and chamber lead. talk now has moved to the concern of high copper levels. I try and convince my friends in other States to try our new California bullet they are made of paper mache embedded with poppy seeds resulting in a more harmonious outcome. I told them we live on the front line of this battle until one young Vet corrected me politely say "no Sir you live behind enemy lines " a smarter move would have been to demand we just burry our gut piles instead of changing an industry. Beam me up !

I don't disagree, and I feel that the amount of lead being put into the environment by target shooters far exceeds any amount placed there by hunters, even if we are shooting at potential condor food sources. That being said, its just not worth it to me to have my license revoked over, especially in this instance for a caliber like .223 that isn't even that effective in general. Plus I do hunt right near the Sespe condor sanctuary and the Bitter Creek NWR which has a flight cage and otherwise fosters condors. Hunting coyotes in winter I don't worry about being stopped, but during deer and black bear season it would be in the back of my mind. I think the lead free rules are B.S., but I still try to do the right thing.

 

[RidgeTop]

12ga calling in at night, out to 30 yds .
.17WSM to 200+
22-250 as far as you can see them.

 

[remingtonman]

For a Calling rifle the most efficient killer for me is 6x45 shooting 70 varmegeddon or nbt. 8208 is your powder over capacity. I run a trail xp50 at night with a dlok mount and swap out during the day. I throw my brass and don't care the reload process is easy as any thing else and I get 3000fps on 70s with a 18" barrel. No spinners unlike 55 grain 223 that everyone shoots out of 16" barrels.

What are the details of your 6x45 rifle? Also would you mind sharing your load data? Thanks