Fovorite caliber for coyotes and why

rankin76 said:

It's looking like a lot of 6mm flavors and some 22-250's. I like see all the calibers folks use for coyote hunting!

Keep it coming.

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When I was a kid I had a 26 inch 22-250 in high school I was given a 26 inch custom barrel 270 win. I was a hand loader for both even at a young age. I thought that I could do anything with a 22-250 until I started shooting 100 and 110 grain varmint bullets out of a 270 going 3500 - 3600 fps. I wasn't keeping pelts and with more Horse Power you can really tear up dogs. Non of this yelping and spinning in circle where you feel sorry for them. Just DRT.

Later in life my buddy and went down and bought the Rem SPS varmintor 243 win 26 inch with 9 1/8th twist and it launches 87 gr. varmint bullets right at 3500 fps.

My best dog devastator round was home made 275 grain hollow points out my 26 inch 458 win mag. Exceeding 3000 fps. I will finish my story after work.

I did a little hiking this morning with the 17 Remington . No luck, but saw two at about 520 yards. Just a little too far for this rig. It was still a beautiful morning for a hike.

std7mag said:

Targets of opportunity get whatever I have in hand at the time.

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I don't have much time for dedicated coyote hunting so when I do harvest one it's because they were there...

First coyote I ever shot was with what I had in my hand, a 9mm Makarov! Just about 50 yards as he sauntered across the path I was about to take. DRT.

Later though, while deer hunting, another one made the mistake of trying to sneak through a meadow I was watching. Stealthy and low to the ground, he did not see or scent me. When he looked away from me I raised my M98 in .30-06 and nearly cut him in two! 165 grain BT will do that just under the spine.

Currently for dedicated coyotes, I bring out the 6 Dasher. Or maybe the .22 Creedmoor. Or maybe one of the newer cartridges I'm working with. Who know? Depends on what I feel like.

Dance with who you brung!

this fall its going to be a 223 with the 53gr vmax. and a 6 creed with 107 gr bullet

rankin76 said:

I did a little hiking this morning with the 17 Remington . No luck, but saw two at about 520 yards. Just a little too far for this rig. It was still a beautiful morning for a hike.

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That Looks quite a Bit Like, the Rolling Hill Country that, I Hunt, in Southern Idaho / Northern Nevada.
500 to 700 Yard Shots like that, are Best with, a fairly Hot,. 6MM, 6 XC, 6 Creed. etc. AND, using, High BC, 95 to 108 grain, Bullets,.. IMO
I leave my .22-250 and, the Lighter Weight, Bullets, HOME, when going to, THAT, Open, rolling Hill, "type" of, Country.

I use a 6 BR with 105 Bergers at 2900 for distant coyotes and 87gr Vmax for closer shots if I'm calling. I built the gun originally for it's accuracy and barrel life on high volume varmint shoots but has turned in to my favorite long range practice/coyote rifle.

22 creedmoor is my go to gun, 85.5 Berger stops them in there tracks every time!

budlight said:

When I was a kid I had a 26 inch 22-250 in high school I was given a 26 inch custom barrel 270 win. I was a hand loader for both even at a young age. I thought that I could do anything with a 22-250 until I started shooting 100 and 110 grain varmint bullets out of a 270 going 3500 - 3600 fps. I wasn't keeping pelts and with more Horse Power you can really tear up dogs. Non of this yelping and spinning in circle where you feel sorry for them. Just DRT.

Later in life my buddy and went down and bought the Rem SPS varmintor 243 win 26 inch with 9 1/8th twist and it launches 87 gr. varmint bullets right at 3500 fps.

My best dog devastator round was home made 275 grain hollow points out my 26 inch 458 win mag. Exceeding 3000 fps. I will finish my story after work.

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End of the story. I wasn't going back to Alaska for big browns and was just loning out my 458 win mag to people going for the big 5 in Africa. So I had hundreds of these 510 grain soft points for the Elephants... for reloading. I got to thinking. Some years like every 7 or so you have plegues of rabbits. You have to put wire around your trees when the snow covers the ground just to save your fruit trees or the summer hay. So I was blasting rabbits and just feeding the dogs. So I started chucking up the 510 grain bullets and using a 3/8th drill bit in a lathe to make masive hollow points that weighed 275 grain. I shot them on a bench rest stand with a chrono and different powders to get 3000+ fps and they were like 1.5-3 inch groups at 100 yards.

The now trained food hungry dogs were just sitting out there for another easy meal and I gave them the best it just dusted them with a red mist and parts scattered across the snown. I told my buddies and they came over and shot them with the 458 also just to have fun.

Chum or callers are the best advice!

ridge86 said:

22 creedmoor is my go to gun, 85.5 Berger stops them in there tracks every time!

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Would you mind sharing your load info and velocity? I'm just curious if it would be worth shooting these over the 75 eldms that I have a good load for.

My two favourites are the 20 tactical and the 22bra.

20 tactical;

- ks arms SAR action
- ks arms 1:10 twist #5 24"
- manners LRH sorched earth
- tt diamond
- 39gr blitzkings at 4050fps



22BRA

- lonepeak fuzion
- ibi 26" carbon tactical 1:8 twist
- manners lrh back in black
- tt diamond
- 85.5gr at 3150fps

6.5saum/300rum said:

Would you mind sharing your load info and velocity? I'm just curious if it would be worth shooting these over the 75 eldms that I have a good load for.

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I'm getting 3150 with the 85.5 bergers. Using 39.5 gr of h4350, Lrp Peterson brass fed210m. The 75 and 80 eldm bullet I did not have good luck with on coyotes, to many ran off. Just my experience, bergers work great for me!

ridge86 said:

I'm getting 3150 with the 85.5 bergers. Using 39.5 gr of h4350, Lrp Peterson brass fed210m. The 75 and 80 eldm bullet I did not have good luck with on coyotes, to many ran off. Just my experience, bergers work great for me!

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That's good to know, I was debating on switching from the 85.5's to the 80 eldm for coyotes.
Thought it would give it a try.

when you Bump the impact velocity(rpm) up 200-300 fps, you may see a different level of performance on the 75 and 80s:
22 Creed-75s at ?
22/250 AI-75s at 3400-H4350
22-243 AI-75's at 3500-H4831
22-6 Rem AI with 80s at 3600 and never use the full length sizer with Retumbo, 3750 fps max

Coyotes running after being shot is against the rules. 100-200 yd hits are one issue, but hits past 350 can take some high performance. You can compromise and just let them run off where you "got" them, but did not GET them.

I never planned on making perfect shots on coyotes that are running, trotting, walking, jumping, etc as you hit them all over the body. So, use enough gun, and if you see a couple of coyotes running off after being hit good with a particular bullet, put those bullets on a website and get them off of your property.

My favorite……would be one of our .223 Rem.'s.

Reason: many years ago bought a .223 Rem as it was very popular and I got a good deal on a Rem. 700 Heavy Barrel Varmint. Also, all components were very affordable and very available.

However, we rarely go out calling……so my last 3 or 4 kills were with my .375 AI. Some were just the opportunity to take one out, and a couple were called in! memtb