Rimfire Coyote setup

I want to get a rimfire bolt or semi rifle setup for coyotes and fox. I live in a straight walled rifle only area (which sucks). We are allowed to hunt varmints and predators with rimfires. I have a vision in my head of either a .22 mag or .17 wsm AR style rifle with a suppressor and thermal optic. We have a LOT of fawn killers up here and they need killing.

I'm hoping to find someone that has hunted with both of these calibers and can give me some advice. Shots would be under 100 yards, mostly in big woods, maybe some field edges. I appreciate the advice.

megastink said:

I want to get a rimfire bolt or semi rifle setup for coyotes and fox. I live in a straight walled rifle only area (which sucks). We are allowed to hunt varmints and predators with rimfires. I have a vision in my head of either a .22 mag or .17 wsm AR style rifle with a suppressor and thermal optic. We have a LOT of fawn killers up here and they need killing.

I'm hoping to find someone that has hunted with both of these calibers and can give me some advice. Shots would be under 100 yards, mostly in big woods, maybe some field edges. I appreciate the advice.

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The 17 is great but you need to consider if you are going to be able to feed it shells have been hard to get and twice the price I know a guy who has an ar 17 sitting in a gun shop now going to sell it to fund another build we shot hedge balls with it at 200 yds wether luck or not I killed a coyote with my cheap savage at 300 yds they are a wicked little cartridge. David

david g ranes said:

The 17 is great but you need to consider if you are going to be able to feed it shells have been hard to get and twice the price I know a guy who has an ar 17 sitting in a gun shop now going to sell it to fund another build we shot hedge balls with it at 200 yds wether luck or not I killed a coyote with my cheap savage at 300 yds they are a wicked little cartridge. David

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Do you shoot it suppressed?

megastink said:

Do you shoot it suppressed?

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No we didn't but it would have been fun to have done that David

Bear Creek Arsenal may be something to consider if you want a 22 mag semi. But upon purchase be sure to check the barrel for proper torque. Unless you don't mind FTF and Stove Piping. Reasonably priced around $5-6 hundred I believe. Skip the video till the end. That is when they fixed the issue. I have been wanting to get one just to see if it is a common issue.

I use both 22 mag and 17 hmr every once in a while on predators. Carry one or the other all the time for sod puppies, beaver and other critters. I love my 17s and consider them one of my top 3 favorite rounds of all time. It won't have an issue killing a coyote with the right shot out to 100 yards. I wouldn't go much over that though due to energy loss. I shoot either a CZ452 or tikka T1x suppressed in the 17HMR and have a Bergara and a few Marlin bolts I shoot 22 mag in. I use a heavier bullet in the 22 mag with a 30 cal rifle suppressor on it and it will hit a bit harder at 100. I also wouldn't go much over 100 with it either.
Really can't go wrong with either caliber for what you are doing. Ammo is easy to find and cost roughly the same a box of 50($15+/-). I would recommend going with a good bolt action for either one over a semi. The ones I mentioned are very smooth and quiet shooting and loading. I highly recommend a suppressor for both and outfitting with a decent scope. All mine are topped with Zeiss fine cross haired scopes because the rifles are all very capable of great accuracy! Many beaver head shots have been placed and sod puppies have been successful eradicated out to 100 yards with them
If you are more fox and smaller coyote I would probably lean towards 17HMR. Great fur saver for those closer shots. Shoot for heart.

I have a 17hmr and a 22 mag.,BOTH Marlins, the 17 is ACCURATE, but I like the heavier bullet from the 22mag. Ammunition for both are readily available. IMO the 22 mag is better for coyotes

The 17hmr is deadly 100 and in for sure.

Thanks

Buck

JiggyIi said:

I have a 17hmr and a 22 mag.,BOTH Marlins, the 17 is ACCURATE, but I like the heavier bullet from the 22mag. Ammunition for both are readily available. IMO the 22 mag is better for coyotes

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I have 17 hmr 22 mag and 17wsm killed pigs with each one of them if a person can keep getting shells I would stick with the wsm it out preforms the other two. The 22 mag has killed a lot of stuff a lot of poachers go to gun . But you used to give up a lot of accuracy because of shell quality where people I know sorted shells to get the most out of their 22 mag. I shot my wsm over a chronograph and had very consistent velocities which showed up on paper in accuracy. David

^^^^^^ What David said. If you are looking for only one, the wsm is the way to go. The only kicker is cost and availability of ammo. Speaking strictly on effectiveness of the round itself...the wsm is the winner.

I have tried them all. Here in CT we can only use shotguns or Rimfires on most state lands.

17 HMR was good on closer and head shots. But 22 Magnum was better. Tben the WSM came out. I boughtvtwo Savage BMags. I wish I had dought the HB guns. But these pencils shoot plenty good enough and are HE dbl hockey sticks on dogs in the woods here. SELDOM do was have over a 150 yard shot. Then ONLY in winter. In summer I just use a shotgun cause its closer to FEET than yards many times.

I have used both the 20 & 25g even the lil 15g once. I like 25g bullets.

CW

I have coyote hunted a 74K acre military base that is rimfire only for 40 years. It's been mine and my hunting buddies experience that the 22mag works better than the 17HMR......Don't plan on putting your hands on every one you shoot. If a shotgun is an option I would look into that as well.

RimX 17 WSM or bust....