Choice of caliber for coyotes

[COBigJohn]

When we lived in Oregon, my best-friends dad, hunted, skinned and cured a lot of Yotes.... His caliber of choice was a 220 Swift, shooting hollow points. He wanted the bullet penetrating the hide with a tiny hole and then blowing up... not damaging the hide on the other side.


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[loghome]

Yeah I have lots of rifles most are heavy or large Cal. I'm about to put that scope on one of my 300 win mags and be done with it. I know I can hit with that.

 

[Ohlongarm]

I've used it quite successfully on thin skinned varmints and predators even at ranges exceeding 400 yards.

With an MV of 2,700fps or higher There's more than enough remaining energy at 400 yards for anything from Prairie dogs, to Bobcats and Coyotes.

View attachment 345079

.22 Hornet Load Data - Shooting Times

The .22 Hornet officially turned 90 in 2020, and it is still one great little cartridge to reload; here's some load data information to get you started.

www.shootingtimes.com

Further with the 40-45gr soft points there's little danger of ruining the hide even with an exit hole.

Even with the hottest load here your bullet drop is 4 feet at 400 yards with about 150 ft lbs, not enough in my opinion to successfully tag big varmints especially yotes unless you can place the shot perfectly in the head or center mass neck. Speaking from experience only having taken upwards of 1000 yotes in the last 15 years.

 

[WildRose]

I wish I could give you some advice, but I can't even make that decision for myself..... from my own safe. I'll be thinking all day and rationalizing about which rifle I should take to hunt this evening. I will definitively decide on a rifle and then change my mind a few times before I leave to hunt, and then I will be sitting on stand questioning my decision. They will all work fine. Looks like you live in PA, so fur probably isn't a concern. Close your eyes, reach blindly into your safe and take the first one you touch. Then set up accordingly.

I know, having too many options can drive you nuttier than a semi load of fruitcakes.

When we lived in Oregon, my best-friends dad, hunted, skinned and cured a lot of Yotes.... His caliber of choice was a 220 Swift, shooting hollow points. He wanted the bullet penetrating the hide with a tiny hole and then blowing up... not damaging the hide on the other side.


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Pretty much the same as I expect out of both the Swift and .204.

If I'm hunting close I go in the complete opposite directly to the 6.8SPC shooting the 110gr Interbond. If/when they expand at all they do very little damage to the hide.

 

[Ohlongarm]

Even with the hottest load here your bullet drop is 4 feet at 400 yards with about 150 ft lbs, not enough in my opinion to successfully tag big varmints especially yotes unless you can place the shot perfectly in the head or center mass neck. Speaking from experience only having taken upwards of 1000 yotes in the last 15 years. It's not possible to obtain 2700 fps at 400 yards, as you know just not a good caliber choice at those ranges.

 

[WildRose]

I was thinking perhaps you understood the terminology and subject matter here.

MV stands for muzzle velocity not some imagined "point M" down range.

Again I was quite successful with the Hornet for many years shooting primarily predators including coyotes and bobcats and small pigs/piglets.

Is it ideal for 400yds? No, which is why I said so with that being the point at which I pick up either the Swift or .260.

 

[Roughrice]

I am a 300 and in guy,most are 150 or under,have had a few runners with my 223,will say great majority of my shots are head on.Caller placement can have a lot to do with shot angles.Last runner I had was in New Mexico a few weeks ago,he went about 60 yards as I shot him a little far back but the 53 grain V MAX got the job done.My 223 is running 3300 fps while my 250 is 3600 with 55 grain V MAX.If one caliber was the absolute best there would only be one left.Lots of calibers work if you hit the sweet spot.Tons of deer killed here in Okla with a 223,me included in that group.Main thing is enjoy whatever you get.Coyotes are most fun in the world in my books,guess that is why I have loved it so much since 1972.

Great fun it is!
I have done a bit of "Mexican Match Reloading" for my 223 in years past.
I bought loads of steel case 55 fmj in the past for .20/round.
I pulled the 55 fmj and seated some .16 cent factory second 55 V-Max for my 223 varmint hunting AR and Savage bolt truck gun. Makes for cheap accurate ammo!
My Savage will shoot .5 MOA with em now!
Fun to shoot varmints and not worried about losing brass!

Most of my shots are 200 yards in...

However, with that said... I too have had runners with 223. Now, I mostly use 90 TNT with Grendel. No more runners... if so, they are slow enough for follow-up. I'm not selling hides.

 

[Catahoula]

Looking for opinion on what caliber would be the best for coyotes. At ranges never know anywhere from 10 yards to 400 yards. I'm putting a pulsar thermal scope on the rifle. I will be reloading for it. Thanks for any information appreciate it.

22-250 with 52 grain pills.....

 

[js216]

I use a 22 creedmoor with a thermal with a 250 yard zero I just hold on coyotes from 0-315 yards, I havnt found anything easier for night hunting, 3500 with 75 eldm, flat and good in the wind

 

[loghome]

22 creedmoor I'll have to look at that. My neighbor was telling me about his 6.5 creedmoor. I have a 22-250 but it's a little heavy to be carrying around. Thanks for all the info.

 

[js216]

It's basically the same thing as a 22-243, it's my favorite coyote caliber

 

[loghome]

I'll look that up I've never heard of it. Thanks

 

[Terry Lightle]

My son coyote hunts with a 22 Creed,really impressive do not know about barrel life though.He does not play with it at range much.He shoots 75 grainers and it sounds like you threw a watermelon on concrete when it hits.Have seen it string intestines across the ground

 

[Joejack]

22 creedmoor 85.5 gr Bergers 3250fps it is not a fur friendly round it will leave large exit holes