Choice of caliber for coyotes

[Gone Ballistic]

To ascertain the choice of caliber to suggest for coyote hunting depends upon many variables. (1.) Do you intend to sell the hide? (2.) Are you calling them in to set? (3.) Are you primarily hunting solo or with a buddy? (4.) Is your mission to primarily hunt coyotes with the firearm?
If you are hunting fur, my favorite is a. 22-250, second .223, third 6.5 C.M..The 22-250 with a 55gn Hornaday V-Max or Nosler Ballistic Tip does the job without tearing up fur. I feel the faster the better. I rarely shoot coyotes over a hundred yards but have nailed a few past 400 with this bullet. I actually took almost 3 coyotes with my 12ga. shotgun for each one I took with my rifle the past 25 years. I took over 600 song dogs with my 25-06, the first 11 years I hunted coyotes for their fur, back when they fetched up to a hundred bucks per hide. Ran them with some Greyhounds back then.

 

[Idgunner]

A few days ago I got a coyote at 450 yards, one shot and it folded. 223, 8 twist, 77gr Sierra TMK. Same happened 2 hours later on a coyote at 322 yards.

 

[Riceguy]

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 here

 

[1PD hunter]

Wildrose-you seem to have a lot of great reloading data for the 22 hornet and I want to load for Prairie dogs. I have purchased 36 grain Barnes Varmint Gernade HP FB bullets and Lil Gun powder. Have you ever used these in combination and with what success for accuracy. I know each gun is different and will need to find out the powder charge that is right for my guns, but what charge did you use. If my choice of components is wrong let me know that also. Thanks for your help.

 

[Ohlongarm]

My personal favorite is an oldie but goodie 17Rem the little 20gr pill at 4500 fps always does the trick out to around 1200 or so.

Sir, was that 1200 yards or feet? THX

 

[shooter53]

Depends on quite a few things.

Are you just killing them or taking hides?

Range you plan to shoot?

How much wind will typically have to deal with.

I've shot truckloads of coyotes over the last thirty years with .220 Swift, .204 Ruger, .264wm, 260Rem, and even the 7RM and 7mm STW.

Out to about 400yds in relatively calm conditions the .204 is outstanding and with the right bullet and shot placement produces excellent hides.

The Swift is it's equal to about 600yds.


If it's going to be very windy I just take take one of the .260's because of much higher BC bullets that are superior when fighting the wind.

One that doesn't get the love anymore it should is the .22 Hornet wich is an outstanding varminter out to about 400yds.

220 swift awesome on foxs over here, probably one of the flatest about

 

[Deleted member 115360]

If the fur has no value, then just shoot them with something that will absolutely kill them. All this .17, .20, and even slow .22 stuff will get it done when everything goes right, but nobody wants to admit how many coyotes they shot with that stuff that they never recovered. Again, if pelts are useless, then maybe a gut shot coyote is just as good to you as a piled up coyote. I like to walk up to the dead ones. I like shooting them with bigger bullets. I shot this one yesterday evening with a .308, 110vmax hand load running about 3,150 from a 20" barrel. Baby recoil, pretty flat to 400y, and it was dead before it hit the ground.

 

[436]

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.

My favorite? well of course the ubiquitous .223 Rem, after that the .224 Wby Mag, 6XC, and the .220 Swift. My dark house if I could find a good one would be the .225 Win. I know, I left out the .22-250 Rem I've just shot so many over the years (56 in all) with that cartridge I just don't grab it anymore. Besides the .224 Wby and the .225 Win are ballistically the same as the .22-250 Rem for all practical purposes. Good luck on finding one, Cheers. Oop's I was going to mention the .17 Rem which I love and have used a lot, but it's a stretch on a 400 yard shot on a winter Yotes.

 

[BigNate]

Wow!
Some have not mastered the art of reading compression at all.

You aren't skinning them so ballistics is about all that matters. If you are just wanting to set up a yote hammer you should look at high bc bullets from a relatively fast cartridge. Bigger bullets cost a little more, big cases use lots of powder.

In your situation I'd consider rebarreling something I already have for longer bullets, or build something around the Valkyrie and look at the sleek heavy vld type bullets.

 

[remingtonman]

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.

6mm-223 shooting a 58gr vmax is good medicine with more thump than a 223

 

[BigSky112]

I use a 243, 55 gr bullet, only a couple grains more than a 22-250, if needed can switch bullets and hunt deer & antelope

 

[Maol]

Maybe mentioned already, didn't read everything. 6mm ARC. Less powder and see the hits. Barrel an AR for fast follow up shots on the rest if you're lucky and good. If you're real lucky you'll find factory... lol

Valkyrie would be great too.

That's the biggest selling point of 223/5.56 IMO. Available cheap ammo.

 

[Dragon Fly]

Here in Ohio, I use .223/5.56, it's NEVER failed yet!

 

[hoeram]

220 Swift, 22-250, 222, 17 Fireball on a calm day.