Absolutely shot a coyote last year around 85 yards facing me with a 270 130 gr SST Hornady Superformance factory load @ 3050Shot placement, bullet design and velocity make a difference in the end results. I have shot coyote at 50 feet with a bullet design that normally would open up and make a mess of them, but it was placed where it didn't hit large bone structures and was traveling at a fast enough speed that it didn't open up before it passed through the coyote. Using the same style of bullet at 200 yards loaded the same as in the first example hit one in the shoulder it made a mess of the coyote. Both examples were using Speer 55 grain spire point bullets fired from a 22-250 with a 22 inch 1 in 14 twist rate, using 33.5 grains of IMR 4320 powder so they should have started out at close to 3500 FPS MV. I have also seen coyotes shot with 7MM rem. magnums and 30 caliber rifles that were a mess but some also with the same loads and calibers that only had small entrance and exit holes. Again, it was due to shot placement and the distance to the animal so that the velocity of the bullet made a difference in how the bullet performed. I routinely shoot coyotes with Sierra 55 grain hollow point boat tail bullets in a 223, with a 20-inch barrel that has a 1 in 12 twist loaded with 21.5 grains of H335 running at 2900 FPS MV normally the bullets fragment inside of the animal and have no exit hole. But if the animal is hit in the wrong place or at extreme distances the bullet doesn't perform as it should and will make a mess of things.
Wow!My son and I were out in the mountains of southern Arizona today scouting for his upcoming Coues hunt. we always bring a rifle because you never know when you're going to see a lion or coyote. Today, we watched 3-coyotes chase a Coues doe up a steep canyon. The coyotes were relentless, fortunately for the doe, they finally gave up the chase as she hit the saddle of the hill and crested over. The coyotes were about 800-yards away but never presented a good shot opportunity as they were running the entire time. On our hike out of the area, my son, saw another coyote, standing broadside across a small canyon. The coyote stood still for a little too long, which allowed my son to get his ear plugs in and take the 112-yard shot. He was shooting a 300 PRC with handloaded Hornady 230 Gr. A-tips pushing about 2,900 fps. Needless to say, the coyote dropped in it's tracks.
View attachment 498391
Definitely some firepower, I was in Az, calling at night near the superstitious mountains about 100 acre ranch, Wraith thermal and a Tikka T1X 22 dropped a dozen all drt nothing over 75 yards ,smaller than our eastern brush wolves but fun to hunt, some when they made us stopped to bark at us, only problem the rattlers are on the move at night and caution and snake leggings is required. Nice shooting.My son and I were out in the mountains of southern Arizona today scouting for his upcoming Coues hunt. we always bring a rifle because you never know when you're going to see a lion or coyote. Today, we watched 3-coyotes chase a Coues doe up a steep canyon. The coyotes were relentless, fortunately for the doe, they finally gave up the chase as she hit the saddle of the hill and crested over. The coyotes were about 800-yards away but never presented a good shot opportunity as they were running the entire time. On our hike out of the area, my son, saw another coyote, standing broadside across a small canyon. The coyote stood still for a little too long, which allowed my son to get his ear plugs in and take the 112-yard shot. He was shooting a 300 PRC with handloaded Hornady 230 Gr. A-tips pushing about 2,900 fps. Needless to say, the coyote dropped in it's tracks.
View attachment 498391
SNAKES.. NO THANKS.Definitely some firepower, I was in Az, calling at night near the superstitious mountains about 100 acre ranch, Wraith thermal and a Tikka T1X 22 dropped a dozen all drt nothing over 75 yards ,smaller than our eastern brush wolves but fun to hunt, some when they made us stopped to bark at us, only problem the rattlers are on the move at night and caution and snake leggings is required. Nice shooting.
Near Tortilla flats , in 4 days, all I had we shot a dozen, a couple gray fox.Remote area.My brother has lived there his whole life and knows his way around.Sounds like a nice hunt, except for the snakes!! I'm from Arizona, where was this exactly?
Also, more about the snakes please??
I used to boat camp a lot at Apache Lake in the Superstitions. Luckily, no snake tales...
Vettepilot
We never saw one human at night during the hunts, my assessment is that the smaller coyotes encountered in Arizona are not as wary as these eastern brush wolves.These yotes came in balls to the wall on the jackrabbit squalls out of the Icotech nightstalker. We also packed a Franchi autoloader shotgun , my brother blasted a few with it most 50 yards or a little under.Nice!
Where we used to camp was on up through Hell Canyon from Tortilla Flats. I think that road might be closed at the moment??
And snake encounters?
Vettepilot
Kudos to the O.P. For saving deer's lives.… You probably saved a few deer this season......
You might be able to stretch that range a little with some Federal Flite Control and OO buck with a full choke.We never saw one human at night during the hunts, my assessment is that the smaller coyotes encountered in Arizona are not as wary as these eastern brush wolves.These yotes came in balls to the wall on the jackrabbit squalls out of the Icotech nightstalker. We also packed a Franchi autoloader shotgun , my brother blasted a few with it most 50 yards or a little under.