Trying to decide on a caliber for varmint rifle for my son and I

[isuhunter]

My son and I have been looking at getting a rifle for mainly coyote hunting. We have done lots of looking at reviews and are pretty set on the Ruger American Gen II (Standard or Predator). We are hunting coyotes in Iowa. I don't see us doing any big game hunts, so no need to jump way up in caliber.

My son is 11. He has a big interest into shooting. I was leaning towards the .204 ruger after seeing reviews how a speed demon caliber with little recoil. But after seeing/hearing wind issues I've been leaning more towards a 22 ARC which is pretty much non existent at this point. We have an AR in .223, a Marlin .17 HMR. I'm worried the .204 may just be the Marlin with a slight upgrade.

What are your recommendations?
.204 ruger
22-250
22 ARC
22 Creedmoor

 

[wasskeet]

Welcome to LRH! Given those choices, I would go .22 Creedmoor. But I would not be looking to shoot factory ammo either.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

If it were me, I'd stay away from the .204. The others listed will work well. If you go 22-250, I'd go with a faster than SAAMI twist. I have a 1:8 in mine and can shoot heavies.
Don't forget about the .223. Chambered in a nice bolt action, it's still relevant. Ammo and components galore. It has all the other cartridge beat there by a long shot.

 

[isuhunter]

Welcome to LRH! Given those choices, I would go .22 Creedmoor. But I would not be looking to shoot factory ammo either.

Just what I need, another hobby, reloading....

Okay, school me, why not factory ammo?

 

[Dean2]

You already have an AR in 223. I would suggest you use that until you have some experience hunting yotes. The 223 with 40 grain Vmax is a great yote round for fur. If you don't care about fur you can go up in weight for better LD performance. The 223 has very little recoil so should work well for you and your boy.

I have used a 223 for years, for yotes to 500. Over 500, 300 Win mag with 147 grain BT FMJs.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Just what I need, another hobby, reloading....

Okay, school me, why not factory ammo?

Go 22CM or 22 ARC then.

 

[wasskeet]

Just what I need, another hobby, reloading....

Okay, school me, why not factory ammo?

Not a whole lot of options, may not be available at just any store

 

[akdad]

What about another 223 so you both have one? Like firefly said lots of ammo choices no recoil and perfectly functional.
I have a few 22-250s and I love em but if I was buying from scratch I would probably go with 22cm today. If I was going 204 i would probably lean more towards the 20practical then 204 simply because of brass availability.

 

[yobuck]

You can spend lots of time on Youtube watching Coyote hunting videos.
One thing that stands out most is the use of Suppressors.
As for cartridges, the 22/250 seems to be very popular, as are some 6 mm choices.
Also the shooting method is very important, regardless as to the cartridge choice.

 

[shootist7]

With your circumstances, I'd stick with a 223 Rem. There's so many options for that round now and no flies on it....

 

[unclecroc]

22-250 is the easy button here

 

[isuhunter]

You can spend lots of time on Youtube watching Coyote hunting videos.
One thing that stands out most is the use of Suppressors.
As for cartridges, the 22/250 seems to be very popular, as are some 6 mm choices.
Also the shooting method is very important, regardless as to the cartridge choice.

Youtube is overwhelming with opinions and ideas. I've noticed most are shooting suppressed

 

[Greatgrandad]

I've run 20 practical, 222, 223/5.56, 22-250, 22-250 fast twist, 22-250AI, 6BR, 243, 6mmR, 6mmRAI and 25-06 on yotes at one time or another, but most of the shooting has been with the 223/5.56's and the 22-250 with both in 1/9 or 1/8" twist. Don't under-estimate a 223 using a 65-75 grain bullets at longer distances for yotes, and of course, the lighter, faster weights in the shorter distance work well.

 

[AG Composites]

Welcome to LRH! Given those choices, I would go .22 Creedmoor. But I would not be looking to shoot factory ammo either.

2x on the 22 Creedmoor. We've had a number of guys building these as coyote rigs and they are insanely lethal, buck wind super well, and recoil very little. Peterson is offering 22 Creedmoor brass, too. It was SAAMI spec'd recently, so there's at least Hornady ELD Match out there for it. Seems to be available online. Good luck to you and your son. Have fun with it!