What's your caliber of choice, for coyotes?

[freddiej]

Mustang.. they also use 22PPC and 7 MM BR and 22 BR as well.. but I have yet to see a 6MM group better than Improved Cylinder.

 

[shortgrass]

You must be handling junk, freddiej. A well built and cared for 6mm is just as accurate as any other. Check last years stats, the 6mmPPC rules benchrest. If I remember correctly, it took the 7 top places last year, nation wide.

 

[Trickymissfit]

and the list goes on, and on:
**6/250AI....high twos and very low three with 117 grain Sierras
mid twos with three different loads using Hornaday 105 grain Amax
bullets.
The barrel is a 1:8 twist, and have not bothered to try anything with a B/C below .46.

**..... 6mm Remington with a sporter weight barrel and a 1:9 twist. Never did a lot of work with it, but it shot in the sevens without any serious load development using Hornaday 87 grain bullets. I think the rifle was a low six gun with out anything done to it

**..... 6mm Remington in a Ruger Varmit rifle. Mid to high threes with 87 grain
Hornadays. Low threes and a high twos rifle with 80 grain Sierras. Longest kill was about 675 yards using the 87 grain bullet. Muzzel velocity was about 3300fps using .257 Roberts cases necked down.

**.....6mmAI. Shoots mid fours to hig threes. Is a solid 750 yard rifle
gary

 

[HARPERC]

My 6mm Remington was built for kids. Weighs in at just under 7 lbs. It's never had more magnification than a 1.5-5 on it. The dozen or so folks that started with it never shot a group as big as 1.75 inches at fifty yards their first time out.
Pinecones and popcans with a camp chair rest were always in peril, prairie dogs, rabbits and squirrels with good varmint bullets always expired in spectacular enough fashion to encourage more shooting.
I won't sing the praises of the 6mm as an all around big game cartridge-but it's accounted for enough first deer/antelope it's earned it's place in my safe.
While I haven't shot it much-my hunting partner still claims the best shot I ever made was with that 6mm. Pre range finder days a crow (just a speck in the binos and scope) thought it was out of rifle range (actually we did too), exploded-one cold bore shot.
Statistics can tend to cluster, but if your 50 yard groups are that bad, with that many rifles, take a big step back, clear your mind, and revisit from top to bottom all the variables. There is nothing unique about the 6mm bore size that would cause this much grief.

 

[anytym]

I have shot 17 Rem up to 47-70 for coyotes. I have had my Sako 22-250 since 1969, and now she is wearing a 3 grove Lilja barrel in 22-250 AI. I use a DoubleStar AR15 with an Aimpoint Redot mounted on it most of the time when calling and using my dog. I use a 45-70 when calling in Griz country and have 2 of them both with Aimpoints on them. If I take a light rifle in the bear areas, I pack a 500 S/W. For long range I use a 6.5x284 with a 6x18 Shepherd scope on it. I have also killed a coyote, with a Shepherd mounted .338 Win. Mag. with a 225 gr. Hornady. I shot it head on and although I didn't examine it real close, there were no visable holes in it.
I have killed coyotes with my Savage 6BR LRPV. This rifle will shoot 1/4" groups all day.
I just finished a book that a fur hunter wrote about his life in Alaska and his fur rifle is a Sako 6PPC using 80 grn. Hornady FMJ(the most accurate bullets he could find that would't damage fur). He kept the volocity at 2850 fps. He killed 17 fox in a 24 hr. period. He also shot caribou with this rifle along with wolves. As far as calibers , and killing coyotes, I feel that the bullet makes up most of the difference as to whether it is fur friendly or not. The biggest hole in fur I have ever made is with a .204 factory Hornady load when they first came out. The hide had a hole about 8 inches in diameter with the frontal chest shot. Haven't used that rifle since for coyotes. My partner uses his CZ all the time in that caliber though. I have a sweet Coopers .223AI that is a tack driver. I haven't used it on coyotes, but it would be great with 50 VMax's.
It is terific on prairie dogs. Right now I am getting a Savage 110BA .338 Lapua, and a 5.5X22x56 Nightforce with A Quickstop turret put together and yes, I will be practicing on coyotes.gun)
anytym

 

[scenarshooter]

One of my favorites is this GA Precison Crusader in .260. It shoots both the 139gr scenar and Berger VLD's really well. 183 coyotes to its credit.

Another one that has proven to be very effective for coyotes is this Surgeon 6XC. I've used both 105gr scenars and 115gr VLD's to take 267 coyotes with it.

Coyote staring right at my 6XC at 340 meters. S&B 4-16X50 PMII.

 

[dollman]

well i shoot red foxes with a rem bdl 700 but i i have just bought a ruger no1 in 220 swift this will take over the role of the 243, cant wait to try it on the foxes ,i mainly shoot at night with a lamp but also in the day, ,no coyotes in wales not blessed like you guys, lol atvb steve

 

[Lapua guy]

As of recent: 6mm AI, 105 gr Bergers

 

[Lapua guy]

misfit, I have hit 40+ pound dogs and they have never gotten back up with a 17 remington. the 25 grain Hornady V-max and Berger Varmint HPFB have never failed me. My hunting buddy with his 22-250 Rem has hit 35 to 52+ pound dogs and they have never gotten back up. heart and lung shots bring dogs down and they do not get back up. I have used neck, head and heart/lung shots with 17 Rem, 22 Hornet, 223 Rem, 223 WSSM; without failure they go down with one shot and never get back up. I must be using the "Magic" slugs. Hornady V-max, Speer TNT, Nosler Ballistic tip, Sierra BlitzKings. nothing I fire at a coyote has failed to work if I hit the dog. most of the time with a 17 Remington they crumble mid stride and are history.. with my hunting partner's 22-250 with 40 grain V-max have brought down more coyotes than I have with my 17 and 223 Rem combined. he has changed to factory Winchester 40 grainers. nothing fails in his 22-250. in fact we found the Sierra 40 grainers are too explosive; they rip the dog apart and ruin hides.
I shot a coyote with my 257 roberts from 350 yards with a 60 grain flat point (25-35/25-20 slug) and the dog exploded.. ripped it so badly I have not used that load ever since. use 75 grain V-max now for less destructive results and I have loaded the round down to starting loads and it seems to down coyotes quite well.
I am totally unimpressed by the whole 6MM family.. I owned a 243 once and I could never get the dang rifle to shoot right.. I have repaired many 6 MM rifles and have seen ugly to unbelievably bad shot groups.. I just do not trust the 6 MM to be accurate. I have had over 50+ 6 MM bores in my hands and not one of them grouped under 1.75" at 50 yards.
gun)peace through superior firepower....

Quite simply, you have crappy 6mm rifles then. It is the ballistically superior projectile. The 6PPC may be the most efficient round in the world. The 6mm is reknowned to be the most accurate projectile. Now if you don't have a good rifle, it doesn't matter what caliber you use, it won't shoot.

But as far as your feelings on 6mms, they are just feelings and the evidence suggests that they may be skewed, significantly.

 

[mcseal2]

I shoot most of my coyotes while working on the ranch so shot angles are not always perfect. I think anything works well on a broadside coyote, but the 6mm's with a 70gr or heavier bullet will handle tough angles and still leave a dead dog. I haven't had those results with a 223 or 22-250 and 50-55gr bullets. The 243-6mm's have been the most accurate rifles I've owned and done a great job on a couple hundred coyotes with 70gr ballistic tips, 75gr V-max, or heavier bullets. Most have been with the 70 or 75gr bullets, but I've tried most all of them.

I've shot lots of coyotes with the 22 cal rifles and am building a 204, so It's not that I think that they don't work. I just want plenty of penetration from any angle. I shoot yotes with a 6mm & deer with the 264 win mag - 7mm Rem mag range of rounds . I believe in having enough gun for tough conditions even though lighter calibers work great with a well placed shot. I like exit wounds on big game and coyotes that fall in their tracks without one, even if bone is hit.

 

[Damol]

Have used .223 .308 .357 and 12gage and seen one killed with a 95gr fmj from a .380 but have purchesed a .243 and am thnking about using it as a
full time varment rig.

 

[2manyguns]

i use a 224 texas trophy hunter (6mm neccked down to 224 ) 3in. high at 100 still2.5 high at 300 5in. low at 500 with a 75 g a max

 

[HARPERC]

i use a 224 texas trophy hunter (6mm neccked down to 224 ) 3in. high at 100 still2.5 high at 300 5in. low at 500 with a 75 g a max

Which rate of twist did you choose? Would you choose it again?

 

[stainmstr]

.223, cheap to shoot and does eveything I need out to 6, 700 yards. But I have also used my 12Ga, 44mag, 444marlin, bow with arrow, and 22lr. I saw whatever is at hand at the time.