What's your caliber of choice, for coyotes?

[Scotchman]

When I first started hunt'n yotes my baby was a .243. Now it is a .25-06 with the 87 gr TNT's if I'm using a bolt gun. I have an AR from Oly that is a .25 WSSM with 100 gr NBT's that is winning my heart for Yotes to Mule Deer. I'm now also playing with an AR in 6x45 with 70 gr NBT's but haven't had the chance to connect on a yote with it yet.

Jerry

 

[D.A.T.]

an old savage 110 22-250 with bushnell gold chief 3x9

 

[6brxdude]

My 12 guage for sure with a tube full of Dead Coyote, with my rifle caliber being a 6x47 Lapua with a 10 twist shooting either the 70 grain Noslers or 74 grain Precision Ballistic FB bullet.

Kevin

 

[kweidner]

Typically I use my RRA 18" predator pursuit with a 50 gr nosler. I did shoot one this year with my Encore during Muzzle loading season. He was scratching fleas in my food plot. 50 cal muzzle loader at 50 yds was pretty impressive. I actually have that one on video! Typically though my AR is my go to If song dogs are on the agenda!

 

[winmag]

Got some realy cool news for all of you who were teasing me about using my 300wby, and my 270wsm for coyotes. I got to thinkin about it, and I have/had a 338 win mag that Ive never even shot. Well it just so happens that the guy I traded my only small bore, a 223wssm, to needed a 338. So now I just traded my only Browning, a 338, to him to get my Win 223wssm back.
So My Winchester collection grew back to a reasonable comfort level, and now I have a small bore again so you guys dont tease me for turning coyotes into a crimson vapor with my big ones.
HA! Now all I have to do is show some restraint and not push it to or past 4600fps. Thats gonna be hard for me, but I cant afford a new barrel yet, so Ill have to settle for a more reasonable speed.....for nowgun)

 

[Chas1]

Typically I use my RRA 18" predator pursuit with a 50 gr nosler. I did shoot one this year with my Encore during Muzzle loading season. He was scratching fleas in my food plot. 50 cal muzzle loader at 50 yds was pretty impressive. I actually have that one on video! Typically though my AR is my go to If song dogs are on the agenda!

Any chance of you putting that video up for our viewing pleasure.

 

[kweidner]

I guess I need to find it. I filmed it my self so you don't really see the shot. He's coming, he hangs out, scratches the fleas. Camera Pause for shot (couldn't do both) and then the after effects. How does one go posting videos? I also have one called "So you think you want to date my daughter" It is me shooting watermelons at 400yds. I made it right before my daughter was born. It's kind of like that song "Cleaning this Gun" Pretty darn funny.

 

[MikeMurf0505]

Anyone know when Kevin of Montour County Rifles is putting his woodchuck video out? I got a sneak preview when I was up in his neck of the woods (YES, I travel from Houston Texas to Columbia county PA to shoot 12" long rodents.), and I really cant wait to buy the whole show - it has my friend's 830 yard woodchcuk kill on it too.
That should be a good video.

 

[JUDD]

We want another full year of Deer and Bear footage on it befiore it gets released.

I know it will be nonstop longrange shots and the quality is far superior to any other videos I have seen. Should be in the neighborhood of 1hr to 1 1/2 of nothing but long range shooting at actual game.

 

[MikeMurf0505]

SOLD....
I'm in.

Hey, about that Elk hunt in Wyoming...the land owners are in a laesuit right now over some mineral rights and are not responding to my emails. I have an in with thier Son too - so I am on deck to hear from them when they become available.

I havent forgotten.

We are talking about the 2012 season right?

 

[Chupathingy]

10FP out of the box in .223 (52gr MHP Ultramax)
12ga 3" #4Bk or T's

Never felt undergunned

Used a PSS in .308 for a few months pushing 110gr V-max's at 3100fps that made great "B" roll for a horror movie/slasher flick. Buddy uses a Tikka T3 in .270 pushing 130gr SST's, but he's got a twisted sense of humor.

Chupa

 

[mcseal2]

I live on a ranch and kill between 20 and 40 coyotes each year in an area where that is very unusual. Serious hunters in better areas rack up much larger numbers, but I have had some experience at what works.

My favorite coyote caliber is the 6mm. They won't match the wind resistance of larger calibers with varmint bullets, but they do a pretty good job in a compact rifle with low recoil. The 22's work very well also with good shot placement, but drift more in the wind and don't work as well on bad angles. My favorite coyote bullet is the 75gr V-max loaded to 3450fps in my 20" barrel 243. Larger bullets buck wind better but lose alot of velocity in my short barrel. This bullet very rarely exits a solidly hit coyote, and anchors them very well no matter what the shot angle. I've used a 25-06 with 90gr hollowpoints also, but it does more damage to the pelt and offers no real ballistic advantage. Controlled expansion bullets like the 110 accubond or 100gr scirocco would be my choice in a 25 caliber, because the lighter bullets can be very hard on a pelt if they do exit.

I have also had good luck at extended ranges or in very windy conditions with a 270 win or 264, 7mm, & 300 magnums with 130-180gr Nosler accubond bullets. The accubonds open very quickly to deliver shock and leave a small exit wound. I actually prefer these bullets when calling where a bobcat may come in. The controlled expansion bullets are much kinder to a thin skinned cat pelt than a 75gr v-max that leaves a dinner plate size hole out the back side. You don't need near that much gun for a coyote, but it can help you hit the target in certain conditions and is a great confidence builder for big game hunting.

I like to salvage the pelt value whenever possible, but as a rancher I am more concerned with population control than fur. I personally don't like the Berger VLD hunting bullets for coyotes. I have had to many coyotes run a long distance after a lung shot with a Berger. I've used these bullets and they work great for the big game they are designed for, but the 2-3" of penetration before expansion gets you pretty deep into a broadside coyote. Also at more of an angle pelt damage can be severe.

Bottom line is that it depends on where and how you hunt coyotes, and what you plan to do with the coyote after it's dead.

 

[SBruce]

I've used lots of calibers to shoot 100's of coyotes over the years. My favorites were the 220 swift and 22-250. Very Very few have gotten away, most of the ones that did............would have even with a bigger caliber(poor shot placement, leg hits). I've taken a fair number of song dogs at 400 to 500 yds with the fast 22's, no problem at all with decent shot placement. I have had a couple get away that were beyond 500 yds, and they were shot with a 6mm and heavy bullets designed for deer size game. Don't know where they were hit, could just tell that they were.

I've shot the barrel out of my old Swift(made in '73) and am currently getting it re done in an Ackley Improved 6X47 Lapua. My other choice was a 22-250 Ackley, but the smith I'm using prefers to work with 6mm's; so I thought I'd give the 6X47 Lapua case a try. Still have and use a highly accurate 22-250 that shoots Bergers great.....knocks coyotes DRT usually and doesn't tear up much fur.

 

[coyotezapper]

I've used lots of calibers to shoot 100's of coyotes over the years. My favorites were the 220 swift and 22-250. Very Very few have gotten away, most of the ones that did............would have even with a bigger caliber(poor shot placement, leg hits). I've taken a fair number of song dogs at 400 to 500 yds with the fast 22's, no problem at all with decent shot placement. I have had a couple get away that were beyond 500 yds, and they were shot with a 6mm and heavy bullets designed for deer size game. Don't know where they were hit, could just tell that they were.

I've shot the barrel out of my old Swift(made in '73) and am currently getting it re done in an Ackley Improved 6X47 Lapua. My other choice was a 22-250 Ackley, but the smith I'm using prefers to work with 6mm's; so I thought I'd give the 6X47 Lapua case a try. Still have and use a highly accurate 22-250 that shoots Bergers great.....knocks coyotes DRT usually and doesn't tear up much fur.

SBRUCE
You are going to love the 6x47 Lapua Improved. The 6x47 is awesomely efficient and the improved version I am sure will be better. Please post your results when you have used it. I am curiuos to what you will be using for twist rate, barrel, bullets etc.