.22 WMR OK for coyotes??

S

Steyr AUG

Inactive
This is my first post at TFL.

I have a Ruger 96/22 lever gun in .22 WMR. Within 75 yards I was wondering if, say,a 40 gr. Remington PSP or 40 gr. hollow point would be adequate for coyote?

I'm assuming a heart or head shot would be lethal but would a lung shot end up working? I think the bullet would break a shoulder, even at 75 byds.

Is this cartridge too underpower for coyotes?
 
It would be fine for coyotes out to 150 or so.
I had a 22 mag when I was little and its got quite a bit of power. I am interested in the new Hornady flex tip stuff. I would just sight it in at 100-150 and aim for the middle of the coyote near the shoulder. It will tear em up pretty good.
 
When I hunted for pelts back in the early 1980s, my hunting partner used to shoot a 22 WMR. Within 100 yds, it worked just fine, and he did a lot less sewing than I did.
 
It will do fine as long as you practice good shot placement. I have taken several with a 17hmr. The farthest was 150yds and he dropped where he stood from a headshot
 
.22wmr is a great round for coyote hunting, I shot some with a .22lr so you dont have to worry about to less power.
 
YOu ain't got nothin to worry about. The .22 wmr has ample power even out past 50 yds. Go get em'!!!!!!!
 
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You got plenty of bang there for a coyote. The only thing I use is a 22LR. That works just fine as long as one has the ability to aim.
 
Well 11 replies and not a dang one is right. The .22M is underpowered, does not have plenty of bang, you do have something to worry about, not fine out to 150, and so on and so on.

Yes it will kill coyotes, lot's of things will, but it's far from the best choice and in the bottom 3. I have no problems using one for coyote hunting. It takes good shooting to get the job done so take your time and make the shot count. But if I had to guess I'd bet that if you stick with coyote hunting for any length of time you'll soon forget about the little rimfire and step up to a more appropriate cartridge like 99% of predator hunters have figured out.

LK
 
L Killkenny:
Admittedly, for long range, the .22wmr is rather small. But for hobby hunters and those who like the challenge it is ideal.
 
I haven't used a 22 mag for 30 years but will agree that with the ammo available at that time, it was marginal. By that I mean a perfect hit resulted in a dead yote but maybe not where you could find it unless you had a pack of hounds to run it down. Less than perfect hits usually resulted in a loss again unless the dogs bayed it up and you finished it off. I've killed quite a few coyotes with a 22 mag but not many that didn't run some before cashing in.
Current ammo may produce quicker kills or more debilitating injuries. The round still suffers from low energy past 100 yards and wind drift is a concern.
 
Thanks Gents

Thanks for the input.

I knew that 75 yards was about all I wanted to risk with my Ruger .22 WMR, even with the latest jacketed bullets. And the comments about having a good aim with that rifle are true. I'm in Nevada now but when I lived in my home state of Pennsylvania I did kill a lot of groundhogs with it and all were one shot kills out to 120 yards by my laser ranefinder. So based on that performance I figure it would work on 'yotes if I do my part.

As you may guess from my handle I have a Steyr AUG, in .223/5.56 natch.
It will do the job but all I have for a sight is the 1.5X Swarovski scope moulded into the reciever. Guess it will have to do until I pick up a nice .22-250 bolt gun and mount a good variable scope on it.

Eric
 
22 WRM

With the right scope under the distance set forth, the 22 mag is fine along with the 17HMR . Practice and practice until you feel comfortable. Over 175 yards the answer is no. :)
 
L killkenny, I'm sorry but i'd have to disagree with you. He didn't ask what cartridge is best for coyotes nor did he ever mention 150 yards. He said "i have a 22 mag" then asked "Is it adequate to 75 yards on a coyote?". The answer is yes it is adequate. There are a whole lot of coyotes shot dead with the 22 mag over the years and, if they could, I bet they would agree the mag got the job done.
 
.22 Mag is very adequate for a 35lb-ish yote (OP's location). Maybe a little underpowered for the larger eastern dog, but even then some states (like Michigan) limit you to rimfire after dark.

Winchester Dynapoint 45gr, Federal 50gr, along with many other rounds will efficiently kill a coyote. Except in Iowa.........:rolleyes:
 
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