Coyote caliber

Z

zachattack2

New member
I am wondering about what is the best coyate caliber. I would like to soon someday but I don't know if I have a good gun for it?? I wouldn't be shooting from that far the most would be 150 yards.
 
A .223, without a doubt.

PERFECT for that range, and even quite a bit further or closer. It's economical, low recoil, and will anchor the yotes no problem.

A nice bolt action or semi in .223 is God's choice for a yoter gun!
 
Like blindstitch said, for the ranges your talking about, as long as you have something other than a small rimfire caliber (actually, a rimfire might work alright too) I would not buy anything else specifically for coyote. Now, if you want to save pelts, and all you have is a .30-06, then maybe you should look for a .223. But if your just shooting them for sport and not for fur, any caliber would be fine. Check your local laws for night-time shooting, however, as I thought I have heard of several places who only allow rimfires or shotguns after dusk.

John
 
I'm using a .243 now but I'm looking at upgrading from my 770 to the Ruger American Predator in .223. I'm a little leery only because I do shoot at long range occasionally, 300+ yards. I wonder if the .223 will have enough left in it by then. The .243 does its just so expensive to shoot/practice with.
 
I understand completely with the cost, that's why I have to force myself to stop shooting when I'm at the range :D. If you are going to be getting another gun anyways, a .223 would be great. People shoot the AR-15 out to 600 yards easily, and the cartridge has plenty left for shooting out to 600, and with the right bullet, even longer. Now, that's not to say you couldn't do those ranges easier with a .243 or .308, but it can definitely be done. I've seen guys shoot coyotes out to 450 yards with a .223 AR-15 and a 16 inch barrel. If you are going to get a new gun, I would recommend a nice Remington 700, simply because its a proven action and has a huge accessorie market. If you are set on a Ruger American, it's not a bad gun, and would serve you well, it's just I prefer a remington 700.

John
 
Are you saving pelts? What calibers do you have now?

For years the only centerfire rifle I had was a 30~06 and thats what I used.
Around here if ya get one or 2 shots in 10 trips your lucky so a sore shoulder isnt a problem.


SARuger..
The .243 does its just so expensive to shoot/practice with.
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have you tried any of the 90 gr. PPU ? Its only $13~14 a box.
I use it in my 243,7mm~08 and 308.
 
To add on to what Rmart said, I too have used PPU ammo, for a lot of my guns actually. So far I must say it has been liked by my Enfield, Mosin nagant, Tokarev, and Yugo Mauser, and has been disliked by none.

John
 
I've not seen the PPU yet in my area. I'm sighted in with Hornady Varmint, 58gr. The Rem 770 does okay with it. A good scope helped
 
Easy to find online .. The $<14 price was from sportsmans guide. I originally bought some to use for sighting in new scopes. Decided since they are SP soft points to try it out hunting and while its not the best grouping its not the worst either and kills stuff dead for cheap.

Sorry to the OP for getting thread off topic. :)
 
Is your .243 the only gun you have? Or do you have anything that shoots cheaper ammo, as most guns make good yote guns. Do you want to save the pelts?

John
 
Right now my .243 is my do all rifle, I have 4 .22lr's but they are not enough to make a clean kill at the distance I'm seeing coyote at. My plans are to add 3 rifles to my collection soon, 30-06, a .223 or a new .243, and a 17hmr. I'm not real happy with the accuracy of the Rem 770 but its been very reliable. No bolt issues with mine.
 
Sounds good. A word of advice, you should look at a .22 magnum instead of a .17 hmr, as it's more commonly available (atleast in my area) and has been around longer. I thnk if you already have a .243, and you are happy enough with the accuracy for yotes, get a .30-06 before a .223, as the .223 is close to the .243 caliber wise, whereas the .30-06 is on a whole different level.

John
 
.22wmr is impossible to find in my area bringing $30 for a box of 50, .17hmr is everywhere and cheap.

I think the 30-06 is the best all around rifle for anything. My .243 will get replaced soon after I get a -06, just not crazy about that 770.
 
Yeah from want I have heard the 770 is lacking in quality (compared to Rem 700). However, if the .22wmr is tough to find then by all means go for the 17 hmr. I agree about the .30-06, very versatile, and would likely make a nice next gun for you.

John
 
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22-250 is a great first choice for varmint and predator hunting. Solid 400 fps better across the board than the 223, negligible cost difference for premium ammo for each. When a cartridge like the 22-250 exists it makes me scratch my head when the 223 is recommended :confused: No matter how good you are at calling coyotes in, there will come a time when you need to shoot a lot further than 150 yards, the faster flatter trajectory of the 22-250 will come in handy.
 
I had a Ruger M77 in 6mm Remington I used for Coyote. It did the job. I reload and still like the caliber. However I got my dads Winchester M70 in 30-06 and am loading 110 grain and 125 grain bullets for it to try on Coyote. I like the idea of one bolt rifle, and the 30-06 strikes me as the caliber for it.
 
The PPU ammo is sold through Academy as Monarch. Most Academy stores sell it. I've never shot the .243, but the other stuff I've shot (.223, 7.62X39, 9mm) has always gone bang and printed decent groups. It's just dirty and can leave a bad smell.

Still, even $13-$14 a box is not the $5 a box PPU .223 costs, and $14 will get some really good ammo for the .223, like HPR 60 gr V-Max, which would probably be my choice for .223. Worked great for hog.
 
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