Deer + Coyote equipment selection

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DealHunter

New member
Forgive a newbie question, I've been "collecting" firearms for some time but have never actually hunted anything but paper so far.

I've been invited out to hunt deer and potentially coyotes (not for the same reason of course) in Eastern NC. Since the terrain will be a mix of farmland fields and woods I was wondering what sort of gear might be best.

Note that I can do pretty well with all of these on paper so I'm not sure it's a case of "pick the one you can shoot best" (also have decent optics for all of the bolt guns and on the 300 Savage and the 30-30).

I figured for deer my options would be:
Savage 111 30-06
Savage 99 .300 Savage
Ruger GS Scout .308
CZ 527 Carbine .223
Marlin 336cs .30-30
Marlin 1894s .44
Rossi 92 .357 (perhaps a bit light?)

And for the coyotes:
CZ 527 .22 Hornet
CZ 527 Carbine .223

I have the option of an AR or a CX4 in .40 and a few 12ga (pump or semi) but have not really considered using those (unless I'm missing something hence this post).
I also have a few .22 wmr and .17hmr bolts but wasn't sure if that would cut it for a coyote depending on the range (and this is my 1st time out so I don't want to risk letting something get away wounded).

Any advice would be appreciated as always :)
 
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The top three rifles are chambered for good deer cartridges. The 223 is too small and not even legal in some places for that reason.

Special cartridges are not needed for coyotes unless the hides are kept.
 
For deer, I'd ask as to with which of the top three choices are you the most comfortable/proficient/confident? That would be my choice.

For the coyotes with a specific coyote-hunt as the purpose when deer are not on the agenda, I'd suggest the CZ .223.
 
For deer, I'd ask as to with which of the top three choices are you the most comfortable/proficient/confident? That would be my choice.
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Comfort level is about the same across the board which is why I chose them specifically but it sounds like it's a wash. I might see what the other folks will be using just for ammo commonality if nothing else.

For coyote I can get .223 rounds easy, and since I don't reload just yet (coming soon...) 22 Hornet is a little expensive for me. If there's no real advantage for this scenario I'll go with the caliber that's cheaper to shoot.

Of course people who like Hornets I've noticed tend to really like them :)
 
Since you don't list a 243 I'd opt to the 308 for deer and a 223 for coyotes. You could also use the 308 for both. I doubt NC coyotes are worth much presently in the fur market.
 
In .223, most any old soft-point ammo that groups anywhere near one MOA will work on coyotes. Heck, even late-'70s GI stuff makes a mess at 100 yards.
 
If only one for both--308 would be my choice. Yotes are trash,but ethically I could not see hunting them with a 22. 06 is another good choice for both,but a little over kill.
 
I assume this will be a simultaneous hunt? As in, you're deer hunting and will kill a coyote if you see one? If that's the case, .308 would be my choice (from that list).

If it's coyotes one day and deer the next, I'd bring the .308 and .223, except that I'd probably see deer when coyote hunting and coyote when deer hunting, so I might just carry the .308 all the time anyway.:D
 
If it's coyotes one day and deer the next, I'd bring the .308 and .223, except that I'd probably see deer when coyote hunting and coyote when deer hunting, so I might just carry the .308 all the time anyway.
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I think it was more each animal on a different day but as you say, I doubt each will show up on their "designated day" ;)

I may wind up bringing both just because I like both rifles.

After asking the people I'll be with, it sounds like they'll be using .243 and/or .270 Win (someone had mentioned that would be suitable for both).
 
If it were in the list, .243Win would be my default choice for both unless I was ONLY hunting coyotes, in which case I'd rather have a .204 or .22-250.

Give me the right .22-250 with the right bullets, I wouldn't bat an eyelash at using it on deer too.:)
 
Give me the right .22-250 with the right bullets, I wouldn't bat an eyelash at using it on deer too.
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Just out of curiosity, why is it that some folks are fine with using ".22" calibers like the 22-250 or the .220 Swift on deer sized game and others say it's unethical?

I would have thought there's a point where the energy delivered by a cartridge is sufficient to do the job under most circumstances.
 
There is a point and you'd have to be careful with bullet choice and shot angles but there's a reason that Barnes makes 50, 55 and 62gr TTSX bullets. They aren't for woodchucks. ;)

"Deer" also aren't a single size class. You go to south Texas and a "big", mature buck might have a body the size of a healthy yearling in NY and NY deer are small compared to There is a point and you'd have to be careful with bullet choice and shot angles but there's a reason that Barnes makes 50, 55 and 62gr TTSX bullets. They aren't for woodchucks. ;)

"Deer" also aren't a single size class. You go to south Texas and a "big", mature buck might have a body the size of a healthy yearling in NY and NY deer are small compared to Saskatchewan.
 
:) "South Texas" mostly means the brush country south of US 90 and west of I-37, upriver toward Del Rio. Mature whitetails dress out anywhere from 125 pounds to 200.

The little deer are mostly in the Hill Country west and northwest from Austin, and then in the more eastern coastal areas. Most of the mature bucks dress out from 110 pounds on down to "Why bother?" I once saw a 16" ten-point buck standing next to I-10 near Junction that would have dressed out at maybe sixty pounds. Greyhound with horns.
 
It's Texas... it's all "south".:D

I didn't know there was such variance in the deer sizes down there. Always thought they were all small.
 
My father killed a twelve-point buck near Rocksprings. After three days in a cooler and with the lower leg bones cut off, it weighed 194. Probably 210 to 220, when freshly dressed out.

But, the farther north in the country you go, the larger the average size of species. Cougar, coyote, Rocky Mountain mule deer, Maine whitetails...

In parts of Texas, there are too many deer for the carrying capacity of the habitat--so, little bitties.
 
Interesting. I got the weight information from all the deer killed in a cornell hunting/research project in 2012.

Avg weight adult doe given a sample size of 90 deer is 112.2 lbs. That's 1.5 years or older (adult). With doe yearlings removed, the average weight increases to 116 lbs.

Avg weight adult bucks given sample size of 29 deer is 139 lbs. That's 1.5 years or older (adult). With buck yearlings removed, the average weight increases to 160.9 lbs.

Heaviest doe in 2012 was 160; heaviest buck was 193. Overall heaviest buck since program inception (2009 IIRC) was 235 lbs dressed.

Courtesy of Dr. Jay Boulanger, Program Coordinator
 
The right hunting gun is as much about how they carry and handle as the cartridge. I also have little ambition to take 2 guns on a trip like yours. Talk with the people you're hunting with. They tell you max range is 150 then take the .30-30 and don't look back. They tell its farther then grab the .300 Savage. The .308 followed by the .30-06 may get the nod if they handle good and shots get stretched.
 
Sounds like you need a 6mm Remington (awesome once you start reloadig). Good reason to buy a new gun.
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Now you're talkin'! :D

To answer the OP's question, take the .308 for both. If you have time and you reload, load up some 125 gr Nosler ballistic tips. They are a great bullet for 'yotes and deer alike. I'm not sure if they are available in a factory load.

If it were coyotes only, I'd take the .223. NC law states .24 cal or larger for deer. I've killed several deer on my own property with a .223 and .220 swift but I don't recommend it for everyone. Waiting for the right shot and putting it where it needs to go is very important, more so than with larger calibers.

By the way NC deer are similar in body size to Texas deer. 200 pounds is a monster. Average adult buck is about 150 on the hoof
 
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