Greetings! New to the Firing Line: coyote rifle recommedations?

Unless you live in eastern Montana, Wyoming ,Colorado or New Mexico the average hunter from the east or south cannot fathom what it's like to hunt in the wind. When you pull into a parking lot in Laramie or Casper you better be pointed west when parking most of the time or you'll regret it.
Little toy cartridges that do so well in the east and south fail miserably in such conditions.
 
Ruger American 22-250 is equiped with a 10 twist tube. That will stabilize the Sierra 65 gr Gameking at 3400 fps, 5000 ft. elevation. Should be good to about 400 yds for speed goats. 22-250 with the right bullet is great for prairie rats, coyotes, badgers, about any critter less than 150 lbs. 243 Winchester is, as mentioned above very suitable. 6mm Creedmoor would be another good choice. Enough options to cause "analysis paralysis."
 
I have used a 22-250 for almost 30 years. I like the flat trajectory and the accuracy without the recoil. That said, if I was building an AR for varminting, I would get a 224 Valkyrie just for the velocity. Bolt action rifles are lighter, though, so I carry a Mauser 98 or a Remington 700 when I go out to kill something. In the wind, a 7mm high BC bullet will do anything in that needs killing, or a high BC 22 caliber bullet, so a 7-08 or a 22-250 would be my reccomendation. So choose your platform, then choose your cartridge.
 
If I wanted a long distance coyote rifle for use at distance and in the wind, I’d probably go with a 243AI. It would give me the excuse for a new rifle.
 
Double K said:
Before they banned hunting lion with dogs here a friend ran a guide service, they shot most of them with either a 22 magnum rifle or pistol, one of the easiest "big game" animals there is to kill, they average 150lbs before being skinned, carcass weight is about 130. Any centerfire will be more than adequate as far as killing power.
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With dogs is a game changer. The dogs keep you safe.
 
I know I should voice my opinion on rifle/caliber topic as asked too.. But,~~I think its more important to advise: Buy a better than average pre-recorded Varmint Caller first thing.
Just about any long distance cartridge will get the job done. 223 22-250 270 all are purposeful fast flat shooters.


As for me at this time & date. My rifle of choice Rem model 7 223 having a old bushnell Tophy scope (japan made.) I have no allusions about killing more than one yote at a time as I seldom see two yotes hunting together or coming into shooting distance. If I were starting out? Remington sendero model 700 cal_1/4 bore ~ FOXPRO FoxJack 3 Predator motion decoy will forever garner a successful hunt. If there are yotes around?
 
I didn't know that it was change same as someone using rim fire. Far as I know it's always been center fire rifle/pistol?
 
I dare say I'll be sitting alone by the fire in this camp, but I would use a .223 Wylde AR for everything you've described as long as it met legal minimums.

I have a built AR that has a 20" barrel with a 1 in 8" twist that puts 60 grain Nosler ballistic tips inside 1" at 100 yards, and Partitions only slightly wider. If VA allowed .223 for deer, I wouldn't really need another gun.
 
The deer must be quite a bit smaller in VA than out here in the west, no one would consider the 223 for deer hunting here even if it was legal, well anyone that's ever shot many.
 
Double K said:
The deer must be quite a bit smaller in VA than out here in the west, no one would consider the 223 for deer hunting here even if it was legal, well anyone that's ever shot many.
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That's a valid point. But I didn't think (and I could be wrong given my lack of experience) pronghorn were as big as mule/whitetail. The OP did not mention deer.

Around here a monster whitetail would be in the 200 lb category. Inside 400 yds (the max distance possible to shoot where I usually hunt) I would trust a well placed Partition. They do quite well on big Georgia hogs. I'm not saying it's optimal for big dear. But I would personally still use those in the AR before buying something bigger for the game listed.
 
I'm kinda late to the show, but is there any way the OP can swing 2 rifles? The reason I ask is- I know what kind of pasture poodle towns ya'll have up there. Swapping between rifles as they get hot might save you a few bucks in the longrun. I really like the .204 Ruger- it bucks the wind better than one would expect and WAY better than the .223 Rem. I know, it gets mighty windy here too- the struggle is real. I like switching between the .204 and .243. I'd really like a .25-06, but it's a coal burner and I'm not sure that would be a whole lot of fun for very long on a prairie dog town.
The Marlin MVP is a bolt gun that uses an AR mag- you might find one in .204 Ruger.
 
OP, since you’re a hand loader, consider using your .270win but load it with the 110 Sierra ProHunters and push it close to 3000fps with your powder of choice. At least that’s what I use and it will blow a massive exit hole in a yote. If you want to keep the pelts, gonna need another rifle lol.
 
I've actually gone out looking for coyote's a few time's but a coyote hunter I am not. That said I have two rifles I imagined just for coyote's. Both are 243's. One shoot's 70 SMK's and the other 75gr Hornady V-Max. They are fast and flat and I'd think buck the wind better than slower 22 cal bullet's. Another cartridge I'd think would be good would be the 22-250. But from what I've read over the years, it's at it's best with 50gr bullet's, wind would probably blow them allover. Maybe with a fast twist barrel and heavy bullet's? Cartridge that might be really good I'd think would be a 220 Swift with a fast twist barrel handling heavy bullet's. I think the Swift was also designed to handle 50gr bullet's at a gazillion MPH but just imagine one set up with a fast twist for maybe 70 gr bullet's!

Quite sure the 223 would be useable but don't think it would handle wind as well as a fast twist 22-250 or 220 Swift, with say 70gr bullet's. 260, 270 ect for me would just be to much, who want's to deal with recoil at all? Yea, a fast twist Swift might be just the thing. Fast heavy bullet's might help cut down on barrel wear. Guess I'l sticK to looking at my 243's!
 
Going backthrough I see people mentioning rifles too. Well one of my 243's is a 700 ADL and I absolutely love it. The other is a Mossberg Patriot and no complaints, shoot's right along with the 700. Both 1/2" rifles. I wonder about the patriot sometimes and it's bedding system. Would love to change it from that plastic inlay or find a way to bed it, Not that it seem's to need it right now. Also don't care for the trigger guard, plastic and to much torque on the stock bolt destroys it. Metal triger guard I think would be much better.
 
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