is stevens a dependable hunting rifle at 200 yards

k31

New member
i am having a problem drawing in my coyotes closer than 150 or 200 yards
i am thinking about a change of weaponry from my sks with iron sights to a bolt and saw that stevens has a nicely priced package and is a savage sub company
has any one pushed on to the limits for long rang shooting and what kind of moa will i get at 200 + yards
 
Are you changing up your call from a distress to a squeak or at least changing the volume? There is a good article about preadator hunting in this months American Hunter, go online and read it, call wise coyotes are hard to get in range and they have some ideas for dealing with them. Coyotes get smart fast especially when they have survived an encounter with a coyote hunter.

Are you using any kind of decoy? Something as simple as a feather on a stick fluttering in the breeze can be enough to bring a coyote into close range. Coyotes focus in on movement quick and if it looks like an animal the can hit it pretty hard.

As far as your question goes, I'm running 60 grain HP in my .223 Stevens 200 and it will be minute of coyote well past 200 yards. My 6X47 Stevens 200 custom has taken pronghorn at 300, and I wouldn't be afraid to use it on coyote out past 400. I have a .243 Stevens as well, haven't shot it yet but if it performs like my other two then it will ruin a coyotes day at long range.
 
Savage/Stevens has been the same company for a long time now. If memory serves me correctly, I belive that they merged in the 20's. At one time Fox shotguns and Stevens were one company too. You will find that Stevens is good quality rifle, same as the Savage.
 
The Stevens is literally a Savage action without an accutrigger. Aftermarket stocks, triggers, even barrels all interchange between them. Like Savages, Stevens rifles are reknowned for being very accurate right out of the box. I have a Stevens 7mm-08 I bought used, with a Timney trigger installed. I threw a laminated thumbhole stock on it and it's a shooter! Easy MOA if I do my part.
 
All I can tell you is that I own accurate Ruger, TC, Winchester, Savage, Marlin, and Howa rifles, but my Stevens 200 is probably the most accurate. I have done a few custom things to it, but I shot the tighest group of my life (a dime size cluster at 115 yds) before the customization. I spent the extra money on it after realizing how accurate the barrel was. I wouldn't think twice about getting a Stevens 200 in .22-250 or .243 if I needed a Coyote killer.

PS - Just don't take the first few groups out of the box as an indication of the accuracy potential. My recent experience with new Savage/Stevens rifles is that they need to have 80 to 100 rounds run through them to reach the potential they have. Of course use good break in procedures, taking your time ensuring the barrel remains cool (especially for the first 30 rounds or so).
 
Stevens 200 ain't pretty

Out of the box accuracy will rival or better anything else out there. You cannot beat the price either. Best thing is to buy one and then treat it as a dream rifle. They are super easy to work on. Many people will by one just for the action. Stock, trigger, barrel are all easy additions for the DIYer.
 
Yes the Stevens Rifle would be acurate out to 200 yards.
All it really is is a plain Savage 110 I hunted with one of those for 15 years, then passed it down to my Son, its a very good rifle.
I have taken deer cleanly at over 300 yards using a Savage 110 and Remington 180 Grain Corelocts.
 
Hard to beat a Stevens for a budget rifle. Plus you can build relatively easily/cheaply if so inclined. But yes 200 yards shouldn't be a problem.
 
Stevens is good.

Stevens is a good budget rifle. However, for coyotes and other varmints have you considered a Savage in .17HMR? I have a BVSS and the thing shoots great out to 200 yards as long as there isn't a lot of wind. At 100 yards I consistantly put 3 round groups that are touching (with .17 caliber that's difficult). My father has a much cheaper model that shoots just as well it just doesn't have the nice laminate stock. We shoot prarie dog and coyote out to 200 yards all the time. As a matter of fact, the longest prarie dog shot has been 226 yards and the dog literally blew in half. A great, cheap gun that's a lot of fun.
 
For 200+yds on coyotes I would ditch the idea of the 17hmr. Prairie Dogs aren't coyotes. At 220yds a 17hmr is only carrying 72fpe. Not humane in my book. A Stevens or Savage Model 10 or 11 in 223, 243 would be a great low cost but accurate coyote rifle.
 
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