What is the best coyote gun?

If you're expecting a reasonable chance of killing any coyote under any condition you might encounter out to 400 yards, the 22/250 is going to be hard to beat.
I started shooting coyotes with a 30/06 and quickly switched to a 243. The 243 was an improvement but still not quite there. Over 300 yards and range estimation/hold over gets tricky so the next step was 22/250. Less worries about guessing the correct range and less lead on running shots= equals more DRT or at least wounded enough for the dogs to catch them.
I killed a fair number of yoties across 40 acre fields (that's 1/4 mile)as they sneaked down the opposite fence row and the ones that show up at the 400 yard bait pile better have their life insurance paid up-I don't miss unless I misjudge the wind.
I do have a 220 Swift but simply haven't found a load that gives me the confidence I have with the 22/250.
 
Either round will work just fine. Coyotes are very easy to kill. My top pick would just about have to be a .22-250 then a .243. Every coyote I have ever killed has been with a .243. The longest of those shots was on a coyote at a dead run at 285 yards and it was a drt clean kill. But for a gun just for coyotes I would go caliber wise with the .22-250. But an AR does sound like it could be a fun yote gun and in that case a .223 would do just fine.
The closest thing to a coyote that I ever shot with my AR, which is a .300 Blackout, was a feral dog that was getting after one of our newborn calves and its mama that was still recovering from the birth because she had only had the calf less than 30 minutes before. So needless to say that feral dog had to go. But the dog was three hundred yards away and I popped him right through the neck with a 130 grain Remington Hog Hammer. Needless to say that wild dog didn't cost us a new calf.
 
In this neck of the woods, 7.62x39 is probably one of the most frequently used rounds to bag coyotes.
 
Good coyote cartridges would be the .204, .223, & .22-250. They are pretty popular and easy to find ammo. The .223 is the least inexpensive to shoot and the .204 will have the least recoil. The .220 Swift is very good as well but not as popular today and tends to be favored more by hand loaders.

If you plan on longer shots with more wind, the .243 is tough to beat.

The AR platform is vastly popular for this type of hunting as are bolt guns.

The mentioned Ruger American is a good choice as is the TC Venture in the $500.00 range. In that range for a used gun, the Browning A-Bolt or Tikka T3.
 
Dicks sporting goods has Remington 700 Adl with long bull barrels is several yote calibers for 575. The scopes are crap but they work until you can get a better one.


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From some of the varminter websites, the .243 with 55-grain bullets commonly doesn't exit, making that load popular with hide-hunters.

I've found that the Sierra 85-grain HPBT is ruinacious on coyotes. :)
 
I didn't see what state OP lives in? In PA we can't use semis and we are mostly wooded. I'll use a 835 with #9 buck or honestly a .22. I have a Remington in .223 with harris bipod that could make quick work of some yotes.
 
Thank you everyone! I'm just wondering why you would pick the 223, 22-250, 204 ect. over a 30-06? I don't know much about rifles so any reasoning is a good one for me
 
Coyotes aren't a very tough animal, and not that big. So a larger caliber, while still being able to render the animal dead, will impart more damage to the pelt or meat or whatever.

Also, 30-06 is a fun round to shoot but repeated firing can wear you out. Loads for smaller calibers .223, 22-250, 204, etc, will be much more pleasant to shoot repeatedly, and they get the job done without destroying meat or pelts. However, most people don't eat coyote. (yuck)
 
Any cartridge in the general performance of the .223 is plenty good for coyotes. Basically, trivial recoil. So, a very light weight rifle makes for easy walking. Why carry more weight around than is necessary?

The hot-shot .22s and suchlike need long barrels to live up to their reputation. The .223 does not. So, it's easy to work up some combination which makes life easy. And you then don't mind the weight of binocs, range-finder, snacks, canteen, yada, yada, yada.

Sure, an '06 does in a coyote with ease. I've killed three with mine, but I used it because that was what was in the truck at the time. :) Any time I've deliberately gone after Ol' Wily, I've used a .223 or .243.
 
I stated in my previous post that 220 swift was my flavorite. I've had one purposely set up for crows and coyotes for years. Is it best? Prolly not but if I had to pick what I would consider the absolute best with no consideration to cost of ammo would probaby be the 257 weatherby with 100 grain ballistic tips. I'm sure I'm fixing to catch alot of flack but he did ask for the best. I can't imagen anything better than that.
 
@Boogershooter, I like and agree with everything in your last post. No flack from me. I know I stated that .22-250 would be best, but with no consideration to ammo availability and cost, I would take the .220 swift over it for slightly better ballistics and trajectory. So I agree with you there, also I like your thought of the .257 Weatherby, or really any of the Weatherby's in .257 in below would be a really fun and excellent coyote gun. Especially loaded with lighter bullets like you said.
Also just for fun throwing it out there, check out the Lazzeroni calibers, they are very rare and ungodly expensive but they take common concept calibers and just turn em out to even exceed the Weatherby's in performance, ballistics, and trajectory.
 
I've owned and sold the 300 lazzeroni and Dakota. Simply couldn't afford to shoot them at the time. I don't know how true it is but I've always been told the bores in the lazzeroni rifles were extremely tight. Basically they were .001 under. I'm sure it's just a myth. I acquired them from a friend of my father's who was going thru a divorce. Before I sold them I asked if he wanted them back. He had recently gotten remarried and couldn't afford them.
 
"also I like your thought of the .257 Weatherby, or really any of the Weatherby's in .257 in below would be a really fun and excellent coyote gun."

My longest first round coyote hit/kill was with a 257 Wby w/100 grain bullets. Measured both ways at 535 yards on flat ground. The sun was behind me and when the bullet hit I could see the puff of fur and steam on the far side-DRT.
I wouldn't make the Wby my first choice due to recoil and expense.
I've made hits that far with a 22/250 but not DRT's. All made some distance before expiring.
 
I have shot coyotes from 15 yards to just short of 500. I regard them as large varmints. My coyote rifle is a quick twist .22-.250 using 70 and 75 grain hollow point boat tail bullets.

Coyotes can range from 35 pounds, like to one in the photo. Some may weigh 50 pounds plus. I have heard of one shot in Washington state that weighed 55 pounds. I saw a dead one on a beach in Massachusetts that must have weighed over 50.

The rifle in the photo is one of my favorites. The coyote was shot using a 75 grain Berger VLD bullet at about 3100 fps. The range was about 250 yards - DRT with a complete pass through both shoulders of the 35 pound canine.

I don't shoot that many coyotes to be concerned about ammo costs but having a rifle that is light enough to tote around is a bonus.

I apologize for the blood, I usually try to exclude blood in my photos. I like to pose them like they are sleeping.
 

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I used a 220 as my primary coyote caliber for years. Worked great till the pigs moved in on our place. The 220 just didn't drop them fast enough, so I'd have moved up to a 243 if I had one. What I did have was a 260, so I loaded up some 100 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and that did the job on the pigs and coyotes and I used it quite successfully on deer.

As for the size of our coyotes, most are small, but I did kill one that weighed an even 50 pounds. Just that one.

And I should mention that my 223, with 40 gr Nosler BT's, really will knock a coyote flat. That little bullet must dump all its energy in the coyote, because they seem to drop them better than the 55 gr bullet.
 
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