I've been working along the same lines
As we now have a serious coyote problem here...My friend has just started "ranching" sheep, and the 'yotes are all over his place, as well as elsewhere. NOTE THAT I DON"T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE, JUST ALOT OF OBSERVATIONS, AND FEEDBACK FROM EXPERIENCED HUNTERS. ALSO, I WANT MINIMAL PELT DAMAGE, AS I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS, TO OFFSET THE COST OF A GUN I WOULDN'T BUY OTHERWISE.
So, what I've settled on is a Heavy Barreled Savage in .22-250. I do a lot of long range shooting, and prefer a heavy gun. I won't be carrying this thing around much, so weight isn't an issue. Most shots will be fairly long, as the coyotes here are very wary, and won't let you get very close. Will also be using variable scope, probably 6-24x, as that's what I'm used to.
One reason I've picked the Savage, is because of the "barrel nut" system...So I can switch barrels easily( as long as I have a headspace gauge)...If I'm not happy with the .22-250, I can go to .243, or .308, or any number of other calibers. The only thing I DON'T like, is that they don't make faster twist barrels(in .22-250), as I would like to use heavier bullets, for better "wind bucking".