Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints What is the minimum for 'Yotes?

If you are serious about coyote calling and shooting, I would say that the standard .223 is a good starting point.

I own a Hornet, a Bee, a Zipper, a Fireball and a 223. Hunt with all of 'em. While the Hornet is more of a red fox gun, walking PD gun and fun shooter, I'd not hesitate to take a wandering 'yote with it at any normal Hornet range (under 200). I normally shoot the wicked little Nosler 45 Solid Base bullet it in when after any predator, and that bullet just flat takes 'em.

That said, EVERYBODY needs a decent 223. It's as universally useful as a .22LR, more so if you handload.

Ive used a 22 hornet handy rifle with a 2.5x scope ,many times, on coyotes ,it won,t generally drop them, but they seldom go very far with a 45 grain hollow point in the lungs, and it makes a whole lot less noise than a 223 or larger caliber

Isn't hunting all about setting up and taking the best possable shot? If you are out looking for yotes with a .17machII you should be willing to hold off untill the shot is right. That is good hunting! Other wise you just plain blow it! That is my two cents.

Hey, sorry it took so long to get back to you...I plum forgot about this thread and I'm just now getting back to it.

For my shots with #4 Buck, I typically used a modified choke and had good luck out to about 30 yards. After that, the results were much less impressive.

In my experience the Coyotes that I find as targets of opportunity when I am out and about are Long Range propositions and not short range opportunities.

Case in point this past Friday afternoon the wife and I decided to go try to get a Pheasant or two the last hour of shooting time. We were driving to the place we intended to hunt when all of a sudden my wife says "look at that dog out in the combined soy bean field". I looked and at the same time we both said "that's no dog, that's a Coyote".

I promptly hit the brakes and turned the pickup down into the bottom of the ditch on the opposite side of the road. I slowly and quietly got out of the pickup and inched my way to the top of the ditch. Just as I was going to shoot Mr. Coyote decided he'd stayed there too long and took off at high speed.

Now this Coyote was way out there, 3/4 the way across the Soy Bean field which is 1/4 mile wide. My first shot zinged right over it's back. To my surprise as I was reloading my Ruger KM77RFO MKII .223 the Coyote stopped. ABout the time I was getting the Coyote in the field of view of the 4.5x14x40mm AO Nikon Buckmaster Riflescope the Coyote took off. Well I held only 6" over the coyote this time and when the crosshairs swung past his nose I touched the 2 pound trigger on the Ruger.

I heard the resounding THWACK of the 50gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip finding its mark, and instantly saw the Coyote do 2 or 3 somersaults. A second shot was not required. The 50gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip expended all of it's energy inside of the Coyote and did not exit.

Sorry for being so long winded, but was trying to illustrate that most of the time the Coyotes of opportunity I run across are situations like described above. With a lesser cartridge I wouldn't have even attempted a shot at that distance. In all honesty much further and I would have perferred my .243 shooting 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

Larry

OldRem,.

17 Rem makes for dead coyotes with minimal pelt damage. Avoid shoulders. Stick the 25gr HP in the boilerroom and get ready to skin.

also get ready to track I have a 17 and even in the boiler room run offs are the norm, I like head shots, but you are right stay away from shoulder 17s do not like big bones. But IMO a .223 is a better choice. HAPPY HUNTING

ruger,
Are you confusing the 17 Rem Centerfire with the 17 HMR? I've only used the 17 Rem for a few years, started with a .243 Win. I know and have hunted with some guys who have killed a few thousand coyotes. They seem to like the 17 centerfires. YMMV

I hear that the 25-06 is real popular with the Coyote tourneyment hunters. They get a lot of bang flops. Longer distance shots are possible and shot placement isn't as important with the larger calibers.