Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Coyote gun

I'm looking to purchase a new rifle for hunting dogs. I've thought about a 22-250 or a .204, and a .223. I just want some input from the guys here. Is there anything else I should be looking at? Thanks in advance

Nope.

I like 6mm Remington with 58 grain Hornady's for 220 swift performance and better. But the three calibers you mentioned are great prairie dog guns. But you were talking coyotes. The rifle would depend on your style of hunting, I think. If you are calling and shooting close or if you are shooting at 300 yards. If you'll be in the open with wind or in trees, etc.
I know a guy here in SD that shoots a lot of coyotes every winter and in the open. He has kept getting larger more powerful calibers. He says the best rifle for his style of shooting coyotes is a 270 with high ballistic coefficient bullets. If I were to go out glassing for coyotes (I've unloaded all my 270's) I'd likely be taking my 25-06 or 6mm with sleek bullets - ones that didn't blow up easily.

243 if you shoot over 300 yds

Saving fur?

If your just looking for impute on caliber that should do it.

I think there are a lot of things to take into consideration when looking for a coyote gun.

1. Hunting style, calling or targets of opportunity.

2. Terrain, open grasslands, timber or heavy sage/manzanitas/greasewood.

3. Saving fur, if your just going out to kill coyotes I wouldn't rule out on of the 6mm's

I save fur and hunt a lot of different terrain(usually four or five states a year). I like to call/hunt tighter cover so my perfect coyote gun would be a 16x16x5.6x50R Mag. drilling set up with a 1x4x20mm scope, seeing as I can't afford one I shoot a 12gax5.6x50R Mag combo w/1x4x20 scope and this season I'll be trying out a 16x16x6.5x58R Sauer with the same scope. These cover everything from my shoelaces to 300yrds.

For a little more open country I like a rifle like a Rem Model 7 Predator in 22-250 with a high quality 1.5x6x40mm scope. I used a set up like this this summer to hunt open country in central WA and shot two coyotes at 20 yards. I've been using similar set up rifles for about 10 yrs and find them very effective for most of my coyote hunting.

Hey thanks guys. I have no plans of saving furs. I might call a little, but mostly 200-400 yards is what I'm thinking.

For a coyote gun and no intent to save fur I would recommend going with 22/250 with a 3x9 or 4x12 scope. Set the scope on 6 power and leave it there unless you have a very long shot and time to turn the power up.

The 22/250 shoots flat enough that it takes a lot of the "holdover guesstimation" out of the equation. And with 50 gr Nosler BT's it is a hammer on coyotes. By far my favorite caliber/bullet combo at those ranges.

drover

drover got it, personally I use a long barreled Swift and 50 gr BT's-Muddy

I've taken several coyotes at those distances with a .22-250 Savage Model 10 varmint barrel (200-400 yards). Here in Arizona, the 12 gauge with 3.5 mags is king and no pelt damage.

My brother-in-law regularly takes them at distances out to 800-900 yards. His pet gun ? A Uncle Roy in .257 with a Z5 scope. I saw him take one a few years a go in Evanstan Wy @ 1100 yards. An no, he does not keep the fur. The state he lives in has a bounty on them. Something like $12 - just cut the ears off nd turn them in.

Good luck on choosing a caliber that you're comfortable with.

If fur is unimportant, then a 243 loaded with 87VMax pushed hard is about is good as it gets, from any range, any angle, and bucks the wind.

If flat-shooting floats your boat more, then a 55 BTip pushed hard will outrun just about anything at the ranges you listed.

My coyote shooters are in .223 (bolt and AR), 22-250 and .243.

When the weather looks like a lot of wind and the terrain open I like the .243 with Nosler BT in 70g. I load that bullet to 3700fps with a 70g. and 4050fps with a 55g through my chronograph.

When conditions are more normal a 22-250 is great for almost all coyote shooting and excels at many.

I shot a coyote yesterday at around 250 yards with a AR pushing a 40g bullet at 3625fps and it worked out great and the day was a nix of weather with sunshine periods followed by rain and wind off and on.

Actually I think any of your choices would work but I have no experience with the .204.

243 has worked the best for me.

Ed

Any of the standard .224's work on coyotes. I do more calling, so shots are close. I've used a .221 Fireball extensively, and have killed to 450 yards with it, but it shines at 200 and less.
Coyotes also make a good medium for experimental cartridges or loads. Yesterday I used a .219 Zipper and a 35 grain Dogtown bullet at 3600+ fps. It worked.

Fire, A Zipper, I'm realllllly envious. Muddy

Here's a link to the hunt and rifle description if you want to read it.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9381421/Old_school_Zipper#Post9381421

Great to read about the 87Vmax. I purchased a couple boxes for the express purpose of inflicting maximum damage at any range, and usually in the wind. I've got a Swift for launching 55BTs, so I started the search for a "sweet spot" at the heavier end of the 6mm bullet lineup. Glad to know I picked well.

Cattle_auctioneer: I own several of, and have Hunted with, all the calibers you mentioned.
Hands down the 204 Ruger would be my choice for Coyotes.
No need to look at anything else.
For all-around predator Hunting (including night Hunting with artificial lights) the 204 Ruger is just about impossible to best.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

243 all the way . I own a tack driving Tikka 22-250 as well but my new dpms lite in 243 is the best all around power and fast shooting.

Same here, especially if the shot gets out there a bit.