Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles For Coyote hunting and other varmints .204 vs .223 vs 22-250?

Going to try my hand at Coyote hunting and looking for a new gun.

Currently I have a big gap from 22 WMR to my 25-06, I will be hunting in a lead free zone so that limits what I can load in the 25-06 to 90 gr etip and up. I am thinking a .223 or 22-250 would do the job then decided a .204 might be the ticket...

Whats everyone using?

Only killed one coyote in my life. I was deer hunting and happened to have my 280Rem in my hand that day. Probably overkill but it definitely did the job!



I'd probably grab my 22-250 if I was going on a dedicated coyote hunt.

I hunt coyotes and have and prefer the 22-250. I'm not interested in saving the fur though. I have a 223 also and it doesn't tear them up as bad but they seem to run off more. I'm usually hunting in contests so I need to find them as quickly as possible. The 40 round Winchester hollow pts in the white box work great for me and are pretty cheap.
It's also a lot of fun to call them close and shoot them with a shotgun

I've shot coyotes with many of the big cartridges, on down to the 223. Most, though, with the 223. Put the bullet in the right end of the coyote, and it will die. I don't think I'd use the 204, but then I don't own one so I can't speak to it's effectiveness. I also can't speak to the effectiveness of the small caliber, no-lead bullets as I haven't bothered to try them (don't have to here in ND). But if Nosler is willing to put their name on a Ballitic Tip without lead in it, I'd start there....

Kaiser Norton

TATELAW - re: 'yote' pix. "OUCH" just had to hurt. Homesteader

.22-250

First thing: it might be a bit tougher to find lead free bullets for the .204...not really sure, I never looked.

Second: there isn't a much more utilitarian rifle than a .223, easy to find ammo or load for, cheaper to shoot and gets the job done from gophers to deer.

And make it a fast twist (THINK RUGER) since you can't do lead.

Yeah, Ruger is 1 in 9, Savage makes some in 1 in 9 and Tikka makes a 1 in 8....

Was thinking of the 1-8 RAR but any of those will work.

When I pick a rifle to go coyote calling this season, I'm likely to carry an RAR-Predator in any of the 3 choices that you've cited.

If cost or availability is important to you, the 223 would be the winner. 223 ammo is cheaper and easier to find just about anywhere I've been. That said, unless you're going to hunt coyotes a lot, a couple hundred rounds per year in any of the 3 isn't going to be hard to find if you plan ahead.

I use a 223 for coyotes, prairie dogs, groundhogs. Never felt under gunned. Hell, I may even use it on deer occasionally.

I think the 22-250 (maybe 220 swift) is the ideal coyote round. I agree with what Ingwe said about the 223 though and you would never find yourself wanting if you chose the 223. I love the 204; but, since most people make this point on multiple calibers, I will do so here too. If you travel you don't want to rely on that 204. You might lose your ammo (tongue in cheek).

Bullet selection would drive your choice and you hand load, that would indicate 22 caliber...

If you want economy, then that dictates a 223..
if you could care less, then the 22.250 is a step up

if you don't handload and want to be able to find and buy
ammo about any place that sells it, then a 223 is your
most logical choice...


all three are more than adequate to drop a coyote
as long as the shooter can place the bullet where
it is supposed to go...

Anything a 22-250 can do, a 243 can do better.
Not sure what's available in lead free, but I use 70gr bt's, and have awesome results.

I have shot coyotes with various 22's but if I wanted a dedicated coyote rifle, I would use a 6mm or 243. can't comment on the lead-free thing since, in my area, it's OK to lead poison a coyote! GD

I'm told that a 6x47 Lapua puts a coyote's d*ck in the dirt. I plan on finding out later this fall/winter.

I would pick the .22-250 every time.. Like my .223, but they are mostly p. dog and gopher killers.

I agree with Ingwe. Fast twist 223 is my choice. Shooting a Ruger currently, but a Tikker is tempting. A 204 is fun, but tougher to hit with when the wind picks up, and distance stretches.

Agree here too. If I leave the 223 in the safe, it's the 243 that is in my hands. A little more for windy days... I use 58 vmax. Nasty, they are.