Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Coyotes/Deer. Your thoughts?

I can for coyotes. Run the numbers on a 75 ELD at 3450 fps vs any .243 load. Out to 600 yards, a 95 TMK at 3200 or a 105 Berger at 3000 both lose in drop, and windage is basically a wash between all three- I doubt many coyotes are taken much further than 600 yards. And if you want to compare shorter range barn burners, the 55 NBT at 4000 and a little change loses again to a 40 NBT at 4400+. (These numbers would be for the AI.)

I've never used a 22-250 on anything bigger than a coyote, but lots of members here who I trust to not be full of [bleep] have no problems with .223's and 22-250's on deer. Although I probably wouldn't try it with either of the two loads I previously mentioned...

Add one more vote for 25-06.

Having said that, let me just add that 30-06 does a really handy job on both.

This, since Kentucky deer can get pretty big (so I hear, anyway). You have bears too, right?

I had Norene firearms out of Montana build 3 AR-1O`s in 243 Winchester with I believe 1-10 twist,24 inch barrels, so these rifles would shoot 70 grain BT Noslers all 3 of these rifles shoot excellent. as a dealer I sold 2 and kept one. the reason I decided on 243 is ammo is easy to find in any store if I run out. its nice 2 have a little faster fire power on coyotes sometimes if you get chance at more than one or miss these rifles have work very well too.good luck with your choice,Pete53

The 105s aren't so much needed to kill deer per say, but work really well, if you are shooting past 400 yds, on targets, or hair. They really buck the wind well, and kill extreme!y quickly. If you only have a 9 or 10 twist barrel, just load 95 grain nosler BT and call it good. Most of the bears I killed with the 243 were with 70 nosler BT and yes they worked quite well.

Lots of things would work. Not sure you need a cartridge on the '06-length case, but it wouldn't be wrong. In factory cartridges, I'd look at the 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, any of the 6.5's (especially the Grendel), the 6.8 SPC, the 7x57, 7-08, the 300 BLK (if you might ever run a can), the 300 Savage, 308 Winchester, etc. Sky's the limit with wildcats.

As for the rifle, I'd look really hard at a 22" Kimber Montana with a 2.5-8x Leupold.


Okie John

6 creedmoor, 7.7 twist and stock up on H4350 and 105 grain hybrids....

OK, I guess I wasn't really considering coyotes at 600 yds, But, I'll definitely concede that one to you. I guess, for my uses, and in my experience, I prefer a 243. But I know there are plenty here who use and like the 22-250. Both will work. Thanks for pointing that out.

^^THIS^^..... Mine's a fauxTI. Great choice but truth is a 243 will do the same with some advantages over the 25cal.

If you are going to build an AR for this, the new 224 Valkyrie might be appealing.

Barrett Fieldcraft in 6mm Creed with a SWFA SS 3-9x42 or NF SHV 3-10x42

Good call....;)

I'd size it for deer and out of the 22's or 6mm I'd pick the 6mm. The 6 Creedmoor would get my pick over the 243 for it's ease of loading long bullets in a short action magazine, something the 243 is challenged with. I have a 6 creedmoor barrel coming that's going to be a 7 twist so I can shoot the 115 DTAC and the new 110 matchking.

I shoot coyotes with whatever I have in my hand at the time. I've shot them with just about everything other than a 22 rimfire and never had one take a step. They die easy so I wouldn't worry about a "best" coyote rifle, it's whatever you hit them with.

I know that a Creed is always the answer.... So please, Please, PLEASE don't tell anybody how amazing the 25-06 is with 100r NBT's & RL19 on the very game you asked about.

Our deer aren't huge....bucks will weigh 150-200# dressed out. There are heavier bucks but they aren't extremely common.

A fast twist 22 centerfire will do what you are wanting to do. I've killed lots of bucks, and does, with the 223, 223AI, 22-250, 22-250AI, 243, 243AI, 25-06AI. Killed them with berger vld's, nbt's, Amax's, tsx's, Vmax's, scirocco II's. Favorite is probably the 223AI with 62TSX's and farthest kill on deer was just over 450yd's with that combo. I think it was 4 deer killed over 400yds with the 25-06AI and none died any faster than the one with the 223AI/tsx did. The 1-8"tw 22-250AI is a good one, but I'd still go 223AI if forced to choose. Deer just aren't that tough. Good luck in your search.

How about the 25 creed with 100 grain NBT’s

Great call splitting the difference between a 6 and 6.5 both being better that what you're talking about

Well, I get 3,350 FPS with that bullet and Lapua brass

Or if ya want 3,200 with the Berger 115

And they both kill very, very well.

Plus it duplicates 25-06 velocities in a short action. But don’t mind me ——-

I took the time to read more of the post than the header now, so here goes. The 6mm CM would get the nod from a practical standpoint. It'll come with a fast twist barrel from the factory, fitting ammo loaded with long bullets in a 2.8" mag is no problem, and factory ammo should be really easy to come by. It makes a lot of sense as a dual purpose cartridge. Well...as much sense as dual purpose cartridges ever made, really.

The 25-06 makes a solid choice as well, for a few reasons. First would be the availability of used rifles. Let somebody else eat the depreciation. Second, at least mine works great with necked down 270 brass. This is fairly easy to get for free. Lastly, the .25s are out of fashion, have been for some time, and probably won't be making a comeback. That makes people that own them happy little iconoclasts. That last one could just be me, though.

Now if you're going to go with a full on, genuwine, kustom rifle, how about resurrecting an oldie but a goody 6mm? I'm talking about the 244 belted rimless magnum. H&H introduced it back in 1955. Someone in the company thought a necked down full length magnum case would work great with 100 gr bullets. Put a slow twist barrel on the thing, use the super-slow powder of your choice, and buck that short action trend.

Here is my solution to same requirements for KY White tails, coyotes, and other targets of opportunity around the farm...



> LH Rem 700 KS barreled action - because I had it
> .270 - because if I didn't reload, I could find ammo anywhere. And, it doesn't kick as much as a .30-06. Yes, I am becoming a recoil puzzy in my old age.
> Pacific Research Rimrock stock - Because I like the ergos.
> HS Precision Gen1 DBM - I do not carry a loaded rifle with me on a regular basis. The DBM makes it easy to grab a rifle out of the gun case and insert the magazine while headed to the back door.
> Leupold 2.5x8x36 - Zero rounds on game with a variable scope dialed above 6x. The 8x is overkill for me. German #4 to make it easier on the old eyes.
> 7lbs 6oz as shown. Can get down to 7lbs if I swap aluminum BDL bottom metal in place of the HS unit and mag.

Have killed a couple truck loads of KY WT's with a .243. Nothing wrong with .243's. Still have several. But I can dial a .270 down to 6.5 CM recoil levels, or dial it up to full-on elk medicine. This is what I built for the quarry you listed above in Pendleton County, KY. And, if I decide to go back to Colorado to elk hunt again, it fits that bill as well...