Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Question re: coyote rifle (223 or. . .?)

My youngest son is getting interested in hunting coyotes at our farm in NE Kentucky.

He's got an AR platform in .223 REM. We also have nice bolt guns for the project in 25-06 REM, .223 REM and others.

To what range should he limit himself with .223 REM? We have hunting venues that are no more than 300 yards. We've shot them beyond 200 yards with 30-06 before as targets of opportunity during deer season, and out to 40 yards with our turkey shotguns during season. I've got a few. He's got 4.

The 223 will work to any range he can reliably hit them. 300 is easily done with any bullet weight from 40- 60 grains.

If it were me and 300 was the max range I would load up with a 55 grain Ballistic Tip or a 53 grain V Max and start killing. Sight in at 200 and probably hold "in the hair" to 300.

Yes. What he said.

Cool! I'll pass that along to him. Thanks!

There is a guy out there, Varmint Al, who said he switched from 223 REM to 243 WIN, because he didn't like the performance of the former on coyote. That's what got me wondering. Al's pages have been a good starter for us.

It works and yes I can see a difference between the 22 calibers and my 6mm but if hit properly a coyote makes very few tracks if any when shot w a 223.

If he can bust shoulders with a 50 or 55 grain Ballistic tip he will have minimal runners or spinners but a lung shot works fine too just expect a few short runs or a coyote that corkscrews itself in the ground.

No issues w the 223 for coyotes but then again I have no issues killing deer with a bullet that weighs 80-95 grains from a 243/6mm. It's all whether they are hit right or not.

I use the 40 gr Nosler BT @ 3750 from my 223 and have shot numerous coyotes out to 300 yds with no issues. With an inch high zero at 100 yds this combo allows "holding on hair" out to 300 yds and everyone I have shot has been DRT.

Something to think about - out to 300 yds the 40 gr Nosler at 3750 has the same trajectory as the 50 gr Nosler @ 3750 does, which is considered the quintessintial coyote load.

drover

The 22-250 and 243 come in to play (do better) if you're reaching out beyond 300 and/or dealing with the wind regularly. Inside 300 yards the 223 is fine.

Killed a bunch with the 223, and it works. I felt the need to step up to a faster .22 with heavier bullets, in my case the .22 Creedmoor, and the performance is night and day. I dont see me ever going back for coyotes.....but if I had never switched, I would still be killing them just fine.

Practice shooting goes a long way. A lot of people blame the round. Usually, it's the loose nut behind the trigger, or improper bullet selection.

I hunt coyotes a lot. I regularly use 222 Rem, 223, 5.6x50R Mag, 22-204, 22-250, 22 Sav Highpower, 6mm-204 and 6.5x58R Sauer. So I have a good selection of coyote round and have played with the 243, 6mm Rem, 250 Sav. and 25-204 in the past. My goto rifle is the 222 Rem, it kills them just as dead as the rest. I do use the 22 Sav. Highpower and 5.6x50R a lot as they are in a combo guns and great in the thicker stuff. The 22-204 is nice winter gun with 40gr NBT's for pelt hunting in more open country.

Having a gun that fits you and the terrain you are hunting in is far more important than the caliber.

If find the 223 class cartridges run out of steam at the 300-350 mark, and I get more floppers and runners than I'd like.

I use a Sako L461 in 222 Remmag the most, followed by a TC Icon in 243, then my Ruger in 22Hornet.

If I had to pick just one cartridge for all my coyote hunting, it would be in 243. It hammers them.

My son uses a Browning in 223wssm, with a 60gr Vmax at 3,700fps. The extra speed and bullet weight really shows up when a coyote hangs up way out there, and kills very well.

This time of year, I use the 243 the most, as I get more coyotes that hang up at 300+yds now, than in Nov-Dec.

If coyote hunting is calling, the ..22's work fine.. My favorite is the bigger ones, .22-250-Swift... I often spend time in the hills with my dogs.. Maybe calling, maybe just glassing... One of my favorite long range rifles is my .25-06.. It has a 27" # 5 barrel..It with a .big .22 I feel ready for any situation I might encounter... Good luck.. This is the must fun hunting there is!!

I like the 243 Winchester the best

I've killed them with everything from a 22LR to a 270. Most of the ones I've killed here in Kentucky have been with a 223, and my longest kill was about 450 yards. I like a 50 VMax handloaded to 3400 fps. I mostly use the 223 because I'm also hunting bobcats when I'm calling and it's much more fur friendly than anything else I shoot. Now, lately I've been shooting a 22-250 with a 40 grain BT, and I'm starting to feel a lot of love for it. But......if I were strictly coyote hunting and doing it for business, not for fun, I'd pick a 243. It is just a better killer, and I use bullets from 58 to 85 grains, and it doesn't matter which one, although it is very hard to beat a 85 grain Sierra.

The .223 in an AR platform is a great choice. Would be suitable as far as you can hit the vitals.

I've shot a bunch of coyotes out to just over 480 yards with a .243 shooting 58 grain Hornady V-Max's at a hair over 3800 fps. Very effective.