Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Ok - one rifle for coyotes?

Considering the local population is very healthy, I need to get on the stick with a yote rifle in farm country with a smattering of hobby farms.
What are your recommendations? I know - get the popcorn.............

223 and 40 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. Absolute death on coyotes and fragile enough to limit any ricochets. As for which rifle, I’m a Tikka fan. These days I like light rifles with 20” barrels.

Yep, that covers it all in short answer.

drover

Great choice

I have an RAR-P in 204 Ruger that would be a good choice if you want to minimize through/through penetration. It shoots flat, hits hard, and both the 32 and 40 grain bullets seem to disintegrate on contact. I don't shoot coyotes to harvest the fur and the 204 isn't at all fur friendly.

EDIT: If you go with a 204 and don't want to reload for it, the Fiocchi 40 grain load is pretty inexpensive on-line and shoots sub-MOA in my RAR-P.

Thanks fellas - seems to make good sense.

I picked up a Remington ADL at Wal-Mart for less than $400 earlier in the fall. It has a 24" 1/12 twist barrel and a cheap scope on it. I have some 55 grain Nosler Armageddon's loaded up for it.

kwg

Lots of good ones out there..I like Tikkas too. If it was a rifle strictly for coyotes, I like a .22-250...seems to put them down...


That said Ive shot them with a wide variety of rifles...the .22-250 with a decent 50 grain bullet is my first choice, second would be a .223 similarly loaded...

More than enough gun.....gotta 22.250 barrel on a Ruger short action ( formally a 243), with a one in 7 twist...

That with a 73gr ELD is kinda floating my boat for the time being....

can easily launch that bullet in the 3300 to 3500 fps range.. and pretty flat shooting...

Back up option... 223, 53 gr Vmax, with a stiff charge of Benchmark.... 26.5 grains.....

that'll be a flat shooter also....

If I could only pick one it would be a 6mm Remington with 70 grain NBT’s, it has just enough extra to make me happy!

17 Rem. with a 25gr.or 30gr. non ballistic tip bullet or 204 with a 35gr. Berger or 35gr. Blackhole bullet. These are fur savers. If not saving fur...........well pick your favorite Deer caliber and have at it.

I should add that the ultimate fur saver Coyote round for many is the 17-204 shooting a 30gr. Nagel bullet. But you didn't say if you handloaded or not.

I've killed most of my coyotes with a 223, using mostly 50 grain VMax bullets. Never really felt as though it was lacking. I've also killed quite a few with a 243, and some with the 22-250. While the 223 is certainly enough, performance wise, the 243 and 22-250 are better, especially at the longer ranges. A 40 grain bullet out of a 22-50 at 4000fps will absolutely put the hurt on a coyote, as well as a 58 bullet out of a 243 at 3800fps.

Occasionally I use my AR-15 .223/5.56 with 64 grain Power-points but usually it’s a Vanguard S2 .243 with Superperformance 58g Vmax.

Are you calling coyotes or just targets of opportunity?

Calling,

A short handy rifle with a scope that would work well from your shoelaces to 300 yards, caliber of your choice if your not saving fur. I call and save fur so a 222 Rem with a 1.5-6x40mm and a 22-204 with the same scope work for me. I'm going out today with a Win Model 70 222 Rem with a Meopta Artimes 1.5-6x40mm(it is on the heavy side and hence the Howa), I have a Savage 10 20 Practical in the works with a Burris 4X 1.5-6x40mm on it and am seriously looking at a Howa Mini HB in 223 and bob the mag. Another of my faves is a Sako Vixen with a 2-7 scope on it.

Targets of opportunity

Here a longer range rifle comes into play, shots in farm country can be long, being farm country and hobbie farms I'd seriously look into putting a can on it. 22-250-6.5-Something, 2-10x40-4-16x40 scope with ballistic reticle, you need to get a very good(expensive) if your going to rely on turning turrets and it is too easy to forget to turn things back to Zero going in and out of the truck all day. I shoot a 22-250 LVSF with a Elite 4200 2.5-10x40mm. A HB isn't out of the question here if your not going to hike long distances

erich - good points on calling vs. oppo. targets. I can see both scenarios. Right now due to the proximity of hobby farms, country homes, and working farms, I am leaning to a frangible 55gr, maybe NBT or 55gr. FB Varmint Bergers with a .223 Rem. and a dose of Varget. Wouldn't mind a Montana but can't beat the out of the box reliability of the Tikka - the darn things just shoot so well.

Thanks again, fellas.

Nosler 40GR. out of a RRA AR.

For frangible and fur friendly out of a .223 give the 50 gr Speer TNT a try...

Bigwhoop: If I were to start Hunting Coyotes "today" instead of 60 years ago and knowing what I have learned over all that time, the only answer to your question covering all around night and day conditions and distances of Coyoting is the 204 Ruger!
Period!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

243 or 6mm with a 55 grain Ballistic Tip.

I have about 10 rifles that I hunt coyotes with, from 17 Rem to 240 weatherby.
If I had to choose one, it would be 223, with the 22-250 a close second.

I’ve killed quite a few coyotes with a 221FB, 223, 218 Bee, 222rem and 220 Swift. The 220 Swift is hard to beat, especially loaded with 50gr vmax bullets.

I'm a coyote junkie, irregularly rotate between the 22 WMR, 218 Bee, 222 Rem(2), 223, 22-204, 5.6x50R, 22-250(2), 5.6x52R, 6x45mm, 6mm-204, 25-204, 6.5x58R Sauer and 6.5 Grendel and I have a 20 Practical in the works It should be out killing coyotes by the end of the month. The oddball metrics are on combo guns that I use in the brush. The 22 WMR and 218 Bee are used when targeting fox and cats with coyotes secondary. My goto's for pelts are the 222 Rem and 22-204 the 20 Practical will go in here also. The others are used when pelts are not worth anything/control work.

One gun for coyotes, sacrilege!

erich you are a sick man! I thought I had it bad!

If you want to shoot 40 grain bullets, in my opinion, you can't beat the 204. If going heavier, 223 or 22-250 with the nod probably going to the 22-250 for distance. Having said all of that, I usually prefer to use a .243, .260 or 6.5 as I'm not a fur hunter. I'm sure I've been very helpful throwing in all of those options for your one rifle for coyotes; so, for one rifle, .223. It just covers so many bases, bullet weights and other options in coyote hunting.

Not only the rifles, I have a truck for hunting and a MC for places the truck cant get to.

If I had to use one rifle, it would be a 243. I usually grab the 222RemMag though, because it is in a Sako L461 and I really like that rifle.

I use a 22 Hornet, 222RemMag and the 243.

When I get a new ranch to hunt, and I have to come back with dead coyotes to impress the owner, I grab the 243, usually using a 75gr Vmax.

Long range, or short, this is a hammer on coyotes, and has been surprisingly fur friendly, from 20yds to 450yds+. I went about 33 coyotes straight without any fur damage or exits. On #34, the damage was, shall we say, severe.

It’s more about the range, and conditions ... and time of year I was shooting in the most.

Long range = alsways over 2oo.. .. I go with the 243

Always Under 300 with lots of yotes = AR 223, better yet 6.8 SPC

Long long range (western Kansas) 500 yard shots or more 25-06

243 (in fact any cal. That is. 70 grain plus) HAMMERS yotes hard.....

I have been shooting control over 30 years in the west and I'm a one trick pony I guess. .243. I have plenty of rifles but I like having that one that just feels right, and use it for many things. My .243 is good for coyotes, speed goats, Wolves, deer, and a few other animals. Like a well broken in glove I like my Tikka in my hand, as I have liked others in past succession.
Fur was never a concern and since they came out I have shot countless coyotes with the 55 grain ballistic tips. From Federal.
Very few I can recall were messed up from that round but perhaps some shoulder or hi spine shot.
Now we're it a caliber for ONLY coyotes, too many to choose from. I would go a bit lighter and focus on light recoil so I could get back on target faster.
Good luck

Oaky

240 weatherby with 70 grain B tips or if the fur is what Your after a 17 Remington

best balanced rifle I've ever had in my hands that I liked the most, was the Remington Predator Models when they first came out...
fast runner up would be the older Remington 700 Mountain rifles with the laminate stocks...

but I do have a couple of varmint caliber Featherweights, that are awfully darn handy feeling also...

always keep saying I was going to take off the 223 barrel with a one in 12 twist and put on a 1 in 7 twist barrel...

I could live with that real easy....

Thanks again for the ideas...............

Tag

I went from a 223 to a 243 with lighter bullets then the 243 with 87 gr V Max. Its a superb combination. I don't shoot them anymore the whitetail population is out of control.

Serious coyote hunters around here have been very happy with the .204 ruger in Tikka rifles. Detachable box magazines are very nice when you see a coyote of opportunity while driving. The small bullet seldom exits and it kills well and shoots flat.

When I was in Colorado I liked 22-250 and 6mmBR and started with a Handi Rifle in 223. Here in NC a 22-250 with bluedot loads is fine but an AR or Mini14 would be fine too.
One rifle? Naaaaa.

I've shot most coyotes with a Ruger bolt-action .223 and the 50 grain Sierra Blitz. Very accurate bullet that works well on critters.

If I had a rifle that I called a "coyote rifle", it'd be a 22-250. But when I hear "hobby farm", I think 22 Hornet,,, with a minimum of 22 mag and maximum of 222 Rem for a "coyote rifle". Only now I might...naybe...possibly consider 17WSM.

AR with a 6x scope.

BLUE DOT
low recoil, cool for many shots, easy follow up if needed, low muzzle blast,...........CHEAP!!!!!
FOLLOW THE RULES FOR BLUE DOT LOADING.

Thank You Seafire!!!

.22-250 loaded with Speer .40 grain flat base soft points..........on top of......Blue Dot...pick your charge.


.243 loaded with Speer 70 grain TNT......on top of.....Blue Dot.....pick your charge.


.17 HMR..........best inside 100 yards.


have fun.

Heavy

I own one that I made a lot of my living with 30 years ago shooting fur. It's a Sako in 222 Remington.

However today, the rifle I get the most coyotes with is a light barreled AR15 in 223. The 223 from a 16" barrel gives me identical ballistics as my Sako 222 with it's 22" barrel . I shoot a 50 grain bullet at 2850 from both. Same bullet, same speed. The AR is only able to shoot about 1-1/8" at 100 yards and the Sako shoots about 1/2" but the AR gives me instant ability to fire again, and I have found that to be a huge advantage when you find the occasional pack of coyotes instead of the singles and doubles. I do have another AR with a match barrel, but it's heavier and doesn't handle as quick as the light carbine so I have found I get more coyotes with the light one. The faster handling of the short light one makes for more opportunities to get a shot and the heavier match barreled gun is very easy to make precise hits with, but it's slower into action, so I just don't get the opportunities to fire with it as often.

I still love the classy old Sako, but if I were to go buy a rifle for shooting coyotes today, it would be an AR15 without any reservations at all. Install a good match trigger and you'll get a lot of shots and make a lot of hits.

243with 58 grain V-max over varget.

Lately I have been using a .223 Ruger Hawkeye AW UL. glass bedded, Ernie's trigger spring, iron sights, 3-9x40mm Leupold. Works extremely well for most anything I run into.

I have also used a .243, .22WMR, .250-3000 , minis and AR's.

Friend bought one of the .243 Ruger Precisions for $900. 26" bbl. 0.4 MOA with factory loads. Heavy, stable, predictable. Don't know how I'd do better than that for anything close to the same money.

It's even better when loaded with W760.

Grumpy7904: I have a custom built Rifle in caliber 240 Weatherby. It was built on a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 action and has a stainless Hart 27" heavy barrel.
I have used it on Coyotes in the past and used the same Nosler 70 grain Ballistic Tip bullets as you use.
I have a Leupold 6.5x20 variable scope on my 240.
This rig/set up definitely WILL reach out and touch a Coyote - some places I Hunt Coyotes here in Montana long shots are the norm.
Fur friendly not so much but flat shooting indeed!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

How so?

Practical ain't always fun. I think I've killed the most with .17 Remington and .223 but I really like the .25-'06 with 90 grain blitzkings and 100 grain ballistic tips in areas where ricochets aren't a concern. I also hunted for a while with a slow twist 6x.284 that loved 70 grain ballistic tips. Swift is my favorite of the .22s.

Here's my "story" 'bout .22 centerfires: it takes a .222 to do what I think a Hornet should, it takes a .22-250 to do what I think the .222 and .223 should, and it takes a Swift to do what I think the .22-250 should do. I haven't met a .22 CF that will do what I expect of the .220 Swift, but a 6x.284 sure will. Push 70 grain ballistic tips into the mid 3800s and they will "f" some "stuff" up big-time. 65 grain VMAXes are purely wicked, more explosive yet (which is kinda hard to do) but my gun wasn't quite as accurate so I had to get a little closer with them. That helped with explosiveness to 'cause closer meant velocity even higher.

Tom

I have a Howa in 223 and it loves the 50 grain any bullet.

It also does a number with those heavier but it shoots tighter with 50 grain.

It does not weigh much and after a while the Hogue stock gets comfortable and easy to shoulder.

I have to admit a love affair with W760 powder and the 243, especially in the lighter bullets. It meters easy, much better than Varget and other stick powders. It's all I use in bullets from 58 to 85 grain, and it works in every 243 I've ever loaded for. I realize it's supposed to be temperature sensitive in hot weather, but I don't shoot in hot weather, so I've never had a problem.

204 ruger with 40 gr BIB bullets, drops them dead with no exit.

I have run a .22-250 with 55 grain Ballistic Tips and they are flat wicked. After that, I went to the .243 win and just used what ever bullet I had handy. Now-days... its the .240 Weatherby. I run them for coyotes on up to deer and antelope on the Wyoming prairies. if I plan to shoot prairie dogs and coyotes, its the .22-250, if it is coyotes, or coyotes and deer, its the Weatherby.

Ok, I'll get the popcorn.. Thanks... Maybe some soda pop too..

When I was in the Army and a couple of trips up in a Huey at Yakima... a 308 out of an M60 worked pretty well on coyotes...
up with one or two running mini gun pods on the sides, work EXCEEDINGLY well...

fun watching a running coyote digitally disappear.....

Build or have someone build you an AR in .204 Ruger. You can make it as light or as heavy as you want and for your shooting environment the .204 would be perfect.

My "favorite" is whatever I have in my hand when I see one.

Obviously, lots of cartridges work well. If I'm specifically going after coyotes, I usually take my sentimental favorite...and old M70 in 225Win.

.243 works for me for the predators 17 is of little or no value on pigs, 204 is a little to weak on pigs, 223 works on most critters but I prefer .243 good all around gun for me. Rio7

I live in the middle of "hobby farm" hell and have no problem taking coyotes out with 218 Bee level loads from my 22-250. My ranges are under 150 yards usually. Further south I might use anything from a 223 to a 270.

Any rifle you happen to be carrying.

I love the 22-250 for coyotes

.22-250!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when we’re you out there? I live right by the gate.

1977,78 & 79

ok... my 2 cents worth

.17 Remington with 29 gr Kindler Golds.... or the recently discontinued Hornady 25 gr HP

222 Remington with 50 gr bullet...any 50 grain bullet

.223 with a 50 gr bullet.... like the NBT but all work

.22-250 with a 55 gr bullet..... or a 40 gr V-max pushed HARD

.243 with anything up to & including a 105 Amax

.25-06 with a 100 gr NBT

.270 with a 130 gr NBT

.280 AI with ….. pretty much whatever I happen to be carrying.

I am experimenting with Seafires Blue Dot Loads in a second .22-250 just to see what fun they can be in more 'confined' areas

Try them all & take pictures...…

burt2506

250 Savage topped with Hornady 75 grain VMax fueled by Varget or 3031----87 grain Speers with either powder too. Shoot em out of a Ruger 77 top tang safety with Leupold 3x9. Can get 1" MOA less using a rest, cover 5 shots with palm of my hand shooting off hand at 100 yds, not far off the mark at 200. Like the heavier bullet vs a .224 diameter bullet, distance and wind. Wouldn't mind getting a .223 bolt gun, once in a while take a scope mounted AR out, deadly. Even take my Savage 99G takedown 250 Savage out once in a while if feeling old timey. Same bullets, different powder weights. Stith scoped with a Weaver 330. It'll reach out with good accuracy at shorter ranges.

Just One ,not happening ,223 ,50V/Max 3425 fps ,40V/max,3800 fps. 220Swift,50V/max 3750 fps both sport 26inch bbl's, 243 is always Fantastic 55to 87 grainers ,& don't forget the 25/06 with 100 Nbt's 3500 fps ,26 inch bbl . Great post thks!!!.

Outta of the box Tikka 223......spare mag or two....

Sporter weight 22-250 pushing 50BT as head as possible. Absolute death ray. 22 hole going in and nothing but solid base 22 cal hole coming out. Jelly in between.

I was just gonna type this, but with any 50 grain, plastic-tipped bullet, pushed as fast as possible.

I used the 50 grain Ballistic Tip and it worked but for some reason I preferred the 55 grain Ballistic Tip.

Same kind of kills and same type of exits.

Just one ? Glad i don't have to make that decision. But sometimes i get an urge where i want
to destroy one and turn it into a rag, the one gun and load I would pick is my rem 788 in 308 shooting 110gr v-max with a max load
of CFE 223. Kwooop.

221 Fireball and a Nosler 40 gr BT has always worked for calling. Have kills to 450 yards but obviously closer is better.

22-250. 1in8 twist, 62 grain TTSX Or 62 Bear Claw

IMO coyote shooting is an AR game. Light, fast and handy especially on running game

I live in farm country and in the ‘80’s I figured out the 17 REM was about perfect for fox here as you rarely got a close shot but you could reach out with it a bit, it wasn’t too noisy and the frangible bullets broke up well on frozen ground and snow with a miss. And at 200 yds and beyond it wasn’t destroying pelts.

Our fox are mostly gone now but with a commensurate increase in coyotes, and under the same conditions, the 204 seems about right but you need a boiler room hit from 250 and beyond. I’ve gone to Fiocchi and Federal 32’s both of which my little CZ likes.

If windy, which is often the case, I step up to the 243. Hornady Super Performance 75-gr V-Maxes are very accurate and even more so, though slower are the plain Win 80-gr varmint. The 22-250 would be as good as the 243 but in cutting back on firearms, I’ve chosen cartridges with overlapping application also.

Oh yeah, I do have an AR in 223, and often have three rifles in the truck, and upon spotting a coyote choose one according to wind, whim and conditions, how close or far I think I can get, etc.

Golf bag Theory never lets you down.

we save the coyote hides for money so we don`t try to blow big holes in a coyote we use 60 gr. Nosler Partitions in our 220 Swifts running dogs or calling.

Up here in the high plains of ND, the .22-250 REM is my king.
I have 3 of them that get regular workouts on coyotes. A Model 70 Coyote, Model 70 Sporter, and Model 70 Lightweight.
50 gr. V-Max over Varget @ 3835fps (24" bbl) is big medicine. I have .17, .222, .223 and .243 's in my arsenal. But when I get serious on coyotes, it's the .22-250 hands down.

WB

Preferably a long heavy barreled AR 15 .223 with 45gr jhp
Tournament hunting 7mm rem mag

.243, 49.0gr Superformance, Speer 75gr HP, CCI-200, coal 2.640". Supremely accurate, fast (3,500fps+), and knocks coyotes into next week. Al least it takes me that long to find all the pieces. They also are great for piggies.

I do control work and don't (can't) take hides so that's not an issue for me. If I did hunt for hides, I'd be using a Speer 50gr TNT in my .223. That one doesn't even exit on a broadside body shots on Bobcats. Tiny entrance hole, no exit, and jelly in between.

Ed

If it were just one, it would be a .223 or 6mm ARC on a 18” upper.

Build the rest of it to your liking.

What do you now have, and how and where are you hunting them? Up close and thick, a shotgun with 4`s, Mod or IC. Ambush, any rifle you have. I`ve killed them with a .22 semi auto, up to my 8x06 AI. My 250AI is a favorite tho.

6mm ARC, not much twitching or spinning dogs in this video. I'm convinced, and good on deer and hogs as well.

Damn, that's some good shooting. Sure makes the ARC look legit, too.

AR in .223 for me. I used to shoot a tikka bolt in .223. it was ok. Just like easier follow-ups and the lightness of the AR. I mainly throw 50-55 vmaxes. In farm county around here the 22-250 is a bit much.

Years of killing coyotes, I've been through all manner of stuff.

For me, the a long, slippery, high BC .22 is where it's at. The .223 doesn't have the horsepower, but the .22 Creedmoor I've been using for a couple years now does. A 69gr Sierra TMK at 3550 works pretty well. Speed is nice, but the math is the math...wind makes the high BC stuff earn it's keep.

I like a heavier rifle, somewhere in the 10lb range. Much lighter and I have to give up things I don't want to, heavier and it's a pain. A FFP scope is not a negotiable item, and a tripod is pretty close to such.

I completely agree, I wouldn't have one of those Fhuqking scopes on a coyote rifle either

I have finally transitioned every scoped rifle I own over to FFP, and don/t ever plan on going back. Different strokes for different folks...but for me there is no benefit to SFP.

If you plan to use the reticle for holdovers the FFP is a must. If you dial then a SFP is fine

Moving targets and wind holds are yet more benefits to the FFP configuration.