Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Midwest calling rifle

What would you like for an upper midwest calling rig? Coyote almost 100% of the time with foxes as target of opportunity.

Figure a lot of farm edges, UP timber and likely not the wind you see out west or in the plains. Winter time calling with ranges that aren't really likely to go beyond 300.

I'm starting to plan/budget such a rig. Want to anchor coyotes without blowing the hide to hell. If prices up - save, if not, I want to tan them for camp decorations etc.

I was originally thinking an original Montana in 223 but they don't make them anymore.

So what's next - if not going light and more "standard" weight for a rifle, 223? 17 Hornet? Would a 22 Hornet punched K work?

I have a stripped AR15 lower still but that option REALLY doesn't entice me. Very little appetite on my end for an AR for this.

Teal,
It sounds like you are talking about a .17 Remington....I’m basing that on your comments about coyotes at <300 yards, saving the fur and not popping a fox like a bloody, water ballon. You will likely have to build one and you play Hobb trying to find factory ammo or brass but it will fit the situation to a T.

Good Luck and enjoy the search!

A .22/250 in a sporter model of some kind.

I would stick with the 223 idea. With a 1 in 9 twist you would be should be good from 40 to 70gr bullets. The 17 and 22 hornet will definitely kill coyotes but range and shot placement become more of a factor.

What elks said!!

I do have a WIn push feed 22-250 in their "Coyote" offering. It's chunky... and haven't connected on fur with it yet. Was just thinking it was a bit large to save fur? Is there a bullet I should be looking at to utilize the 22-250 but not blow holes I slide the rifle through?

teal: I hunt in northern michigan. mix of farm land and timber. shots are short: 75-200 yds. I do not kill many coyotes because I don't see that many. I watch quite a few videos and of course, they don't say what caliber they're using, but of course, they don't show the bad experiences. I like to use the same rifle, or model as my other hunting, so almost all of my kills have been with a .270. The last one I shot I used a .220 Swift. But this is the point I"d most like to make: in MY experience, coyotes are tough animals. I've had numerous coyotes run a distance after taking a 130 gr. .270 cal. hit. I know this contradicts what you see, but that's my experience. Even that one taken with the swift, about 75 yds with a 50 gr. Nosler bt and perfect front shoulder hit, ran about 50 yds. So my experience is limited caliber wise, but for those reasons, I personally would be looking at a .22 caliber on the low end with plenty of snap so if I wanted to use a bit heavier bullet, it would still give me the flatness I desire. I've even seriously considered building a .25-06 as I really like that caliber. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck.

Thanks - we're covered up with coyotes by us, enough that you're likely to see one simply cruising timber on any given day if you're quiet about it.

Might want to try these if you want to save fur.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165165907

Take Ken's advice with a grain of salt! He hunts bunnies with a 416 Rigby for Pete's sake!

22-250 first choice. .223 second. I've tried a bunch of bullets on coyotes and for both quick kills and not blowing things up too much, the 55 grain NBT gets it done for me from any range and any angle. I've sold lots of 22-250ed coyotes using the 55's.

Fringe hits or hard strafing angles are always going to be bad with about any bullet when it comes to making a mess. If saving fur, was the most important and hoping for only an entrance hole most of the time, I might drop back to a 50 grain NBT or maybe even 40.

Umm.... I use a .460 Wby.

I've been using a 22-250 with 50 gr. nbt for the last 6 years and if you stay off the shoulder it don't tear up hide to bad. I'm running them out of my Tikka at 3750 fps. suppressed.

22-250 with a 50 or 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip.

I had 55s exit but they left up to 3 tiny holes when they did.

50s never did exit.

Sorry!! I didn't mean to make you sound like a stunt shooter like say, Ingwe!

Hmm. Maybe I'll keep rocking the Win with a 50 NBT.

Wish it was lighter tho...

Pick up a McMillan for it.

The last coyote I shot (few days ago) I used my 260 and a 120 gr NBT. He flopped around a lot more than the ones I’ve shot using the 223 and 40 gr NBTs. Just a guess, but I think that all the energy from that little bullet at 3500ish FPS stays in the coyote, whereas a 120 grainer from the 260 wastes a lot of energy in the ground on the far side of the coyote. That little 40 gr bullet hits way above its weight.

I have used the 223 with 40 gr Nosler BT @ 3700 fps exclusively for the last 20 years and a lot of coyotes have fallen to it, they generally never exit and most shots are bang-flops. Most of my shooting has been from 75 to 300 yds.

drover