Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints AR or Bolt Action Rifle for Coyotes?

OK,,,,, call me Old-School, but I still get-er-done, and then some...... been Dog-in since about 1962-63 give or take.......and now alittle Wolf-in.......
Lj in Alaska.....

I use both, almost interchangeably. I’ve got a LOT of time behind ARs for speed and accuracy work, and they come on target and point like a shotgun for me. So does a decent bolt gun, which I probably have at least as much time with. Then again, I could be fine with a lever gun, or other semis. I just run the gun I have in hand and don’t sweat the nit picks. Safeties are subconscious to me on either, most of the time. I’ll always double check, but I’ve almost always put a safety back on, before I knew I put it back on or had the conscious intent to. Safety, muzzle, and trigger control were beaten into me both as a child and (later) doing far more athletic and stressful things than hunting. It just carried over well, either way, thankfully.

The main reasons for a choice before I head out? Is the fastest follow up or the more quiet rig suppressed the more important thing? I’ve got ARs almost as light as many bolt guns, but no AR is as quiet suppressed as a bolt gun, unless you turn the gas off.

I’ve been using a .243 TIkka bolt action and Savage A 17 for coyotes, my son has the .223 in the AR platform. The fact they are always moving and we have seen them in pairs except on two occasions. Last week in Maine and one day Turkey hunting when a young yote thought our decoy was breakfast. We dusted him simulatenoulsly at 17 yards full of shot. Dropped in its tracks.
I may look for a Browning .243 BAR to use primarily for the follow up shot quickly.

A line I’ll always remember from way back on the Coyote gods website;

“An AR-15 will let you miss quicker and more often”

I love my AR’s but too many times I’ve seen rushed shots with autos simply because another shot immediately available. Started doing that when bird hunting as a kid with a Remington Mohawk 48, dad limited me to only loading one shell. That should’ve broke me of the habit but I did the same thing on running rabbits with an auto 22.

I’m probably the only one that’s ever done that but just thought I’d throw it out there just in case…

It has been my observation that the statement above can be true with AR's. You here a lot of complaints about spinners and runners with the 223 and it isn't all about poor bullet selection. Most of the complaints come from AR shooters while bolt action shooters a killing them dead with 22 Hornets, 17 Rem, 221 Fireballs and 222 Rem. I think that a lot of AR shooters tend to think more about having shots 2-20 than putting the first one where it counts.

Most of the predator hunters that visit this sight are experienced shooters and can get the benefits of the AR.

I satisfy whatever whim I have that day.
Savage 99 .243
CZ .204
AR .223
Pre 64 Mod 70 .220 Swift
Ruger#3 .22 K-Hornet
Ruger #1 .220 Swift
What ever, I mostly hunt coyotes for fun, and to keep our calves intact.

As far as multiples, I once got 3 of 4 coyotes (1 stand) with the Ruger #1. Go figure.
I've recently been having accuracy issues with the AR, so been using the Winchester a bit.

Makes no difference to me both work for me. Rio7

Its kinda funny that so many can’t just give their preference of a bolt without an excuse. We have choices, and thats an awesome thing! So just choose what you want, no need for excuses…

I personally prefer the AR for anything where I expect to possibly get multiple shots (varmints, hogs, coyotes), but I have never used one for big game myself. Just my preferences.

I gave my excuse on page 1.

I was just reading this again and thought of how many times I’ve heard “I use an AR for multiples”. Got a laugh when I remembered what ol John Henry wrote.

Didn't John Henry move back east somewhere? Is Vic still killing Arizona coyotes?

Vic is a member here, seems like he moved back east but still has his place in AZ. Not sure about John Henry.

That was introduction to the internet and coyote hunting. Up until that time, I thought I was one of very few calling coyotes. I used to get a good laugh on the original site.

AR= accuracy through volume I have a buddy who's every gun is a "tactical" something or another. I've never seen someone throw so much lead at an animal and come up empty handed.

I'll edit this to say that most of his problem is optics choices. Red dots and holographic sights are ,IMO, 50 yard optics in field conditions, 100 yards and more if you have a bench, blind or other stable rest and time to establish an accurate sight picture. Plus, those optics and their reticles are made for "minute of person", not the 4-6" vitals of a game animal.

I use both an AR and a bolt. Like some others have said, AR for pigs and coyotes, bolt for deer. I've dialed in a really nice AR-308 and have been smacking the heck out of hogs with it. Now I'm trying to rig up a similar AR-15 for coyotes and varmints.

I use both. Usually whatever I have more ammo for at the time. I’ve made way more of what Gerry Blair called “lookin goods” with a bolt action. My little vixen can’t hardly miss.



rio 2 blu and jewel

I love shooting a bolt gun. But it’s tough to beat an AR for coyote calling. Quicker follow up shots if needed.

Great shots, gun and camera

Great shots, gun and camera

if i don`t have to walk very far give me my AR-10 243 Win. but if its a long walk i want my Win. model 70, 22-250

I switched to an AR for calling really like it when multiples come in.

For me? The answer is always a bolt action, regardless what its used for.

I commented earlier that I use a bolt action 22-250 probably 90% of the time. In the last year or so I’ve gotten into thermals and I started it out on a bolt action 17rem of all things. From there I had it on a bolt 223, a bolt 22-250 then a model 7 223 suppressed. About January I hung the thermal on a 16” 223 AR with my suppressor and I might just have found MY perfect set up. With that said I did send a short action rem700 off for a new barrel that’s going to be threaded. But after not using an AR seriously for probably 25 years it’s kind of growing on me. The 22-250 will be used for open country where flat trajectory trumps close in fire power. But that’s just me.