Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Coyote rifle- Semi-auto or bolt ?

Yep. 155gr Sierra MatchKing on top of 72gr of H4350 out of a 300 Win Mag is a great yote load. 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips work too.

When I'm being kind on pelts, I use a 270.

Both! I have a Ruger 77 MKII and a DPMS, but if you can get them in close nothing beats a 12-gauge!

I like both.

In fact I am in the process of havng a T3 rebarreled to 6mm Rem, which is my favorite predator cartridge. I have taken a bunch with a T3 lite in .223 though.



That being said, I find for calling (versus very long range spot and snipe type hunting)that I really like the AR.

I built a lightweight upper for general purpose hunting and coyote calling. It has turned out to be an exceptionaly practical rifle.

AR-15's do give an edge on a bolt gun in a calling situation...

No debate about it really...

And I love my bolt guns.

Mackay,

great post.

Interested in that Tikka 6mm you are builing.

I do not mean to highjack. Perhaps you tell us more sometime?

When I get it in from rebarreling I will break the barrel in and give a report!

I take two rifles when I call, a tang safety Ruger in 220 Swift and a Remmy 7615. When the setup dictates a long shot will more than likely happen the swift gets the nod. And when in the brush the little 7615 works very well. The pump is just as fast as the AR.

Here's mine. Likes Hornady 55 grain V-Max's through the 1-8 Colt match barrel.

Fast Ed

I think a bolt is the "best" coyote gun if your real serious amd the 6mm of some kind just may be the best caliber, but he 222, 223, and 22-250 ain't bad at all....

It doesn't bother me to miss a coyote now and then, so any gun would suit me for the most part...I have shot a lot of coyotes with my 250 Savage Mod-99EG, and even more with my 25-35 SRC Win. not to mention the 22 L.R., they all worked well.

Ray,

I know you're old school in a lot of ways and that's awesome.

But to say a bolt gun is the best coyote gun if you're real serious is quite a statement...

You need to spend some time in a calling situation with a modern AR-15 sometime and you just might change your mind if you go at it unbiased...

I'd be curious, disregarding emotional reasons, why you think a bolt gun is best for the "serious" coyote callers?

I love my bolt calling guns and bolt guns in general but an accurate, user-friendly AR-15 set up for calling is just a better tool for getting critters on the ground, on average.

Thanks...

+1 and I'm a bolt-gun guy...

Greg is right.

Like so many questions here... it's purely a matter of personal preference -- and what's legal in your hunting area.

I'm thinking a 260 remy will have better long range umph than a 243 AR-10 platform wise.

I haven't found anything that can better a SBE for follow shots on coyotes...

55 gr. v max's thru my busmaster v match works wonders.
but,
so do 70 gr bt's from my 243 hb. i use this combo when i hunt the coyote tourney's.

numbers count, and i don't save the pelts, so the damage is mute.


i preferr an ar tho.

I need to be a better caller to really participate in this conversation. I have only gotten a handful of dogs in my lifetime. I have an AR but I seldom take it out. It seems to be a bit heavy and clumsy. Probably just not used to it. I like one of my familiar bolt action rifles to shoot off my shooting sticks.

I think it would be tough to beat an experienced shooter with an AR. They are accurate and stay on target pretty well. There is always another shot in the chamber if you need it.

Right now I want to get a load worked up for my tang safety ruger in .220 swift. I got the gun from my father when he decided he was done hunting. I would like to take it in the field with me for obvious reasons.

Ray,

You didn't think my AR was the top gun, but thought a bolt in 6mm would be the cat's arse. How about this one?



It's a 6mm and I bought it to be my coyote rifle, but it's too heavy to lug around, so I use the AR and am perfectly happy with it.

I suppose, knowing what I know now, a mountain rifle barrel contour with a Bansner's lightweight stock in 6mm would be the ticket. I do like the AR for one reason, though. The stock is adjustable and can be moved around to compensate for different thicknesses of clothes worn at different times of the year. The .223 is more than adequate, although I do agree the 6mm is in a class by itself.

Fast Ed