Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 204 ruger vs. 223 for coyotes

of course the "best answer" is neither (think .22-250)...

but if you must persist in this line of thinking -- .223 rem. with heavier bullets, ie., 53, or 55 gr...

I vote with Hi Vel..

Yep.

Laker: The 204 Ruger shoots much flatter and much straighter in the wind than does the 223 Remington (at the ranges you inquired regarding!).
I would refer you to page 131 of the Remington 2,102 catalog where you can compare the 204 Ruger sighted in at 200 yards with 40 grain bullets and then compare the 400 yard drop to the 223 sighted in at 200 yards with the 50 grain bullet - the 204 Ruger shoots 10.2" FLATTER out there at 400 yards than that 223 offering!
I often make the statement that if I were starting out in Varmint Hunting today (rather than 50 years ago!) I would only buy one caliber Rifle and one caliber ONLY for all around Varminting - and that would be in 204 Ruger!
I have to date never had a Coyote survive a single hit with any of my 204 Rugers (and any of the bullets I have used)!
The answer to your inquiry is 204 Ruger hands down!
Remember that the 52 grain Sierra's are VERY prone to ricochet so be careful of your background.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Heck, I sold my 22-250 after playing with the 204......

yeah me too. Nearly 300 coyotes later I'm not regretting my decision..

don't even miss it.......

Well currently I think the 204 is superior to the 223, only on one count....ammo and bullets are more readily available in 20 caliber vs 224 diameter...

Here's an experienced, fair, and unbiased 204 for coyotes view......

http://www.predatormastersforums.co...=showflat&Number=2381541#Post2381541

somehow, I don't believe I'd discount TR's view, either........

Try the comparison using 40s in the 223 and get back to us.

I'd never get rid of my 22-250 or my 223's for that matter but I am liking the 204 this time around. Haven't had another gun out of the safe since I got it a month or so ago.

While one might call that thread experienced, I doubt it could be called either fair or unbiased. There will be about as many opinions as posters. Some will swear by the 204 based on their experiences, and others will swear at it based on their experiences. In either direction lots of people who are satisfied and lots who are dissatisfied with the 204. Personally I've been very satisfied with the 204 on coyotes, but I haven't shot hundreds or thousands with it. I don't expect to shoot through shoulders with it, but I do know that when I put it in the boiler room or neck that even the little 32's have tremendous stopping power on coyotes.

guys--as all of you very experienced hunters know, most anything will work--and in a few situations, i've even used the lowly .22 lr and .38 special to "power the crafty canines to the other side."

the job can be done with "most any type of reasonable rig at reasonable ranges"...

as i mentioned before, i'd take the .223 rem--with heavier bullets--over the .204, if only because i've learned firsthand how tenacious coyotes can be--and i'm not really a fan of the .223 rem. for yip dogs either, and i really like--and use--the .204 ruger, but for lesser critters...

nevertheless, my good friend bob s. (he trains many of the gov't trappers, and made his living for a time hunting coyotes), has killed a bargeload of coyotes with an 18 1/2 inch barrel .222 rem. using either 50 gr. rem. metal case bullets, or his own that he made from solid copper wire. his outer limit for that rig was about 500 yards, making nearly all one shot kills even at that range--but he has an extraordinary level of skill and experience, and the only guy that i know of personally--and have hunted with--that has more of same is my old hunting friend pat (scenarshooter).

bob liked that combo because it was light in weight, and easy on fur. so, to be sure it can be nicely done with lesser rigs...

but if someone--possibly a beginner (and of course i'm not implying that the person asking this question is a beginner), asks a question about a potentially useful caliber/rig for hunting these critters, it's usually better to advise a little more steam--rather than less, and also good to advise pills that are easier on skins, unless pelt damage is not an issue.

personally, i prefer the .22-250 rem. with 53 gr. hornady hp bullets--or the swift with the same pill, and have used the bigger cased .22cf on yotes for about 40 years now--and i've found they are about as good as it gets.

however, if i were 18 years old and starting over today, i'd get a .243 win. and drive the 65 gr. v max pill in it "till there ain't no more", which by the way, is a rig i also happen to use on occasion...and there is a hatful of other heavier pills that will also work even better if stretching things out a little farther...

the neat thing i find here on the campfire, is that there is an incredible number of very talented guys out there, and many of them have a great deal of hunting/shooting experience, as is certainly evidenced by folks here in this thread.

(regarding the 52 gr sierra hp--it can be a really accurate pill in many rigs, but if using it on yotes and hide damage is an issue--expect to buy a little more thread...)

Personally I use a 20 Tac with either a 32 vmax or a 35 berger. But I really don't object to popping them with my 338 either. Shoot 'em with anything you got.

10.2" flatter at 400yds....are you nuts?

223 loaded with N135 will be 3450 fps perhaps higher depending on the barrel.

55g Sierra Blitz bombs a coyote, the lead tip blitz with N-135.

The drop is not 10" but the 204 is far superior to the 223 its flatter less recoil less bullet drop.and everyone that says they have problem with killing a coyote with them must be afraid to admit they missed i hunt with a group in iowa and we kill anywere from 50-80 coyotes a year and alomst everyone uses a 204 and if there hit they dont get away.most are dead right there i have even killed them with and ass shot. and this is all with a lighter 32 gr v max. then people say the wind drift is so much more for most practical shooting at coyotes its within 300yds there is not gonna be a noticable difference between 223 and 204

I'm not sure about Varmintgay's figures...he may be right. However, in any event, Yes, he's nuts.

Not looking to get someone's guard hairs up but i just don't know what to say.