Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Your Opinion - Want a Dedicated Coyote Rifle

Two stipulations:

1. Must be a bolt action
2. Must be .223

Which rifle should I buy?

Thanks

New or used? Got a ceiling on price?


Travis

I'd look at the Tikka T3. It is twisted faster than most factory offerings (1:9 I think). This will enable you a little more range when howling dogs up due to the ability to shoot a little heavier, higher BC bullet.

My favorite .224" bullets on coyotes is the 75 Amax for fast twisters and the 60 Vmax for normal twisted rifles but I do like the 60 Vmax in my 7 twister too.

Both perform very well, even in the .223 on coyotes.

i'll buy a new rifle.

money isn't an issue, but i don't want something i'll have to "baby" due to price.

i'm thinking of something with either a black or camo plastic/fiberglass/kevlar stock.

thanks

I shoot them with a variety 0f 17,20, and 22 centerfires. I don't think you will go wrong with a Rem 700. You could buy a new gun and get an after market stock. Or buy a used beat up one, have it re barreled and get the aftermatket stock. I have done that wit a number of A1 Sako guns, but they are getting pricey and scarce.
FWIW, I shoot mostly 40 grain BTs out of my 222 and 223 coyote guns.

17-223 ?

I would wholeheartedly reiterate GregW's suggestion...Tikka T3 Stainless...

I'd get a Vanguard, McMillan, and a Timney.

If I was ghetto I might slum a T3.


Travis

I don't come here for this kind of abuse...













I usually get it elsewhere.....

My .223 is a LVSF set in a Ti take off. I like it.

Nelson

Pretty hard to not love the LVSF. Especially with a different stock.


Travis

Whichever one fits you the best.

I prefer Rem 700's but thats just me.

Lee

Cooper 'Phoenix' M21. Good to go right out of the box. No need for rebedding, triggering or any other tinkering.

To keep from slumming I would consider a Kimber Montana.

Being a lefty, I'm lookin to get a Savage Predator with 24" tube and camo stock in 204 Ruger. It's a consolation prize since hardly anybody makes a lefty .17 Remington or Fireball.

You might also wanna take a look at a CZ 527 American. They make some pretty good stuff that gets good reviews.

The Remingtons would be worth a look, too.

Agreed. If I was a righty I'd already have one.

From your description and if money isn't a major issue, I'd have something built exactly the way you want it. Builds on most bolts is relatively easy and fiberglass stocks abound.

GAP Would be my pick

Vanguard or 700.

Would be looking to put either in a after market stock McMillian or maybe a B&C TI for the 700.

Rem SPS Tac looks like it may be a winner if you like a little heft.

The new Vanguards ( V-2...S-2...?... canrt remember....) are absolutely the bang for the buck in entry level rifles...and they arent truly entry level...but better...IMHO

Just how dedicated are these coyotes you're going after??

Hard to go wrong with a 223. My LVSF sits at home though. Great gun, but a bit heavy for hauling to stands.
I'd love to skeletonize it and put have Christensen Arms work over the barrel.

I converted my Howa 223 to something else. But, the Howa/Vanguard line...I guess I'm with ingwe there. Good place to start

thanks men.

I agree with everything but the SPS TAC part. Too damned heavy for me.


Travis

Oh what the heck, why the 223 for a "dedicated" coyote rifle?

That aside, I'd have to say a Kimber Montana if you could find one, if not a custom Rem 700 light weight. Ti stock, mountain rifle contour at 22", 1/8 twist SS and punched AI!

Okay so that's my next build... but I already have the exact guns in 22-250 and 243AI for "dedicated" coyote guns.

My lightweight Rem 700 in a 223 somehow became a 204. Excellent "dedicated" coyote rifle and will reach out there a pretty long distance and do some damage.

I have a ss Ruger M77 223 in a boat paddle that does the trick for me. Not too heavy/light and shoots the 55gr NBT's sub 1in all day long.

That being said, any of the rifles suggested by any of these guys would fit the bill. It just comes down to what you want. Good luck in your search!

Savage Predator with the accutrigger would be pretty tempting. Lots of good suggestions here, tho....

This is the route I'd go but I was under the impression he wanted a fully off the shelf rifle with no mods...

Howa or Vanguard with an Edge to make it a little muzzle heavy in the sticks at 21 or 22", Timney at 2 pounds, Talleys, and a 2-7.

Nearly a perfect bolt calling rifle...

Every time we are in agreement, it reminds me how smart we are.


Travis

Speak for yourself Travis...

I am. I'm the smartest guy I know.


Travis

Don't know very many people do ya? grin...

Stevens model 200, bed stock and a little trigger wok. top with a nikon scope

Less than $ 500

I'm a dedicated coyote hunter. At last count I have about eight rifles set up just for hunting preds. Seven Savage/Stevens(22H, 223, 22-204, 6mm-204, 25-204, 243W, 250 Sav), two Remingtons(6x45mm-6oo with Pac-Nor barrel, 22-250-722 with a LVSF barrel and 700 Youth stock) and one Marlin 218Bee. Some of these were built just to test different bullets on coyote, they just seem to keep multiplying.

If I were going out to purchase a factory 223 coyote rig it would have to be a Rem Model 7 Predator topped with a Burris Sig. Select 1.5x6x40, Minox 1.5x8 or Elite 4200 2.5x10(open country).

i am looking for an "off the shelf" rifle. a bud just bought a tc predator (camo), and i was amazed at its accuracy. i bought my son a rem 700 vtr (the one with the triangle barrel) a few months back, and it is a shooter as well, but a little hefty.

thanks for the suggestions men.

+1

and a huge +1 for the Timney

Handled a Vanguard S2 today at Cabelas and must say it felt very nice. Supposed to have an upgraded trigger over the previous model but who knows.

I'd just get a CZ 527 M1, it comes with a plastic stock, a short magazine (for those who don't like the longer one sticking down) and a single-set trigger that will make you cry, it's so good. The last one I saw was right around $500 at Whittaker's, down in Owensboro, KY, late last year. It wouldn't weigh much, probably about 6.5 pounds, which is "just right" for carrying, especially when you're carrying out a coyote.

I've had of "just yote" guns but the LVSF's seem to stick around and get used the most, I had a model 7 Predator and that thing was darn nice,light and short really liked that. The Tikkas T-3's are great for the money, I get one of the fluted barrel ones just because.

+1 for the model seven predator, but I think I would use .243.

A .243? That's as gay as gay gets.


Travis

.243 in TC Icons are skookum...

That's too easy flave. I'll pass.

My point is blowing bigger holes in those things to put em down in case u make a bad shot.



STW

Weatherby Vanguard Ute. Leupy 6x36 w dots in Talleys. Trigger job. Good ammo. Couple cans of Krylon. place w lots a coyotes.

I have one punched AI, also in a Ti take off. Find it staying behind more and toting my 243AI faux Ti instead.

I'm thinking 223AI Montana is about perfect for a calling rifle now. Might have to trip the LVSF for one.

Otherwise, I'd build a 700, 8 twist, MR contour with Ti or McMillan MR stock.

I think you hit it...


Travis

I howled this one up yesterday but he got my wind and runded off. A pup squeal or two stopped him around 250 yards, I popped him with my 22-250 Mountain Guide, I like the added range of the 22-250 for the longer shots. I have several 223's and they work but this shot would've been pushing it's limits, espeially in the wind we had. If I was going with a dedicated coyote rifle it would be a 22-250.

The 50gr NBT caught him right behind the front shoulder and exited just in front of the opposite hip.

+1

If it has to be 223: T/C Icon Precision Hunter.
If it could be 22-250: TCI Weather Shield.
The W/S is a "walkin" gun.The P/Hunter is a varmint wt.
Don't know why there is no W/S in 223...
[url=http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/icon.php][/url]
My2�...Torg

220 Swift is my dead standing go to..

It's a lot easier to tell you which .223 bolt guns NOT TO GET. Namely avoid the Mossbergs and the Remington 710/770 series of guns. After that it's all about cash on hand and personal choice.

I've had Rugers, Winchesters, Remingtons, Savage/Stevens, T/C Ventures, and Weatherby Vangards and all have shot and functioned just fine.

Personally I prefer the pre-accutriger Savages.

CB

I really like my Ruger 77. Mine is a few years old with a 1/12 twist so I can put 40-gr SBK in tiny groups at about 3400-fps and coyotes are bang flop.

I would like to have a Remington model 7 in .243 if I was lookig for another, but 223 just makes sense. My AR15 and 12-gauge are the other dedicated coyoters.

Sorry, I know the guy holding the guns is ugly! That shotgun has been painted a few times, but was used to kill my first in about every species I have hunted. #4 buck shot is strong coyote medicine.

The 22-250...

I have both a .17 rem, and a .222 rem in captivity, and they are both effective on coyotes within their limits...

and i understand very well how versatile and effective that a .223 can be, and it makes for a great shooting, inexpensively fed rifle with ammo everywhere...
But it still will not do what a 22-250 will do when ranges stretch out... and ranges do stretch out often, on coyotes...

Maybe before you buy, try to shoot both a .223 and a 22-250 side by side at 350 yds or so on a windy day???

thanks again men.

I have a Tikka T3 in .223 with a 1:8 twist and it shoots very well. So far I have tried 40gr 55gr 60gr 69gr and 70gr bullets and they all shoot good though it prefers the heavy bullets.(55 and up)the longest bullet I tried was the 70 barnes tsx and my best group was .422" from 100yds. A warning though... The clip is too short to play around with cartridge over all length. I just modified my slip yesterday so that I could load longer rounds. To this day I have shot as far as 540yds and it's accurate. It is wind sensitive at that range but it works. I just wait for the gust to weaken and that's when I shoot. Sure there are better cartridges for this distance and beyond but I do really like my .223

Welcome to the 'Fire!

Click the pic for an article by Mule Deer on the TC Icon .223 Precision Hunter. I have one and love it.

If I'm serious and think there are going to be some long shots.... my Ruger M77V in .220 Swift, topped with a Leupold 12X is what I'll take. Bit heavy, but reaches out there just fine. Shooting Nosler Solid Base 60 Gr boat
tails.

Savage 16FHSS, but I'd go with the .22-250 over the .223.

hotsoup, I can't believe there's been this many posts and no one's asked what kind of country you hunt, brushy, trees or open grassland? Are you calling? Do you do a lot of walking? Wood or plastic? Will the gun be pampered or used hard?

The .223 is a great choice. For walkin' around and callin' my go-to rifle is a Kimber of Oregon .223. It's been used fairly hard over the years but has held up well. It'd be hard to recommend that nice a rifle for day-in and day-out coyote calling. The "pretty little thing" came home with me from a gun show in a moment of weakness. Despite it's fine wood and finish I decided to just go ahead and use it. Still shoots like a"house-a-fire" after 15 seasons.

eastern region. hardwoods with rice/soybean/wheat fields in between. most shots are within 300 yards. i use a 12ga when hunting in the woods. shot a buds t.c. venture predator today, so i believe i'll get one. thanks again.

I'll bet that Maux Faux shoots....

I would go with the winchester M70 223wssm. I love mine.

Great deer rifle...

But not as good as a .223AI....although Ive heard it was a horrible deer caliber.....

Was hoping someone would catch that..grin...

Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter... although this one is in 22-250. Mine's a tack driver.

I've already got enough general purpose varmint rifles, but for a "Dedicated Coyote Rifle" I just ordered a .25-06 and some 87gr TNTs. I'm pretty sure it's going to do the trick.

If nobody has said it yet, the Tikka T3 in .223 has a twist rate of 1:8 Perfect for the larger grain bullets.

But everybody knows that a Tikka T3 .223 is trash. You can't kill nuthin with one of those cheap things.

For a dedicated calling rifle I keep going lighter and lighter. I picked up one of the mdl 7 predators last year in .223 and I've been impressed. The 1/9 twist will let me shoot some of the heavier pills and being all camo I don't worry about the foul weather. Its a shooter.
Thats the .223 answer for me in a bolt.
A couple of friends I hunt with like the same gun in a .243. Same results except the .243 anchors them much better. Since we don't collect fur thats not an issue.

thanks again men. i've narrowed it down to either a savage model 10 predator, a rem model 7 predator, or a tc venture predator. currently searching the web for best prices. i appreciate the responses.

Good deals can be had on Weatherby Vanguard.

Having just researched and decided on a coyote rifle myself this caught my eye. I saw the topic titled want a dedicated coyote rifle and read the opening lines and had an immediate response in mind, you fell short on your homework in terms of the optimum caliber characteristics, and that's not to say a .223 won't kill coyotes.

I've mainly used two rifles for decades, a .22-250 and a .243, and to qualify that it doesn't mean I haven't shot and reloaded others for bench rest purposes like the .220 Swift, .25-06, .222, 6mm PPC, .22 PPC, etc. I would never consider a .22-250 inadequate, but saying that neither would I say it's the optimum for beyond 300 yards. I've hit plenty of them beyond 400 yards with the .22. What I have noticed is that the high or low hit, or one that got some wind drift and shot to the front or back led to a lot of wounded and running animals. The .243 not only seemed easier to make hits even in adverse conditions, but it sacked the coyotes even with the bad hits that had runners with the .22.

All that said I wouldn't consider a .223 even as good as a .22-250, so have you settled on one of the better "dedicated" Yote busters? I'd say it's a decent caliber but not a great one. 243 is a fantastic wind bucker which leads to more and better hits, and sacks them even with marginal hits. They are an incredibly versatile round, they have top shelf inherent accuracy, and a huge variety of varmint and bench rest capable bullets.

If coyotes is what it's for you might as well gravitate toward one of the best rounds for them.

I'm a bit jazzed about my new rifle, I sighted it in and got a chance to try it out all in the same day. I have a cattle ranch behind me that gives a superb field of fire up to a ridge and across draws to either side.

My friend uses a .22-250, we were looking at a pair of Yotes at about 450 yards across a breezy draw, so we were discussing drift. I told him I was going to compensate by aiming at the hind end just in case the bullet hardly drifted at all, he was thinking he needed to hold wider than that. I wasn't watching his as mine went down like a sack of concrete was dropped on it. His was running up a slight grade to the top of the ridge so when I held on him it was like shooting at a stationary target because he was going straight away. I was aiming just over his hind quarters no drift compensation, it looked like a truck piled into him from behind.

This was the first time I'd shot at an animal with this rifle, it had just been sighted in earlier in the day, I put an Elite 4200 6-24x on it. My buddy said that in all his days of hunting coyotes in Nevada he'd never seen anyone make a double look so easy. Sometimes the force is with you and you get those rare opportunities that come together. I do not think I'd have been as good with a .22-250 as the .243 WSSM made me look.