how much does it help if any to use a camo rifle (stock and barrel)while hunting coyotes and foxes ?.Have regular rifles to use ,kinda looking for an excuse to buy one ,but dont really need it

If you're looking for an excuse...camo is critical on a predator rifle.

there you go...

I had to buy one myself....in digital cams in case the coyotes ordered night vision from ACME.

And put the PBR s ticker on it, courtesy of Crimson Tide...

LOL Thanks

See above edit.....

Put some stick'um camo on your existing rifle, cheaper then a new gun.

This.Cheaper and you can buy the tape to match your seasons.

Why not just buy a can or two of spray paint?

Color of your rifle makes no difference, in most cases, all the critters should be able to see is the hole in the end of the barrel.

I have a 220 swift and a 204 Ruger, with Mcmillan stocks that have the mcswirley pattern. One has a lot of blue and one has a lot of red in the stock color. Both have stainless (matte) barrels. I’ve killed many called coyotes with them, and am not aware of the bright stock colors spooking any called coyotes. I often call with two of my brothers, they have black stock guns, and those have not spooked called coyotes.

Psssst....I know that...but the OP was looking for an excuse to buy another rifle....

I have all my calling rifles camo in some version...sold my snow camo one but I'll put togather another..camo just makes a guy feel better first and foremost you must fool there nose...

Ingwe - that’s a purdy rifle right there!

I used Winchester’s new “walnut” camo yesterday. See how well it blends into the trees?

That was the McFlame...McMillan stock, 223AI 8 twist per the Campfire rules....Did a LOT with that rifle and it belongs to another Campfire member now....that flashy stock was just scaring too many critters away....

That would make dogzapper proud!

What will bite a guy is when sun shines off a shiny barrel , or scope. That will cost you coyote s if not remedied.

No it won't. Early morning sees the sun bouncing off any manner of objects, frosted limbs of surrounding brush, ice on the barbed wire fence your sitting near, frost on the grass tops, hell, the sunshine reflects off EVERYTHING in the field. Coyotes would theoretically be running in circles in a panic if they got buggered by a little sunshine bouncing off stuff.

I have seen a glint from a rifle spook them but generally not an issue.

The only thing I have seen spook a coyote is movement and wind change, rifle color or scope color ain't going to scare a coyote. Rio7

Coyotes are paranoid schizophrenics. If they have survived more than a year, they think everything out of the ordinary is going to get em. As a smart coyote that has been called before, comes in,they generally slow down and look for the source of the sound. If an unnaturally strong glare is seen bouncing off of your gun, or your call, or anything else, they will hold up, or decide something is fishy, and do the wide down wind circle. Or just leave. The occasional dumb coyote, or pup will still come in. In fact I have seen really call shy coyotes simply leave, because they couldn't see something causing the sound. This gets more prevalent as everybody has an electric call.

I have a couple of T/C single shots, both in .17 Remington.

One has a 26" T/C barrel on it, in original colors.

The other has a 16 1/4" Bullberry barrel. That one I took q couple cans of non-permanent camo paint to.

In the end, I don't think it makes any difference. But I agree if sunlight glints off of a stock and draws the critter's attention to you, that could be a bad thing.

Glare likely isn't as big an issue in brushy country. The coyote s often don't see you from a long distance. When I lived in Arizona and called the brush I didn't worry about glare. As you stated .movement was much more the issue. In the more open country of montana, you can see the coyote s at a distance. And they can see you. Glare off of your call or barrel, or whatever becomes more of an issue. One way to mitigate it is to simply sit in the shade. I sat in the shade of a decent sized rock while calling this morning. I make it a habit.

Sitting in the shade is the only way I call coyotes, looking West in the morning and looking East in the evening, with the wind in my favor. Rio7

I don't know the visual capabilities of coyotes but I feel sneakier when my rifle is camo and my clothing is drab.


mike r

According to those who study such things, a coyotes vision is inferior to humans, which can have 20/20, a coyote is 20/75, they are very near sighted. Their eyes can see pretty fair in dim light or none, but actual visual acuity is not all that good.

Why do they run from my shiny pickup?

LOL

Yes, you absolutely need a new rifle in camo. You need two of them, one in white.

The following words are useless theory.

I heard one time that a serious winter fur hunter wrapped white cloth around rifle and scope and taped it in place, plus wore white. Another theory holds with carrying two pieces of super thin synthetic cloth in one's predator calling day-pack, one in white and the other in dry land camo. With a few clothes pins a man could clip a camo wall to brush etc. and sit behind it. I imagine that the end of a rifle muzzle above the top edge of the cloth might be the last thing a lynx or bobcat or coyote etc. might see.

I knew a fellow who would sit behind a cheap camo colored umbrella he bought while camo was the fashion rage. He claimed he killed a called cougar while sitting behind it. Sounds fishy and cheapskate to me... Buy two rifles!

Just as long as it's not shiny.

If you like it, great. But one time I took a ghillied setup out for a walkabout and made the mistake of setting it down and walking up a ridge to peek around. Guess what? I couldn't find the effing thing for 15 minutes, and almost stepped on it when I finally did.

Lesson one: Don't let go of a camoed rifle. Or camoed anything.

So I don't have any camoed guns any more. And I've been thinking if I ever do a camo job again, I'll make sure there are day-glo orange spots all over it (they look white to most creeturs). But my guns ARE matte, no shiny.

Here's my idea of the ideal camo coyote rifle........

My 3 coyote rifles are not camo'd.

However, you need to buy a new rifle, in camo, because everyone needs a new rifle.

That's a fine lookin' rifle you have there!

What caliber is that bad boy in?

I like camo and it makes me feel more invisible. In truth I have shot about the same number of coyotes just wearing earth tone colors and a wooden stocked rifle.

In my opinion it matters little. To an extent, stand selection and the lack of movement are more important than camo. They're either coming to the call, or their not. On the list of things you could do to screw it up, not having a camo weapon is pretty low on the list. Having said that, go get your new rifle. Just know that it doesnt have to be camo'ed, which might allow you to purchase a better rifle anyway!

Good luck and good hunting.

PBR is an award winning beer!

I am a fan of those Remington model 7 predators, too. Great looking coyote in that top photo, James.

I'm searching for a deer rifle that I can use for long range target shooting in a caliber small enough that I could call it a predator rifle as not to offend any of the real deer hunters who use elk rifles...in camo...and stainless maybe
All my other rifles are blued and walnut..or birch/beech

I figure the camo thingy is for the humans so they can't see each other.............Coyotes, Fox, and Bobcats on the other hand are more stylish.

A camo rifle is a must. Bullets from noncamo rifles just bounce off, then add to that the scientific fact that Coyotes refuse to be shot by a noncamoed rifle. These are known facts.


Case in point. The Coyote in the following photo was not killed by the rifle I'm stylin', but in fact tripped over my camouflage pant leg and fell head first into the camo backpack and broke its neck.

Just saw this question, .22 Hornet at nearly 200 yards. Before calling that slot, you’d have thought a shotgun would have been a better choice.

Gotta go camo.
Your success as a predator hunter depends on it !

Or