Coyote/deer caliber

[follow maggie]

I'm gettin my brother into hunting this coming year, starting with coyote.  I'm. Going to get him a rifle and don't really know what caliber to go with. I want to get him something he can use for deer, also, since he doesn't have much money to buy another rifle with.  He lives in a small town about an hour from Billings, so ammo needs to be readily available. Any recommendations on a good caliber with these requirements?
-coyote
-deer
-readily available ammo

[huntnphool]

7mm-08

[BullMagnet76]

6.5 Creedmoor, I just bought a Savage Long Range Hunter,  I am using it for the same purpose.  Sportsmans Warehouse keeps a good supply of ammo for around $32 a box.  The creedmoor is a flat shooter, I am getting a 1000 yards out of mine and Im dang happy with it. 

[carpsniperg2]

7mm-08

[tbotts]

Any of the following would work and ammo is readily available:

243 / 308 / 7mm-08 / 25-06 / 260(not sure about ammo availability) / 6.8

Of these choices, for your stated purposes,  I would choose a 243.  Powerful enough for deer and will certainly work on coyotes.   Ammo will be available.

       
   

[JimmyHoffa]

.308 win

[kodiak 907]

257 Roberts

[Karl Blanchard]

Ruger American in 25-06.  Can be had for three and a half bills and will shoot plenty accurate.  Shoot light bullets at laser speeds for coyotes or loaded up to 120gr pills for deer and elk.

[Karl Blanchard]

.243 is another great choice and my personal preference for coyotes and definitely enough gun for deer but its nice to have a bit more punch on those thick bodied Montana muleys.

[bobcat]

243 or 270.

I'd probably go with the 270, especially since he's in eastern Montana where shots could be long.

[dewandgin]

270 can be used for coyote,wolves, deer and elk when he gets to them

[WA hunter14]

25-06 definately

[Skillet]

You can always kill a varmint with a deer gun, but not necessarily always kill a deer with a varmint gun.
Assuming the need for shells available means no reloading, I really like the 25-06 for this work, with the 7mm-08 a very close second.

[Biggerhammer]

A .243 Winchester with the right twist and bullet combo will trump several of its variants with larger neck diameters.

[fastdam]

If he is going to be hunting grizzly country i would go with a 30-06 or a 7mm Rem Mag........if not then a .243 or 25-06