best caliber for coyote hunting

[ivarhusa]

I voted, with my $$, for the .204 solution.  Excellent trajectory, excellent terminal ballistics (whacks 'em dead enough), but it also has low noise, and minimal ricochet potential.  These last two attributes are useful when working around ranches and farms (the best coyote territory).

[dbllunger]

Josh and Stick....keep at it enjoying the banter.  Can we get a pick of who's yellow mark is farthest in the snow?   

[wastickslinger]

Josh and Stick....keep at it enjoying the banter.  Can we get a pick of who's yellow mark is farthest in the snow?   

[jjhunter]

Votes don't lie, if Hussien can be president, the 22-250 can be king of the 'yote calibers

[MuleySniper]

I think  Tom Berenger is a member on the site
MS

[JoshT]

Votes don't lie, if Hussien can be president, the 22-250 can be king of the 'yote calibers

And that makes it ok? You can keep Obama and your 22/250... I guess that makes the .204 Nancy Pelosi right?

[wastickslinger]

I dont disagree a bit that a few might get away once in a while with a poorly placed shot and one might spin for a little while with the .204. I never said it knocks them to the dirt every time like a 7mm. My point is that I have been very impressed with the pelts. Out bobcats and coyotes are all able to be sold. With higher caliber even 22-250 (which actually gets my vote for best yote gun) there are bigger holes which makes it tough to sell em. And selling them is part of coyote hunting for us so that has to be a factor in my choice of gun.

[509er]

 

22-250 gets my vote for just killing coyotes!

[JoshT]

I hear ya... but I don't really keep pelts... the $5-$15 bucks you can get for them... ain't worth me taking the time to skin them. If it's a good looking dog, and I want the pelt... then I can do a little sewing. If I were hunting for fur... I'd probably shoot a .204... I was impressed with the ballisics of the 40 grainers... they buck the wind a lot better than I thought they would... and 3800fps is a pretty good number.

So, I'll rephrase... the best "coyote caliber" is the .243/6mm Rem... period. The best usable coyote pelt saving caliber is the .204... debatable, but that's what I'd shoot... and I'd be pretty particular about shot placement.

[AWS]

I hunt coyotes for the fur, either for my own uses or to sell.  My three favorite coyote guns are  222 Rem Mag Improved 40gr NBT at 3900fps, 6x45mm 55gr BK at 3350fps and a 6x47mm Improved same 55gr BK or 60gr HP at 3500+fps.  If I were limited to a single factory cartridge it would be the 22-250.  I do own a 243, 22-250 and a 223.

AWS

[woodywsu]

I gotta stick to the 22-250 until it lets me down. It's just an all around great killing machine. 2nd vote goes to 243. Great guns with great accuracy and knock down power.

[270Shooter]

.375 RUM . JK
I voted .243/6mm. But I don't care about hides.

[dbllunger]

I will finish up the last of my new box of brass for my 22-250 reloads tonight.  500 additional rounds of 38.0 of H380 behind a 55 BT should get me by.  I don't like the 22-250 either as it just does not work as well as I want.   

[atomicjoe23]

One thing to keep in mind when selecting a coyote gun is definitely what you can shoot with the caliber and when you can legally hunt with it. . .

with a .22 centerfire you can hunt up to a cougar. . .no deer. . .with sub .22 centerfire you cannot shoot cougar. . .

. . .with a .22 centerfire you can hunt coyotes year round with only a small game license. . .with anything bigger than a .22 centerfire you need to have a big game license and a tag for whatever the current big game season is in order to hunt during a big game season. . .
 
. . .this and availabilitry were why I decided on a .22-250 vs. a .204 Ruger or a .243 Winchester. . .just something else to keep in mind

. . .I'm with JoshT on the 6mm/243, but I bought a .22-250 for a coyote gun. . .I will probably get a 6mm family for my next rifle though. . .

[jeepasaurusrex]

X- Other

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