Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: follow maggie on December 27, 2014, 08:01:47 PM

Title: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: follow maggie on December 27, 2014, 08:01:47 PM: 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
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: huntnphool on December 27, 2014, 08:06:18 PM: 7mm-08
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: BullMagnet76 on December 27, 2014, 08:06:36 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: carpsniperg2 on December 27, 2014, 08:11:34 PM: 7mm-08
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: tbotts on December 27, 2014, 08:17:58 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: JimmyHoffa on December 27, 2014, 08:18:55 PM: .308 win
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: kodiak 907 on December 27, 2014, 08:22:11 PM: 257 Roberts
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Karl Blanchard on December 27, 2014, 08:23:49 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Karl Blanchard on December 27, 2014, 08:27:06 PM: .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.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: bobcat on December 27, 2014, 08:35:30 PM: 243 or 270.

I'd probably go with the 270, especially since he's in eastern Montana where shots could be long.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: dewandgin on December 27, 2014, 08:38:29 PM: 270 can be used for coyote,wolves, deer and elk when he gets to them
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: WA hunter14 on December 27, 2014, 08:43:03 PM: 25-06 definately
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Skillet on December 27, 2014, 08:51:09 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Biggerhammer on December 27, 2014, 09:04:48 PM: A .243 Winchester with the right twist and bullet combo will trump several of its variants with larger neck diameters.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: fastdam on December 27, 2014, 09:08:17 PM: 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
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: splitshot on December 27, 2014, 09:25:34 PM: 25-06 in tikka! get a nice strap and you are ready to go. mike w
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: HawkCreek on December 27, 2014, 09:36:28 PM: .243 or .308 the 7mm-08 is another good one but ammo isn't as widely available in as many different bullets or weights.

.270 or .30-06 if he wants a long action.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Dan-o on December 27, 2014, 09:48:13 PM: 7MM-08
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: higunner on December 27, 2014, 09:54:39 PM: .25-06
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Emptyhanded on December 27, 2014, 10:42:50 PM: .243 would be perfect, but nothing wrong with the 7-08 or 25-06 either!

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Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: b23 on December 27, 2014, 10:56:06 PM: Quote from: follow maggie on December 27, 2014, 08:01:47 PM
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

Based on your criteria I'd say 270 Win. or 30-06. Both will have ammo that will be available at just about any place that sells it and both will give you a good amount of flexibility from coyotes to elk.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Firedogg on December 27, 2014, 11:06:03 PM: I'd go with the .270 or .308, but only because I am familiar with both of those I have not had a chance to really see what the .243 does. I'm guessing the coyote hunting is not for hides for sale, so I would not worry about skinning him and gutting him in one action with the .308.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: jasnt on December 28, 2014, 12:10:24 AM: Quote from: Biggerhammer on December 27, 2014, 09:04:48 PM
A .243 Winchester with the right twist and bullet combo will trump several of its variants with larger neck diameters.
:yeah:
I use a 243 for just about everything......well except turkey
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: 700xcr on December 28, 2014, 03:39:37 AM: 243win. would make a good deer and varmint rifle. Less recoil and pleasant to shoot. Bullet weight range from 58grs. to 108grs. I believe. :twocents:
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Jingles on December 28, 2014, 08:55:50 AM: If you go with the 270 might as well step up to the 30-06. The both shoot the same sized case and with the 06 you can bump up the bullet weigh over the 270. IMO If I could only have 1, I'd opt for the 243.
The 243 you can drop down to a 60 gr HP if you reload Sierra or all the way up to 107 Gr HPBT sierra and I am sure there are other weighs avail with other manufacturers
270 90 gr hp to 150 gr SBT or 150 Gr RN ( Sierra)
30-06 110 gr - 220 gr there are also some Winchester? varminters available
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: coachcw on December 28, 2014, 09:27:19 AM: 30-378 130s for yotes 215 lrbs for deer. No turrets needed 4x12 Vx3.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: jasnt on December 28, 2014, 09:31:27 AM: Quote from: coachcw on December 28, 2014, 09:27:19 AM
30-378 130s for yotes 215 lrbs for deer. No turrets needed 4x12 Vx3.
may wanna try the 110vmax in that combo
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Biggerhammer on December 28, 2014, 09:51:09 AM: Quote from: jasnt on December 28, 2014, 09:31:27 AM
Quote from: coachcw on December 28, 2014, 09:27:19 AM
30-378 130s for yotes 215 lrbs for deer. No turrets needed 4x12 Vx3.
may wanna try the 110vmax in that combo

Oh, the 110gr .30 cal V-Max's. Really messy from a .300 Win Mag, always thought it was odd that the 7mm V-Max is heavier (120gr) than the .30 cal version ( 110gr).
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on December 28, 2014, 09:55:42 AM: You could get a .338 or a 7mm mag and cover a lot of game animals?
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: mountainman on December 28, 2014, 08:15:06 PM: Quote from: jasnt on December 28, 2014, 09:31:27 AM
Quote from: coachcw on December 28, 2014, 09:27:19 AM
30-378 130s for yotes 215 lrbs for deer. No turrets needed 4x12 Vx3.
may wanna try the 110vmax in that combo
how about 160's out of s 338-378 Weatherby..does to coyote what the Swift does to prairie dogs..
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: C-Money on December 29, 2014, 09:26:41 AM: 7mm-08 would be perfect! Plenty of gun for North America, and soft recoil. Crushing performance on big game.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: follow maggie on December 30, 2014, 08:20:12 PM: Thanks for the input, everyone. Really helped me out.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: fastdam on December 30, 2014, 11:13:29 PM: So did you make a decision?
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: follow maggie on January 02, 2015, 12:23:42 PM: I think I'm down to 7mm-08 or 25-06. It seems like they have a good combination of shooting flat, carrying a punch to put down a deer and can get ammo where my brother lives without much hassle.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: huntnphool on January 02, 2015, 01:24:26 PM: Quote from: follow maggie on January 02, 2015, 12:23:42 PM
I think I'm down to 7mm-08 or 25-06. It seems like they have a good combination of shooting flat, carrying a punch to put down a deer and can get ammo where my brother lives without much hassle.

You can find 7mm bullets from 100gr-180gr, makes for a pretty versatile option. :twocents:
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Skillet on January 02, 2015, 01:40:29 PM: :dunno: But he's not a reloader - it's all about what's on the shelf.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: WSU on January 02, 2015, 01:57:57 PM: .243
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: Bob33 on January 02, 2015, 02:38:55 PM: Quote from: follow maggie on January 02, 2015, 12:23:42 PM
I think I'm down to 7mm-08 or 25-06. It seems like they have a good combination of shooting flat, carrying a punch to put down a deer and can get ammo where my brother lives without much hassle.
I own both, and either would be a great choice. Between the two, for "coyote/deer" I would choose the 25-06 simply because it's a bit flatter shooting. I believe you will find factory ammo choices good for both.
Title: Re: Coyote/deer caliber
Post by: follow maggie on January 02, 2015, 08:21:25 PM: I called a couple stored over there and they both said the 25-06 and 7mm-08 are good rounds for that area and can get them anytime. It'll probably On my way! Down to what I can get a better deal on the rifle. He doesn't reload and can't afford to get the equipment to start up, so ammo has to come off the shelf for him.