best caliber for coyotes?

[Pastorowc]

Hey everybody just wondering what y’all think is the best caliber for coyote hunting and also any preferences on rifles, meaning models and brands. Thank you everybody

 

[go_deep]

We use a .223 with 55 grain and .243 with 70 grain.

 

[Pastorowc]

Thanks, any particular brand of rifle?

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have used a lot of different rifles chasing coyotes (17hmr, 204,223, 243, 2506) and have settled on the 6mm creedmoor shooting 108gr eldms. I got tired of the wind blowing low bc bullets all over the place on those coyotes that hang up out there a ways.

I shoot a Bergara Premier approach with a Leupold VX5HD 3-15x56. Best coyote set up i have ever owned.

 

[go_deep]

Thanks, any particular brand of rifle?

.223 is an old handi rifle that i gave $90 for and the .243 is a hand me down 50ish year old savage from grandma. They really don't care what kind of brand the gun is when you shoot them.

 

[Pastorowc]

I have used a lot of different rifles chasing coyotes (17hmr, 204,223, 243, 2506) and have settled on the 6mm creedmoor shooting 108gr eldms. I got tired of the wind blowing low bc bullets all over the place on those coyotes that hang up out there a ways.

I shoot a Bergara Premier approach with a Leupold VX5HD 3-15x56. Best coyote set up i have ever owned.

Thanks alot!

 

[bruno59]

I have a sig tread in 556/223 with 55 grain hornady v max seems to do pretty well but this last year i have been using a tikka t3x in 22-250 with 50 grain browning BXV bullets and they have been knocking them down quick and not much pelt damage i like them both

 

[MR5X5]

OP - Are you looking to sell the fur? If not worried about punching a big hole the choices are endless.

 

[packer58]

If harvesting fur is your intent then your choices shrink up a bit, I've killed coyotes (for fur) with a .222, .223, 12 gauge with #4 buck and 22-250. All have done well with the right bullets. I do like my AR .223 for quick follow-up shots if needed.

 

[7stw]

I hunt open country where the wind is a constant. I have used fast 22 calibers to 30 calibers. Long shots are pretty common. I find myself using a 6 creed or a 7mm-08 ai the most both are bolt guns. I also take a browning pump 10ga with lead bb on most every stand as well. Once I switched to a 6mm I have had fewer runners or lost/not recovered dogs. I don’t use an ar but know some guys who swear by them.


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[Bpav0]

Went through a few high dollar guns to find one that fits my needs and was a shooter. Ended with a cheap ruger American ranch 16” 5.56. Found the round it loves and with the can on overall length is shorter than previous rifles used. Easier to swing and pack in. Caliber isn’t a huge factor IMO find something your comfortable with, I feel more lethal with this 5.56 than with other bigger rounds I tried previously.

 

[B23]

I've shot coyotes with a variety of different calibers over the years mostly in .22 & .24 caliber cartridges. To pick one caliber and say it's the "best" would be like saying which brand of pickup is the best. If I were asked which calibers I prefer the best it would be the .22 & .24 calibers.

I'm not a fur saver so the bigger the holes and the more deaderer they are the better but if I was a fur saver that could have some impact on which caliber/s I prefer and more importantly affect my choice of bullet/s.

 

[dirtytough]

It really depends on day/night, saving fur/not saving fur, etc.

At night I want the flattest shooting rifle available from 0-300 yards that is fur friendly. So far I really like the 22-250 with 50 grain Vmax.

When I day hunt usually the fur isn't worth anything and I can easily range and dial. So I will use my 6.5 SS with a 156 Berger.

Brands/models don't matter to me as long as the rifle is accurate. I am building a 22 Creed AR for night hunting. We will see if I like the AR platform or not. Right now I'm using bolt actions. I did get a true triple with it the other night.

 

[kboatman107]

If you’re not worried about fur then shoot whatever gun you want. I use a 223 with 55 grn vmax

 

[PredatorSlayer]

It really depends on day/night, saving fur/not saving fur, etc.

At night I want the flattest shooting rifle available from 0-300 yards that is fur friendly. So far I really like the 22-250 with 50 grain Vmax.

When I day hunt usually the fur isn't worth anything and I can easily range and dial. So I will use my 6.5 SS with a 156 Berger.

Brands/models don't matter to me as long as the rifle is accurate. I am building a 22 Creed AR for night hunting. We will see if I like the AR platform or not. Right now I'm using bolt actions. I did get a true triple with it the other night.View attachment 250844

I do a lot of night hunting as well. MPBR with a 5” target in my 6 creed shooting 108’s is 300 yards. I bought a 204 specifically for night hunting. While I loved the gun (M700 VSSF II with a sig whiskey 5 gen 2 5-25x52), I didn’t really feel like I was giving up much when I took my 6CM out - it eventually sat in my safe collecting dust until I sold it a year ago.

I took a buddy out calling once that was a big AR guy. All I heard about on the drive out is how much quicker his follow up shots would be compared to my humble bolt gun. I called in 12 dogs over two days and he didn’t knock the wind out of a single one, I bet he went through 3 30 round mags between the 12 of them. Never again will I hunt with a guy using an AR...SMH

 

[dirtytough]

I looked at the 6 Creed for a second. I didn't think the ballistics were what I wanted for a night cartridge. And I would guess I would get a lot more damage with a 108 @3000-3100 fps than I do with the 50 Vmax @4000+ fps? The only time I get an exit so far is when I hit them high in the back.

I am not really a bullet saturation guy. I figured the AR could help on the doubles and triples. But if I'm not accurate with it I'll swap back to the bolt action. I would rather get 1 than none that's for sure. I'm also going to get a suppressor so hopefully they aren't as spooked when the first shot goes off.

 

[dirtytough]

I just ran some numbers with the 108 @3100 fps on the Hornady calculator. With a 275 yard zero it is 3.3" high at 150 yards and 1.6" low at 300 yards. So 4.9" trajectory to 300 yards.

The V max @4000 fps with a 275 yard zero is 2.3" high at 150 yards and 1.2" low at 300 yards. A 3.5" trajectory to 300 yards.

I think I'll stick with a fast 22 cal for night hunting.

 

[B23]

I have two different .24 cals a 6-284 shooting 75gr Vmax and 6mm CM shooting 70gr BT's both are bolt guns. I don't ever really shoot coyotes at far enough distances that the heavies with their higher BC but launching much slower would catch up and pass the much faster lower BC bullets I shoot.

Even if I see one at 6-700+ coyotes generally aren't all that patient and won't give you enough time to range, dial, and shoot. Coyotes tend to learn pretty quickly so it's not often I'll take what I consider a low percentage shot, IMO, all it does is educate them and make it that much more difficult to get close to them next time.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I just ran some numbers with the 108 @3100 fps on the Hornady calculator. With a 275 yard zero it is 3.3" high at 150 yards and 1.6" low at 300 yards. So 4.9" trajectory to 300 yards.

The V max @4000 fps with a 275 yard zero is 2.3" high at 150 yards and 1.2" low at 300 yards. A 3.5" trajectory to 300 yards.

I think I'll stick with a fast 22 cal for night hunting.

Thats already splitting hairs. The 6mm rounds are so much more versatile - I can run a 58gr vmax at close to 4000 fps as well in my 6CM. To each their own.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have two different .24 cals a 6-284 shooting 75gr Vmax and 6mm CM shooting 70gr BT's both are bolt guns. I don't ever really shoot coyotes at far enough distances that the heavies with their higher BC but launching much slower would catch up and pass the much faster lower BC bullets I shoot.

Even if I see one at 6-700+ coyotes generally aren't all that patient and won't give you enough time to range, dial, and shoot. Coyotes tend to learn pretty quickly so it's not often I'll take what I consider a low percentage shot, IMO, all it does is educate them and make it that much more difficult to get close to them next time.

My experience has been those coyotes that hold up out there at 600-700 yards will just sit there and bark or howl. They just hang out until they get shot at or bored, especially in sage brush. I have had several situations where they give me time to lay down prone, range them, and let one fly.