best caliber for coyotes?

Elkhntr08

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Joined
Nov 3, 2016
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Another 22-250 fan here. A Remington 700 Classic that I’ve owned for years keeps the population down around the house.
 
Joined
Sep 28, 2018
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Location
VA
State what your definition of best is cuz there are a lot of considerations for hunting coyotes. You want to just put them on the ground or stop them dead in their tracks?

a 308 will work wonders on a coyote, but the coyote won't be intact.
223 works great but they'll probably run for 100yards before they die
6.5 Grendel or 6x6.8 will anchor them without destroying the pelt. 6mm 70g nosler varmint or 6.5mm 90g varmints are wonderful at this
 
Joined
Jun 22, 2022
Messages
18
Location
Colorado
It is really depends what your end goal is. If it is just to kill coyotes, then it is what ever rifle you are most profficient and accurate with. Something fast and flat. I have found that when calling most of shots are inside 400 yds with majority of those being inside 200. I have used 243, 22-243, 243 AI, 22-250 AI,22-250, 204, 223, and am now working on a 20-250AI. Stick with smaller calibers for fur friendly. My absolute favorite was the 22-243 AI i had, killer out to 800+yds. But inside 300, absolutely nightmare on fur.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
34
22-250 with a 40 gr vmax is deadly on dogs. And doesn't smoke pelts. Can't go wrong with a 6arc, 243, 6 creed either. All will the hammer down. Pick your poison and go put some fur on the ground.

Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk
 

Jakelly

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Joined
May 8, 2022
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22
State what your definition of best is cuz there are a lot of considerations for hunting coyotes. You want to just put them on the ground or stop them dead in their tracks?

a 308 will work wonders on a coyote, but the coyote won't be intact.
223 works great but they'll probably run for 100yards before they die
6.5 Grendel or 6x6.8 will anchor them without destroying the pelt. 6mm 70g nosler varmint or 6.5mm 90g varmints are wonderful at this

+1
Too many variables.

If I had to pick one, dead was the primary goal (fur a distant second, and I had to be ready to hunt everywhere there are coyotes, a fast twist 22 hotrod is hard to beat. Pick your flavor; creed, x47, middlestead, 250 AI, Swift AI, et al.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Messages
56
Location
Freeman, Missouri
Depends on where I'm hunting, if I'm in wide open crop ground I prefer my Tikka t3 CTR 6.5cm in case I have a coyote hang up at several hundred. If I'm in cattle pastures or closer quarters I prefer to use my AR in 223/5.56 so I have quicker follow up shots
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2021
Messages
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Been shooting Smith and Wesson M&P sport II for a couple years. I like the availability and price of 223 ammo and the gun has been very accurate out to 200 yards.
 

STAGHOUND

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Joined
May 19, 2021
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59
Location
Australia
I use a Howa .223 mini action that shoots a .55 grain pill, I've been using it for 3 years now and am loving every bit of it.
 
Joined
Aug 21, 2022
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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
I’ll vote for the .257 Roberts. And doubles for larger game.
 

405winash

FNG
Joined
Aug 9, 2022
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10
Location
Pa
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.
6.5 creedmore? Or more than needed?
 

Seeknelk

WKR
Joined
Jul 10, 2017
Messages
776
Location
NW MT
300 PRC /215 berger works great. May as well get trigger time with the main hunting rifle. 22 CM with 88 eld made one rug out so fast it bounced. So that works too. So anything you can shoot well and find ammo for , basically. 6 cm wouldn't suck at all.
 

KenLee

WKR
Joined
Jun 9, 2021
Messages
1,780
Location
South Carolina
I usually hunt with a 45-70 about 4x out of 90 times a year in the woods/fields/powerlines.
Guess when the coyotes show up?
I let that 325 gr bullet fly!!!
 
Joined
Jun 24, 2022
Messages
28
Location
Northern Mississippi
Getting back into coyote hunting this fall after a several year hiatus. I will be using Nosler 69 gr Custom Comps in a 18" AR behind TAC. I'll post an update once I get out.
 
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