Lever action/coyote gun/caliber

linzeiisdad

linzeiisdad

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4 hours west of where I should be. (YEG)
Looking to combine a good lever action with coyote/varmint ability. About all I could find in the traditional coyote calibers was a Browning (BLR) in .22-250.

Now I'm wondering if any of the plentiful 'pistol' caliber levers would serve my purpose? What would the effective range be of say a .38 or .45 etc. be and which caliber would be best for varmints?

Or should I save my lever purchase for plinking and gophers and get a good bolt action for coyotes?

Thanks!
 
If you are carrying a pistol calibre gun for defense against coyotes, or to take the shot during an unexpected encounter with one to trim the pack, fine any one will do the job under 100 yards.. A good all round calibre in the BLR is .243 - you are less restricted in hunting other animals with it.
 
If you're calling in dense cover the smaller pistol cartrideges should work but if you'll be seeing them at over 100yds you'll want a flatter shooting rig. If your stuck on a lever don't overlook a used savage 99 in 250-3000.
 
X2....the calibers ( 38 & 45) you are asking about are not condusive to long range coyote hunting. The coyote is smart and keeps a distance if he knows you are there. You will certainly need "reach" which has many calibers available in bolt actions which tend to make "you " more accurate than levers and semis.

Depending on what varmints you hunt. The choices are great in variety but if smaller prey is what you seek...then the .223 is considered sufficient and less costly in the long run. I have used a .22 for out to 200 yards for gophers but haul out the .223 for further shots and bigger critters ( badger, coyote) and on occasion did the .270 ..100 gr Sierras to see the results...vaporization to say the least.

The 22-250 will certainly do the job, but cost wise is another aspect.
 
If you handload your own shells I believe you can buy a .30 cal varmint type bullet. That would make the .30-30 a good option. I wish I could use my marlin to hunt coyotes but are restricted to nothing larger then .275 in my area.
 
linzeiisdad said:
Looking to combine a good lever action with coyote/varmint ability. About all I could find in the traditional coyote calibers was a Browning (BLR) in .22-250.

Or should I save my lever purchase for plinking and gophers and get a good bolt action for coyotes?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I hear of a lot of folks using the 17 HMR with great success on coyotes. Myself, I prefer my Remington 700 in 204 Ruger.

Henry offer the 17 HMR in several lever action models. Might be worth a look.
 
linzeiisdad said:
I must admit I'm leaning in this direction.....
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I myself use a BLR in .243 as it does double duty as an excellent deer gun. For coyotes I use a 65 grain Hornady vmax - handloaded. I find this bullet to be a little more accurate at longer range than the 55 grainers. It hits very hard on those little yotes.
 
My old model 94 did a number on the poor coyote that crossed my path during deer season. .32 special pretty much cut him in half. The savage 99 was chamberred in .22-250 wasn't it? that or a .250 savage would be a great coyote rifle.
 
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