Thinking of getting a coyote rig, shots will be under 300 yards as I am in the east, but obviously we have larger coyotes. I might even want to use it to punch some paper, not sure if I will reload or not, thats why I am thinking of the .223 as I can pick up some bulk packs, and from what I have read the barrel life is better on a .223. Any thoughts?
Another .223 vs. .22-250 thread
- Thread starter shoota
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Why? is the ballistics of the round that much better?
No not that much better, buy why choose less performance? It's nice to hunt with a little extra horse power in my opinion. If I was to choose coyote round I would be looking maybe a .243 or 22-250, I would be looking on the bigger end. Unless I wanted to punch more paper then hunt.
For a pure coyote round, I would start with the .243. Coyotes are very tough animals. But for a coyote round that will get occasional use on smaller stuff, .22-250 all the way.
I may have said it before, but the .223 is a Chevy Malibu - quite nice, but ..... well .....
The .22-250 is a Corvette. Really, either one can do it, but if I had the choice I pick the 'vette. It would just be more fun.
I may have said it before, but the .223 is a Chevy Malibu - quite nice, but ..... well .....
The .22-250 is a Corvette. Really, either one can do it, but if I had the choice I pick the 'vette. It would just be more fun.
"shots will be under 300 yards as I am in the east, but obviously we have larger coyotes"
I don't think so. Saw a fat furry bastard yesterday chewing on a deer carcass that was quite large. But anyway, the 22-250 IS quite a bit faster then the 223, with all that entails. More velocity, more energy, shoots flatter, etc, etc. If I wasn't planning on a lot of fast shooting in a gopher or prairie dog patch, there would be no reason to choose a 223 at all. Well, ok, cheap would be a reason. - dan
I don't think so. Saw a fat furry bastard yesterday chewing on a deer carcass that was quite large. But anyway, the 22-250 IS quite a bit faster then the 223, with all that entails. More velocity, more energy, shoots flatter, etc, etc. If I wasn't planning on a lot of fast shooting in a gopher or prairie dog patch, there would be no reason to choose a 223 at all. Well, ok, cheap would be a reason. - dan
for a non-reloader looking for a paper/gopher gun I say 223 everytime...but, how many rounds do you really fire at coyotes?......factory ammo is not THAT expensive....and coyote hunting is not typically high volume fire....
For a dedicated coyote rig I'd go 22-250 everytime...that's why my gopher guns are 223,17 Rem and 204 and my coyote gun is 22-250....
For a dedicated coyote rig I'd go 22-250 everytime...that's why my gopher guns are 223,17 Rem and 204 and my coyote gun is 22-250....
Where I hunt we do a lot of walking, we push bushes and fence rows the old fashioned way, no dogs, no calling. Most shots are off hand, sometimes out of breath. I have 22-250 and 223, and have been favoring the 223 so much this year I have ordered a VTR in A-tacs camo in 223. Of the 6-10 guys that show up on saturdays, 75% shoot 22-250, the rest shoot 223. The snows been good and lots of coyotes, 21 in the last 3 weeks.
Not for you, perhaps. Some of us are apparently not destined to ever kill a coyote. I think I was 0 for 5 (coyotes, not shots) this past season of deer hunting, which is similar to past years. I've never purposely hunted just yotes. Hmmmm.
Anyway, the point is, it doesn't matter if you shoot "a lot" of rounds. Cheaper is cheaper and cheaper is better. And I will not believe that a coyote would ever react differently to a hit in the same place, from the same distance, etc. from a .223 vs. a .22-250. or a .222 or a .220 Swift or blah blah blah
I have 2 22-250s, 1 223, 1 222, 1 6mm Rem, and for a short while only 2 204 Rugers. I know it is not on your list of choices but for coyotes under 300 yds and a bit a paper my choice is the 204 Ruger everytime. For those of you who don't think the 204 is any good for coyotes go over to Predatorhuntcanada.ca and check out this years calling contest, there are as many coyotes shot with the 20cals as all the other calibers added up. If I have to chose between your choices I would take the 22-250 out most times over the 223.
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