using an SKS for coyote hunting
- Thread starter jonyork
- Start date
I've shot them all to hell with my 223 and had perfect neat little holes from my 308. And vice versa. Depends on bullet construction, where you hit them and probably a dozen other factors. The SKS will kill them dead but a yote is a fairly small target and the ranges can get out there. Might be a nice excuse to get yourself a new bolt gun! A Ruger American or a Savage in 243 or one of the 22 centre fires perhaps?
Don't give a flyin'...
IF it were me I would reluctantly take the 300 WM for the reasons mentioned above. You sort of need a dedicated coyote gun in your arsenal. 223, 22-250, 243 etc etc....... would fit in to your present collection nicely. I got tied of shooting them with my 270 win so I bought myself a 223 rem Axis. Great for coyotes with a varmint bullet and great fun at the range.
The distance to target will mostly depend on the type of terrian you are hunting in. Wide open spaces mean long range shots are more likely. Hunt under close cover and they could end up within feet of you before you know it. Keep in mind the SKS is a shorter range rig when compared to a bolt gun with large optics. I'd guess to say the SKS would be most effective out to ~200 yards. Depends on how much you practice.
I'm going to put my two bits in here, and say that the Sks is a bad choice. The Sks shoots somewhere between a 3-6 moa. At two hundred meters, that's 6-12 inch accuracy, assuming you make a perfect shot. Umm... yeah, that's not a humane kill distance for that rifle. Inside 100 meters, just barely, but most agree that the average shot you will get is outside that. Be a good hunter, go for bang, flop, or wait until you have what you need to do that.
I will be going with a group of guys, who have 223 and 243 for this. I was just mainly tagging along this year to see what it was like. Maybe next year I will invest in a special rig. Most of the hunting will be in bushy areas with some clearings.
Mine is a consistent 2-2 1/4" at 100yds and I can hit the 300 yd gong consistently with my pinned barrel Chinese and Sellier and Bellot 123gr soft points. I have it set up as a brush hunter for deer, wolf and coyote with scope and at those ranges it will be more than effective. But again it depends an the terrain and your method of hunting that will determine the appropriate type of gun for the conditions.
You might talk to the guys and try pairing up with someone who has a longer range rig. You take the close, he takes the far. That's how I was introduced to it, with an open sight 22 mag. My uncle would bring his 22-250 and we'd sit about ten yards apart and I'd spot while he called. It actually worked well in areas where there was a good possibility of them coming in from different directions. But no matter, you're gonna get addicted and need a varmint gun anyways, may as well just buy it now.....
You, sir, have a good one. I have two Ruski's and two military Rice rifles, and I don't think I could milk better than 3 moa out of any.
Go with the 300 win mag if you don't care about pelts. Without optics the long shots can be difficult. You want a nice flat trajectory so you can just aim on fur as much as possible. A coyote hunt is unpredictable as to how far they will be. The sks could work if you want to use it though.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I've got coyotes before while waterfowling and at that range the SKS would have worked fine too. But know that you'll be limited in your shot opportunities. For the amount of shooting you'll be doing I would use the 300.
Just throwing this out there as well, and I have no idea on the hunting regs in Quebec, but I know in Alberta you can blast away at yotes with pretty much anything you want. While in NL you can only use a centre fire .22 cal. So before you take the SKS just make sure it's a legal choice in QC. It wouldn't be in NL because "we could be out poaching moose and caribou with it" 
Now we need MAGNUMS FOR COYOTES?? So, then we'll need .500 Tyrannasaurs for deer next year??
people here slay me!!
OP, if you want to use an SKS, then, use it. But first you must know the limitations of both YOU AND THE RIFLE. I have 2 SKS's that shoot 1.5", but I played with them a lot. Remove the operating rod, now you have a bolt action and have shrunk your group a bit. Do you reload? Weigh a bunch of milsurp bullets and find some that are within .3 gns of each other (or you could pull them and even out all the powder charges, then reseat the FMJs). You can use it, but not reliably beyond 150yds without better glass than you can mount on it right now.
Thats is why I have a bolt gun chambered in x39mm with better glass. That's the backup 'yote gun or the one I hand off to guys going out first time.
LOL.....my thoughts exactly
