How would you build a coyote gun?

M

montaggio

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If you were to buy a rifle today, with the thought of using it and building it up over the coming years, how would you go about it:

What rifle / action would you select
Caliber
What upgrades / changes would you make over time
Would you change out the stock and barrel, etc.

I'm buying a new rifle - will know better which one once I have a chance to get down to Wholesale and try them on. But, which selection do you feel is best in terms of fine tuning in coming years?

Interested to hear your thoughts.
 
Here is what I envision as the perfect coyote rifle.

Rem 700
Fluted King 24" 1:14 twist Rem Sporter Contour
Rem 700 Lam Mtn stock

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I had it built to replace my 22-250, and it is doing a great job. It is a tack driver (3 1/8" groups at 450yds) and is downright fun to shoot.

It allows me to shoot very economically for practice, yet delivers all the smack I desire for bustin' dogs.

It mimics my 280AI for weight and balance, so is great for practice, it is steady off of the bench, yet light enough for plenty of offhand practice.

I bought 1000rds of brass for it, and once they are all fireformed, will shoot them (~20 times) without trimming them... and then trash the whole lot. That equates to about 20,000 rounds.... looking forward to it.

An affordable way to do it would be to pick up a Rem LVSF in 223 Rem and have it punched out to 223AI... and then down the road stock options are yours...either keep the LVSF stock or throw it in a Lam Mtn handle.

280_ACKLEY
 
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I thought about this very thing yesterday as I was lying in the snow with my Sako 22-250 while a friend called in coyotes. A stainless/synthetic rifle is the way to go for a coyote rig IMHO. You are usually in snow that get's on and in the rifle, then you jump into a vehicle to go to another calling site, the snow melts....you know what I mean.

Here's what I would do...if Remington made the stainless SPS in 22-250 I would start there but they don't ..so it would have to be a 243. I would replace the stock with a good fibreglass Wildcat handle and go from there. Of,course I would also cut and crown the barrel at 22" and flute it. I would adjust the trigger to 3 pounds.Maybe even tear it apart, true up the action and recut the chamber...then I would rebarrel it to 22-250 later....
 
I like my Remington Model 700 LVSF (Light Varmint Stainless Fluted). Under 8 lbs all up with a Burris FullField II 3-9x40mm w/ Ballistic Plex reticle in Leupold dual dovetail mounts.

22" stainless fluted 1:12" twist barrel chambered in 223 Remington. Magazine capacity is 5 rounds. I shoot 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips over a healthy dose of Hodgdon Benchmark, chronographing at 3235 fps average. Accuracy is between .5 and .8 MOA. I had Gatehouse paint the Bell & Carlson fiberglass stock winter white.

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If I could improve it in any ways I would upgrade the mounts to Talley lightweights, swap the scope to a Leupold VXIII 3.5-10x40mm w/ Boone & Crockett reticle, and rechamber it to 223 Ackley Improved for the extra velocity for those 300+ yard shots. One day I will rebarrel it to 223 AI with a 25" 1:9" twist.

As is I am damn happy with it! :D
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I really like the Stevens and Savage rifles. For a walkabout yote rifle, I would just go with a Stevens is 223 or 22/250 sporter barrel. Swap out or at least adjust the trigger. Paint the stock/rifle and have at it. All I would need to 450yds or a bit further if conditions were still. Field accuracy easily equals custom rifles.

My ultimate combo would be a fast twist 22/250 so that I can launch 75gr Amax at 3300fps instead of 2700fps from the 223. However, 40gr in the 223 or 55gr in the 22/250 will do for just about 95% of hunting likely to encounter. The 223AI is very interesting as well and would be an ideal upgrade to the stock Stevens.

For a blind or bench set up, I would go 243 fast twist, 6.5 or 7mm that can get some velocity to reach out to 900yds. Usually launching heavy for calibre fragile match type bullets and I like a min of 3000fps (prefer 3300fps).

This dictates a heavy barrel BR type set up with muzzle brake. Min 24" but probably out to 30" barrel. Action would still be a Savage/Stevens with an appropriate stock and trigger. Right now I would use my 7 Mystic or even the 7RM and 162gr AMax for this type of hunting.

For scopes, they would both be variables with a mil dot or similar reticle. I like the hold off points for quick adjustments when targets start to move. The Burris Ballistic plex and the IOR MP8 would be very nice.

I wouldn't go too high in mag because I want field of view. A 6X24 would be max but spend most of the time around 8 to 12X. I think a side focus 4X14 would be ideal. A fixed 10X may not be all that bad a compromise. Of course, I would want a quality rangefinder like a Leica to prerange the terrain.

Jerry
 
Is a coyote gun like a potato cannon?:confused:
Be kinda hard to get the coyote to seal up the front of the pipe, after all they do wriggle a bit, or do you use really large pipe?
How far can it fire the the coyote and do you give the coyote a little helmet like those guys in circus?:p :D
 
Whats to build.....your not trying to find a cure for cancer here.....grab a savage 12FV , 5-15 scope and a bipod for under a 1000 beans and your set for life !!!!!!!!
 
I would go for the 22 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer. Based on the .378 Weatherby Magnum necked down to get a bullet going 5000fps! Only get around 4600 fps though, good enough for Coyotes eh?:D
 
The only thing I've ever shot a 'yote with was a 12 ga (who says 3" BB Steel doesn't kill?).

If I was building a rifle for yotes, and really for walking around after yotes, I'd go with some breed of bolt action 223. Rosie has a sweet little A-Bolt in 223 that I'd dearly love to boost from him, but I could live with a remmy if I had to. Personally I wouldn't get too revved up about a high powered scope. 6x would suit me fine on a walking about rifle, but if I had to build up a tactical song-dog slayer, it's be heavier barrelled with a Leupold 4.5-14x scope with a Premier Reticles MOA stadia-wire reticle. I've looked through scopes with their MOA based wires (instead of mildots) and that would be my preference. In terms of rifle mods, no matter whose it was, I'd do a trigger job and , depending on how it shot, I'd go from there.
 
I took a remington 700 LVSF (light Varmint Stainless Fluted) in .223. I added a Bushnell Elite 4200 scope with 4-16x power. Bought a nice little bipod, added swivels and a nice leather sling. All said & done about $1600 + tax.

I know many would debate the choice in caliber....22-250, .223. My opinion is the gun that shoots the best, is the one I shoot the most. At only $5-$20 for a box of 20, the .223 means I practice, practice, practice.
 
M700 Action, SS barrel from a reputable maker, 24-26" long in a contour that was heavy enough to be stable, light enough to pack a bit. Chambered up in either 220 Swift or 6mm Remington. If the latter, it would be a 1-12" twist, specifically for lighter bullets to minimize pelt destruction [55 or 70 Ballistic Tip comes to mind] Good trigger job, Synthetic stock, all topped with a 6.5-20 Leupold. Let those dogs come!! Regards, Eagleye.
 
Rem 700 XR-100

in 22-250. Then when I decide to redo it it would be 28" barrel in a 6br with a 1-8 or 1-10 twist depending on how far you intend to shoot. Velocity is not a big concern to me as much as how tiny a hole 5 shots would make. Robertson composites stock or Shehane tracker stock may be put under it. I like the feel of the factory thumbhole that is already on it so the stock is not a real issue. Jewell trigger would definately go on it. Optics would be a VX3 8.5-25 with varmint reticle.:D :D :D


Calvin
 
Here's mine.....

700 Mountain Rifle with 23", Gaillaird bbl in .223AI.

The 1/10" bbl works well for heavy "deer" bullets as well :D

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223ai

Paul, very nice rig. What does it weigh all up and what kind of accuracy are you seeing? I've thought about a 243 caliber in the mountain rifle style being pretty useful (maybe a little hard on hides) but I'd settle for a 257 mtn rifle!:D
Pat
 
That's a sweet looking rig super.
The only coyote gun I own is my Browning hunter, 300 WSM. 168 grain TSX's at 3150 muzzle velocity do alot of damage to the head of a coyote at 200 yards.
Seriously I would probably opt for a 223, load 55 gr vmax bullets and go hunting. My laminated blued Sako A1 is plenty accurate enough for longshots, but doesn't hide as well as Bartell's.
 
Pat Brennan said:
Paul, very nice rig. What does it weigh all up and what kind of accuracy are you seeing? I've thought about a 243 caliber in the mountain rifle style being pretty useful (maybe a little hard on hides) but I'd settle for a 257 mtn rifle!:D
Pat
Click to expand...

It now wears a Bushnell 3200 in 3x9 Matte and weighs 8# even. Those laminated stocks are pretty, but pretty heavy too :eek:

Here's a group I shot with it last year. The black specks behind the target is magic marker I used on a piece of paper for contrast. I was accused once of shooting this target so close that those marks were powder burns :D

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sc
 
Sako action, 22" Douglass stainless fluted bbl, Mcmillan stock, 6-18X scope, the works coated in teflon, chambered for 6.5-284 with a long throat built by PGW, may not be for everyone but I like it.
 
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