Lightest coyote rifle
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
Not slim pickings at all between the plethora of budget rifles available today.
My first choice would be a Gen 1 Ruger American .223 rotary magazine. Ranch for a 16" barrel or Predator for a 22" pipe.
6lbs before scope, 6rds in the loaded mag and one hand carry with the flush fit of the rotary. Decent enough profile on the barrel, not a pencil. Good balance on the Predator model, overall a fantastic walking Varminter.
Folks will crap on them but with the amount of time the rifle has been in production and the sheer number of them in field use it is becoming undeniable that they run trouble free and shoot MOA.
I have a Ranch that is coming-up to 4000 rounds without a hiccup, it happens to be one of my smoothest bolts to run from the shoulder as well, and I have custom bolt actions that cost five times what that one does to compare it to.
My first choice would be a Gen 1 Ruger American .223 rotary magazine. Ranch for a 16" barrel or Predator for a 22" pipe.
6lbs before scope, 6rds in the loaded mag and one hand carry with the flush fit of the rotary. Decent enough profile on the barrel, not a pencil. Good balance on the Predator model, overall a fantastic walking Varminter.
Folks will crap on them but with the amount of time the rifle has been in production and the sheer number of them in field use it is becoming undeniable that they run trouble free and shoot MOA.
I have a Ranch that is coming-up to 4000 rounds without a hiccup, it happens to be one of my smoothest bolts to run from the shoulder as well, and I have custom bolt actions that cost five times what that one does to compare it to.
Last edited:
For $600?....
OP pretty much the only thing you're going to get new for $600 these days is a Savage Axis. Good news is they're pretty light - Savage lists them at 6.3lb IIRC, and they're accurate. Bad news is everything else about them is mediocre.
Used Ruger is probably your best bet. I see one on the EE for $650. A bit higher than you want, but the alternative is an Axis, or maybe something like an H&R Handi-Rifle, which have a reputation for garbage triggers and less-than-stellar accuracy...
yup, in .204, was my favourite calling rig
Stevens 334 synthetic or shop at intersurplus if you're not in a caliber restricted zone you can pick up a nice rifle for under 500 bucks. If not a 6.5 swede can make a great coyote rifle and can be found on that site very reasonably
Love the Swede! I got one from Intersurplus, a Husky 1900. It'd be a bit porky for a lugabout varminter, and also has a 24" barrel which is a bit unhandy. While there ain't no kill like overkill, a 6.5sw for 'yotes? You really want them dead, don't you?
nomad 68
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
if the EE is any indication, new will be cheaper lol.
- Location
- AB foothills
Makes a good jack handle too!
Look for a used Rem 600/660 in 222. Hard to find a better walking varminter. - dan
I used to use this Brno Fox .22 Hornet for coyotes on the farm. Definitely a step up from 22 mag, but without the ear piercing crack of 223 which disturbed the neighbours. It was a great package and incredibly accurate. The set trigger no doubt helped.
