what gun for coyotes?

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northern trapperman

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hi there,
always trapped my coyotes but was wanting to get into call and shooting them what would be the best kind of rifle to use.i want to use something to kill at a fair distance but not blow a huge hole in it so i can still sell the fur.any info be great thankx
 
You probably already know that trapping/snaring is by far the best way to save fur. Shooting is a distant second.

The key is to ensure that you have only one hole in the pelt. Caliber is not as important as bullet type, but of course, you're not going to save much fur shooting a .243 or larger. The .224 centrefires and smaller are your best bet, including such cartridges as the .17 Rem, .204 Ruger, .222 Rem, .223 Rem, and .22-250 Rem. (There are many others as well).

Thin jacketed, rapidly expanding bullets are your best bet. Most of these will only make a small entrance hole, rapidly come apart and expend all of their energy inside the animal. Be aware, however, that shot placement is still critical. Coyotes can be extraordinarily tough for their size. Also, hitting bone with a light "varminting" bullet can sometimes result in nasty "splashes" on the surface (i.e. the bullet comes apart without penetrating), resulting in huge holes in the fur and an animal that you may or may not recover.

Another recent thread on this topic here:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271897
 
AS for gun go sporter weight. Heavy barrels are for target shooting and the gopher patch. But you say you are a trapper so you already know when walking off the beaten path and through the snow every extra pound of equipment makes a huge difference.
 
What do you mean by "fair distance"?

I have used a 22 Hornet to shoot ground hogs and racoons. Light 45 gr bullet. Out to about 125 yards. Usually more like 35 yards. A tiny entrance hole and never an exit hole, even on the smaller hogs.

I hear factory hornet ammo is expensive, so maybe a used 222 or 223 sporter would be better. But, bullets would have to be the light varmint type. I have never had a kill with my 222 or 223 that did not leave a big exit hole. Even a 100 pound kangaroo shot at 150 yards with a 55 gr Hornady had a fist-sized exit hole.

If you reload, you could use a Hornet or down load the 223 a bit, if needed.
 
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GANDERITE said:
What do you mean by "fair distance"?

I have used a 22 Hornet to shoot ground hogs and racoons. Light 45 gr bullet. Out to about 125 yards. Usually more like 35 yards. A tiny entrance hole and never an exit hole, even on the smaller hogs.

I hear factory hornet ammo is expensive, so maybe a used 222 or 223 sporter would be better. But, bullets would have to be the light varmint type. I have never had a kill with my 222 or 223 that did not leave a big exit hole. Even a 100 pound kangaroo shot at 150 yards with a 55 gr Hornady had a fist-sized exit hole.

If you reload, you could use a Hornet or down load the 223 a bit, if needed.
Click to expand...

One way to try to avoid exit holes is utilizing rapid expanders designed for slower velocities.
For example try using 46 grain winchester hollowpoints made for hornet velocities in the .222 remington in handloads.
 
I'd say the .223 is probably your best bet. Ammo is still relatively cheap, readily available, rather light compared to many of the larger calibers like .22-250. It also offers good range and can cleanly harvest a 'yote with mimimal difficulty. If you reload, so much the better, as you can try differnt bullets, powders, etc...to discover what works best for your rifle. If you're heading back in the country, I'd recommend either a light semi-auto such as the Ruger Mini-14 or a flyweight bolt gun. The Ruger isn't going to win too many accuracy contests (although the new target models and improved models show a lot more promise) but it offers fast follow-up shots or allows multiple targets to be engaged quickly. The bolt gun will probably be more accurate, but if you do a lot of shooting that flyweight barrel is going to get hot fast.

Then again, I just picked up my coyote license today. On the weekend I'm taking my Rem 700VS and my Swiss Arms Blue Star afield and neither is a light weight by any means! Use what you love to shoot. If you go fur hunting, stick with the fast expansion varmint bullets. Less holes to sew up. Keep calibers under .225" go bigger and you're going to make a mess.
 
The secret to taking good pelts is bullet placement. This leads us straight to choices; what you will probably do best with is something that fits YOU, and that you can afford to shoot enough to get good with. This is often the only real answer in bullet/calibre selection puzzles.
 
I have used the 243 win and 243 WSSM both with 55gr Winchester Ballistic Tip. I am not very successful at calling them and have only managed 3 kills and they where all with the 243 WSSM - 2 coyotes (1 @ 60 yds and 1 @ 185) and a red fox at about 60ft all where broadside lung shots and none had an exit hole. I think the high velocity combined with the fragile varmit bullet causes them to completely fragment on impact.

The 24 calibers buck the wind better than 22 calibers and have a little more punch at long range but there is more muzzle blast and recoil.
 
my .243 with v-max rips and tears yotes all to s#$&. it carries further than a .223 but there is way more damage done even at longer ranges.
 
Don't fool around with all of that other stuff. IMHO the only real choice is the 6.5x55 with Hndy 95gr Vmax bullets in a good accurate sporter, like the Tikka T3 or its equivalent, there are several out there.

The bullet is accurate under most conditions such as wind and rain. There isn't any bullet out there that will not drift in wind, some just less than others. It needs to be good for -one minute of angle consistantly to 400+meters. Other valuable and I would say neccessary tools are a really good pair of binoculars and a good range finder. Next you need some proper camo for the terrain you're going to hunt.

bearhunter
 
My response was tounge in cheek guys. I will admit I have a hard on for the 6.5x55 though.

The best rifle for aspireing coyote hunters is the rifle you are most comfortable and confident with. There are many good calibres and good bullets available today so take your choice.

Just make sure you know what your rifle will do under windy, wet and cold conditions encountered while coyote hunting.

If you're going to use a bipod and have been shooting from bags and an adjustable rest, there will be a difference in targeting and hold as well as other things. Practice under actual hunting conditions as much as possible, on cut out cardboard silhouettes. You will be in for a few surprises.

Cold weather will make a rifle act quite differently from when it was sighted in dureing warmer weather. Wind and rain are always unpredictable.

Whichever calibre you choose, respect its range/velocity limitations and you will be fine.

Everyone here is assumeing that you have a decent scope and mounts as well. Paralax is a huge factor, when you consider the cross section of a coyote runs from 3-8 inches under that hair.

bearhunter
 
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I know some people hate this but I've had great luck with the 17 hmr. If ranges are within 100 yards and you poke them in the head or boiler-room they go down instantly. I've killed over a dozen coyotes with the 17 so far and have been very impressed with the results. The only fur damage is the .170" entrance.
I also us a 12 gauge semi loaded with 3 inch BB's Its pretty easy on pelts unless they're too close.
I think you'd be happy with these choices if you're planning on doing a lot of calling. Where I call, the max range that I will see a yote is rarely over 150 yards.
 
I used to do a fair bit of coyote calling and my gun was a Savage model 24 in .222 over 20 ga. If a dog came in real close (and some did) they got a load of shot. If they were farther out then it was the .222. With open sights it was not a long range rig by any means but calling is often a close range (and exciting) situation.

Robin in Rocky
 
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