What scope features do you use for coyotes?

My Varmint rifle wears a Leupold 3.5-10 x 50 [VX3L] with the cut away objective lens so it can be mounted
low enough to get the sight picture easily. Only time it is off the 3.5x setting is if I happen to be
offered a long shot [350+ meters] Over the past 4-5 years, it has only been at 10x about 4-5 times.
Dave.
 
I have a 5-15 on my .223 and it works well. I don't often shot coyotes at short range though.

IMO something with a lower end magnification of 4 at the most and a top end magnification of 12 at the least would probably be the ideal choice for your use case. So a 3-15x would be pretty sweet, or maybe a 4-16x, something like that.

For big game, I typically go 3 or less on the low end and 9 or higher on the top end.

Consider max range and if you are making adjustments for holdover with the turrets or with the reticle, if you need to hit 400 yards you have lots of options in 1" tubes. If it's 600 yards, I would start thinking about 30mm just for the flexibility even if you don't need the extra adjustment.
 
The last 4 or 5 years I’ve been taking my shotgun with me.

I'm thinking our coyote hunting is more long range based. I use a 3x9 x50 on a Rem. 700 Varmint in .243, 75 grn. Hornadys ,dangerous to about 700 yds. on one occasion. :)

Grizz
 
Both of my coyote rifles have Zeiss HD-5 3-15x42 scopes. 3x is low enough for running coyotes at 50 feet, and 15x is more than required at 400 yards.
 
Longwalker said:
You are Over-scoped. There is no need for more than about 10x to hunt coyotes, no matter where they are hunted. I live in the wide open plains. I have shot most of my coyotes with scopes on 4x-9x magnification, and have never felt a practical need for more. Target shooters have influenced the hunting activities of far too many shooters who don't know better. High magnification comes with critical eye relief, dim views, slow target acquisition, fussy body and head positions, and shaky reticle on target. Real hunters know better. Good luck in your future hunts.
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Well said.

This latest fad of many hunters thinking they're a sniper capable of 2,000 yard shots has lead to people buying too much gun, accessories their skill set will never utilize, and scopes that are practically telescopes. This is the result of the long range fad, marketing, and "target" equipment moving into the hunting world.

A simple 3-9x40 is more than adequate for most coyote hunting and a 2-7 is great for my area where shots could range from point blank to 250 yards.
 
The Leupold VX5 3-15x44 is damn near the perfect Coyote scope. Bright and clear. Good mag range, turret for long pokes and I like the wind plex for holding. I would take FOV, brightness and clarity over extra magnification.
 
I use Leupold VX-3 4.5-14X40mm Scopes on my predator rifles... I have used the scopes at 14X many, many times to shoot coyotes from 250 to 400 yards. I start out at 4.5X and in most situations shoot while still at 4.5X. If I get a dog hang up way out and I have plenty of time to turn the dial, I generally go straight to 14X for more precise aiming... at distance, field of view is not an issue. Could I have made those shots at 9 or 10X, probably, but the extra 4X was nice. Having said that, you can definitely over scope... 16X? OK, sure, in some applications... but 20X or 24X is too much... by the time you need that power, the animal is too far out to shoot anyway.

As for busy reticles, I agree that a messy reticle can be distracting and cause hesitation... however, I use the Varmint Hunters and B&C reticle and find it extremely quick and simple to use, without having to fiddle with anything. It is a simple reticle to zero and use in the field, and the reticle view is clean with precise aiming.
 
canadian hunter312 said:
Well said.

This latest fad of many hunters thinking they're a sniper capable of 2,000 yard shots has lead to people buying too much gun, accessories their skill set will never utilize, and scopes that are practically telescopes. This is the result of the long range fad, marketing, and "target" equipment moving into the hunting world.






A simple 3-9x40 is more than adequate for most coyote hunting and a 2-7 is great for my area where shots could range from point blank to 250 yards.
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+1 most guys are over gunned and scoped. Can high power scopes be used sure….are they needed nope. Most of us hunters will never shoot often enough to utilize them.
 
cdn1canhunt said:
Not to discourage you but the “KISS” principal seems to wok best for me when the action is fast. Make things easy on your mind.
0-300yrds. One reticle one point of aim. It will kill you more critters. Most coyotes die at 100yrds or less. I like BDC reticle just not for coyote shooting jMHO
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I have to agree. 0-300yrds. One reticle one point of aim. This works for all my hunting rifles. Coyotes in my area don't usually give you time to adjust power settings or do reticle calculations. Most of my shots are 150 yards or less as well as moving. Quick shots are the norm and having one reticle, one point of aim makes more successful hunting for me. I do enough scope fiddling at the range and it works well but I don't want the hassle when I'm hunting.
 
Nightforce 2.5-10x32 Mil-C reticle I have 2, one sits on a semi, another on a bolt gun both zeroed at 230m, 0-260m stays within 2.5 inches of zero with 55g vmax, 300m hold 0.5mil, 350m hold 1.0m, 400m hold 1.5mil. Scope stays on 2.5 power 90% of the time. Nice light, no crazy big objective, keeps scope nice and low, streamlined.
 
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I run a 2.5-10 and a 4-12 on both my coyote guns. MPBR zero and its pretty much +-2" right to 300yds. On the 2-10 i have mil dots and a bdc on the 4-12. I know the drops for linger range...
 
When coyotes were worth good money back in the late 1980s, I took most of my dogs with a fixed 4X on top of a 6mm with no difficulties out to 300 metres. Now, most of my hunting optics are variable 3-10s, so a shot on a coyote is even easier than when I was a kid.
 
wasa said:
I'm shooting (well, holding) a bolt action 243 with handloaded 58gr V-MAX projectiles. Sighted in my rifle at 100 yards so guessing my range is 150-200 yards.
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Same calibre, same hand loaded bullet, use a bushnell 4-12 sighted in 4" high at 100 yds. Basically out to about 400 yds if I do my part put the crosshairs on the chest cavity and you'll kill it. (if I do my part, and I Love those hornady 58gr vmax in the 243)
 
My 223 wears a nightforce 4.5-14x56 with illuminated center cross moar reticle. I absolutely love it for coyote and I hunt the southern most western parts of Ontario. Fence rows across fields or in timber it meets my needs. Especially in low light of the first and last legal minutes of shooting time
Most of my other rifles have been swapped to the 1-4x20 ish range with illuminated center dot and that would be my choice after my nightforce. My coyote hunting is done by posting up in natural hides and calling
 
I have killed more coyotes with my RUGER m77 in 357 with open sights then I have with my “coyote rig” a tikka t3 in 22-250 with a 4-12x40 on it. Just bought a savage 340 in 222 rem that I plan on putting a peep sight and use in the times I normally have my RUGER with me. I’m hunting farm and woods of Alberta. I have a gun with me just about everywhere I go, hence the high kill rate with my ruger. It’s light and handy and always with in arms reach no matter if I’m in the truck, the tractor or on my atv or snowmobile. People get to hung up on scopes, my grandfather never hunted with anything other then iron sights and I learned from him, but I’m not against a good 3-9x40 on a hunting rig.
 
Fit and being familiar with a certain rifle is first and for most. If you have to bounce your head around behind to scope to try and get a clear view it won’t matter if it’s 1.5x or 50x. Something I’ve noticed lately looking through my safe is my favorite scopes are my fixed 6x leupolds and I’m certain if I looked right now all my variable power scopes would be set around 6x.

6x is a little much for those 15 yard pop shots but with rifle that fits and points like a shotgun it’s more then do able. 6x is a little light when I’m banging away on my 500 yard gong but if it dosent ring when I pull the trigger it’s not like it would have with 24x either.

I’ve messed up more shots because of different stock fit and triggers then I have because of magnification.
 
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