Coyote Rifle
Hello,
I want to start hunting Coyotes here in Western Pennsylvania. What rifle manufacturer, scope, and calibre would you recommend. Thank you.
I want to start hunting Coyotes here in Western Pennsylvania. What rifle manufacturer, scope, and calibre would you recommend. Thank you.
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I've been thinking about a mini 14 or a ranch rifle to buy as a hog/coyote/plinking gun. I have heard about bad accuracy, how bad, I plan on putting a scope on it and never shooting more than 200 yards, unless I'm just plinking. If you don't think this would be a good choice can you please provide some others, I'm looking for around a .223 or a .308 in a semi auto with mags of at least 20 rds. I'm trying to stay away from ARs, SKSs, and things of that sort. For a final question could you please tell me the difference between a mini 14 and a ranch rifle.[?]
Darrell0 -
I like the 223 and they are many kinds to chose from, Bolts,Auto and lots of ammo now 0 -
You didn't say what your purpose was, to kill them or for pelts. 0 -
I use a bolt action Remington 700 VS in .223 and an AR in 5.56 that I use for yotes. My ammo is Black Hills .223 68 grain match hollow points. 0 -
I am not a coyote hunter but I do kill as many as I can on our fram.
My weapon of choice now is a Bushmaster Predator in .223 with a Nikon 6X18X40. It likes Black Hills Gold and Hornady V-Max 55gr. Out to 600 yards I cant ask for more.0 -
My go to coyote rifle is a Savage model 10 Predator in 22-250 with a Leupold VX3 4-14. It works good here in the western deserts. I like the size and weight of it and especially like the accu-trigger. If I was to buy another bolt action coyote gun right now it would be the Savage model 10 Precision Carbine in .223. My buddy has one in .308 and it is the most accurate over-the-counter rifle I've ever shot.
Anything from 204 to 243 will make a good dedicated coyote gun but you need to consider pelt damage in the faster rounds especially if you're using explosive varmint type bullets. If you don't care about the pelts then just blow them up with anything.
Bolt actions have long been considered the choice for accuracy but the current crop of AR rifles has several choices that are just as accurate. The Bushmaster Predator that dbain99 uses is an excellent choice and very handy if you need quick follow up shots. Maybe I should say when you need quick follow up shots. They tend to run really fast when the first shot misses. Don't ask me how I know that.[:p]0 -
Most any cartridge will work. I've read where 22WRF works ok if the range is close enough. So the question then becomes what is the situation that you are hunting them in. Is it wide open or in close with neighbors. The noise difference between a 270win and a 22hornet is impressive. Are you pelt hunting or just ridding the area of a varmint. Do you care if the yote drops dead or bleeds out. These are all considerations. For pelt hunting the smaller the caliber the better. For a clean kill the larger the better. In the distant past I've shot them from my driveway. But, because of the neighbors I could not use a firearm, so I used my bow. After the one time of having to get rid of a dead yote in a major city I switched to target arrows and let them run off to die elsewhere. The small dogs and cats of the area would have thanked me I'm sure. The yotes who bled out didn't. So what is your situation, then we can help recomend a reasonable rifle for your intended use..... 0 -
For ranges out to 250 yards, the 223 is OK. For taking any possible shot, I'd go with a 22/250 for the extra range. I've killed several coyotes at a measured 1/4 mile with the 22/250 and hit one that escaped at 1/3 mile as measured on a snowmobile speedometer. Truthfully, most of the 22's suffer from excessive wind drift and I've used a heavy barrel 308 as much as anything the last few years. Rangefinders have levelled the playing field in terms of bullet drop/holdover but nothing counters the wind drift like bullet weight. 0 -
You have gotten some excellent advice already. It is hard to beat the 223 for normal Coyote hunting, and hard to beat the AR-15 platform, if it is allowed for hunting in your state. If I were going to go with a bolt gun, it most likely would be a Tikka T3, for the weight, ergonomics, and accuracy. I would choose either a 4.5-14x, 6-18x, or a 6.5-20x scope, all preferrably with a mil-dot reticle. Learn that reticle system, and your trajectory, and you will be golden.
If I were to go to something other than a 223, I would skip over the 22-250, and go to the 243 Winchester.
Best0 -
An AR-15 is excellent for hunting yotes. Stalk huntng is easier with a rifle thats relatively light weight and compact, where as if you set up and call or bait them you can put alot more weight and length into a rifle without hendering yourself much.
No company makes an Ideal AR stalk predator rifle in my opinion. but you can build one from a cheap carbine without putting to much money into it. Or go with something off the shelf.
The DPMS Praire rifle is the closest that I know of. You could shave a few ounces off this rifle by switching the stock to an Ace Ltd ultra light, and the barrel could be thinner, the gas block smaller but it is closest to the ideal IMHO.
A small bit of Graphite(weights less then aluminium and doesnt conduct heat) rail on the hand guard would be easy to add, and mount a light for night hunting.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=200039536
As for a scope, a 2.5-10 would be my personal choice. a scope As light and compact as possible would be high on my list. A simple range finding bullet drop compensating reticle would be my choice.0 -
Thanks for all the information. I will just be trying to kill them for the farmers in my area. Are the pelts worth anything? 0 -
If you don't care about 2 holes in the pelts a nice 243. or .270 would be my choice. Truely almost any center fire round will work OK. Fairly close up I have used a .22 mag and a 30 cal carbine to pick them off of a dead cow pile. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Jmoe131
Are the pelts worth anything?
On the carcass you might get five to seven dollars. The real money is in dried pelts. Northern heavies are top dollar.
I've used from a 12 gauge with buckshot to my 264 Win Mag for damage control and mange culling.0
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