Coyote Problem

[Hamiddy]

Coyotes are a new problem down here in SC. I have never hunted them before. What is a good gun to hunt them with

[300 wsm]

That is a big can of worms to open, lots of opinions there... How far is the average shot where you live?

[Hamiddy]

20 yards to 300 yards

[petemi]

Use your deer rifle. I kill most of mine with my .308 & I've done it at 300 yards. I like the .22-250.

[300 wsm]

Ok well I shoot a Winchester Model 70 Stealth II in 223 WSSM... It knocks them for a loop... at 600 yds. But for the range you tend to shoot I would say a 243 winchester would be all ya need or a 22-250. But if you're like me yoy need the fastest then get a browning 223 WSSM.

[Hamiddy]

Thanks. I just didnt want to shoot them with my 30-06 or .270 cause I wanted to mount one. A 30-06 would cut one in half.


I have a 243 I guess i will use it

[300 wsm]

If you want to mount it then use heavier bullets for the 243 like 100 gr and if you want to shoot them at 300 yds the best piece of advice for you is to LEARN YOUR GUN at 300 yds, b/c even though they are vermin they have the right to a clean kill

[Hamiddy]

I reload my ammo. So its pretty accurate. I killed a deer with my .243 at 270 yards when i was little.

I havent shot my .243 in long time. It was in the back of my safe. Almost forgot about it

[texnmidwest]

It wouldn't even be a bad thing to use 125 grain bullets in your 06 either. Main thing is to use what you can shoot well and like luggin' around. I have shot 'yotes with my 06 before. Range 50 yards. It did not cut them in half but did kill them cleanly. Put a nice little hole in one side and a bigger one in the other but nothing overwhelming.

[nathangdad]

I grew up in the West Texas desert where we could hear them singing (yelping) almost every night. The .243 is very good for this sized game.
However, if the range is close, you can place the shot well, and wish to minimize pelt damage a .223 is also good. Note these are extremely tough animals and a wounded one will travel.

[300 wsm]

I like to see youngsters reloading and interested in hunting... that gun will be one of the best yote guns around if you can shoot it good, but you obviously can hey if you like hunting yotes after you have killed one or two then get a specalized gun for it like a varment rifle I would say 22-250

a 22-250 with barnes 36gr grenade bullets vaporize inside the animal they won't leave the other side and you probably won't be able to find the entrance hole

[texnmidwest]

300 wsm, I love you "motto line"! I was quite a fan of Poo when I was a kid and still am. I can just see Poo crouching behind a termite mound slowly chambering another round.

[300 wsm]

Thanks I thought it up my self I was thinking more like those humpalumpagus or what ever they where that steal his honey... like the 100 acre forest osama

[Hawaiian Hummer]

I don't know for absolute sure but I think they were Heffalumps and woozles! I love to shoot and when I go out to the gravel pit I end up shooting all day. I thought about a 22-250 or a 204 ( I don't have either) but I've heard a lot about barrel burn and 3-4 times to the pit and I'd be worried, word is it doesn't take that long to burn one. Any thoughts?

[Ron AKA]

From experience a .264 WM 100 gr. loaded up to about 3700 f/s does a good job. Should be able to sight it in to be able to hold dead on out to 300 yards or so.

Ron

Originally Posted by Hamiddy

Thanks. I just didnt want to shoot them with my 30-06 or .270 cause I wanted to mount one. A 30-06 would cut one in half. I have a 243 I guess i will use it

Actually if you are looking to do minimal damage, I would expect a heavy bullet in the larger caliber (intended for big game) would pretty much go straight through a coyote. It is the lighter high velocity loads that explode and do the big damage. The 85 grain in my .264 WM is pretty brutal on a coyote.

Ron

[300 wsm]

Hawaiian hummer, barrel burn is only a large issue if you shoot the rifle to the point where you can't touch the barrel that will signifficantly increase barrel ware... but if you let the rifle cool every 5-6 shots there should not be too much trouble. and the two calibers mentioned will heat up a barrel quickly, but as mentioned let the gun rest and there will not be any trouble with barrel erosion. Thanks for streightening out my pooh mispronunciation.

[Palladin8]

I have a .204 and it doesn't heat up the barrel very quickly at all. It uses about 5 to 10gr less powder than the 22-250 to achieve the same velocity. It works well on Small game upto and including Coyote.

[Hawaiian Hummer]

That would be great, it was just that the impression I got, and was actually told by one sales guy, that any round even approaching 4000fps, would ruin the barrel after only a few thousand rounds. So that number got me worried. They never even mentioned successive shots, they just mentioned number of rounds! Hell, I could probably shoot that amount in a month.

[samuel]

300WSM:You give excelent advice and know a lot about the shooting sports. Glad to see that. sam.

[kawadank]

Hamiddy,
Where are you hunting coyotes at in S.C. if you don't mind my asking? I'm looking for a place to hunt them also and have had no luck yet.