New rifle purchase for Coyote???

Merlin74 · January 6, 2011, 10:33 AM

Hey folks, I'm looking for some advice on a current predicament.

My predicament is how - or whether I even should - convince myself to get another rifle in 22-250 mainly for the purpose of coyote hunting which I want to get into. I live in CT and, unlike our short deer season (for rifle/shotgun) the coyote season runs basically all year long with a few short breaks here and there.

So, here's the guns I own already:

Ruger Hawkeye .270
Browning X Bolt .243
Marlin 30-30 (2)
Stag Arms Model 4 .223

I know the .243 would be a great coyote gun. The Stag is an AR style and, although it's also a good varmint caliber, I feel weird hunting with that. I only intended to use it as a target rifle.

So you're asking yourself - what's this guy's problem? He's already got a perfect gun (.243) he can use. The problem is simply that I'm really intrigued by the 22-250 and the fact it is less common and would be more of a "specialty gun" in my collection as opposed to a "jack of all trades" like the .243 can be. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know all that much about the performance of a 22-250 aside from what I've read. Do any of you coyote / varmint hunters out there have experience with both the .243 and 22-250 and, if so, are there any areas in which you feel the 22-250 is actually a BETTER gun for this purpose - even for someone who has a .243?

I'm also thinking it would be fun to have the 22-250 as an alternate "target" rifle to mix in with the Stag here and there for extra flavor.

It just seems like it'd be a real fun caliber to have overall.

Hoping perhaps some advice will swing me one way or the other. I'm not rich...but willing to do the deed if I can justify it well enough. Hope this makes sense?

The classic battle between the "need" vs the "want" I suppose.

Thanks!

natman · January 6, 2011, 10:39 AM

If you have a 223 and a 243 you're happy with, you're pretty well armed for coyote already. What you need is an elk rifle. Or a nice light shotgun for pheasants. Or a serious target 22. Or......

aarondhgraham · January 6, 2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

The problem is simply that I'm really intrigued by the 22-250 and the fact it is less common and would be more of a "specialty gun" in my collection as opposed to a "jack of all trades" like the .243 can be.

That doesn't sound like a "problem" to me,,,
It's a perfectly reasonable excuse to buy a 22-250.

Sometimes you just want something,,,
So if the rent is being paid and the kids have shoes,,,
Buy that 22-250 you want and have a blast shooting 'yotes with it.

I'm such an enabler,,,

Aarond

hagar · January 6, 2011, 11:36 AM

Buy a 204 Ruger. I hunted coyotes with a 22/250 15 years ago, if I had to do it again I would go 204 Ruger.

Saltydog235 · January 6, 2011, 12:04 PM

This is my next purchase. Model 10 Predator Max in twenty and forty tree.

Just shopping around for the best price. I like the fact that it has a 24" barrel. Going to mount the Hubble on top too, just haven't figured out which one yet.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

camper4lyfe · January 6, 2011, 07:48 PM

The 22-250 is also a perfect round for woodchucks. There, problem solved. Dual purpose rifle. Get it!

I've got a Remington 700 ADL in 22-250 (got it from Gander Mountain on closeout as the ADL has been discontinued) and have sliced quite a few 'chucks open with 'er.

I'd like to give it a shot (no pun intended) using it for 'yotes this winter, as well.

BIG P · January 7, 2011, 12:42 AM

I use a STAG ARMS 223 20'' flattop for yotes man its a ball,sometimes I hope I miss the first shot so I can kick it in rock& roll out across the peanut fields I do enjoy the AR just MO.

L_Killkenny · January 7, 2011, 01:15 PM

You've already got a couple of the best coyote guns out there. Lookin for an excuse? Cool, .22-250.

LK

mdd · January 7, 2011, 03:54 PM

Everybody needs a 22-250. I have two of them. They work well on coyotes & I'd choose that over my .204 if coyotes were the intended target.

ammo.crafter · January 7, 2011, 04:39 PM

1x for the .204 Ruger. >4000 f/s is awsome!

highvel · January 7, 2011, 06:17 PM

I have a .22-250 that shoots like a laser, but I love my .204 VR15 for the puppy's.

Swampray · January 11, 2011, 04:27 PM

I have killed a lot of dear with a 22-250. All within 160 yards. They just drop on the spot. A great varment rifle at any range within reason.

PIGMAN · January 18, 2011, 04:12 AM

You said you wanted to get in to coyote hunting so here is what I can tell you about hunting them. The 22/250 is a great cartridge for coyotes and the 55 gr drops them with out a problem. The 22/250 is also a great target shooter as well.

The one thing I noticed about hunting coyotes is they dont stand still very long so a light fast rifle works best for me. I believe the cartridge I use is less important than rifle configuration.

I use a Ruger M77 All Weather 22'' barrel with a Bell and Carlson Carbalite stock.I like the Ruger M77 since it is a Mauser clone and I think these are really good actions. I use a Nikon Prostaff fixed 4 power scope with duplex reticle.Since coyotes tend not stand still for very long if at all, the 4 power with it's wide field of view and the duplex reticle combination makes target aquisition quick work.

Also if you are not familiar with hunting coyotes, the best method is to call them. This method also brings in lots of other varmints to shoot at as well.

Bones · January 18, 2011, 05:14 AM

If I were a hunter, which I am not,

I would go with a heavy barreled .223 (twist rate round 7 or 8:1), and have the chamber opened up for the 22-250AI. I would reload with one of the heavier bullets (80gr to 95gr). Any coyote I could see,

would be my.

stantonizm · January 18, 2011, 08:39 AM

I like the Remington Model 7 Predator in .204. Lightweight and accurate, the perfect rifle for trucking around in the woods.

Sensai · January 18, 2011, 11:17 AM

I don't understand the question, everybody needs a 22-250!

ARDogman · January 18, 2011, 05:01 PM

Less common, specialty gun...just a thought.

.22-250 would be nice, though.

Either way, you win.

DRT300 · January 18, 2011, 05:12 PM

You got the best already IMO. The AR style gun would be my choice 200yds. and in. If multiples come in to the call you will be glad you have it.

BIG P · January 18, 2011, 05:55 PM

The AR would be hard to beat.What about optics & trigger upgrades load development gear in general. but if it was me Id buy the 22-250 because I already did the upgrades,A SAVAGE 12FV would work for me

JoeDorn · January 18, 2011, 07:56 PM

If it will kill a deer, it will kill a coyote... The body mass is about the same as a deer but in the winter the coyote's fur might enter into the equation...

If you are looking for an excuse to buy another gun, this ain't it...

My arsenal is not extensive with a mod 94, .30/30 and a BAR .270.

Grandkid's like the .223 .

We do not have feral hogs YET!!! That will bring out another gun...

BTW, I live on 250 acres of a well populated by coyotes wildlife conservation area (private, as under my control)

omahahaha · January 19, 2011, 12:18 AM

Really any rifle in a higher caliber than .22 or .17hmr will do er. I'd be using the .223, a good amount of coyote hunters do.

jimbob86 · January 19, 2011, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Really any rifle in a higher caliber than .22 or .17hmr will do er. I'd be using the .223, a good amount of coyote hunters do.

I've killed a couple with a .22lr ..... shoot 'em in the chest...... their lungs fill with blood and they'll stop runnin' ......

You also don't have to worry abouta lot of pelt damage that way, either.

Art Eatman · January 19, 2011, 07:22 AM

JoeDorn, it's a rare coyote in Texas that will break forty pounds, total live weight.

Few of what I'd call shootable deer in Texas that will weigh less than 120 pounds on the hoof.

A_Gamehog · January 19, 2011, 03:13 PM

You have some great guns to fill your needs already, The 270 with light bullets is deadly out to 500 yards, as the 243 is even better.
That said,

My Savage Model 16 from Cabellas is a 22-250 in 12 twist. It shoots the 68-69 bullets out to 600 yards and smokes coyotes dead in their tracks. The very best bullet killing combo is a 60 grain Hornady V-Max @ 3400+fps, it totally removes the hide from standing P-dogs at 350 yards+ and kills any coyote easily without an exit hole. Do not underestimate heavy for calibur bullets in the 22-250. I can get 15 shots thru this gun before it needs to cool down. The 243 shoots even more powder and you might get 10 shots before it gets too hot. The 270 you might get 5-7 before it's too hot. In a dog town this matters.

Steve_in_SEMich · January 26, 2011, 07:24 AM

I'm with PIGMAN, something light enough to carry and move quickly. We hunt yotes in thick woods and I recently bought a Mini-14 in .223 to take with my shotgun on occasion. My Colt HBAR would be a great single gun if we hunted in open areas. As someone else said, the 60 gr V-Max works well in the Mini-14 with 24.5 grains of Benchmark powder.

The new Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle in a .223 or .22-250 will be my next rifle if ever offered.

January 6, 2011, 10:33 AM	#1
Merlin74 Junior Member Join Date: November 2, 2010 Posts: 2	New rifle purchase for Coyote??? Hey folks, I'm looking for some advice on a current predicament. My predicament is how - or whether I even should - convince myself to get another rifle in 22-250 mainly for the purpose of coyote hunting which I want to get into. I live in CT and, unlike our short deer season (for rifle/shotgun) the coyote season runs basically all year long with a few short breaks here and there. So, here's the guns I own already: Ruger Hawkeye .270 Browning X Bolt .243 Marlin 30-30 (2) Stag Arms Model 4 .223 I know the .243 would be a great coyote gun. The Stag is an AR style and, although it's also a good varmint caliber, I feel weird hunting with that. I only intended to use it as a target rifle. So you're asking yourself - what's this guy's problem? He's already got a perfect gun (.243) he can use. The problem is simply that I'm really intrigued by the 22-250 and the fact it is less common and would be more of a "specialty gun" in my collection as opposed to a "jack of all trades" like the .243 can be. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know all that much about the performance of a 22-250 aside from what I've read. Do any of you coyote / varmint hunters out there have experience with both the .243 and 22-250 and, if so, are there any areas in which you feel the 22-250 is actually a BETTER gun for this purpose - even for someone who has a .243? I'm also thinking it would be fun to have the 22-250 as an alternate "target" rifle to mix in with the Stag here and there for extra flavor. It just seems like it'd be a real fun caliber to have overall. Hoping perhaps some advice will swing me one way or the other. I'm not rich...but willing to do the deed if I can justify it well enough. Hope this makes sense? The classic battle between the "need" vs the "want" I suppose. Thanks!

January 6, 2011, 11:36 AM	#4
hagar Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2000 Location: Colombia, SC Posts: 745	Buy a 204 Ruger. I hunted coyotes with a 22/250 15 years ago, if I had to do it again I would go 204 Ruger. __________________ I don't have time for busy people

January 7, 2011, 03:54 PM	#9
mdd Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Posts: 626	Everybody needs a 22-250. I have two of them. They work well on coyotes & I'd choose that over my .204 if coyotes were the intended target. __________________ So many coyotes....so little time....

January 7, 2011, 04:39 PM	#10
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	coyote 1x for the .204 Ruger. >4000 f/s is awsome! __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson

January 7, 2011, 06:17 PM	#11
highvel Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2010 Location: Powhatan VA Posts: 633	I have a .22-250 that shoots like a laser, but I love my .204 VR15 for the puppy's. __________________ Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.--Mark Twain "I have opinions of my own 'strong opinions' but I don't always agree with them."--George Bush

January 6, 2011, 10:39 AM	#2
natman Senior Member Join Date: June 24, 2008 Posts: 2,607	If you have a 223 and a 243 you're happy with, you're pretty well armed for coyote already. What you need is an elk rifle. Or a nice light shotgun for pheasants. Or a serious target 22. Or......

January 6, 2011, 12:04 PM	#5
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	This is my next purchase. Model 10 Predator Max in twenty and forty tree. Just shopping around for the best price. I like the fact that it has a 24" barrel. Going to mount the Hubble on top too, just haven't figured out which one yet. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

January 6, 2011, 07:48 PM	#6
camper4lyfe Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2008 Location: Fairport, NY Posts: 165	The 22-250 is also a perfect round for woodchucks. There, problem solved. Dual purpose rifle. Get it! I've got a Remington 700 ADL in 22-250 (got it from Gander Mountain on closeout as the ADL has been discontinued) and have sliced quite a few 'chucks open with 'er. I'd like to give it a shot (no pun intended) using it for 'yotes this winter, as well.

January 7, 2011, 12:42 AM	#7
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	I use a STAG ARMS 223 20'' flattop for yotes man its a ball,sometimes I hope I miss the first shot so I can kick it in rock& roll out across the peanut fields I do enjoy the AR just MO.

January 7, 2011, 01:15 PM	#8
L_Killkenny Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,676	You've already got a couple of the best coyote guns out there. Lookin for an excuse? Cool, .22-250. LK

January 11, 2011, 04:27 PM	#12
Swampray Member Join Date: November 11, 2008 Posts: 29	I have killed a lot of dear with a 22-250. All within 160 yards. They just drop on the spot. A great varment rifle at any range within reason.

January 18, 2011, 04:12 AM	#13
PIGMAN Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2011 Location: ARIZONA Posts: 175	You said you wanted to get in to coyote hunting so here is what I can tell you about hunting them. The 22/250 is a great cartridge for coyotes and the 55 gr drops them with out a problem. The 22/250 is also a great target shooter as well. The one thing I noticed about hunting coyotes is they dont stand still very long so a light fast rifle works best for me. I believe the cartridge I use is less important than rifle configuration. I use a Ruger M77 All Weather 22'' barrel with a Bell and Carlson Carbalite stock.I like the Ruger M77 since it is a Mauser clone and I think these are really good actions. I use a Nikon Prostaff fixed 4 power scope with duplex reticle.Since coyotes tend not stand still for very long if at all, the 4 power with it's wide field of view and the duplex reticle combination makes target aquisition quick work. Also if you are not familiar with hunting coyotes, the best method is to call them. This method also brings in lots of other varmints to shoot at as well. Last edited by PIGMAN; January 18, 2011 at 04:45 AM.

January 18, 2011, 05:14 AM	#14
Bones Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2010 Posts: 122	If I were a hunter, which I am not, I would go with a heavy barreled .223 (twist rate round 7 or 8:1), and have the chamber opened up for the 22-250AI. I would reload with one of the heavier bullets (80gr to 95gr). Any coyote I could see, would be my. __________________ READY on the "LEFT!"....READY on the "RIGHT!"...PULL!

January 18, 2011, 08:39 AM	#15
stantonizm Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2005 Location: West Virginia Posts: 148	I like the Remington Model 7 Predator in .204. Lightweight and accurate, the perfect rifle for trucking around in the woods.

January 18, 2011, 11:17 AM	#16
Sensai Member Join Date: October 14, 2008 Location: Southeastern Virginia Posts: 86	I don't understand the question, everybody needs a 22-250! __________________ Gary Take-offs are optional, landings are manditory!!

January 18, 2011, 05:01 PM	#17
ARDogman Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2009 Location: Eastern South Dakota Posts: 247	.220 Swift Less common, specialty gun...just a thought. .22-250 would be nice, though. Either way, you win.

January 18, 2011, 05:12 PM	#18
DRT300 Member Join Date: December 15, 2010 Posts: 34	You got the best already IMO. The AR style gun would be my choice 200yds. and in. If multiples come in to the call you will be glad you have it.

January 18, 2011, 05:55 PM	#19
BIG P Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2010 Location: North Georgia Posts: 1,679	The AR would be hard to beat.What about optics & trigger upgrades load development gear in general. but if it was me Id buy the 22-250 because I already did the upgrades,A SAVAGE 12FV would work for me

January 18, 2011, 07:56 PM	#20
JoeDorn Member Join Date: May 24, 2010 Location: Belton, Texas Posts: 26	If it will kill a deer, it will kill a coyote... The body mass is about the same as a deer but in the winter the coyote's fur might enter into the equation... If you are looking for an excuse to buy another gun, this ain't it... My arsenal is not extensive with a mod 94, .30/30 and a BAR .270. Grandkid's like the .223 . We do not have feral hogs YET!!! That will bring out another gun... BTW, I live on 250 acres of a well populated by coyotes wildlife conservation area (private, as under my control) __________________ Joe Dorn, W5VEX Belton, Texas NRA Benefactor, GOA, SAF & TSRA Lifer

January 19, 2011, 12:18 AM	#21
omahahaha Member Join Date: June 12, 2009 Posts: 78	Really any rifle in a higher caliber than .22 or .17hmr will do er. I'd be using the .223, a good amount of coyote hunters do.

January 19, 2011, 07:22 AM	#23
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	JoeDorn, it's a rare coyote in Texas that will break forty pounds, total live weight. Few of what I'd call shootable deer in Texas that will weigh less than 120 pounds on the hoof.

January 19, 2011, 03:13 PM	#24
A_Gamehog Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2009 Location: Central Oregun Posts: 563	You have some great guns to fill your needs already, The 270 with light bullets is deadly out to 500 yards, as the 243 is even better. That said, My Savage Model 16 from Cabellas is a 22-250 in 12 twist. It shoots the 68-69 bullets out to 600 yards and smokes coyotes dead in their tracks. The very best bullet killing combo is a 60 grain Hornady V-Max @ 3400+fps, it totally removes the hide from standing P-dogs at 350 yards+ and kills any coyote easily without an exit hole. Do not underestimate heavy for calibur bullets in the 22-250. I can get 15 shots thru this gun before it needs to cool down. The 243 shoots even more powder and you might get 10 shots before it gets too hot. The 270 you might get 5-7 before it's too hot. In a dog town this matters. __________________ "Happiness is knowing the Barred Owl is Eating the Spotted Owl and environmentalists are watching Nature take it's course"

January 26, 2011, 07:24 AM	#25
Steve_in_SEMich Member Join Date: January 29, 2009 Posts: 88	I'm with PIGMAN, something light enough to carry and move quickly. We hunt yotes in thick woods and I recently bought a Mini-14 in .223 to take with my shotgun on occasion. My Colt HBAR would be a great single gun if we hunted in open areas. As someone else said, the 60 gr V-Max works well in the Mini-14 with 24.5 grains of Benchmark powder. The new Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle in a .223 or .22-250 will be my next rifle if ever offered. __________________ Steve