What is the best coyote gun? - Page 3

Saskhunter · June 19, 2016, 08:03 AM

Pound for pound a coyote is a very tough animal. If they were the size of a deer, people would be using very powerful rifles to try to anchor them. Several stories of tracking animals that proved to have very serious hits that one would think would be incapacitating, but weren't.

My favorite coyote rifle is a .22-250 at the moment. If I was to buy a dedicated coyote rifle right now, the .243 would get serious consideration.

Theohazard · June 19, 2016, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T. O'Heir

"...coyoteXwolf cross..." No such thing. Wolves instinctively kill Wiley on sight.

Coyote/wolf hybrids are extremely common. They're actually becoming quite a problem in some parts of the country. A 3-second Google search for "Coywolf" yields tons of articles like this one:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-...ica-180957141/

peggysue · June 19, 2016, 05:22 PM

I have a Remington 788 in 22-250. They reach out and hit them.

979Texas · June 20, 2016, 12:13 AM

Yes they can vanish very quickly and escape I do agree with that. And coyote wolf hybrids do exist fairly commonly. Now there is predation amongst them but hybrids are a fairly well known existence, not just a cryptid.
We get alota "chupacabra sightings" down here in Texas. And I'm not trying to derail this thread or talk about cryptids that don't exist. But one of these "chupacabras" got shot by a rancher in West Texas so he sent the body to Texas A&M for testing and through DNA tests they confirmed that it was a coyote/wolf hybrid with a real sever case of mange.
There are no wolf's in Texas anymore except for a few Red wolves in East Texas. So it was thought that it was probably an escaped domestic gray wolf that bred with the coyote because plenty of people have grey wolves for pets around here. So hybrids are totally possible and have been confirmed.

Deja vu · June 20, 2016, 07:47 AM

i hear stories about a Coyote/Fox hybrid in the local area. A quick google search said it was possible.

rickyrick · June 20, 2016, 09:27 PM

There's a pretty lengthy documentary on coywolves. Don't ask me where, I don't remember.

There also is coydogs and wolfdogs.... I once caught a coyote in my kennel attempting to mate.

Adding to the question... Rifle fit to the shooter is more important than caliber in my opinion.

Wyosmith · June 21, 2016, 08:29 AM

Back in the 80s I earned a large part of my living with fur. The weapons I started with were a 22 WMR a 22LR in both a rifle and a revolver, and a 22-250. I killed a lot of coyotes with them but each had their weaknesses. The 22 rimfire mag lacked range over 200 yards. This was not a problem in most cases when I carried it because I was shooting on ranches and farms where the owners were having problems and shots were usually within it's range. The 22-250 on the other hand was too powerful for the task at ranges under 200. Hide damage was usually more than I wanted and I bet I lost about 25% of the potential cash because I had to sew up some big holes and the fur buyers would not pay as much for one that was damaged that much.

I also used a standard 22 LR (from a Ruger 77/22) and a 22 LR Colt Diamondback to kill several dozen coyotes.

I then bought a 222 Remington (on a SAKO)
That was the magic gun. It will kill coyotes to rather long ranges and even at 30 yards with the 50 grain Winchester bullets I used, it would not do much hide damage.

You will read that the old 222 is limited to 250 yards by the gun-rag writers. Don't believe it. I killed a LOT of them at 350 to 400 and I remember one I paced off that I killed at 492 paces. Bang-flop.
If we see how well a 22 LR kills them at 50 yards and we look at the ballistics of a 222 Remington coming out the muzzle at 3200 FPS we see that at 500 yards the 222 is still doing very well compared to the 22 LR at 50 yards, so the only limitation is your marksmanship. For money shooters hide damage is a major factor in your paycheck so more power is not the answer.
In 1986 I killed fur for 4 months and when I sold it all I was able to buy a 3 year old Toyota Land Cruiser in excellent shape on just the money I earned in that 4 months. So when I say I killed a lot of coyotes I mean a LOT. And that was only that 4 months. I killed coyotes at other times that year and in every year of my life since I was about 9 years old. I am 60 now, so you can see I have some experience at this.

Well now days I think my best coyote gun is my AR-15 16" barreled carbine in 5.56.

The 222 Remington that served me so well shot a 50 gr bullet at 3200 from a 22" barrel. My AR shoots a 50 grain bullet from a 16 inch barrel at about the same speed. So the bullet is going to act the same way.

But with the AR I can get shots on doubles and every now and then on 3-4 and the recovery time between shots is far less than it is from my bolt action 222. Accuracy is also excellent with my AR so I can't even give an advantage to the SAKO in that way.
Lastly---- to me anyway----Coyote hunting is fun but it's a job and I like the fact that I don't have to take care of my nice wood stock when I throw the AR on the floor of the truck, or when I lay down in the dirt and rocks for a long shot. It's more of a tool than an art form, but in answer to the OP's question, I would say without hesitation that an accurate AR15 is the best coyote gun yet made if you are hunting hides.
If you only want to kill them any rifle is as good as any other, as long as it's accurate.

MarkCO · June 21, 2016, 08:47 AM

While I am sure Wyosmith has shot a lot more Coyotes than I have, I did shoot a lot with a lot of different calibers and also for the bounty and pelts on ranchers land who allowed me to then hunt pheasant, deer and pronghorn.

I would agree that a decent AR15 in .223 would be (is) the best all-around choice for Coyotes. I have shot a triple with an AR15 that I would not have got with a bolt gun. I still have what was my primary coyote gun for many years, a Marlin 922M (.22WMR) but I hardly ever shoot it anymore. When I go to shoot Coyotes specifically now, it is always a .223 AR15. I have shot them with big game rifles and the 6.5PCC, .22-250, .243Win and 12g buckshot over the years as well.

If you only want to hunt a few here and there and have other uses for a deer rifle, that would be a decent option.

June 19, 2016, 05:22 PM	#53
peggysue Junior member Join Date: May 20, 2014 Posts: 1,835	I have a Remington 788 in 22-250. They reach out and hit them. Last edited by peggysue; June 20, 2016 at 04:10 AM.

June 20, 2016, 07:47 AM	#55
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	i hear stories about a Coyote/Fox hybrid in the local area. A quick google search said it was possible. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

June 21, 2016, 08:29 AM	#57
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	Back in the 80s I earned a large part of my living with fur. The weapons I started with were a 22 WMR a 22LR in both a rifle and a revolver, and a 22-250. I killed a lot of coyotes with them but each had their weaknesses. The 22 rimfire mag lacked range over 200 yards. This was not a problem in most cases when I carried it because I was shooting on ranches and farms where the owners were having problems and shots were usually within it's range. The 22-250 on the other hand was too powerful for the task at ranges under 200. Hide damage was usually more than I wanted and I bet I lost about 25% of the potential cash because I had to sew up some big holes and the fur buyers would not pay as much for one that was damaged that much. I also used a standard 22 LR (from a Ruger 77/22) and a 22 LR Colt Diamondback to kill several dozen coyotes. I then bought a 222 Remington (on a SAKO) That was the magic gun. It will kill coyotes to rather long ranges and even at 30 yards with the 50 grain Winchester bullets I used, it would not do much hide damage. You will read that the old 222 is limited to 250 yards by the gun-rag writers. Don't believe it. I killed a LOT of them at 350 to 400 and I remember one I paced off that I killed at 492 paces. Bang-flop. If we see how well a 22 LR kills them at 50 yards and we look at the ballistics of a 222 Remington coming out the muzzle at 3200 FPS we see that at 500 yards the 222 is still doing very well compared to the 22 LR at 50 yards, so the only limitation is your marksmanship. For money shooters hide damage is a major factor in your paycheck so more power is not the answer. In 1986 I killed fur for 4 months and when I sold it all I was able to buy a 3 year old Toyota Land Cruiser in excellent shape on just the money I earned in that 4 months. So when I say I killed a lot of coyotes I mean a LOT. And that was only that 4 months. I killed coyotes at other times that year and in every year of my life since I was about 9 years old. I am 60 now, so you can see I have some experience at this. Well now days I think my best coyote gun is my AR-15 16" barreled carbine in 5.56. The 222 Remington that served me so well shot a 50 gr bullet at 3200 from a 22" barrel. My AR shoots a 50 grain bullet from a 16 inch barrel at about the same speed. So the bullet is going to act the same way. But with the AR I can get shots on doubles and every now and then on 3-4 and the recovery time between shots is far less than it is from my bolt action 222. Accuracy is also excellent with my AR so I can't even give an advantage to the SAKO in that way. Lastly---- to me anyway----Coyote hunting is fun but it's a job and I like the fact that I don't have to take care of my nice wood stock when I throw the AR on the floor of the truck, or when I lay down in the dirt and rocks for a long shot. It's more of a tool than an art form, but in answer to the OP's question, I would say without hesitation that an accurate AR15 is the best coyote gun yet made if you are hunting hides. If you only want to kill them any rifle is as good as any other, as long as it's accurate. Last edited by Wyosmith; June 21, 2016 at 08:35 AM.

June 21, 2016, 08:47 AM	#58
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	While I am sure Wyosmith has shot a lot more Coyotes than I have, I did shoot a lot with a lot of different calibers and also for the bounty and pelts on ranchers land who allowed me to then hunt pheasant, deer and pronghorn. I would agree that a decent AR15 in .223 would be (is) the best all-around choice for Coyotes. I have shot a triple with an AR15 that I would not have got with a bolt gun. I still have what was my primary coyote gun for many years, a Marlin 922M (.22WMR) but I hardly ever shoot it anymore. When I go to shoot Coyotes specifically now, it is always a .223 AR15. I have shot them with big game rifles and the 6.5PCC, .22-250, .243Win and 12g buckshot over the years as well. If you only want to hunt a few here and there and have other uses for a deer rifle, that would be a decent option. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

June 19, 2016, 08:03 AM	#51
Saskhunter Member Join Date: October 16, 2012 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 39	Pound for pound a coyote is a very tough animal. If they were the size of a deer, people would be using very powerful rifles to try to anchor them. Several stories of tracking animals that proved to have very serious hits that one would think would be incapacitating, but weren't. My favorite coyote rifle is a .22-250 at the moment. If I was to buy a dedicated coyote rifle right now, the .243 would get serious consideration.

June 20, 2016, 12:13 AM	#54
979Texas Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2015 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 177	Yes they can vanish very quickly and escape I do agree with that. And coyote wolf hybrids do exist fairly commonly. Now there is predation amongst them but hybrids are a fairly well known existence, not just a cryptid. We get alota "chupacabra sightings" down here in Texas. And I'm not trying to derail this thread or talk about cryptids that don't exist. But one of these "chupacabras" got shot by a rancher in West Texas so he sent the body to Texas A&M for testing and through DNA tests they confirmed that it was a coyote/wolf hybrid with a real sever case of mange. There are no wolf's in Texas anymore except for a few Red wolves in East Texas. So it was thought that it was probably an escaped domestic gray wolf that bred with the coyote because plenty of people have grey wolves for pets around here. So hybrids are totally possible and have been confirmed.

June 20, 2016, 09:27 PM	#56
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,238	There's a pretty lengthy documentary on coywolves. Don't ask me where, I don't remember. There also is coydogs and wolfdogs.... I once caught a coyote in my kennel attempting to mate. Adding to the question... Rifle fit to the shooter is more important than caliber in my opinion.