Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

coyote gun ?

Oct-Lull

Oct-Lull

Well-Known Member
Looking to buy a rifle to hunt coyotes. Been mulling it over for a while and with the population getting high here I want to do my part. Most of the guns I want come in either .223 or .308. I am sure .308 is overkill and I don't see a caliber that I like for say elk that would double up for dogs. Love shooting .243 but most guns I like don't come in that cal. Really like the MVP LC in .223 if I want to get in that deep, otherwise may go AR for a cheaper startup gun. Anyone have an MVP LC or have a take on another setup or caliber?
 
22-250 or .204 ruger are great varmint rounds. 243 with a 58 grain bullet does great work too and you can get 100 grains in it if you ever want to use it for deer.
 
Don't overlook .17 HMR. Otherwise 204, 223, 22-250 or 243 are all good options. Everybody has their preferences. If you go through with an AR they are available 243 if you want to go that route.
 
Yes I have seen them in .243. I prefer bolt action but as a lefty it does make it more difficult. The MVP LC is around 1100$, the MVP Flex is a couple hundred less and an AR is all over the place. Think I might rather have something else besides an AR if I was going to spend over 1000$. Anyone have experience with 600$ range and under AR's?
 
A 243 with a 58gr vmax is an absolute smoker for coyotes...I shoot a 204 and Really like the gun but it does seem to lack a little knock down power. Don't get me wrong, the 204 will definitely kill dogs without a doubt but sometimes with less than perfect shot placement on a small moving target they can limp off to die elsewhere. The 22-250 is another great round for dogs.

I just moved to a Rock River AR 223 because the guys I call with both run AR's and they have 3/4 shots off before I can shoot again with my bolt 204.

Either way you can't go wrong with any of these rounds, the 243 is just a little more versatile as far as load capabilities.
 
I absolutely love my 22-250. It is a flat shooting accurate round. Im shooting a 50 gr. Soft tip and they have done fantastic on yotes. Only a couple have not dropped in their tracks. If you're reloading, a .243 can be very versatile as well. For me personally, I prefer a bolt action over an AR platform. Just my style of hunting. I could very easily see myself wasting shots if I know I have 30 of them ready to rock. Whereas with the bolt action, I'm more apt to really make each one count.
 
Personal preference #1 .22-250. You are picking up 400-600 fps over just about anything. Check out the ballistics.

After that I would go 223

Then 3rd/4th would be 243 & 204

17 HMR is not a good coyote gun in my opinion. I shot a fox with mine a while back and it ran 400 yards before I lost the trail. Any wind, the 17 HMR will drift BIG TIME. The 17 V-mag is a much better choice if wishing to stay in that caliber.


A coyote will not move when you hit it (just about anywhere) with a 22-250

The ONLY down side Ammo is more costly in the .22-250 than .223.


If it was me, and I wanted to stay under your $600 figure, I would go look for an older Remington 700 in 22-250 with good glass. There is a reason so many custom guns use that action.

Good luck
 
DarkArcher said:
A 243 with a 58gr vmax is an absolute smoker for coyotes...I shoot a 204 and Really like the gun but it does seem to lack a little knock down power. Don't get me wrong, the 204 will definitely kill dogs without a doubt but sometimes with less than perfect shot placement on a small moving target they can limp off to die elsewhere. The 22-250 is another great round for dogs.

I just moved to a Rock River AR 223 because the guys I call with both run AR's and they have 3/4 shots off before I can shoot again with my bolt 204.

Either way you can't go wrong with any of these rounds, the 243 is just a little more versatile as far as load capabilities.
Click to expand...

I have a browning A-bolt .243 set up on that exact round for a buddy gun. So I agree... Pretty darn good setup.
 
Oct-Lull said:
Yes I have seen them in .243. I prefer bolt action but as a lefty it does make it more difficult. The MVP LC is around 1100$, the MVP Flex is a couple hundred less and an AR is all over the place. Think I might rather have something else besides an AR if I was going to spend over 1000$. Anyone have experience with 600$ range and under AR's?
Click to expand...

Look at the tikka bolt actions in lefty. Smooth action and you should be able to find a good caliber in one. I'm a lefty and have that same issue. I know Savage makes a couple of lefties but like the tikka over that. Ruger makes a few in good Coyote rounds too. Had an M77 in .243 and was a sweet shooter. Not a huge fan of the cheaper ARs. Seem to have more issues with parts and have seen them have trouble feeding ammo.
 
Out of all my yote guns (17 I think?). My favorite is the tikka .243. I do have a crutch tho and that's the hi point 9mm carbine. If they are within 150 yards and I'm holding the hi point, poor critters don't stand a chance!
 
Oct-Lull said:
Yes I have seen them in .243. I prefer bolt action but as a lefty it does make it more difficult. The MVP LC is around 1100$, the MVP Flex is a couple hundred less and an AR is all over the place. Think I might rather have something else besides an AR if I was going to spend over 1000$. Anyone have experience with 600$ range and under AR's?
Click to expand...

I bought a used rock river for $650 and its a great shooting little gun. Its the scope mount and scope that get spendy after that (depending what you wanna spend . ) Ive always heard a 80 dollar scope one a 600 dollar gun will make it shoot like a 200 dollar gun - Not sure if thats true with modern day manufacturers . I have a Leupold 3x9x40 on mine. The beauty of the AR is if you miss your first shot you got 29 more rounds in that clip - Watch the snow fly. :D
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
Personal preference #1 .22-250. You are picking up 400-600 fps over just about anything. Check out the ballistics.

After that I would go 223

Then 3rd/4th would be 243 & 204

17 HMR is not a good coyote gun in my opinion. I shot a fox with mine a while back and it ran 400 yards before I lost the trail. Any wind, the 17 HMR will drift BIG TIME. The 17 V-mag is a much better choice if wishing to stay in that caliber.


A coyote will not move when you hit it (just about anywhere) with a 22-250

The ONLY down side Ammo is more costly in the .22-250 than .223.


If it was me, and I wanted to stay under your $600 figure, I would go look for an older Remington 700 in 22-250 with good glass. There is a reason so many custom guns use that action.

Good luck
Click to expand...

Excellent advice. Most of my rifle setups the scopes cost more than the rifle. You can only shoot as good as you can see. You won't be disappointed if you top your rifle with quality glass. A Remington 700 22-250 topped with a 6.5-20x Leupold or similar with a fine duplex/cross hair is a great setup. I wouldn't get anything with less than 4x-14x magnification. You will likely have $800-$1000 in a setup lIke this. If you pay a little more up front for quality you will not loose any value over time but will likely see an increase in value. If you can swing it get a quality scope with an illuminated reticle but be ready to spend $800+ for the scope. They are awesome for calling in low light conditions. Good luck.
 
Bowtech84 said:
150 dollar bushnell banner 3x9x50 is more than enough for shooting coyotes.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! I agree that your gun is only as good as your glass, but there are plenty of scopes under $200 that are fantastic and will do just fine. Especially on a smaller rifle that's not kicking like a mule. Heck, I put a 6-24x44 konuspro scope ($130) on my 22-250 and couldn't be happier. It is a little fuzzy at high power, but I will rarely ever use anything over about 10 power anyway. I've set the zero and it hasn't budged since day one. Most of my coyote hunting is at night time when we have snow on the ground and a decent moon. It pulls in plenty of light and there is no need for a lighted reticle either. Not saying to get that exact scope, just saying there are plenty of options that will do just fine without spending an arm and a leg.
 
None of you must be selling hides or else you like to sew! I shoot a .17 Remington the smallest center fire and have killed hundreds of coyotes with it. I have a re-barreled Ruger Number 1 that I use and shoot out to 400 yards all the time. My longest shot was 628 yards with a range finder on a straight on sitting coyote. Leupold 3x9 40mm is the optics I use. I also have shot wolves and lynx with this rifle. It is all about shot placement just like all other types of hunting. BANG FLOP DEAD! The coyote is one of the craftiest critters going and deserves better respect than most are willing to give it. Sure they kill deer but so do all of you!

Making snow fly and lots of noise is not my type of coyote hunting sorry.
 
6.8 SPC AR with a 4-12 power illuminated ret scope.

Much more than a coyote gun. If you ever want to go hunt hogs or deer in another state.....

Build your own. It's much easier than you think. You also get to know the entire rifle in and out. And parts are very easy to find. It's also fun and addictive :) I knew exactly nothing about AR's until I started. Plenty of websites to help. You can spend 400-500 to build one....or north of 1K. I think the barrel is the only thing you need to make sure you don't skimp on.

Negative will be that you won't be getting exercise tracking anything.

6.8 is not just a reloader's round anymore. It's getting easier (and cheaper) to find every day.

Just don't expect to make money off of fur....it leaves a pretty good hole :)
 
So I went and looked at a few guns today, I want a pistol grip for sure. Looked at a bunch of AR platforms and felt there was a big difference in feel from the 600$ guns to the 1400$. Top of my list is the Sig and close second the DPMS. Anyone have either gun? Buddy of mine has the DPMS as his duty gun in his patrol car and said it's a good gun. Not the Dpms Oracle but a step up from that.
 
Oct-Lull said:
So I went and looked at a few guns today, I want a pistol grip for sure. Looked at a bunch of AR platforms and felt there was a big difference in feel from the 600$ guns to the 1400$. Top of my list is the Sig and close second the DPMS. Anyone have either gun? Buddy of mine has the DPMS as his duty gun in his patrol car and said it's a good gun. Not the Dpms Oracle but a step up from that.
Click to expand...
I own a rock river LAR 15 pretty basic flat top optic ready . If I could do it again , I'd buy a complete lower and complete upper from a website like palmetto state armory and pin them together . Not sure your knowledge of ARs but to put together a upper and lower its literally 2 pins you can push out with your fingers .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom