GTOHunter

Currently I'm using my .243 Browing A-bolt Hunter with 100 grain Hornady Custom bullets and I have taken down several Coyotes with it so far and several nice Deer including 2 Big 8-Point Bucks and several Doe's in the past 4 years.I would be better off with a 40 to 50 grain bullet so it would be easier on the hides when Coyote Hunting.I have given 1 nice Coyote to a Friend that Traps and he skinned another Coyote I shot in January that was a beautiful white & tan color for me to get tanned and hang on my wall.I have shot several Coyote's that were too damaged to save or had the Mange and weren't worth messing with?


There are several Caliber Rifles I would reccomend to use to hunt Ground Hogs,Coyote's and other Predators/Varmints.

17 HMR (Rim Fire) is a good caliber with a fast accurate bullet that would be best for Crows,Prarie Dogs,Ground Hogs,Foxes and Bobcats...not sure about Coyotes because I don't feel it has the knock-down power...it may very well wound/kill it but it could run off?

17 Remington,.17 Fireball (center-fire) a faster caliber with more power behind it.

.22 Hornet (center-fire) nice caliber with good grain choices and good knock-down power and it won't hurt the hides/fur as bad.

.204 Ruger very fast caliber bullet with several choices of grains,the lighter grain bullets are easy on hides,some of the heavier grain bullets can leave some pretty good sizes holes and damage the fur/hide.I'm considering getting this caliber Rifle in a CZ-USA American .204 Bolt-action with the wood stock.

.220 Swift is an older caliber Rifle that seems to be making a come-back.

.223 is a very caliber Rifle with plenty of grain choices,easy availablity and is it a good long-range caliber with plenty of knock-down power.

22.250 is a good fast shooting caliber,plenty of knockdown power and You see a lot of Hunters using these Rifle out west in more open Country.

There are several other Caliber Rifles out there that can be used just as well,I'm sure I have left out many including several Rim-Fire Caliber Rifles like the .22,22LR,22 Mags etc....!You can kill a Coyote or Ground Hog just as well with a .270,.7mm-08 or a 30-06 and so on....but if You want a great long range caliber Rifle that is accurate and with less recoil it pays to shop around and see what works the best for Your needs and what You want to accomplish?


Another thing to consider is do You want a Rifle with a Regular Barrel,Heavy Barrel or the Bull Barrel etc....?Be sure to see what the total weight of the Rifle is and are You carrying this Rifle a lot,long distances over hills and holler and across a lot of open ground or are You just going to be bench/competition shooting or out thru long open fields Prarie Dog Hunting where You will be shooting from a rest,bi-pod or bench?I tried out a used Savage .204 in Camo with the Bull Barrel,walking thru long open fields,up and down some hills and hollers Coyote Hunting...let me tell You I was wore out packing a 8lb + the weight of scope and sling and it was not for me and what I was wanting to do and the type of hunting I was going to be doing...plus I didn't consider if I added the weight of a bi-pod too?I haven't even mentioned or got into the amount of "Twist" in a Barrel....thats a whole nother topic in itself!

Centaur 1

I've been dreaming about getting one of those fancy AR-15's that are chambered in either .243 WSSM or .25 WSSM. You probably wouldn't want one of those unless you enjoy reloading.

mrjohns

A Remington 700 in 250 Savage are tack drivers. They are deadly on deer or cayotes. It is an older cartridge but you will be surprised at the accuracy.

Nomercy448

The .223 Rem is my favorite small game cartridge by far. Whether in a bolt rifle or an AR-15, the .223 rem is ideal for small game, varmints, and predators.

In the AR-platform, I also have a 6.8mm SPC II that I have been VERY happy with. I finished the upper about 6months ago and couldn't be happier. It's a reload only proposition for me, as I haven't been impressed with the factory offerings available, but I've been really impressed with the long range performance.

For something a little different, you might consider a .243 WSSM. We bought one 3 months ago for my fiancee as a deer and longer range coyote rifle. She's been very happy with it for accuracy and performance on coyotes.

From a rimfire perspective, a .22mag or .17HMR is hard to beat as well. Very cheap options for shorter range varmint and predator hunting (100yrds).

Again, the .223 is my standby pick for varmints and predators, but you can't go wrong with any of MANY cartridges available.

oldsmellhound

Lots of good advice here. Personally, if $$$ is an issue, and you are fine with keeping your shots within 120 yards or so, the .22 mag is hard to beat. For longer ranges, the .223 is a good all-around choice.

Edcyclopedia

For the hunt you talk about this is an ideal rifle. 22-250

If you want to cross dress into whitetails... .257 Roberts as a minimum (IMO) or the faithful .270 covers most adversary!!!

Bernie P.

For those critters the .243,250 Savage or .257 Roberts would be ideal.I would probably go with the .257 Rob simply because I have a ton of 7x57 brass I could simply resize for it.

FastShootingCarts

I've got a Remington M700 BDL in .22-250 and it's dead on balls accurate. Like some have said here, you can't go wrong with a .243 Win. either. The .243 Win. seems to be more versatile.

halfbakedi420

not sure what you mean