Coyote Hunting

[RepublicanJD]

I currently have a .222 that my father in law gave me for Coyote Hunting. He's now talking about taking it back and giving me some money towards a .223. He's probably thinking old wood stock .223, but I want a modern semi-auto gun for Coyote hunting. .223 intrigues me the most as a good round for Coyote and other furbearers in PA where it will be used.

So, where should I go with this build? I want something I can practice with cheaply enough and something that can reach out and get a Coyote at a good distance. We have a large property in PA with large fields that I can really reach out and shoot one if need be.

 

[teratos]

I use an AR for coyote. What’s your budget?

 

[RepublicanJD]

Was hoping $1200 or so. Do you use .223?

I use an AR for coyote. What’s your budget?

 

[teratos]

Was hoping $1200 or so. Do you use .223?

Yes. You can easily do a nice AR for $1200 if that is what you want. Build or buy.

 

[steves1911]

$1200 will put together a nice ar15 and the 223 works fine on yotes. Personally I use a 22-250 at night because its really hard to judge distance across an open field looking through a nvg or thermal.

 

[rob b]

AR and find ammo it likes for accuracy
223 or 5.56 soft point or bthp

 

[calicojack]

How about a 243 Win bolt action rifle?
[EDIT] If you want to go AR, then how about 6.5 Grendel?

 

[teratos]

How about a 243 Win bolt action rifle?
[EDIT] If you want to go AR, then how about 6.5 Grendel?

.243 would be great. I’ll be out Saturday with either a .300 BLK or 5.56. Maybe both.

There are a lot of right answers. If I didn’t need to keep noise down where I shoot, I’d use my bench rifle in .260 Remington or .375 H&H mag just to be stupid. Gotta get the 260 threaded.

 

[2701Jim]

What rob b said-AR is perfect. I use a Windham Weaponry VEX. Under 1K and shoots lights out with Federal Tactical .223 55 gr w Barnes Sierra Gameking bullet.

 

[calicojack]

.243 would be great. I’ll be out Saturday with either a .300 BLK or 5.56. Maybe both.

There are a lot of right answers. If I didn’t need to keep noise down where I shoot, I’d use my bench rifle in .260 Remington or .375 H&H mag just to be stupid. Gotta get the 260 threaded.

If you want to go Yote hunting with the 375 H&H, let me because I want to go too.

 

[Uncle Duke]

How about a 243 Win bolt action rifle?
[EDIT] If you want to go AR, then how about 6.5 Grendel?

.243 Winchester arguably belongs in any discussion of "best ever" cartridges for larger varmints especially.

 

[teratos]

If you want to go Yote hunting with the 375 H&H, let me because I want to go too.

Hahaha. I’d love to, but mine is a 60 year old Browning, and I’m most certainly not threading it. I feel like I NEED an anti-matériel rifle and will build a big can for that.

Where I can hunt coyote (legally) a suppressed rifle is much better. Though hunting under the license of a game control company where anything is legal, LEO entanglements are not helpful. I’ll ask my hunting partner, though.

 

[Squaregrouper]

AR in 6.5 Grendel.

 

[Wsanner]

Ive been shootin yotes for awhile now with a AR in 223. That being said, IMHO, its not enough. Dont get me wrong, I have killed plenty, but I lose a few too. Shot placement is key. Head, neck and between the front legs are kill shots, but a shoulder shot at 200 yds is where I tend to have issues. Darkness throws a whole new spin on shooting if you have never done it. Its very hard to judge distances. I have been wanting to do a 22-250 in a AR platform but have read they are very picky. So I decided to go 243 instead. It should be done this week. I tend to like calibers I can find ammo for if for some reason I get low. But I havent given up on the 22-250 yet....

 

[Uncle Duke]

Ive been shootin yotes for awhile now with a AR in 223. That being said, IMHO, its not enough. Dont get me wrong, I have killed plenty, but I lose a few too. Shot placement is key. Head, neck and between the front legs are kill shots, but a shoulder shot at 200 yds is where I tend to have issues. Darkness throws a whole new spin on shooting if you have never done it. Its very hard to judge distances. I have been wanting to do a 22-250 in a AR platform but have read they are very picky. So I decided to go 243 instead. It should be done this week. I tend to like calibers I can find ammo for if for some reason I get low. But I havent given up on the 22-250 yet....

Both great cartridges. Fun with either chambering too, as when compared to .223 Rem., .22-250 and .243 Win. both can send 55 grain stepping out in a real hurry. They all have their place.

 

[Hibs]

Agree with all that has been said. An AR in 223 is a great all around rifle. But a nice bolt in 22-250 is better. I grew up in the Midwest where open fields and 400 yard shots on coyotes are the norm. A 223 would fall on its face while the drop from a 22-250 is not nearly the same.

An alternative is an AR in 204 Ruger. Good velocity, cycles great, and is only a barrel change different then 223.

 

[Pale Ryder]

As for judging distances, couldn’t you range set ahead of time? It’s 200 yds to the big oak, 275 to that fence line, etc. If at or close to dark tie some glow sticks at pre measured ranges.

I range set most of the time for archery so I know where 20,30 & 40 yds are ahead of time.

 

[Wsanner]

As for judging distances, couldn’t you range set ahead of time? It’s 200 yds to the big oak, 275 to that fence line, etc. If at or close to dark tie some glow sticks at pre measured ranges.

I range set most of the time for archery so I know where 20,30 & 40 yds are ahead of time.

You can do that. And that being said I will not hunt a piece of property until I can look at it during the day so I can see what all is around. However I have roughly 50 farms that I have permission to hunt.A bunch of them only get hunted 3 or 4 nites a year. And keeping all those distances stored in your head is tough. So I lean towards having the artillery that will reach out and touch em. Theres enough going on while calling, scanning, and the excitement of watching a pair of dogs calling back and coming in, that the less you have to worry about, the better you are.

 

[RRomig]

You can do that. And that being said I will not hunt a piece of property until I can look at it during the day so I can see what all is around. However I have roughly 50 farms that I have permission to hunt.A bunch of them only get hunted 3 or 4 nites a year. And keeping all those distances stored in your head is tough. So I lean towards having the artillery that will reach out and touch em. Theres enough going on while calling, scanning, and the excitement of watching a pair of dogs calling back and coming in, that the less you have to worry about, the better you are.

If you ever want/need a scanner I’d love to tag along and learn some. I just got back from NC and we landed one dog off one sit but we’re still in the process of refining the process. I use a pulsar monocular and a 6.5cm with ATN. We are also in hog country so we run the heavier loads. The ATN has a range finder which helps because there’s a learning curve to distance at night.

 

[RepublicanJD]

This is a lot to process. Anyone actually hunt at night with a bolt action?