[camslam]

Just curious what the consensus is regarding the minimum round or caliber that could ethically be used to kill a coyote.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[the.bad_1]

.223 is accurate enough and powerful enough to get to the ranges you will need, a .243 would be better though.

[rantingredneck]

I think the general consensus is that any of the .22 centerfires will get the job done. .223 is probably the most common with .22-250 and .220 Swift fitting in somewhere in the top 5 probably.

I use whatever's at hand since I seem to see a lot of them during deer season. I've killed them with .30-06 and .50 Cal blackpowder, but that's overkill for sure. Doesn't do wonders for the pelts if you plan to keep them either. :uhoh:

My do-all caliber from yote to deer is .243. Very versatile round.

I'd personally stay away from the magnum rimfires, but I've heard of people using both .22WMR and .17HMR. Not ideal by a longshot IMO.

[koja48]

I've hunted yotes for a lot of years . . . smallest round I've personally used with consistent effectiveness was the 17 Remington, but it was a max 150-yard cartridge when so used & didn't like wind. 204 Ruger works well, but 223 is likely the "standard." In general, I'd say that in the hands of an average shooter & within appropriate range limitations, the 204 Ruger is the minimum in non-wildcat chamberings, IMHO. While coyotes have been dispatched with the more potent rimfires, I've heard of more that have been wounded by these rounds & I personally wouldn't use either of them. One has an ethical obligation to dispatch any critter in a swift & humane manner. I had one coyote run-off when I was using the 17 Remmie (bad hit & I found it) and none have done anything other than drop when using the 204, 223, 243/6mm, and 25-06 (with appropriate design/weight bullets in the 6mm & larger bores). I've also heard of coyotes being "pencil-holed" & running off when struck with heavy, big-game weight rounds out of the 26, 27, & 30 calibers when the projectile didn't strike any solid bone.

[ShunZu]

.243. My do-all round, too.
+1

[41magsnub]

25mm HEI.. at least according to my track commander at NTC (desert training area) one year who blew one away at a live fire range. He got in a little trouble....

[koja48]

Little tough to lug around all day, tho . . .

[ronwill]

Because of the distances sometimes involved in Coyote hunting my recommendation would be .223 or .270. Both good distance rounds with ample power.

[Gustav]

.223 .243 .22-250 .220 Swift all would be on my list of calibers to consider many good rifles in these calibers new and used sometimes pre owned rifles come up in one of these calibers for a good price for one reason or another maybe not a caliber you were thinking about all are worth trying or using.
Best of luck

[Art Eatman]

If Ol' Wily is close enough that you're positive of a head shot, even the lowly .22 rimfire will work. I know one hide-hunter whose night-time calling effort includes a .22 rimfire magnum.

For what I'd call "regular" calling and hunting, I'd go with anything in the .223 class on up. An '06 is a bit much, of course. :D

Art

[MASTEROFMALICE]

Actually Remington has what they call the Accelerator rounds for the .30-06.

If I remember it is a saboted 55 gr projectile which moves up around 4000fps.

Because the sabot is plastic it really shouldn't be hard on the barrel. I have no idea as to it's accuracy though.

[koja48]

No offense, Art, but there's a HUGE difference between "will work" and "always works" (given a properly-placed shot). I've harvested a lot of coyotes, consider myself a WAY better than average caller over 45+ years of pursuing them, but have enticed relatively few dogs or cats to within acceptable rimfire range. There are cases on record of Alaskan Brown Bears being killed immediately with a 22, but it isn't advisable . . . I reckon it's a question of who pays the price if it doesn't "work." "Prudence" and "sound judgement" are applicable in BOTH directions. Just because "somebody did it" doesn't make it an ethically, universally-acceptable practice. Dad taught me to respect my quarry & I always have. You are spot-on with the "223 & up" recommendation. As in any other hunting, "Bring enuff gun."

[rcmodel]

I been a coyote hunter since the late 1950's, and have tried a lot of different rifle calibers through the years.

A .223 is fine out to 200 yards or a little more.
But the best of the best are the 22-250, .220 Swift & the .243 Win / 6mm Rem.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much gun!

I have seen them survive & run off after a shot that blew off a leg with .264 Mag or with a 110 HP in 30-06.
And they often run off to die when hit with a 30-30.

I even built a 25-06 thinking it would be the ultimate long range coyote rifle.
With 75 or 87 grain bullets, it doesn't kill them every time quite as reliably as my 22-250.

The very high velocity .22's & 6mm's always blow up inside the chest cavity, and they are DRT without even a twitch.

The .222 - .223 class runs out of steam to always do that past 200 yards or so.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/KTOG/1224.gif
rcmodel

[tnieto2004]

+1 on the .223

[Steve H]

223 out to ~150 yds. past that I REALLY LIKE my 25 '06 loaded with 75 grainers.......

[koja48]

+1 on the 25 . . . lots of late season, cagey coyotes that like to stop & sit at 300 yards have regretted not being knowledgeable of this combination . . . 75 grain V-Max bullets are devastating! "Pop" and "plop."

[LeonCarr]

My Uncle shot one with a .257 Weatherby Magnum handloaded with 75 grain Sierra HPs at 3900 fps...the backbone was the only thing that kept it from being a two piece coyote.

The .22-250 is probably the best all around for coyotes.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[Clipper]

Koja, the only legal firearms for coyote in MI after dark is a rimfire or a shotgun with (non-buck) shot loads.

[Kimber1911_06238]

.22 lr

[Art Eatman]

koja48, remember that I said, "Positive." :)

Many of my night time call-ins have come to within 25 yards or so of my truck.

There's little hunting pressure around here. I've gone out in the far back-country and called coyotes in mid-afternoon while just sitting in the truck. I've had them occasionally come right up and circle the truck, barking as though to complain, "Where's my rabbit? You SOB, you promised me a rabbit!"

Hard to shoot when you're laughing. :D

Art

[cpttango30]

If you are going to keep ranges within 200 yards 223 and below would work. If you are going to stretch things out beyond 200 yards step it up to a 22-250 and 220 swift or 243 ect. I know guys that use everything from 243 winto300 rum.

[koja48]

Then use a shottie, unless you can call 'em right up close & personal. As I said before, coyotes are tough and don't deserve to run off & die a lingering demise anymore than any other critter. Sorry about your laws, but congressmen/women ain't necessarily hunters, nor knowledgeable of the sport thereof.

[koja48]

I caught that, which is why I stated that in my experience, calling 'yotes in that close is a seldom-done thing. I stand on "Bring enuff gun." :D

[brasskeeper]

204,223 and 22-250 may be the prefered but I would go with a 243 or 6.5x284

[M40A1]

The .223 is very effective out to 300 yards. I used to use a .243 ackley improved, however, after a few coyotes with holes in them that would pass a football I decided it was too much of a good thing.

[eliphalet]

Minimum round for Coyotes? 22 Hornet would be my minimum recommendation.

[TexasRifleman]

I have a 6mm-06 wildcat built for coyote hunting and it works really well but on the smaller side I have take a few 'yotes with a .221 Fireball handgun.

[rantingredneck]

An '06 is a bit much, of course.


:uhoh:

Yeah, I know, but I was actually deer hunting at the time. Just happened upon a yote first. Landowner where I hunt has one rule. Let no yote walk if you can help it. 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip through the shoulder and he was one dead doggie.

Has anyone else found that Yotes seem to respond to those deer in estrous bleat cans? I've had two yip and come a running right after I used one of those.

[Art Eatman]

I've never used a deer call, even for deer, but they do like the idea of Easy Rabbit.

Mr. Sierra's 85-grain HPBT from a .243 is not the proper tool for a hide hunter. :) I have yet to use a 55-grain load, although some guys at varmint.com have said the bullet blows up inside and doesn't exit.

[alsaqr]

i've killed dozens of coyotes with the .22 Hornet and K-Hornet. These calibers are good for 150 yards or so on coyotes, sometimes further. The .223 is good for about 250 yards on coyotes. Am not a fur hunter and could care less about the pelt. Like all animals, coyotes deserve a relatively painless death. If i cannot get a good clean shot i will not take it.

When i hunt coyotes at long range the .22/308 Improved goes with me.

[skidooman]

I have shot and killed a yote with .22LR, but he was pretty close and had no idea I was there, easy shot. But ethically .223 or something pretty close to it. I usually shoot them with .270, thats my favorite.

[Nautilus]

I've shot plenty of Coyotes with 7.62x39 and none of them have taken more then a couple steps before they dropped. But I'm shooting at less than 100 yards.

[CoRoMo]

Any centerfire round that I know of.
My choice is the .270

[marksman13]

I've killed a couple of yotes with a 22LR, but I normally hunt them with my 243. I would think that a 223 would probably be a minimum choice for most folks.

[MCgunner]

What distances? Most coyote hunting around here is done at night and typically a called song dog is no more'n 50 yards. I'd use a .22 mag and not think twice about it, personally. I've killed feral dogs with a .22LR before and it was a quick killer. All in where you place the bullet. The coyotes I've killed have been felled with whatever I was using to hunt deer with as I don't really go after 'em intentionally, just targets of opportunity. .308 will take 'em to over 350 yards. :D

[sscoyote]

Buddy of mine once shot a nice big tom bobcat with his 6-284/70 gr. Ball. Tip, and i thought it was gonna blow parts to the 4 winds, but he hit it in the head, and it stayed inside lodging most of the bullet in the shoulder. Man, what luck. Nice pelt too. Of course that's waaayyy too big for a fur rig tho.

I used the 17 cals for years, and we were getting 40-70/season out here in So. Colo. Loved it, and still do.

[theken206]

"could ethically be used to kill a coyote."

a red rider BB gun, a large rock, a sharp stick :D

[koja48]

Coyotes are opportunists . . . if it sounds like a potential meal, likely they will investigate.

[Sagetown]

The .204 is gaining some recognition for getting coyotes way out there. Makes me want to try one. Farthest I've dropped a coyote was 325 yds with a .270.

[one-shot-one]

my minimum:
below 100 yards .22 mag/.22 honet
if shot could be over 100 yrds .223, 22-250 or any deer rifle with proper varmit bullet.

[TehK1w1]

Absolute minimum for coyote hunting is 416 rigby :)

[MCgunner]

I'm not sure why you NEED a light bullet. I've killed a number of 'em shooting my .308 and 150 Nosler BTs. I was hunting deer, they were targets of opportunity. Ranchers appreciate you killin' any coyotes you see, most times.

[Sagetown]

MCgunner wrote: I'm not sure why you NEED a light bullet.

:) From what I've gathered, the main reason to use light weight bullets is they cause less damage to the pelts which are sold to the fur traders.

Other than that, as in my case, the recoil isn't as punishing to one's shoulder as with the heavier calibers.

LG

[Roswell 1847]

I've only had the opportunity to see one really large Coy-Dog up close. A friend found it as a pup on the road out in Texas and brought it home. In only a couple of months the animal as as large as most great danes, no telling what the mix was.
We went to get the dog some scraps from a butchers shop and found it in his front yard eating a horse's front leg, still had the shoe on the hoof.
He had his dad take the animal back to Texas and release it in the wild.
Nice dog in every other way.

Anyway I figure my 25/20 using the high velocity loads would be well suited to the regular non mixed Coyote.
Those crossbreeds are a different story.

[GunTech]

We killed a few last year with 17HMR. Depends on the range and situation. My favorite is 22 K-Hornet, but I shoot near houses and at 150 yards.

At longer range, I like 260 with 108gn Lapua Scenars, but I don't collect pelts. The scenars really tear up the animal.