Smokin' Coyotes

Are you talking using a can? If so you "may" get a second shot but even with that it would have to be VERY fast. The dogs are VERY smart and wary when they live where they are shot at. If its a place where its ok to shoot them you will have to set up a blind to get them that close to you. After you fire they will scatter quick. There is a reason they survive so well around humans. They adapt and learn. I live on 60 acres and can't really shoot here. Rabbits are in large supply which brings the dogs now and then. Will have to get a decent crossbow for them. I could care less about the bunnies but as they thin them out they will get brave enough to get close to the house and our dogs will look like a snack to them.

JMHO- if you want to do some serious
varmint control, buy some proper foot
traps and learn how to use them.
I've caught many more varmints with traps
in the years I've been trying than I have
with trying to call these call-saavy devils
and shoot them. Any time I'm sitting
with a firearm and I have a varmint shot
opportunity I'll take it. That's something
you have to be willing to do also if it's
legal and allowed by the landowner.
Most I know of will require it
You'll have to work at it to see any results

Good Luck

I would go the .223, 22-50 route.

I call coyotes after the deer season. A bleating fawn call seems to work well then probably cause they have heard that sound during the deer season. My best luck at reducing coyote populations is to stake out a dead deer or farm animal and shoot from a blind about 100 yards away. I use a .222 for the stake outs, and a .22 Mag for the called in yotes. Here in New England it is rare to get a shot, let alone see, a coyote beyond 40 yards.

Sub-Sonics in a pistol/revolver cartridge carbine for coyotes is an invitation to watch coyotes run off. BTDT.

Plan for your first shot, not your second. And be prepared to watch and learn.

Our terrain varies quite a bit, so our shot distances do too. I also hunt coyotes post deer season, favorite time is late Jan/Feb.

On average while calling shots are between 30-200 yards, most are probably 50-70yards. For the majority of my hunts I use a lightweight, 16" AR15 in .223 loaded with Nosler 55BTs in what amounts to a 5.56 NATO load. My Calling AR has two scopes in ADM Recon mounts; 1-6X and 3-9X. For more open terrain I use a bolt gun with 6.5-20X and another AR15 with a heavy 18" barrel and 4-16X.

There's no way I'd hinder myself with a PCC anything:

1. Just not flat enough shooting for the longer shots. Your 1st shot may be close, the 2nd shot usually isn't, they're pretty freaking fast. there's a good reason why guys like 22-250s and .243s for coyotes. Mill reticles and lasers "brief well" for longer shots, but yotes can cover a lot of ground even at an un-hurried trot.

2. I honestly don't know how well a subsonic bullet would expand on a coyote. I've seen 69 OTMs pencil right through and dogs run off.

Subsonic 9mm will work inside 100 yards but any others nearby will certainly hear the first one being shot.

They even run off if someone opens a door downstairs at my house. Chickens are a huge lure and makes them do things they normally wouldn’t do.



I setup upstairs so I just have to crack the door open. If you’re married, subsonic/suppressed is pretty important.



IR motion sensors are also a must have to eliminate the need of sitting around for hours on end.

For repeat follow up shots on coyotes, an AR15 carbine is where it’s at.
Most of my coyote shooting has been while deer hunting or washing my dishes!
These two were shot out my kitchen window about 6 months apart.
One with a M700 Remington in .270 (130gr bullet). Second, with a 90gr Speer from a Marlin X7S in .243. Range was 110yds within inches of same spot.

That’s an entrance wound on #1. 130gr Speer BTSPT left a gnarly 5” exit!

I know a number of coyote hunters who are dedicated turkey hunters.
They use a 12ga semi auto with BB or #4buck. But they are limited to 40-60yd shots.

I certainly would stay away from pistol calibers for intentional coyote hunting. I hit a coyote with my glock 23 loaded with 165 grain v crown ammunition at 50 yards and it definitely hit him hard I followed the blood trail into the standing corn but needed to get back to field work so I couldn't tell you where the bullet hit exactly. They're tough for a smaller animal, I've killed them with 22's but I wouldn't hunt them with less than a 5.56 or .222 JMO. If I were buying a dedicated coyote rifle it'd be a .243 or a .220 swift in a bolt gun. As was stated earlier make the first shot a good one on coyote because the 2nd shot will be at a fast target.

nick22 said:

If I were buying a dedicated coyote rifle it'd be a .243 or a .220 swift in a bolt gun.

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My predator rifle is a Weatherby Vanguard .243. I chose .243 because where I usually predator hunt, Axis deer are encountered very often. And even though I finally converted to the belief.223 is fine for deer, and would use one if that’s all I had, I still would prefer a little more gun. I keep saying I’m going to take my AR(A2 style with 20” barrel) predator hunting and maybe someday I will.

My choice rifle has always been a AR in 300 blk out. 10in barrel loaded with subsonic and a can. It’s stupid quite. But like everyone else has said, first shot needs to the game stopper. I like this ammo from underwood.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/300-aac-blackout-whisper-194gr-subsonic-maximum-expansion.html

it expands great and does everything you need from it. They still run but most of the time no more then a few yards. I can really only say I was able to drop two in one sitting once. But that was pure luck as the second one bolted off from the first shot. But he ran in my direction. I’d say that was pure luck.

If you want subsonic for suppressed work, 300 BLK is your option, for 200 yds or so.

Otherwise .243, 6mm rem, 220 swift, 22-250, 6.5 Grendel or CM, etc. Faster the better. Not sure if 204 ruger would be quite enough. Maybe for a desert coyote, but not one of them big rocky mountain snowballs!

I shot this one with a grendel out of the deer stand this weekend. Maybe 40 yds. He was just trotting along and he was still fast.

BigBlue 94 said:

If you want subsonic for suppressed work, 300 BLK is your option, for 200 yds or so.

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Not very flat shooting out that far though, bullet drop on a sub 300 is measured in feet at 200 yards.

After a while hunting coyotes I finally got a double for my 1st. I think it had to do with my E caller. I had it programed to play i pup in distress with the bang feature. While I was working the bolt it kept the second ones attention away from me & I got a great shot.

I HIGHLY recommend a Foxcroft E caller! Look for sales around Xmas or after for clearance. Good luck!

I've used many cartridges from .22 lr to 45-70 and then there's the crossbow. Lately I have had a thing for the crossbow. Pretty quiet, but you have to call them in close.

My main coyote rifle is a custom AR15 style in .223. It is noisy though and I need to order a suppressor for it. I have 10 rnd and 30 rnd mags so no worries about being able to take quick subsequent shots. The scope is a made for AR scope, a 1.5-8X and allows quick target acquisition. It is a kick-ass rifle.

I’ve got my 44 mag 788 Remington for Yotes…. At a small private property spot. 100 yards and In , A field surrounded by woods. Neighbors kinda close and with Lower power Handloads of 10grains (Check your books)Unique,240 xtp, the report from the 22” Barrel wasn’t bad. Speed was estimated at around 1100fps. It would put them down now, Yet realistic- No second shot would happen. Even if I put a Can on that rare rifle (I wouldn’t) The report would still be loud enough to “Spook” anything else that’s as Wiley as a Coyote in that Quiet field. Camo like Turkey hunting or a blind (Pine tree bowes trimmed at bottom and Stacked) required.

Ps - At 100 yards With that rifle, 3 shots would almost cluster and touch. Scope is a 1.75-6