308 for coyotes.. ok or overkill?
- Thread starter twoblink
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Whelp, heck if I didn't have the exact same thought...
Walkin out of work this morning around 9AM I couldn't help but think how perfect it would be to run out to 5 doggies with the 300WinMag and the AR15 to blast some little furry vermin.
The thing that is driving me nuts more than anything is that I have TWO NEW GUNS that I have yet to shoot. Both N-frames, a 28-2 and a 25-2. I desperately want to get some trigger time with those guns to see how they are shooting.
If tomorrow is clear for you and the weather is good, feel up for heading out to 5 dogs? I've got a stash of near 6k rounds of 5.56x45mm and 3k rounds of 7.62Nato sittin here staring at me, no way I'm gonna blast through all of it but I wouldn't feel too terribly bad if I were to burn through 300 or so rounds of 7.62Nato and 400-500 rounds of 5.56x45mm.
I kinda wanna get set for the action rifle matches that will be comin up soon and get back into that scene.
Walkin out of work this morning around 9AM I couldn't help but think how perfect it would be to run out to 5 doggies with the 300WinMag and the AR15 to blast some little furry vermin.
The thing that is driving me nuts more than anything is that I have TWO NEW GUNS that I have yet to shoot. Both N-frames, a 28-2 and a 25-2. I desperately want to get some trigger time with those guns to see how they are shooting.
If tomorrow is clear for you and the weather is good, feel up for heading out to 5 dogs? I've got a stash of near 6k rounds of 5.56x45mm and 3k rounds of 7.62Nato sittin here staring at me, no way I'm gonna blast through all of it but I wouldn't feel too terribly bad if I were to burn through 300 or so rounds of 7.62Nato and 400-500 rounds of 5.56x45mm.
I kinda wanna get set for the action rifle matches that will be comin up soon and get back into that scene.
Sharpshooter223
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me likes.
redneck2
Member
Reply..
if you note, I said the heavy caliber "can" make less of a mess
I used a .270 with large game (deer) type bullets. The groundhogs I hit always seemed to go down immediately even though there was little expansion. They are exceptionally tough, but the .270 did the job
light varmint type bullets are a different program. They're made to explode
big bore + big velocity (light bullets) = big splatter
if you note, I said the heavy caliber "can" make less of a mess
I used a .270 with large game (deer) type bullets. The groundhogs I hit always seemed to go down immediately even though there was little expansion. They are exceptionally tough, but the .270 did the job
light varmint type bullets are a different program. They're made to explode
big bore + big velocity (light bullets) = big splatter
Use the 308 on them to get rid of them fast. If don't get serious about killing them they are going to take over. A farmer up the road lost some farm animals just the other day to ol wiley. Years ago they didn't exist in my neck of the woods until some of the fox hunters brought them in.
birddog
Member
ok by me
my first northern coyote was a beautiful male, shot broadside through the shoulders with my .308 Browning Lever Action -- at 10 yards! Damage-wise, not bad, and his full body mount still adorns my den. Not so much damage the taxidermist couldn't make the exit wound completely invisible.
my first northern coyote was a beautiful male, shot broadside through the shoulders with my .308 Browning Lever Action -- at 10 yards! Damage-wise, not bad, and his full body mount still adorns my den. Not so much damage the taxidermist couldn't make the exit wound completely invisible.
twoblink
Member
Well..
There's anal, and then there's... me!
So I took some data and plotted the bullet drop rate for .357Mag, .223, .30Carbine, .308 (147grain), 308 (180 grain), and the .17HMR.
It seems to me, the 308 is as versatile as I first thought. With the 147gr, you aren't loosing a lot of bullet drop compared to the .223, but you get a LOT more mass and umph. So I figure, 180gr for deer, 147-155grainers for Wiley. And it's good out to 1000 yards (assuming I can shoot that far).
Someone told me the 308 (and 30-06) is probably the most versatile round from a North American needs perspective. I see why now.
But as for Pdogs, I'll probably go with the 357Mag out of a rifle at first.. Of course if I'm not hitting with that... time to move to the 308!
El Rojo...
I have 2 lower AR15 receivers. I shipped them out of the state, because I don't need to become "tactically broke" from making "tactical rifles" out of both..
There's anal, and then there's... me!
So I took some data and plotted the bullet drop rate for .357Mag, .223, .30Carbine, .308 (147grain), 308 (180 grain), and the .17HMR.
It seems to me, the 308 is as versatile as I first thought. With the 147gr, you aren't loosing a lot of bullet drop compared to the .223, but you get a LOT more mass and umph. So I figure, 180gr for deer, 147-155grainers for Wiley. And it's good out to 1000 yards (assuming I can shoot that far).
Someone told me the 308 (and 30-06) is probably the most versatile round from a North American needs perspective. I see why now.
But as for Pdogs, I'll probably go with the 357Mag out of a rifle at first.. Of course if I'm not hitting with that... time to move to the 308!
El Rojo...
I have 2 lower AR15 receivers. I shipped them out of the state, because I don't need to become "tactically broke" from making "tactical rifles" out of both..
El Rojo
Member
Sorry Ugly, my last day of student teaching is tomorrow. I have been working at Maricopa High School from 0730-1400 hours and then at the prison from 1400-2030 hours everyday for the last 5 weeks. I can't wait to take a break! Saturday I have to go do some ranch work to get on the ranchers good side so I can do some seek and destroy on the varmint cong that breed on the south side of the valley. Bad news is it is on the other side of the border and I can't get anything less than special forces into that area. You know how the ranchers are sometimes.
"Someone told me the 308 (and 30-06) is probably the most versatile round from a North American needs perspective. I see why now."
I am an '06 man myself, but the .308 is basically the same thing. I did the same thing about five years ago. I ran all the numbers, studied all the tables, played with the ballistic software and came away with a new appreciation for the cartridge. The '06 (and .308) hold their own with most of the new super cartridges. For a general purpose rifle, or for the man that only wants one rifle, you have made the perfect choice. Sure, there are other calibers that are more specialized that out perform them; but not by much.
I am an '06 man myself, but the .308 is basically the same thing. I did the same thing about five years ago. I ran all the numbers, studied all the tables, played with the ballistic software and came away with a new appreciation for the cartridge. The '06 (and .308) hold their own with most of the new super cartridges. For a general purpose rifle, or for the man that only wants one rifle, you have made the perfect choice. Sure, there are other calibers that are more specialized that out perform them; but not by much.
twoblink
Member
Well, if you don't save the hides, the exit wounds don't matter too much.
One bud back in college hunted fur in West Texas - Bobcat, Fox, and 'yotes. He tried everything from .17 cal to the big .25's. In the end he kept going back to a Swift shooting 55 grain bullets as the best combo of killing power and minimal exit wound. Anything he found that would never exit a songdog would also fail to put them down and let them run off.
Back before I learned they were good to eat, I drilled a cottontail with a .25-06, at 80 yards. Something like 2/3 of the rabbit simply vanished.
A Texas doe shot with a 150 grain softpoint from a .300 Savage dropped quickly, with a 3" exit hole in her offside shoulder. I expect a .308 would give similar results.
If you want to add some excitement to the mix, why not hide in cover, and call in the 'yotes? You could try for some with a pistol. I keep meaning to try this in the Inyo Mountains, where they're tons of them. Of course, there's also tons of lions there too, who might just decide to join in on the fun. Hmmm...Maybe a 1911 and a leather neck guard would be in order.
One bud back in college hunted fur in West Texas - Bobcat, Fox, and 'yotes. He tried everything from .17 cal to the big .25's. In the end he kept going back to a Swift shooting 55 grain bullets as the best combo of killing power and minimal exit wound. Anything he found that would never exit a songdog would also fail to put them down and let them run off.
Back before I learned they were good to eat, I drilled a cottontail with a .25-06, at 80 yards. Something like 2/3 of the rabbit simply vanished.
A Texas doe shot with a 150 grain softpoint from a .300 Savage dropped quickly, with a 3" exit hole in her offside shoulder. I expect a .308 would give similar results.
If you want to add some excitement to the mix, why not hide in cover, and call in the 'yotes? You could try for some with a pistol. I keep meaning to try this in the Inyo Mountains, where they're tons of them. Of course, there's also tons of lions there too, who might just decide to join in on the fun. Hmmm...Maybe a 1911 and a leather neck guard would be in order.
Sharpshooter223
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Try the .222 on your flat shooting list and see what it will do
twoblink
Member
My friend + lawn chair + 12 gauge shotgun + #00 Buckshot + barrel pointed down a Pdog hole... = red mist
He told me the Pdog just simply vanished!
I WILL add the .222 to the list...
But I will now begin studying the different types of bullet heads..
He told me the Pdog just simply vanished!
I WILL add the .222 to the list...
But I will now begin studying the different types of bullet heads..
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