Dedicated Coyote rifle .223 or .243

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chains1240

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Looking to buy a dedicated coyote rifle next year. I have a .308 Howa 1500 right now. I will keep my shots at 200 yards and under at first then stretch it out after that. Between the .223 and the .243 which would be better for coyote elimination? Pros cons etc. Rifle suggestion would be appreciated too. I would like a heavy barrel rifle for this one. Thank you.
 
my coyote rifle is a 20" bushmaster 223. I like the semi auto for follow up shots. if you ever want to save a pelt the 223 with 40 grain bullets will work well for that.
 
I will not be saving the pelts. My .308 with Nosler BT on the bench is a consistent 1 moa, sometimes less. Just looking for a dedicated coyote rifle. I believe Bushmaster just came out with a new rifle. Will have to look into that too. Would love to have a .223 black rifle.
 
Either will work on coyote so that's a plus.

.243 will more than likely be your typical rifle platform. Like you said, you want a dedicated coyote gun and a typical rifle platform is going to be just that, dedicated to hunting.

.223 can be either a typical rifle platform or you can build an AR platform rifle. The bells and whistles are too numerous to count and I think you can customize it more to fit you, your needs and your personality than you can a typical hunting rifle.

Plus with different uppers you can have several different "dedicated" rifles all built off one lower unit. .458 or .50 for pigs, another for deer, another for SHTF.
 
.223 or .243 work equally well to 200 yards. Seems to me that your choice would thus be more about your own likes/dislikes for a platform and the $$$ involved in them.

I've used both cartridges. The coyotes didn't seem to care if it were a Mini-14 or a 77 Mk II.

I will say that my .243 load with the 85-grain Sierra HPBT creates horrible messes...
 
I agree either will work. I use a .243 bolt rifle for coyotes which I love. It flat out hammers coyotes, I usually use 100gr soft points. They are accurate and they hit hard. Exits are variable from small to large but if you don't care about pelts, man it just rocks them.

My buddy uses an AR in .223 with a leupold 3-9x and a bull barrel. The ONLY thing I like about that rifle is that it's semi-auto and I can see where that would come in handy for follow-up shots. However, in my opinion, that's about all it's good for is coyotes/varmits. It's heavy as crap to pack around with that bull barrel, it's heavy to hold off-hand, the scope makes is a lousy choice for home defense so it doesn't double as a combat weapon... I just don't like that kind of rig for hunting. He likes it, it's strictly a personal preference deal, it's just not for me.

I don't like a bull barrel at all for hunting truth be told. Another buddy packe his Ruger M77 in 25-06 for deer last year and he said never again. Way too heavy. Also I don't think it's needed, my rifles shoot very well without the bull barrel. Especially when most of the shots will be 200 yards or less...I just wouldn't get one if it were me.
 
My old Ruger Mini 14 stainless and nylon stock in 223 Remington doesn't miss out to 300 meters. Of coarse the Leopole 3-9 Gold Ring scope helps a lot with my old eyes. It aint a AR15 but its light weight and is all the rifle I need. I put an M14 style front sight with flash hider on it too, works well with the iron peep sight. be safe.
 
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I can't speak for a .223 for coyotes, but I have used a Model 70 .243 winchester. Kills 'em dead.
 
Well I use a .220swift which falls (calibre size) in between the 2 cartridges and I destroy Yotes out to 500 yards with it. The .243 will buck the wind much better than the .223. Both are sufficient for the animal but when you start looking at longer distance the .243 will have to get the nod between the 2.

While I do like the AR platform I really have no use for one. There are states that do not allow semi, such as Pa, and hell some don't even allow rifle period! So I use bolt or single shots which are a bit more accurate on average anyway. Granted you don't have the really fast followup shot with a bolt, but with practice you can be pretty dern quick. As quick as you really NEED to be anyway. As far as home defense, thats what I have many pistols and a few shotguns for. Never really saw the need for an AR based platform for home defense. That AR is not going to acquire target as fast as my .45acp,9mm,.40,.500S&W,.44mag, and Up close and personal, I don't think it will do the damage my 12 gauge with 00buck loaded into it will do. Not to mention collateral damage from passthrough or misses with that AR.

Choose the weapon that you are most comfortable with as well as proficient. Also light weight because when you yote hunt you do typically move and hike around a lot between sets.
 
Yep, just blow the heck outta em, and leave them to rot in the field. Thats High Road.
Click to expand...

Buzzards got to eat too. The bigger the hole the less they have to strain their beaks to get in. :neener:
 
Yes it is the green thing to do. Turkey Vultures, crows and other scavengers get to eat. Then the guys that hunt crows get a concentrated area and the circle of life goes on.
 
Amusing...jabs amongst those who ultimately agree...lock ten conservatives (or liberals) in a room for ten days and at the end you'd have ten different ways (all of them of course right) to skin a liberal (or conservative).
 
Ammo availability and cost might be a consideration; both will do the job.
 
Thank you everyone that stayed on track to give me good information. This year I will just be using my .308. I will not be saving the pelts. If it matters, I have been invited to shoot the coyotes that are getting way to comfortable with my friends calfs and horses. They have been coming right up to the house and also tried to coax his dog out into an open field.
 
chains, if you handload, the 110-grain bullets do well to around 300 yards as a varmint load. I've even loaded 80-grain pistol bullets as mini-grenades for jackrabbits; they'd probably be displeasing to coyotes. :)

Now, now, Tony: Just to prove what a sweet little fuzz-ball I am, I didn't delete the off-topic posts. An opinion about whether or not to shoot a coyote is definitely not on topic for the thread. :D
 
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