I apparently have a coyote problem.

[Sneakshot92]

The coyotes are getting wise to me too.
Seems like now I only see them running away at full speed or from over 1/4 Mile away.
I'm thinking 264 win mag. It's super sonic way beyond what I could hit anything smaller than a bread van at.

Yes.

 

[35 Whelen]

Title says it all, and my only 2 scoped guns are a 30-30, and a 22lr. Both seem unsuited as the 30-30 is way overkill and the 22lr isn't enough.

Range is 100yds max, I might be able to use my various pistol caliber carbines ( 9mm and 10mm) at shorter ranges but 100 yds open sights isn't ideal.

So....what budget gun/caliber would you recommend here?

I've killed them in my yard with a 30-30, and killed stray dogs, which were significantly larger than a coyote, with .22 LR's. You're in good shape.

35W

 

[Chuck R.]

I'm actually leaning towards the 223 AR upper after thinking about it.

3 of us hunt yotes yearly post deer season and we all use ARs. I did use a "classic varmint bolt gun" for a couple hunts, but quickly went back to an AR and often a shotgun. Calling, the majority of our shots here in eastern KS are 100yds and under, most are coyotes running in (and often running out). We hike more than shoot, and the quick follow up shots are a real advantage.

 

[792mauser]

Ruger American in 7.62x39 suppressed is ideal imo.
Decent ammunition and a 3x9x40 cheap scope= 200yds and in javalina, deer, coyote, plinking and fun rifle.

The 30-30 will work. Hunted deer a few times up north when that was all I had access to other than the full length trapdoor.

 

[3Crows]

I use a scoped Winchester 9422M for coyotes. The jacketed hollow points drop them fast, for example the 50 gr. Federal bulk in the bottle. But you said 100 yards. If you are looking to extend out beyond that then the .22 Magnum becomes marginal IMO and you need something more like the .223/5.56 NATO. I am not an AR guy but I do have a nice one and it would do the job easily.

 

[Gojo03]

I picked up a couple 223 Wylde BCA uppers last week that would do that job nicely. They go in and out of stock all the time. Just set a notification alert and be ready to buy when you get it. Good price mil-spec upper that fits good in a mil-spec lower, nice and tight in my particular PSA lowers.

 

[Boattale]

I've killed coyotes with a .270 and a .22WMR. The overkilled .270 ones did not complain a bit. Neither did the .22WMR ones. Just shoot them with whatever you can hit them with, but shoot them.

 

[Picher]

Of course I want to spend money

I wouldn't mind having a say.....223 bolt gun for fun. I think there's a few cheaper options out there.

Otherwise I could mount an optic on my 10mm AR, but I kinda like it as is. 30-30 is an option, it just feels ridiculous basically. I wish I had more of the 55 gr accelerator

I could also just get cheaper 223 upper for my ar

Accelerators in my 30-06 printed about 10" lower than my deer loads at 100 yards, so ended up not using them for hunting. A neighbot just got a cheap plastic-stocked Savage that shoots very accurately after I mounted a scope. It seems like a P.O.S., but an accurate one and the trigger isn't bad. Personally, I'd buy at least a Remington 700 ADL. Mine shoots under MOA, after bedding (but I never shot it before bedding).

 

[Picher]

You'd probably be well-off with a .223 Rem, which is powerful enough, ammo's fairly cheap and the trajectory is quite flat to over 200 yards. Just be sure to use an expanding varmint-type bullet and shoot for the lungs. You won't need a powerful scope, but a 3-9X is quite flexible and can be kept at 3X for quick shots, or turned up to sight-in at 100 yards, etc. Don't use military ammo because bullets aren't made to kill as much as wound and they ricochet off the ground. I'd choose 53-55 grain ammo for .223 Rem.

At those short ranges you probably don't need a .243 Rem, but that cartridge can be used for deer and about anything up to 150 pounds out to 200 yards or so. That's my choice if I'm going after Eastern coyotes in Maine out to 300 yards.

 

[BigBL87]

You'd probably be well-off with a .223 Rem, which is powerful enough, ammo's fairly cheap and the trajectory is quite flat to over 200 yards. Just be sure to use an expanding varmint-type bullet and shoot for the lungs. You won't need a powerful scope, but a 3-9X is quite flexible and can be kept at 3X for quick shots, or turned up to sight-in at 100 yards, etc. Don't use military ammo because bullets aren't made to kill as much as wound and they ricochet off the ground. I'd choose 53-55 grain ammo for .223 Rem.

I just picked up 100 rounds of this with coyote in mind.

https://www.sgammo.com/product/arms...x-223-rem-55-grain-vmax-armscor-ammo-ac223-5n

Not an AMAZING price but decent for the times for ballistic tip 223. Was going to load my AR mag in the safe with it too, but doing some reading looks like soft point would be better for home/self defense applications. In any event, would probably work well for the purpose and not cost an arm and a leg.

 

[alsaqr]

To the OP: Your .30-30 will work well.

i kill coyotes using whatever rifle is on hand. Recently killed a huge male coyote. After doing other stuff i sat in elevated blind and ran the rabbit in distress call. Within five minutes that coyote came in and stopped at about 60 yards, facing the blind. He was shot with a 250 SST bullet from my .50 caliber muzzleloader.

 

[Picher]

That should work fine.

To the OP: Your .30-30 will work well.

i kill coyotes using whatever rifle is on hand. Recently killed a huge male coyote. After doing other stuff i sat in elevated blind and ran the rabbit in distress call. Within five minutes that coyote came in and stopped at about 60 yards, facing the blind. He was shot with a 250 SST bullet from my .50 caliber muzzleloader.

He probably asked himself, "What's that noise?" before the slug got there, but ran out of time before he could tell his legs to boogie.

 

[Picher]

After killing lots of varmints over about 70 years and using .17HMR, .22LR, .22Mag, .223 Rem, 243 Win, 6mm Rem, .270 Win, and .30-06, I have to warn you about those larger, heavier, less frangible rounds/bullets if you're shooting in fields, or where homes or people outdoors might be injured by either a miss or a ricochet off the ground. A 30-30, .270 Win, or 30-06 with factory hunting loads might ricochet and be dangerous to a nearly two miles beyond the point that it first hits the ground or other hard surface. Other rounds mentioned, may also ricochet and go a shorter distance than the "heavies", but can go a mile or so and still penetrate into a home. No shot at a critter is worth hitting a person, home, vehicle, or any domestic animal, or even hitting but only wounding any living mammal/etc.

Have I had ricochets, certainly, but in a relatively safe direction and distance. Today in my part of Maine, we've had tremendous development of homes in the rural zones and most of the places that we used to enjoy hunting varmints and are unsafe to shoot in. Homes are also often built in wooded areas that used to be safe backstop areas.

One of the last times I hunted woodchucks with my .30-06, I saw one at the top of a knoll in a hayfield, but declined to shoot, even though I knew there were no homes behind and there was a huge lake beyond that. So, my buddy and I went to the left at least a hundred yards and across a hedgerow with a stone wall, circling around the critter then to where we could see along the top of ridge where the chuck was located. When we got to the right point behind the wall and looked for the critter, it was NOT a woodchuck, but a lovely young woman lying in the grass, catching the sun while her boyfriend was off hunting woodchucks!!! My knees grew weak, just thinking about what could have happened if we weren't such careful hunters. We told the woman that it's not safe to lie down in a field, especially with hair the same color as a woodchuck, and that it would be safer to wear some orange, especially a hat.
JP

 

[Antihero]

I live in dense woods with no one within over a mile in the direction I'll be shooting, no worries

 

[gotboostvr]

After killing lots of varmints over about 70 years and using .17HMR, .22LR, .22Mag, .223 Rem, 243 Win, 6mm Rem, .270 Win, and .30-06, I have to warn you about those larger, heavier, less frangible rounds/bullets if you're shooting in fields, or where homes or people outdoors might be injured by either a miss or a ricochet off the ground. A 30-30, .270 Win, or 30-06 with factory hunting loads might ricochet and be dangerous to a nearly two miles beyond the point that it first hits the ground or other hard surface. Other rounds mentioned, may also ricochet and go a shorter distance than the "heavies", but can go a mile or so and still penetrate into a home. No shot at a critter is worth hitting a person, home, vehicle, or any domestic animal, or even hitting but only wounding any living mammal/etc.

Have I had ricochets, certainly, but in a relatively safe direction and distance. Today in my part of Maine, we've had tremendous development of homes in the rural zones and most of the places that we used to enjoy hunting varmints and are unsafe to shoot in. Homes are also often built in wooded areas that used to be safe backstop areas.

One of the last times I hunted woodchucks with my .30-06, I saw one at the top of a knoll in a hayfield, but declined to shoot, even though I knew there were no homes behind and there was a huge lake beyond that. So, my buddy and I went to the left at least a hundred yards and across a hedgerow with a stone wall, circling around the critter then to where we could see along the top of ridge where the chuck was located. When we got to the right point behind the wall and looked for the critter, it was NOT a woodchuck, but a lovely young woman lying in the grass, catching the sun while her boyfriend was off hunting woodchucks!!! My knees grew weak, just thinking about what could have happened if we weren't such careful hunters. We told the woman that it's not safe to lie down in a field, especially with hair the same color as a woodchuck, and that it would be safer to wear some orange, especially a hat.
JP

Woof, I was cringing just reading that. Good on ya.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Federal loads a 125gr JHP for the .30/30 that is perfect for what you are needing. It is designed for deer, and does splendid on them . I’ve killed deer and pigs with the Sierra bullet they use and for such couldn’t ask for better.

My choice for a coyote gun is whatever is close by when I see a coyote.

These were shot out my kitchen window in my backyard.
The one with a visible bullet hole was with a .270 w/Speer 130 HotCor @3,100fps.
Second was with a .243 w/Speer 90gr HotCor @3,200fps. Identical distance, standing within 10ft of same spot (litter mates?), 5mos apart. Near identical shot placement.

 

[jmorris]

I live in dense woods with no one within over a mile in the direction I'll be shooting, no worries.

Unless you live alone, that might not be the case. Mrs. Morris would throw a fit if I was shooting an unsuppressed high power rifle from the house in the middle of the night.

A suppressed .22 or other subsonic rifle or pistol caliber from upstairs goes unnoticed though.

It’s only 60 yards to my chicken coop and a .22 is fine.

 

[MacAR]

Were it me, I'd spend the money on a bunch of 150 grn 30-30 ammo and use that. You aren't eating the mangy things so who cares if they have a fist-sized hole in their side. My preferred 'yote gun is, as someone else said, whatever one is closest. And for record, that's usually a Remington 30-06 loaded with 180's or 220's. If you're dead-set on a new gun, buy a 22 WMR Henry. They hold 13 shots, are scopeable, and will kill whatever you want out to 125 yards if you place your shot right. Mine wears a buckhorn rear and bead front sight taken from a Marlin 336. At 100 yards I can hit good enough to stop a 'yote where he stands. I've never put it on paper at that distance, and don't want to. It just works.

My 2 cents worth.

Mac

 

[ilbob]

put a $50 red dot on your 30-30 and kill as many of them as you can.

 

[Sneakshot92]

If you're dead-set on a new gun, buy a 22 WMR Henry. They hold 13 shots, are scopeable, and will kill whatever you want out to 125 yards if you place your shot right. Mine wears a buckhorn rear and bead front sight taken from a Marlin 336. At 100 yards I can hit good enough to stop a 'yote where he stands. I've never put it on paper at that distance, and don't want to. It just works.

My 2 cents worth.

Mac

^^Good advice here. I've mulled over the thoughts of getting one myself, or possibly the 17HMR Varmint Express model.

 

[jmorris]

For out to 100 my suppressed 9mm is what I use instead of a .22LR, it too does the job just fine. I use an ACOG on it because it’s always on, don’t have to adjust it for ambient light and it has no batteries or other electronics.



If the extra noise and blast isn’t a problem, your not going to kill them too dead with the 30-30.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Personal experience is that the .17HMR isn’t up to taking coyotes past 50yds or so.
Unless you prefer them to run off and die elsewhere, the .22wmr is substantially better.

I sold my Remington 597mag to a friend that wanted it. I still have a Marlin 783 Stainless with a Simmons 3-9x32. Gun has been cammo’d by painting stock a textured brown granite, and metal camo taped. With CCI game points, it’s near MOA accurate. Good for 125-150yds on coyotes.

 

[Gordon]

Personal experience is that the .17HMR isn’t up to taking coyotes past 50yds or so.
Unless you prefer them to run off and die elsewhere, the .22wmr is substantially better.

I sold my Remington 597mag to a friend that wanted it. I still have a Marlin 783 Stainless with a Simmons 3-9x32. Gun has been cammo’d by painting stock a textured brown granite, and metal camo taped. With CCI game points, it’s near MOA accurate. Good for 125-150yds on coyotes.

I agree ! I had high hopes for my scoped Ruger Hunter Single six in .17 HMR based on my experience with .17 Remington and lesser with .17 K Hornet. I came to the conclusion after wounding one at 75 yards with a perfectly placed shot right behind the shoulder and angled toward the heart that those little bullets need Mach 3 or better to do the magic stuff. . The .22mag is slightly better but iffy at 100 yards for realistic shooting. Back when I first started shooting coyotes , on a large ranch , I quickly discovered that .25-35 was the minimal humane power floor for those 200 yard shots and worked like I wanted closer in.
A 5.56 is great ! If you are looking for another rifle get a 5.56 and be done with it, it is cheap and available. a T/C Compass or a Ruger American won't break the bank and a decent Bushnell scope is just over another $100
[

 

[Picher]

Were it me, I'd spend the money on a bunch of 150 grn 30-30 ammo and use that. You aren't eating the mangy things so who cares if they have a fist-sized hole in their side. My preferred 'yote gun is, as someone else said, whatever one is closest. And for record, that's usually a Remington 30-06 loaded with 180's or 220's. If you're dead-set on a new gun, buy a 22 WMR Henry. They hold 13 shots, are scopeable, and will kill whatever you want out to 125 yards if you place your shot right. Mine wears a buckhorn rear and bead front sight taken from a Marlin 336. At 100 yards I can hit good enough to stop a 'yote where he stands. I've never put it on paper at that distance, and don't want to. It just works.

My 2 cents worth.

Mac

I agree ! I had high hopes for my scoped Ruger Hunter Single six in .17 HMR based on my experience with .17 Remington and lesser with .17 K Hornet. I came to the conclusion after wounding one at 75 yards with a perfectly placed shot right behind the shoulder and angled toward the heart that those little bullets need Mach 3 or better to do the magic stuff. . The .22mag is slightly better but iffy at 100 yards for realistic shooting. Back when I first started shooting coyotes , on a large ranch , I quickly discovered that .25-35 was the minimal humane power floor for those 200 yard shots and worked like I wanted closer in.
A 5.56 is great ! If you are looking for another rifle get a 5.56 and be done with it, it is cheap and available. a T/C Compass or a Ruger American won't break the bank and a decent Bushnell scope is just over another $100
[

 

[Picher]

Back around 1963, I didn't have any ammo for my .30-06 one day when I wanted to go woodchuck hunting with a buddy, so stopped at a lumber yard that sold ammo and bought some .110 grain "Mushroom Point" bullets for my .30-06, then we went hunting at one of our favorite fields near the China/Vassalboro Town Line on Route 32. We walked up the slight hill and saw a chuck about a hundred yards away, grazing in the young hay. I aimed offhand and fired at the shoulder. When the bullet hit, there was a pretty loud "POP" and pieces flew in every direction!!! Surveyed the damage and never saw performance like that before or since!

We then walked uphill further to another field and didn't see anything, but looked around for maybe a half-hour. When we got back there were a few crows in the location of the demolished chuck, but all the meat was gone! Impressive results, but I don't recall shooting any more chucks with that ammo.