Which Cartrige best for taking out Coyotes

[HeadlandRam]

Last night,some coyotes attack a small dog I think belonged to a family here. I have a 30-30 and a .22 and I am concerned if I have to shoot then which would be best to use without a ricochet? I know 30-30 has power to stop but I think that it could ricochet and hit a house nearby or something.

 

[Strongbad]

Tell your neighbors to lock up their dogs. Seriously, not being a smartass there. If they were locked up, then oh well. If it's a populated area I wouldn't care for either cartridge. Too many things to go wrong. Either would work, but a 30-30 could go through the coyote then on to something else. The 22 could ricochet as well. Hard to say. I'd find other means. Call a wildlife office and see if they have some advice. They might supply a have-a-heart trap or something along those lines.

If you're in a rural area out in sticks, I'd probably go with the 22 and pick my shots carefully.

 

[Regolith]

.30-30 is most likely to kill them. .22LR may work, but you have to be relatively close.

How close in are the other houses? You should probably check what your local ordinances say about shooting near buildings.

 

[MHBushmaster]

A .22 will go well over a mile with only minimal elevation of the bore axis.
And the 30-30's rainbow trajectory still doesn't mitigate its potential for going beyond where you need it to go...

The better idea would be to find a suitable backstop (a hill or a significant rise if on a flat land) or shoot towards where there are no people/things that shouldn't be shot at.
Other option, don't use a rifle, switch to a shotgun with turkey loads and a full/turkey choke.
Past 150 yards those pellets will be decellerating really fast and at 250 yards you have virtually nothing to worry about as far as errant projectiles.

Turkey loads with a full or turkey choke will put down a coyote at close enough range, say max range 40 yards or so (of course, pattern your shotgun with your intended useage shotshells at different ranges and determine what you and your shotgun are capable of)...

 

[Shawnee]

Call a wildlife officer.

 

[Tennessee Ned]

If you're worried about hitting nearby houses then you probably shouldn't be shooting at them. For short range, shotguns can be used though or pistols like the Taurus Judge loaded with .410 3" shells.

Coyotes in my RURAL area don't come too close and shy away from light and noise because there's plenty of open area.

But if I ever had to shoot one it would probably be with a shotgun unless I was hunting them and was sure of my target and beyond and then it would be any good accurate rifle, even a .22lr, but then again I don't have too many close neighbors.

 

[Neckshot5seven]

Ive taken a Yote at around 25 yards with my 10/22 in .22lr clean shot in centermass behind shoulders. Hit it with a cheap Remington Golden bullet. the ones that are now 12$ for a brick of 500. It went in through a rib and got part of both lungs and nick of the heart. bullet was lodged in skin on other side. It ran a few yards before it hit a tree and kicked in a circle until I could get to him ??? 30 seconds mabye. He was very dead when I got to him.

 

[SFvet]

Shoot a .22 out into the field... those things bounce I would be very cautious as to shooting the .22 anywhere short of a farm house as they zing and travel good distance.

 

[Neckshot5seven]

Get a Hoyt compound bow, 65 lb draw weight and a good matched arrow and 100 grain Muzzy 3 blade. Now there is some fun stuff. Yeappp yeapp.... girgle...girgle.... dead. pick up the arrow, mabye a new vein or nock and shoot another with the same arrow.

 

[esmith]

For short range, shotguns can be used though or pistols like the Taurus Judge loaded with .410 3" shells.

Do you know what the spread using a shotgun shell inside that revolver is? Unless you were within 3 or 4 feet of the thing it wouldn't do much to stop a coyote.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I use a .243 and a .308. More because the ones around here are smart little boogers and need to be shot from a few dozen yards out than power. Those guns just happen to be the most accurate I own. Varmint bullets will decrease chance of a ricochet to almost nothing. The .22 with decent optics, knowledge of your trajectory, and fragmenting rounds might be the ticket. If you want an excuse to buy a new gun look at an H&R Ultra Varmint in .223 or .243 or a Stevens in the same calibers. .243 also works great on medium to small deer with heavy bullets and good shot placement.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Typically, your very high-vel rounds with lightly-constructed bullets are considered to be the anti-ricochet types: stuff like .22-250, .220 swift, .17 Rem, maybe .204 Ruger and .243 and 6mm rem. Also, .223 rem is tried and trued coyote classic. Just follow rule #4 always.

 

[memphisjim]

22lr will do just fine

 

[Girodin]

For short range, shotguns can be used though or pistols like the Taurus Judge loaded with .410 3" shells.

I have had occasion to use one of these on game and I agree it is a VERY short range weapon and not what I would use to go after a 'yote even if he was in my backyard.

 

[Bub012]

5.56mm/.223Rem will take care of them.

 

[stubbicatt]

When we hunt coyotes one of us, typically the caller, has a Remington 870 w/ 0000 buck shot for the ones that get too close for comfort, where all you see is hair in the scope.

Shooting around dwellings is highly ill advised.

 

[Zip7]

In my limited experience, 17HMR with vmax bullets is less likely to bounce and ricochet off the ground than 22lr.

And they will smoke a yote.

 

[Mannlicher]

I am not so sure I would discharge a rifle in a neighborhood to save someone else's dog..............

 

[rnr4me]

I'd go w/ the .22.
But.... If you use the .22, put some Stingers or similar in it. I think you'll get better results.

 

[rcmodel]

If you have other homes within 3/4 - 1 mile or more, Do Not even attempt to shoot coyotes with either a .22 or a 30-30.

The 30-30 will easily shoot through a coyote, hit the ground, and may ricochet that far or more even with the bullet deformed from hitting the ground.

The .22 won't shoot through them, usually, but if you miss, the bullet will also ricochet off the ground and go flying a long ways.

With homes in the general area, it sounds to me like a shotgun loaded with #2's would be your best bet.

But even then, you will have to get within 50 yards or less to kill one, and that will be very hard to do if your coyotes are even half as smart as I think they are!

I'm with the others who suggested F&G wildlife control officers as your safest option.

rcmodel

 

[R.W.Dale]

If ricochets are a concern then the 17hmr is probably your best bet. This little cartridge will turn a yote OFF inside 125yds

 

[M203Sniper]

Archery is coming in season soon,yes/no?

 

[Art Eatman]

Unless you're sitting in ambush outside, the odds are 99.9% against your seeing a coyote in time to get a shot. You can't hear the noise of an attack and open the door and take a shooting position before Ol' Wily is long gone.

Common sense says to not take a shot at all, if a miss could result in a ricochet. Don't take any shot with anything, if it's not in a safe direction.

In all honesty, I'm not particularly caring about a clean and ethical kill on a marauding predator. In the boonies, calling coyotes, I have a different attitude, but around the children, house pets or a flock of chickens, shame on Wily.

Better to wound with a .22 and know there is less liklihood of an Oops! than with a .30-30, given that those are the choices...

 

[FMJMIKE]

You need a .22 WMR.

 

[Jeff F]

It's been my experience that the .22 long rifle is one of the most ricocheting rounds I have ever used.
Best not to miss.

A .22 will do them in if you can place the bullet in a good spot. I have killed quite a few with a .22, but around the house here I prefer a shotgun loaded with lead BB loads.