what gun is the best for hunting coyotes?

[countyboy]

what gun is the best for hunting coyotes?

[herbie57_57]

There are a lot of guns that will work, I shoot a .243 but most guys like .223 or .22-250s. The most important thing is the scope because all these calibers are good. I prefer a 4-12 adjustable power scope with crisp optics.

[T]

I use an iron sighted .22 highpower (bigger than a .223 incase you havent heard of it) or a .223/.243. Im not sure what grain to use with a .223 but with a .243 i recomend 80 grain for coyote and 100 for deer. With the .22 highpower i use 65 grain and they work well. The .243 that i use has just a 4x power scope and it works well.

[silsbyj]

Anything that you can get 90 grain or less bullets for will work. Hell, if your a reloader you can make 90gr. rounds for a .270 that will scream. Find something that you are comfortable with and happy hunting.

[Chris Carpenter]

I use a flat shooting gun like a .22-250 or a .204

[kvlazer22]

You want a flat shooting caliber and I believe after using several different small calibers the 22-250 surpasses all. I use the Federal Sierra BlitzKing 55 Grains; if your zero is 200 Y any shot within 200 Y will be dead on, enough to kill a coyote and even a fox. You get out to 300 Y and the bullet has only dropped -5.2 inches, hold on the back of a coyote and you have a dead dog. With the addition of a long range large objective lensed scope you have a varmint killing machine!

[kvlazer22]

To add to the above comment, you choose a bullet with a ploymer tip that has instant expansion you will have little or no pelt damage.

[streack]

If you are in open counrty i would choose the .22-250, like other have said above it is fast and very flat out to 300 yards. But if you hunt in a tight area, you can't go wrong with a 12 ga. and buckshot.

[jbonifer24]

I like the .223, because you can get into one for realtively low cost and the ammo is low cost to. Always have a shotgun with buckshot with you at your stand, for the coyotes that sneak up on you and are too close for a scoped rifle. Whatever you choose, practice, practice, practice!

[kvlazer22]

Another option you have other than buckshot is Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote shells; sold in 12 gauge in 3" and 3"1/2.

http://www.hevishot.com/images/panels/dead_coyote/HeviShot%20Dead%20Coyote!%20Sell%20Sheet.pdf

[Ruff Grouse and Woodcock]

I would shoot a .243 with a 60 grain bullet, which is very effective. What you can also, consider is buying a shotgun because some times coyotes come running in and you don't have enough time to put the scope on them. In one of the latest Field and Stream magazines, they talked about using a shotgun for coyoted hunting.

[Edward J. Palumbo]

In terms of weight and barrel contour, the answer depends on the environment in which you normally hunt coyotes. As for the cartridge choice, I personally rely on a .22-250 and Hornady 55-grain Ballistic Tip bullets, but the .243 is also a fine choice.

[j-johnson17]

I prefer the .223 I have mine set up with a 6.5-24x42 Leupold, and it has never let me down. It is much cheaper to shoo than the 22-250, and if you handload you can be selective with you loads, and not damage pelts. I shoot 50gr Hornady SPSX bullets @ 3200 fps, and I have yet to destroy a pelo or lose a coyote.

[bowdeerhunter07]

i would have to say 17hmr thats what i use i have killed alot of coyots with it and it is cheap to shoot

[T.W. Davidson]

The 22-250 is an ideal choice for coyotes out to about 300 yards with the right bullet and a good rifle and shooter. Speer, Hornady, Nosler and Barnes all make good varmint bullets.

The .243 or 6mm Remington with 60-grain or 75-grain bullets is also an excellent choice, out to 300-350 yards, maybe 400 yards, if the shooter is very accurate and has a good rest.

I am not a fan of the .223 on coyotes at over 200 yards. I have seen too many people wound coyotes with .223s rather than quickly and humanely put them down. I am not a fan of the .223 in general--and consider the M-16 in 5.56mm to be a huge mistake as a combat rifle.

My favorite rifle for long-range coyote hunting is a .257 Roberts using Hornady 75-grain V-max bullets handloaded with H-380 to a muzzle velocity of around 3550 fps, or a 257 AI with the same bullets at a muzzle velocity of around 3675-3700 fps. (A 25-06 will do the same thing, but will kick more.) Either load is incredibly accurate, kicks barely at all, and will shoot as flat and as far--and carry tremendous punch all the way--as I am willing to take a shot. On a good day, under no wind conditions and with a good rest, a 500-yard MOA .257 Roberts or .257 AI shot is no problem on El Coyote. And one good shot = one kaput coyote.

TWD