Rifle for CO coyotes? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Rifle for CO coyotes?

Posted: 3/1/2019 6:41:54 AM EDT

Moving to COS and looking for a coyote rifle. I picked up an E-caller for a great price but looking for a dedicated coyote rig.

I’m debating between a 243, 22-250 or just building a new AR upper in .223. Anyone familiar with western state coyotes care to chime in with thoughts?

Posted: 3/1/2019 7:21:36 AM EDT

[#1]

AR for quick follow up shots. Sometimes you call in several at once, and they don't always stand still. A semi-auto is the way to go.

Posted: 3/1/2019 8:10:56 AM EDT

[#2]

My vote is for an AR of some sort.

There are a ton of great calibers for the AR, and most of them will take care of any coyote.

Posted: 3/1/2019 8:50:59 AM EDT

[#3]

I’d would go 556 AR. I’ve lived most of my life in the west and that’s always worked for me.

Posted: 3/1/2019 10:16:55 AM EDT

[#4]

Leave a few coyotes, would ya? My neighborhood is overrun with rabbits.

Posted: 3/1/2019 10:45:37 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Leave a few coyotes, would ya? My neighborhood is overrun with rabbits.

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For rabbits I recommend a FiveSeven pistol kept in the center console of your truck, that way you can shoot them when you get home from work.*

*Does not work for all neighborhoods.

Posted: 3/1/2019 11:24:24 AM EDT

[#6]

223.

Posted: 3/1/2019 11:36:16 AM EDT

[#7]

AR platform is the way to go

.223
.204
even 6.5G are all good choices

3-15x or 5-25x scope (and a decent set of binoculars)

Posted: 3/1/2019 11:47:11 AM EDT

[#8]

This is relevant to my interests.

Posted: 3/1/2019 1:37:30 PM EDT

[#9]

Bolt gun of any caliber will get the job done. I have killed them with everything from .223 to a .50 BMG.

Posted: 3/1/2019 3:37:10 PM EDT

[#10]

Grendel AR...

Palmetto has a couple options in stock. Pick up a 20". You'll be covered for from prairie dogs to elk.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-20-rifle-length-6-5-grendel-1-8-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch-51654487091.html

Posted: 3/2/2019 10:53:30 AM EDT

[#11]

if we talking 5.7 pistol, why not the ol rock 22tcm setup? for the "budget" minded among us... granted thats only 2, everyone else rollin in the doough

Posted: 3/2/2019 11:08:42 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Grendel AR...

Palmetto has a couple options in stock. Pick up a 20". You'll be covered for from prairie dogs to elk.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-20-rifle-length-6-5-grendel-1-8-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch-51654487091.html

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Lol you're joking, right? Have you ever hunted prairie dogs? 300-500 shots a day would be pretty expensive shooting 6.5 grendel. 223 is really the only choice for them when you consider barrel life.

My cost to reload 223 with 50 gr Vmax is about 25 cents a round, which is manageable.

For coyotes, 223 packs plenty of punch, and IMO you want the capability of a quick multikill.

Posted: 3/2/2019 9:49:29 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

Lol you're joking, right? Have you ever hunted prairie dogs? 300-500 shots a day would be pretty expensive shooting 6.5 grendel. 223 is really the only choice for them when you consider barrel life.

My cost to reload 223 with 50 gr Vmax is about 25 cents a round, which is manageable.

For coyotes, 223 packs plenty of punch, and IMO you want the capability of a quick multikill.

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Ha....really didn't think of it that way. My experience with rodents is groundhogs where 3 was a good day. And my pd consisted of walking a couple fields for about 3 hours. So I've never done the 200 to 500 rounds thing. I think we shot about 30 rounds between me and my son.

Posted: 3/2/2019 9:52:32 PM EDT

[#14]

Any light caliber will work great on coyotes. I've taken them at close range with a .22
I'd go with .223/556 just for cost per round. And you probably have a suitable rifle already.

Western coyotes are smaller than the eastern ones. The game warden told me that ours are interbred with Canadian wolves.
A 6.5G will take down an Elk. Smack 'em with a .223 and they drop.

Posted: 3/2/2019 10:38:14 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Any light caliber will work great on coyotes. I've taken them at close range with a .22
I'd go with .223/556 just for cost per round. And you probably have a suitable rifle already.

Western coyotes are smaller than the eastern ones. The game warden told me that ours are interbred with Canadian wolves.
A 6.5G will take down an Elk. Smack 'em with a .223 and they drop.

View Quote

When it comes to pests just getting a bullet into them is all that matters. If you gut shoot them at 400 yards then oh well...they still gonna die even if it's 556.

I've read we have coy wolf hybrids coming down the east coast from up north. But the coyotes we have in FL are still the 30 to 40# types.

Posted: 3/2/2019 11:48:42 PM EDT

[#16]

Lots of good responses. Basically, everyone is voting AR. I guess that makes it clear!

Posted: 3/3/2019 12:30:57 AM EDT

[#17]

.204!

Posted: 3/3/2019 1:23:45 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Leave a few coyotes, would ya? My neighborhood is overrun with rabbits.

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Rabbits a fine meal. Do you have a pellet rifle?

Posted: 3/3/2019 6:03:57 AM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

Ha....really didn't think of it that way. My experience with rodents is groundhogs where 3 was a good day. And my pd consisted of walking a couple fields for about 3 hours. So I've never done the 200 to 500 rounds thing. I think I shot about 30 rounds between me and my son.

View Quote

It is definitely a volume business. Some guys set up with benches and shoot slow at 3-400 yds (or longer), but many like to run and gun between towns.

Posted: 3/3/2019 7:13:47 AM EDT

[#20]

.my .02. Is go with .243. Wind can be a factor there. Heavier option might give you a better middle ground set up for less than ideal weather days with wind.
100grn .243 is going to buck the wind better than 55-64grn .223/556. And have a significant energy advantage for a long range shot.

Posted: 3/3/2019 2:21:55 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Leave a few coyotes, would ya? My neighborhood is overrun with rabbits.

View Quote

You need a good beagle and a 20 gauge.

Posted: 3/3/2019 2:32:02 PM EDT

[#22]

I live near COS. AR with red dot works well for varmits inside of 400m.
CO will not allow you to hunt big game with calibers less than .240.

I have a suppressed H&R handi rifle in 300blk that has so many kills I quit counting. I mostly slay yotes and smaller with subs without spooking big game the next terrain feature away. Also, Barnes black tip makes it a decent elk back up gun in dark timber.

Posted: 3/3/2019 10:23:40 PM EDT

[#23]

My pick would be either a 16" or 18" AR chambered in either 6.8 SPC or 6.5 Grendel.

Light weight for the most part, easy to swing, rapid follow up shot capability, and either chambering will provide great terminal performance at distance.

Posted: 3/3/2019 10:55:08 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lots of good responses. Basically, everyone is voting AR. I guess that makes it clear!

View Quote

Plenty of good bolts too. I like looking up 1k yard coyote and ground hog shots on YT. Those guya usually do bolts.

Posted: 3/21/2019 5:09:37 PM EDT

[#25]

I use to carry an AR with an ACOG and a tripod and an electronic caller in my work truck and would set up a couple of stands each time I went to a few of the farms / ranches I had a service call at. Many places it seemed like the coyotes were use to white full-sized trucks coming and going so it didn't bother them getting out and setting up.

If I was going specifically to hunt, I would take a Remington 700 in 243 or an AR10 in 243 and a 12 gauge shotgun.

Lots of good info on another site that is about LongRangeHunting (I'm not sure about linking to other sites, so I'll leave it at that)

Posted: 3/23/2019 2:35:35 PM EDT

[#26]

Quick update.

I ended up building a new AR. 16" Battle Arms Light Rigid 416 SS 1/8 twist with a GA SMR rail. Threw a Vortex PST 2.5-10X32 in an ADM mount as well. Haven't shot the rifle yet but the BAD Light Rigid gets great reviews. I'll have to go through a bunch of ammo tests and see what the barrel likes.

I'm still very likely to pick up a .243 or 6.5CM Bergara Ridge for coyote duty as well in higher winds.

Posted: 3/28/2019 6:45:36 AM EDT

[#27]

I have used both bolt and ARs, eventually I would try to get a bolt action in a 22-250 or 243.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Rifle for CO coyotes?

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