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robbie
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/13/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 141 |
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Posted: December/07/2012 at 16:48 |
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My buddy is going to buy a gun exclusively for backyard coyotes to 200 yards.
I know there wil be many opinions, but I'd like to hear them. I was thinking .223? Thanks in advance
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Rancid Coolaid
MODERATOR Joined: January/19/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9318 |
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204 Ruger.
Fast. Fast. Fast. And did I mention it was fast. A good 223 will also work, but getting the round there faster is a good thing, especially with an animal that doesn't like to stand still for long. It can be had in an AR upper or as a bolt gun. I've seen one take a decent sized white tail and a 50 pound hog, neither took a step after impact.
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Freedom is something you take.
Respect is something you earn. Equality is something you whine about not being given. |
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gulf1263
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/15/2011 Location: Alaska Status: Offline Points: 212 |
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IMHO a medium weight .223 should be perfect, try to get one with a 1/9 or better twist (1/8 or 1/7).
I have a 1960's Sako with a 1/14 twist and I can't shot bullets heavier than 55 grns. with it. You won't be shooting a lot of rounds through it at once so a heavy barrel is not needed. A Remington M7, Sako, CZ or such should work fine and a high power scope might be a detriment because many shots may be much closer than 200 yards. Several friends have CZ's and really like them. My almost daughter-in-law has a Remington M700 Police model I gave her with a Leupold VX II and has shot several coyotes at ranges up to a little over 375 yards, none ran more than 20 yards before piling up. Advantage of the .223 is a large variety of ammo available at reasonable prices, plentiful barrels available if he shoots the original out and lots of bullets, cases, etc. and info available for reloading. Something to think about is that a quality AR in a heavy barrel M-4 format can be used...many boutique guns available...not very elegant but certainly functional, more expensive than a bolt though. Any excuse to buy a new gun is a good one...and a .223 can be had in a lot of different permutations to try, from functional to elegant. Art |
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Good day.
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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Does back yard mean settled area like farm houses, roads, traffic, people, live stock? The blast of a .257 Weatherby would annoy folks.
200 yds is under, most varmit shooting standards, medium range so a .223 would work just fine. Surprisingly coyotes can get bigger than you would guess. I have heard about 50 pounders and have seen some that went over 45. For a moderately good size canine such as these I would go for a .22 vs .20 because of the availbility of tougher bullets. I know probably truck loads of coyotes have been shot with 32 & 40 gr .204 bullets at velocities between 3800 to 4000 plus but my personal preference would be to go for larger bullets. I have heard but not seen, probably because I don't use my .20 on coyotes, bullets that blow up on close range shots causing non-fatal surface wounds. If I had to use my .20 on coyotes I would use the 45 gr. Hornady soft point flat base. This coming year I plan to use the 65 grain .224 Sierra GK shot from a 1-9 twist .22-.250. I hope to get a wolf tag also. All this is only my personal opinion subject to extensive debate.
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gulf1263
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/15/2011 Location: Alaska Status: Offline Points: 212 |
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IMHO if you want to annoy the neighbors, hikers, other hunters and panic all the game in an area then a .257 Weatherby is perfect, loud, and deadly.
I think a barrel longer than 26 inches would be better.. Did I mention it was was loud...there are much better choices for pests however it does kill and destroy any small size critters..everything is bloodshot and gushy from my experience. For deer or caribou at long range perfect but really way overkill for smaller animals. Since I don't hunt much anymore I put mine up for sale. A .240 Weatherby with a long barrel, 26 inches would be fun. However I still believe a .223 with the proper ammo will do just fine for animals up to and including wolf. Select the right bullets, no holdover needed inside 300 yards and press the trigger correctly and the critter is dead. Art |
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Good day.
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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do you plan to sell the hides to a furrier?? if the answer is yes, id recommend a .243 or even a 25-06. if not the .223 will be just the ticket
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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.220 Swift...
One of the best coyote rounds ever made...50gr ballistic tip at 3780 is a real "zinger'.
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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Rancid Coolaid
MODERATOR Joined: January/19/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9318 |
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Barrel burner? |
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Freedom is something you take.
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coyote95
Optics Master Joined: January/24/2009 Location: michigan Status: Offline Points: 1196 |
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They don't usually give you a whole lot of time, so give em' some lead as fast as you can..... Semi-auto.
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"Life is like riding a bicycle . To keep balance you must keep moving" Albert Einstein
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Sparky
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: July/15/2007 Location: SD Status: Offline Points: 4569 |
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What bullet were they using? |
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jselsor
Optics Journeyman Joined: August/01/2011 Location: MO Status: Offline Points: 328 |
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Backyard hmmmm
I would get a bare bones flat top AR 15 with a 1/9 twist barrel. Then slap a supressor on it so U dont piss off the neighbors! |
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Dont take yourself to seriously
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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There are many rifles suitable for killing coyotes most will destroy the fur so one should consider the importance of being able to salvage and use the fur if desired. The 17 Remmington is a very fur friendly cartridge when you limit distance to 200 yds and much safer in semi urban areas. The 22 mag is quite deadly out to about 100 yds with the right ammo. The .223 with the heavier bullets .69 gr to 77 gr will kill them at well past 600 yds. The 22-250 also a .22 but twist is set for the 50 gr bullet pushed faster is a very popular caliber for varmits and its faster cousin the 220 Swift is even faster which can be tough on barrel life. The .204 ruger is as mentioned an excellent choice and since it runs about the same amount of powder in the case as a .223 the barrel does not get hot as quickly as it would with heavier powder charges. .204 Ruger is very low recoil and allows you to spot the impact of the bullet through the scope where other cartridges wont. .243 is also a common coyote caliber which can double very nicely as a deer rifle and with the correct ammo other heavy game. Other heavier calibers will kill coyotes just fine but they can hardly be considered fur friendly. It is important to ask what other uses this rifle may also need to fill in the future because many states will not allow deer hunting with calibers smaller than a .243 Win. Next one should decide if they prefer a light weight bolt action like a Tikka or a heavy barrel bolt action like a Savage or Remmington or a semi auto AR-15. There again if the rifle may see personal protection defensive use the semi auto may be preferable where one who plans on doing lots of walking hunting with the rifle may prefer to reduce the weight and use something like a Tikka T3. If longer distances are likely a heavy barrel rifle like the Savage 10FP is a fine choice. The availability and cost of ammo may also be a strong consideration. If a guy has reloading equipment and is capable of making his own high quality ammo then he can take many different calibers and custom build a load that is quite suitable for coyotes even if working with a heavier caliber. I have some 125 gr Nosler hand loads for a 300 WSM that seem to kill coyotes just fine so long as you dont mind a big hole in them. I am quite sure that the majority of people out there will suggest an AR15 in .223 but a bolt action rifle will slow down your rate of fire and eventually cause you to become a better shot rather than spraying the countryside with bullets. Oh one other thing that most of those who dont actually hunt coyotes might not consider: .... when you call one preditor, you may get another larger preditor that you did not anticipate - cougar, bears, wolf, wild dogs etc. so running a heavier caliber is not always a bad choice, especially if larger preditors are in the area.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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.22-.250's should be made with 1 - 8 or 9 twist barrels. Possibly Savage makes a .22-.250 with a 1-9. After many years of shooting .22-.250's in 1-8 and 1-9 barrels I use the 53 gr H Vmax, 75 gr H Amax and now the 65 gr. Sierra GK.
I would not want to take on an enraged grizzly or any other kind of bear with a .22-.250 so some degree of overkill with a .30-06 does not hurt.
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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Stainless steel barrel, using the Remington "stock" ammo, is rated to 1500-2000 rounds, based upon my discussions with Remington. .220 Swift is not considered "hot" until you go above 4000fps. I've seen worse...
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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Stevey Ducks
Optics Apprentice Joined: December/03/2011 Status: Offline Points: 266 |
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To add more thoughts on all of this.
On the .220 Swift I had, the semi rimmed rounds hung up on each other on repeat shots fed from the magazine but it sure got out there fast. On the "black guns", that pistol grip enables a real good control of the rifle (weapon) and that 2nd quick shot can be useful. 5 shot magazines (should you want them) cut the weight down and bulk quite a bit. No reason why AR types cannot be used for any type of hunting provided the caliber is adequate for the game hunted. |
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gulf1263
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/15/2011 Location: Alaska Status: Offline Points: 212 |
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IMHO why would someone want a round like the .220 Swift for shots inside 300 meters?
If a gun/ammo ban goes into effect or ammo and reloading components become scarce having a "boutique" caliber becomes a liability and having one that eats barrels is even worse. I know a lot of guns are sold based on the "Chicks Dig It" factor or all the "Mall Ninja's" have one, but is that a reason to buy what will be a working gun? The 22/250 and .220 Swift are great rounds but un-necessary for this application. Starting with a .223/5.56 is the best way to go, then adding the other calibers later when the need or desire for something different comes around. An acquaintance has used a Remington 7600 in .223 and a little Sako in .223 for many years shooting coyote and wolf, he starts with the 7600 calling them in and then goes to the Sako when they stay out beyond 200 yards, he makes his living trapping, shooting and commercial fishing. Whatever is going to be bought should be done quickly before a requirement for a psych eval becomes part of the process...there are mental health care professionals out there that believe that anyone who wants a firearm shouldn't have one! Thanks Art |
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Good day.
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biggreen747
Optics Journeyman Joined: October/16/2009 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 470 |
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.243win is a good balance between the smaller squirrel guns and the larger caliber rifles and makes a heck of a deer and pronghorn rifle as well.
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We measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a crayon, and cut it with a chainsaw.
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