best coyote caliber

this topic is just as funny as ever when people talk about fur friendly rounds. All rounds I have shot in the last 30yrs of hunting nothing is a guaranteed fur friendly unless you are willing to shoot the 17 centers. I shot some and won't again as I had alot of runners. I shoot the 243s now with great success and I sell pelts, I use the 55gr Bts and yes they will tear one up if you don't place your shot properly. A 223 will also tear up pelts. My 243 is my hammer and I don't have runners and I will save over 90% of my furs, I say use what you want and figure what works for you. Everybody will have an opinion but yours is the only one that matters. Try some different bullets and see what is going to work for you. HAPPY HUNTING
 
My experience is from reloading and target shooting and deer hunting for almost 30 years. I'm new to coyote hunting. I own a 22-250 and have studied the balistics of it and the other 22s. The 220 Swift is a little faster for any given bullet weight, but has lots of cons. It is a long action and the rifle will be longer and a little heavyer. The extra speed the 220 Swift has over the 22-250 puts it just past the point of accelerated barrel burnning. The life of the acuracy will be less. 22-250s tend to group really tight and working up tight acurate loads is easer, and better then a 220 Swift.
Conpared to the other 22s ( 223,222 ect) the 22-250 is faster then all will have longer range flater tragectory, and is as accurate as any of them.
Compared to a 204 Ruger the Ruger is a little flater under 300 yards but the 22-250 is also real flat at 300 and can kill out to 450 or 500 yards. The Rugers best bullet weight is 40 grains going like 3900 to 4000 FPS. The best bullet weight for the 22-250 tends to be 55 grains going around 3500-3600. Those extra 15 grains of lead gives it alot extra range. Alec
 
Remington 700s are known to be better especialy if its from their cutom shop with a bedded action, blue printed action and free floated barrel.
 
I'm one of those 17 Rem. nuts and have been since 1971 when I bought my first one. I've tried several other calibers thru the years, but I've always gone back to the 17. Recently I've been trying a 204, but to date I've only shot one Coyote with it. The results were very good, but still to soon to say it's as good as my 17's. It was a broadside behind the shoulder shot with no exit using a 35gr. Berger. I would think the 204 might be a little hard on the Grey Foxes we sometimes call in.
 
I use to hunt northeast of valley city alot and most of our shots where over 200 yards, call shy coyotes, and always seemed to have wind, thats when i started using a 6mm because of the heavier bullet to help fight cross breezes something for you to think about.
 
Originally Posted By: RHcoyotehunteri dont want to destroy there pelts so i think i will leave the 243s alone

Then that limits the choices. From what I've experienced, the hot .22 cartridges are pretty hard on fur, too. The 22-250 is just about as hard on fur at times as the .243, and I've shot a lot of coyotes with each.

If you want nice fur without large holes, stick with the .17 or .20 caliber centerfires. Maybe a .223, depending on the load.

You can load a 55 grain bullet in a .243 down to 22-250 levels and get just about the same results, but it's still going to be hard on fur.

Daryl
 
from the reloading standpoint - .223

for work out to 300 yds - .223

for rifles offered in a variety of rifling twist rates for different bullet weights - .223

now for an opinion: Remington 700SPS
 
Originally Posted By: RHcoyotehunterdoes anyone use a 204 and if so does it work good for coyotes I have the .204 in the Savage Mod. 10 predator. So far the yote count with it has been 14, with one run away..bad hit..The longest shot was 412 yards on a coyote which was ranged by my pardner before the shot,it was a fatal shot but he simply jumped up in the air and ...walked... up the trail about 60 yards, layed down and died! The .204 is great on yotes!
 
Too the original poster, I don't know if there really is a "Best" coyote caliber? I believe that a good coyote hunter will get coyotes regardless of what caliber he uses. He will have his preference though.

Fur friendly or not, can be an issue. Are you going to shoot a lot of cats, or mostly coyotes? Large numbers of coyotes, or just a few, with minimal sewing involved. Do you even give a hoot about the fur?

Will you shoot this rifle a lot or just a couple of boxes of cartridges a year?
 
I had been Hunting Coyotes with my Browning A-bolt Hunter in .243 using 100 grain Hornady Custom factory loads....little hard on the pelts but nothing got away either!
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I went with a CZ "Varmint" heavy barrel model 527 in a .204 and I am very impressed with the knock-down power and light recoil of this caliber,plus it is very easy on the pelts/hides!I'm using 32 grain wicnchester ballistic tip bullets but will be switching to 39 grain Sierra Blitz Kings.The 40 grain Hornady V-max also shot well in my .204 Rifle.So far I've killed 9 Coyotes with my .204 and only 1 made it about 30 yards and dropped,got 1 double kill on 2 Female Coyotes and each died within 10-15 yards of each other...most of my shots were actually pretty close range from 30 yards,50-60 and out to around 125-150 yards at the furtherest.
 
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I think the dates are off.....I haven't been a member of PM that long,any ways were desperate for post/replies and digging up old ones are fun! LOL
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