Ultimate Coyote Gun

[Zeke-BE]

Food For Thought!

 

If you could (or have) build a complete custom or semi custom yote gun what would it be? I know the .223, 220 swift, 22-250, 243 are great guns NO DOUBT, but im talking about complete over haul of what you think would be awesome. Ive read about 22-250 AI with a fast twist rifle, 22 Creedmoor, I just read about Handloader mag about a wildcat 257 creedmoor thats pushing 100 g 3,150 ps (great deer and yote gun). Ive read 22-243, and 243 AI with a fast twist barrel for long range yotes with heavy 105g. Also other neat competition rifles set up as 6x47 laupe,6 creedmoor, 6 Dasher shooting 75 g AMax, .250-3000 AI using on yotes.

 

[STOMP442]

Ive been using a standard 250-3000 for years as my go to yote gun and it works like a champ. 75gr vmax at 3500fps does a number on them. The 115gr Berger at 2800 also does real well and actually does less damage. Just leaves a nice one inch hole on the off side.

[Red Rabbit]

Might add the 22 Nosler into the mix.

 

My traditional mind cannot wrap itself around a metal and plastic AR, so my coyote gun has always been walnut and blue in 22-250

[L Cazador]

I've shot coyotes with most of the cartridges you mention. While the hottest 22 I shot them with was a 22/6mm improved, the 22 never convinced me of good solid kills even with the heaviest bullets. Understand that I probably shot some at some very incredible ranges. My thought nowadays is to call them in close enough so as not to miss and educate them and my favorite firearm is a shotgun with #4 buck for close in shots and an Olympic Arms AR with heavy barrel in 243 WSSM with a 10 twist that can take them out to 500 yards. My back up gun is a 700 Rem repeater bolt in 6X47 Lapua, and my long range pistol is a Rem XP100 custom in 6.5X47 Lapua. If I do take a long range shot, it's only after a patient wait for a close in shot. I didn't have that patience when I was younger!! Just about all the cartridges you mention are excellent for taking coyotes!

[firstcoueswas80]

For a long time, I would have said an ar in 22-250. Now I think a 22 nosler fills that bill.

[Zeke-BE]

I just saw information about for the first time about the 22 nosler. How long has that been out?

[Zeke-BE]

Ive been using a standard 250-3000 for years as my go to yote gun and it works like a champ. 75gr vmax at 3500fps does a number on them. The 115gr Berger at 2800 also does real well and actually does less damage. Just leaves a nice one inch hole on the off side.

 

 

So 115 bergers would be the go to round for keeping pelts

[firstcoueswas80]

I just saw information about for the first time about the 22 nosler. How long has that been out?

Pretty sure it came out at the Shot show.

[Saguaro]

Probably an AR type rifle with a good optic. Also in camo. I'm not really an AR guy although I have a few. Back when I was killing a lot of coyotes, it didn't matter what rifle because we just left them there for the buzzards. Because of that, I would use my 270 most of the time. That worked out well because I would shoot it so much that the rifle became an extension of me. I would use it for everything even those 4" rocks on the side of a mountain 250 yards out. There are still times when I make a kill or hit a rock with it and cannot tell you, or even remember where I aimed or how high I held over. That's one way to look at it.

 

My varmint rifle is a model 700 223. I've used it for about 18 years and can't imangine another rifle for that purpose. My dad's varmint gun was a sako vixen 6mm ppc. That was another good caliber.

 

These questions are tough. It's kind of splitting hairs. Before long, you could have 5 different varmint rifles. I have that type of problem with big game rifles that are all pretty much the same. What I mean is, I have a 25-06, 270, 280 AI. Don't get me wrong, I love guns and none of us do what we do to try to be practical, it's a hobby that we love. But sometimes I open the safe and have a hard time deciding what rifle to shoot. Most of the time I pick the 26 year old 270.

[dse]

22-250 AI is hands down my favorite varmint cartridge, and probably my favorite rifle. I've taken rabbits, coyotes, and prairie dogs out to around 1000yds and a coues buck at just shy of 600yds. Almost no recoil from a 12lb rifle, you can watch vapor trails and bullet impact in the scope. Good quality brass like Lapua, Nosler, and Norma are pretty easy to find and really easy to form. My fire forming load is the 53gr v-max at 3500 fps but I've pushed the same bullet well over 4000 fps. I've loaded the 75 gr A-max to 3600fps and the 80gr Berger Vld to 3450 fps. Next will be the 90 gr Vld Should be able to get close to 3300 fps.

[Zeke-BE]

22-250 AI is hands down my favorite varmint cartridge, and probably my favorite rifle. I've taken rabbits, coyotes, and prairie dogs out to around 1000yds and a coues buck at just shy of 600yds. Almost no recoil from a 12lb rifle, you can watch vapor trails and bullet impact in the scope. Good quality brass like Lapua, Nosler, and Norma are pretty easy to find and really easy to form. My fire forming load is the 53gr v-max at 3500 fps but I've pushed the same bullet well over 4000 fps. I've loaded the 75 gr A-max to 3600fps and the 80gr Berger Vld to 3450 fps. Next will be the 90 gr Vld Should be able to get close to 3300 fps.

 

That would be cool! If I remember the 22-250 AI is almost identical to the 22 Creedmoor. Not knocking you AI I have a 6.5-270 AI but the 22 creedmoor would save on the fire form though

[dse]

Yes they are really close 40° shoulder on the Ai and 30° on the creedmoor I believe, other than that almost identical. However you might have a little trouble with collapsing the shoulder necking down 6.5 brass. One reason for my somewhat light fire forming load is it's nearly the same point of impact at 100 yds as the 80 gr Berger load, two clicks right or left to switch between loads. Making brass by shooting rabbits and prairie dogs seems like alot more fun than necking down cases.

[duckhunter175]

I had plans for a 22-243 build and had ordered a barrel from pac-nor but a few other priorities got the in way (Swaro 10x42 EL). There is plenty of load data around for that round and the various 22/6mm.

 

For availability of components I think 22-250AI is the all around best option and it can handle those long, heavy bullets.

 

BUT-- If you want a classic I think a .220 Swift in a old Ruger #1 or 77 would be pretty awesome! Heck you could AI the swift and probably get a little better barrel life, coupled with slower burning powders and bigger bullets... plus you get that "no one else has it" factor.

[STOMP442]

 

Ive been using a standard 250-3000 for years as my go to yote gun and it works like a champ. 75gr vmax at 3500fps does a number on them. The 115gr Berger at 2800 also does real well and actually does less damage. Just leaves a nice one inch hole on the off side.

 

 

So 115 bergers would be the go to round for keeping pelts

 

Yep. Here is the last coyote I shot with the Berger. He held up on the edge of the brush line facing me at about 75 yards and I put one right in his chest. Never got an exit on this one.

[STOMP442]

Here is another I got earlier that same day. You can see from the blood splatter that this thing hits with authority but I have seen worse exit holes from 22-250s with varmint bullets. It really all depends on how you hit them though.