Another Coyote for the .22-250

filmjunkie4ever

Handloader
May 4, 2011
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1,354
My faithful old truck gun did it again today. Out in the hayfields just after lunch we were headed to work on some equipment when this coyote trotted into view some 300 yards away. I sent him a single 55 grain Sierra Gameking propelled by my standard load of 35 grains of Varget. One and done.

I have shot coyotes with just about every rifle and handgun cartridge that I own and several more that I don't. I sure like that .22-250 for shooting them. What's your favorite "truck gun" or coyote rifle?
 

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I've shot quite a few with the 22-250 and 257; Roberts. The Bob puts them down with authority!

JD338
For a long time the smallest rifle I owned was my Remington 700 .25-06 and it was mainly used for coyotes and the occasional deer. I shot straight 120 grain Corelokts through it for the first few years I owned it but got tired of paying $14.95 a box and decided to handload. Heck $14.95 wouldn't buy you a swift kick in the @$$ at an ammo counter these days.

The 87 grain Spitzer and 90 grain Sierra Hollowpoint, as well as the 100 grain Nosler BT was mostly what I used at first. And like you said they DO put down a coyote.

I do like the handiness of the 22" barrel on the Ruger M77 Hawkeye, it makes for a quicker draw when shooting from the cab of a pickup. I saw a Model 70 Classic Stainless Featherweight on Gunbroker that has me giving more than just the casual glance.
 
Congrats on another 'yote!

Favorite coyote rifle? Whatever is in my hands at the moment! :)

That said, I've had a lot of fun zapping them with the 25-06 using my regular deer loads. 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip works well, not all that "explosive" just really deadly. 115 gr Berger VLD is absolutely NOT fur friendly. The off-side of the coyote is not pretty after being Bergered...

Guy
 
Congrats on another 'yote!

Favorite coyote rifle? Whatever is in my hands at the moment! :)

That said, I've had a lot of fun zapping them with the 25-06 using my regular deer loads. 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip works well, not all that "explosive" just really deadly. 115 gr Berger VLD is absolutely NOT fur friendly. The off-side of the coyote is not pretty after being Bergered...

Guy
Maybe that why their called Berger bullets. 🤣

JD338
 
Congrats on another 'yote!

Favorite coyote rifle? Whatever is in my hands at the moment! :)

That said, I've had a lot of fun zapping them with the 25-06 using my regular deer loads. 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip works well, not all that "explosive" just really deadly. 115 gr Berger VLD is absolutely NOT fur friendly. The off-side of the coyote is not pretty after being Bergered...

Guy
Whatever is handy is how I do it too. As a result I have shot them with quite a few different guns and cartridges over the years. Most of them have been loaded for big game so they were not "fur-friendly" either.
 
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This is my dedicated varmint rifle but I’ve shot a lot more coyotes while hunting other things with other rifles than with this one. Savage .223 rem. Shooting a 65 gr sierra gameking ( H335) or a 55 gr nosler ballistic tip (rl 10x)
 
The few I have killed have been during deer season with a 7mm08 and 30-06 so far except for one shot with a 222 Rem that was in the truck while going to work on my cousin's fence. Mybe one will trot by when I'm carrying the 308,270 or 35 Rem this fall. Dan.
 
The few I have killed have been during deer season with a 7mm08 and 30-06 so far except for one shot with a 222 Rem that was in the truck while going to work on my cousin's fence. Mybe one will trot by when I'm carrying the 308,270 or 35 Rem this fall. Dan.
We live in a pretty target rich environment here for coyotes. I have shot them with a full gamut of rifle cartridges including the .22 LR. I killed one with my .357 on the way to town one day and I shot one while out flushing birds another time with a 20-gauge shotgun. I saw one shot with a .375 H&H Magnum from about 35 yards, which nearly severed the body in half. I shot four of them together in a bunch, one at a time with one shot each with my .30-06 during elk season some years ago. Coyotes are a unique target of opportunity, best thing to do is make sure you have a gun, any gun, handy for when they show up. You will shoot more of them Dan!
 
just curious , about how many coyotes do you guys take in a year ? I seldom see a coyote , and I've only shot a couple while hunting . I don't go hunting specifically for coyotes .

I do see more of them when I'm hunting western states . it seems they are not as shy as the eastern coyotes .
 
On an average year I would say 15-20 coyotes. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Once a few years back I was invited to attend a helicopter coyote hunt on private land. The ranch was nearly 40,000 acres and I doubt we even covered half that. In three hours of flying we shot 27 coyotes.
 
I would say seeing one averages out to 1 in 3 years around here. I get them on game cameras though.
 
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