BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[Lever-action-lover]

I am looking into going hunting for coyotes cause they dont cost anything to hunt(Unlike deer which you have to buy a tag and you have all this other stuff before you even get into the hunting part). I think they would be a fun animal to start out on. Will a 30-30 be enough kill em,but not totally blow them apart.

[saskie]

A 30/30 will definitely kill them, although you might have some substantial damage. Unless you can bait them in which may be illegal you might have trouble getting close enough to get a shot. Shots over 200yds are tricky with a 30/30 - the trajectory really starts to drop.

I'd reccomend something lighter and faster like a .243, .223, 25-06 which will give you better range and less likely to "blow it apart".

[ This Message was edited by: saskie on 2003-02-04 19:59 ]

[bitmasher]

Saskie's right on the guns. Although some people don't care if there is anything left of the yote after you shoot it.

If this is your first time hunting coyotes, you might want to read maineguide's coyote hunt thread. Figuring out how to get in range of the yotes is probably more important than gun selection.

[ChesterGolf]

A distress call works very well up here and can get you in range of the yotes as long as you are hidden well and playing the wind. Are you not going to sell the pelt who cares if you cut the pest in half. If you are selling it, head shots may be in order. The pelt up here is barely worth selling so most of my hunting is for population control.

[Lever-action-lover]

I have been looking into a .223 but I dont know to much. Some that I found were really expensive($900). They look like an assualt rifle.

[saskie]

Some are, some aren't. The M-16 (or Canadian C7) are assault rifles and are .223 cal (5.56mm). And of course they've spawned a whole hockey sock full of civilian knock-offs. There are sporting versions: off the top of my head the Remington Model 7 is available in .223 and I'm pretty sure Savage varmit series are as well.

For what it's worth, in your case I'd probably look at a .243: I think the .223 is too light for deer although others will probably disagree (it would be illegal for deer here as it's less than 24 cal). The .243 is adequate for deer and great for coyotes and probably fine for pigs too although I can't vouch for that as I know nothing about pig hunting.

[expatriate]

I agree. I'm not a yote hunter, but you'll get more bang for your buck if you go for a .243.

With a .223, you're looking at bullet weight between 40 grains (same as a .22 LR) up to about 65. Velocities run around 3000 feet per second for the bigger bullets up to around 3700 for the 40.

If you're shooting at 3000 fps, a .243 will do that with a 100 grain bullet with a better ballistic coefficient (remember that thread? :smile:). Winchester also makes a 55 grain .243 that screams along at right about 4000 fps. Bottom line is that a .243 will get you about 500 ft-lbs more energy at 200 yards with a flatter trajectory and less wind deflection.

I've got a son your age and picked up a .243 for him this year -- it's a good round that'll even let you go for deer, which is something I wouldn't attempt with a .223.

[Lever-action-lover]

Now, does a .243 have really bad draw backs? Also how cheap is ammo(Thats what I notice with my 30/30...I cant go to the range because the ammo cost to much)!

[saskie]

Yep - one big one - ammo is more expensive (at least around here) it goes for $22-23Cdn/box while 30/03 goes for about $16.

Another potential drawback is that you're more or less limited to deer as the biggest animal you can hunt. They have killed elk, but I wouldn't reccomend a 243 as an elk rifle.

[ChesterGolf]

If price is an issue, you might want to look around for a mil. surplus 6.5x55 swedish mauser. It is a fine round for varmint and deer and is not that expensive. A rifle should be easy to find and inexpensive as well. The 6.5x55 is a very accurate round as are the rifles that shoot it.

[expatriate]

Ammo price is relative. I can pick up Remington .243 Ammo at Wal-Mart for $12.79 a box -- right around the price of .30-30 ammo. As far as centerfire rifle ammo goes, it's generally priced at the bottom of the scale. The 6.5 X 55 is a very capable round, but you might have a hard time finding it at discount stores that use volume buying power to keep prices low.

And like others are saying, .243 would be iffy on elk. But it's a good round that covers small to medium game, and is supported well in terms of ammo choices and availability.

[Lever-action-lover]

Thanks for the help! I was also considering a 22lr. , but my frind has a gun thats a 22 but its bulets are a lot bigger than a regular 22's. What would those be good for?

[saskie]

That sounds like a 22 magnum. That would be good for varmits and coyotes in a pinch.

And the 22mag and 22LR ARE NOT interchangeable!!!! 22LR rifles aren't built to design the extra stress of firing magnums.

[ This Message was edited by: saskie on 2003-02-07 18:30 ]

[ChesterGolf]

A 22LR is a .220 bullet whereas a .22WRM is a .224 bullet and as Saskie said should never be interchanged. There is also the .220swift which is a centerfire 22 that is deadly on coyotes. This is my primary calibre for yote hunting but I will admit to using the 300 RUM once this year... and that kills them too. :wink:

[saskie]

For what it's worth, especially given your limited finances stick with the 30/30 for now. It's an excellent first rifle and will handle almost any hunting you've mentioned as long as you remember it's range limitations. Go to the range when you can, get familiar with it, learn to shoot well and hunt safely.

Later down the road after you've learned the basics and have more cash then you might want to look at something like a 270 (for example).