.22 lr for Coyote? Really?

Killing coyotes with a .22LR is possible. Not the ideal cartridge for the task but given good shot placement it is completely possible. I kill a coyote here and there with a .22 while squirrel hunting in the fall. Sometimes the coyote is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time to be a coyote and I take advantage of the opportunity. Sometimes I do a little calling and a coyote responds. As Cal said, I treat the situation much like bowhunting bigger game. The range must be right, the angle must be right and the accuracy and placement of the shot have to be a high percentage chance. It can be done, just be smart about it and choose good shots as there is no margin for error with a rimfire.

This one came to a call and caught a .22LR hollowpoint in the head at 12 steps...


Here is one of a double that I called. The first one was spotted and I lip squeaked it to about sixty yards and popped a Mini Mag hollowpoint through the lungs. That one yelped and began to spin and then I spotted the second coyote. More lip squeaks brought it to about 70 yards. I had the sun at my back and could see this coyote squinting hard as it tried to make me out sitting on the hillside above him. I put the bead right on the end of his nose and the little hollowpoint popped him in the neck right under his lower jaw. Done. Except the first coyote had crawled and kicked itself into a pile of tree tops and I couldn't get it out. It was dead as Madonna's virginity but I couldn't reach up in there to get ahold of it.
 
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Haven’t killed a coyote with a 22lr yet but it sure worked on the trap line on my bobcat that I got a few years back. I put it behind its front shoulder with a CB short like an archery shot at about 15 feet. It hit the ground and never moved. Pelt saver at its finest. after shooting many of raccoons and possums on my trap wine between the eyes and watching them pop out I’m sure if you hit a coyote between the eyeballs out to 100 yards it’s going to hit the ground with a 22 LR. I wouldn’t aim anywhere else if I wanted to recover it because I’m sure it would run off to die and you’d probably never find it. I’ve shot a lot of them coming into my turkey class with number five turkey loads drop out to 60 yards. Normally out past 40 yards you gotta tickle them again with another round.
 
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Cal Taylor said:
I personally have killed dozens of coyotes with a compound bow and a 22lr at the same yardages (inside 50) I think a 22 lr with hollow points is every bit as effective as a broadhead. A coyote shot through the lungs or heart with either is going to die in short order. They are probably going to run 50 to 100 yards like any bow shot but die just the same. I have a very accurate 10/22 target model supressed and inside 50 or 60 yards no coyote has survived it
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This makes me kick myself in the behind, all these years of having a 22lr in my feed truck and passing coyotes cause I didn’t think it’d get it done. I’ve passed I don’t know how many at 40-70 yards. That’s the main reason I bought my 17 WSM. So I could have a cheap rimfire and have more oomf, for my feed truck. Thought it was better than carrying my nicer centerfires around all the time.
 
GC said:
Killing coyotes with a .22LR is possible. Not the ideal cartridge for the task but given good shot placement it is completely possible. I kill a coyote here and there with a .22 while squirrel hunting in the fall. Sometimes the coyote is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time to be a coyote and I take advantage of the opportunity. Sometimes I do a little calling and a coyote responds. As Cal said, I treat the situation much like bowhunting bigger game. The range must be right, the angle must be right and the accuracy and placement of the shot have to be a high percentage chance. It can be done, just be smart about it and choose good shots as there is no margin for error with a rimfire.

This one came to a call and caught a .22LR hollowpoint in the head at 12 steps...


Here is one of a double that I called. The first one was spotted and I lip squeaked it to about sixty yards and popped a Mini Mag hollowpoint through the lungs. That one yelped and began to spin and then I spotted the second coyote. More lip squeaks brought it to about 70 yards. I had the sun at my back and could see this coyote squinting hard as it tried to make me out sitting on the hillside above him. I put the bead right on the end of his nose and the little hollowpoint popped him in the neck right under his lower jaw. Done. Except the first coyote had crawled and kicked itself into a pile of tree tops and I couldn't get it out. It was dead as Madonna's virginity but I couldn't reach up in there to get ahold of it.
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Man I wish I would’ve known this. I’ve always thought about trying it but I never could bring myself to do it. I’ve passed up I don’t know how many in my feed truck cause I always have a 22lr in there. Dang it.

I wouldn’t just go flinging lead at them, but many of times it’s a chip shot too. Broadside. Standing still. 50 yards.
 
GC, I really like that Marlin lever action. That’s a nice ‘en.

I took one coyote (head shot at about 50 yards) and one bobcat (chest shot at 40 yards) with a 22 magnum and Winchester 40 gr HP’s. Both dropped on the spot, targets of opportunity.
 
That old Marlin M39A has a Williams aperture sight and is one of my favorite squirrel-hunting guns. It is just fun to slip around a hickory grove with the old gun and kill a few squawks for the skillet.
 
I noticed that peep sight. I had always wanted a Marlin lever .22 and just neglected getting one. Now prices are outrageous. Squirrel hunting with a rimfire is just about as fine as it gets. Brings back boyhood memories.
 
GC said:
Austin, sounds like a .22 Magnum is what you need in the feed truck. The little Magnum punches well above its weight class and hits critters with a noticeable amount more oomph than the Long Rifle does. That is saying that for some reason a .223 or other centerfire is out of the question.
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I went and bought a heavy barrel, 17 WSM just for this reason. I’d love to keep my 223 AI in the truck at all times, I just hate to see that thing get beat on. 17 Wsm does the job fine with limitations. But still, it grinds my gears knowing I could’ve killed more over the years with my 22lr. All the shots I gave up, that were the perfect scenario.
 
Cal mentioned “with hollow points”.

That’s what I figured anyway, I didn’t know how much the standard round nose, lead would effect killing a coyote, if any.

I’m not at all going to be specifically targeting coyotes with a 22lr by any means. But hearing all these stories sure has me feeling better about it if/when the opportunity does arrive.
 
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