Are the .17cals really All That?

Originally Posted By: SmokelessWhat would you all say is the max effective coyote range with say a 17 Rem or even the 17-204? Just curious.

How well can you shoot?
 
Originally Posted By: Radio
"... Too light for yotes in my opinion though. They will go down with proper shot placement, but many are lost. It's just more humane to put them down quickly with a caliber that has a bit more punch. Even a Coyote deserves a quick end rather than suffering for hours or even days"



Tell the serious coyote shooters over on www.coyotegods.com that the 17 Rem is no good for shooting 'yotes...

.. and then duck. You will be laughed off of the site.

 
... now for the most agonizing part.
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Gotta save up for some optics & start acquiring brass, bullets, dies, etc. This baby will probably go to the back of the safe until I get myself established better for it. It's going to be hard to just see it sit there, but at least IT'S THERE!

I'm open for suggestions from all you .17rem users that are out there. Brand of dies? Bullets? Any specialty reloading tools? Powders? My intentions are to use Bergers ... I've had great lucking running Bergers through the .204's. Powders I currently have are Varget, H335, XTerminator, A2460, H4198, and IMR3031. Any of those doable? Let me know folks.

Thanks.
 
Hornady Dies!

That sliding bushing is the only way to go with the tiny 17 cal bullets with flat bases.

24gr of IMR4320 will knock everything right over with a 25 gr hollow point of any brand.
 
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Varget is a good choice of the ones listed. I would say IMR3031 would be ruled out as too difficult to get into the case mouth.
The remaining powders listed should also do OK.
 
Ive anchored plenty of big male coyotes without a twitch. I shot a 42lb male this winter at 362 yards with a frontal.DRT, he was knocked over backwards, insides were jelly. My longest shot to date with my 17 rem was 380+. I shot a 47lb male this winter at 250 that was DRT... ect ect ect. The guys who say the 17s arent big enough for coyotes dont use them. Im not saying they are 22-250s by any means. But ive shot 100+ coyotes the last few years with mine, havent lost one and only had 3 or 4 runners. 9x outa 10 the coyotes on the ground so fast you'd swear it was struck with lighning.

Very few of the coyote I shoot are past 250. No need, I usually have more trouble stopping them for a shot then worrying about holdover.

If most of your shots are 300+ a .17 prob shouldnt be your first or second choice. If you save your hides and occasionally shoot 300-350 yards then it may be a good fit.
 
Your only real choices right now for bullets are hornady and woodchuck dens golds. Stay away from theberger varmits

[/b. If you can find some berger match target BUY EVERY BOX THEY HAVE

Remington and Nosler are the only commercial brass suppliers. You can make it from 204 brass if you by the equipment ($85-125)

I use rem brass. Its ok. I usually throw away 3-4 pcs outa a bag of 100. I get 10+ reloads outa mine and then chuck it reguardless.
 
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Thanks fellas!

One thing I do have is ... time. I plan to really surf the classifieds & hope like heck a good .17rem reloading package might come up somewhere. A package that would include dies, brass, & bullets would be really cool. I like deals!
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Crap, I'm sitting on piles of 17Rem brass. Longest kill for me is 315 yards on a 20lb Alaskan fox. Nagels bullets are great, bergers are OK, but I'm really liking the lathe turned all copper hollow points I got from my gunsmith. The Rem is a little much for short range fox so I switched to a K Hornet for up close shots.
Blaine Eddy is rolling in his grave with all this talk if 17's not big enough for coyotes. He also used to use a 14-221 for yotes along with a 17Rem and that man killed more yotes than anyone here. God rest his soul.
 
Blaine showed me that rifle and told me that he really didn't like shooting that 14 past 100 yards, and it was an extreme shot placement round. That man did kill coyotes.

I'm still of the opinion that 17's are not for beginners. Shot placement being so much more important than the larger cannons like a 22-250 and such.
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Originally Posted By: Coyotejunki

I'm still of the opinion that 17's are not for beginners.


Oh no! Wish I would have been told this before I took the plunge.
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Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyOriginally Posted By: Coyotejunki

I'm still of the opinion that 17's are not for beginners.



Oh no! Wish I would have been told this before I took the plunge.
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Well... I guess you're gonna just have to get rid of it!!
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.
 
I bought 600 of them a while back. Couldn't get anymore Nagels.

Lots of guys with the 17 pred use them. Maybe DAA will speak up. He kills lots of coyotes, and I am pretty sure he used that bullet on many of them in a few videos.
 
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