AR's and lost coyotes

I've seen a coyote lost after getting knocked down by a 300 win mag (no idea were it was hit but it went straight down) and one run 250 yards after taking a 7 mm mag to high center mass .I've hit more than one coyote in the chest with 22-250 with 55s and had them run. I've also a had a few long recoveries shooting ARs, but honestly I don't recall a lost a coyote I hit with an AR. I can definitively say that I've killed more coyotes when shooting AR than I would have if I were still shooting a bolt guns. This is Due to running shots, doubles and long shots. The first coyote I killed with an AR I hit bad on the first shot then hit it badly on several following shots finally putting it down with one to the chest, it took 5 bad shots and was still running, the point being, shot placement matters more than what caliber.

I think you might have had bad luck. Your experience is not the norm as thousands of coyotes are killed by 556 ARs without many complaints
 
Originally Posted By: superformanceI've had coyotes not stay down with the 53 vmax. Hit bone and it just blows up My experiences mirror this. I've tried 50vmax, 53vmax in 223 and 22-250. More dogs have got up after being knocked down with those bullets than anything else I've ever used. Broadside hits were like gambling. Frontal shots resulted in DRT every time... but what won't do that?

I won't be going back to v-max in 22 cal for coyotes.
 
One time I drilled a coyote broadside perfect vitals shot from about 100 yards and it dropped. Then it raised it's head and looked back at me to see if I had an AR or a bolt action. He saw my black rifle and snickered, "Ha that's what I thought" jumped back up and took off running. That's why I now paint my AR camo, so coyotes can't tell what kind of gun I'm shooting.
 
Ballistic tips and gamekings for coyotes.

They have enough body mass to compromise frangible varmint bullets. A 40lb coyote is not a 2lb prairie dog.
 
Dirty dog that same thing happened to me. I called in a big male using a lizard in distress call on low volume. Foxpro sound Liz 10
 
Im not a ar fan ...but with all animals some just fall harder than others. Seen coyotes die instantly with good shots seen a few a run off we had to track for awhile with solid kill shots. Seen a white tail buck run 40 yards with one good kill shot ..Seen one with 8 slugs in the kill zone stay alive for a good two hours. I was always a believer you shouldn't have to track something if you know where to shoot it...Just seen to much game that should of been dead on the spot run off...All animals are tough to kill. Just don't get discourage. Helps to have a good tracker
 
Originally Posted By: dawgkillerWOW.

you found a 3 year old thread to pull up and say WOW?

awesome.
tongue_smilie.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotOriginally Posted By: dawgkillerWOW.

you found a 3 year old thread to pull up and say WOW?

awesome.
tongue_smilie.gif



Slicker,
You crack me up;-)
 
Lol, I missed this little gem and will not waste one second reading it.

However, I will say this. Better get your tracking boots on if'n you are using a 223.
 
Originally Posted By: btech29Lol, I missed this little gem and will not waste one second reading it.

However, I will say this. Better get your tracking boots on if'n you are using a 223.
Is that a joke you know 223 kills coyotes just fine..
 
Guess all the coyotes didn't get the word. Put a lot down with the .223 AR over the years, and the few that were lost, I'd place the blame on shot placement, not caliber.

Can a larger caliber outperform the 223? Absolutely!

One coyote in particular comes to mind that the 243 WSSM would have produced a different outcome. Several years ago, I took a shot at a coyote standing in a two track, facing me at about 100 yds. w/223. Heard solid hit, coyote down like a ton of bricks, but he jumped up and disappeared into waist high grass two ft. away.

Not surprisingly, there was no blood trail, because of no exit. IMO, if the .223 has a fault for coyotes, that is it; no blood trail. Have same opinion of the 6mm's on deer. Small holes plug quickly, thus, no blood trail, making shot placement critical.

I can't remember losing a coyote to the .223 other than frontal shots. In this case, the high grass was just full of badger burrows/or old coyote dens and I'm sure he crawled down into one of those, so after an hour or more, we finally gave up on him. He was dead, no doubt, but he was lost.

Had I been shooting the 243 that morning, I'm sure he would not have been lost. I'd bet my shot was off center an inch or two; if the POI had been correct, the .223 would have done the job. Right bullet, right POI, no tracking necessary. JME, YMMV.
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Dug in, steel pot on, fire away.



Regards,
hm
 
Its all about numbers. Any gun will kill sometimes, no gun will kill every time.

If you shoot very many you will throw rocks at a 223.

JMO, shoot what ever makes you happy. A 223 does NOT make me happy.
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Originally Posted By: hm1996Guess all the coyotes didn't get the word. Put a lot down with the .223 AR over the years, and the few that were lost, I'd place the blame on shot placement, not caliber.

Can a larger caliber outperform the 223? Absolutely!

One coyote in particular comes to mind that the 243 WSSM would have produced a different outcome. Several years ago, I took a shot at a coyote standing in a two track, facing me at about 100 yds. w/223. Heard solid hit, coyote down like a ton of bricks, but he jumped up and disappeared into waist high grass two ft. away.

Not surprisingly, there was no blood trail, because of no exit. IMO, if the .223 has a fault for coyotes, that is it; no blood trail. Have same opinion of the 6mm's on deer. Small holes plug quickly, thus, no blood trail, making shot placement critical.

I can't remember losing a coyote to the .223 other than frontal shots. In this case, the high grass was just full of badger burrows/or old coyote dens and I'm sure he crawled down into one of those, so after an hour or more, we finally gave up on him. He was dead, no doubt, but he was lost.

Had I been shooting the 243 that morning, I'm sure he would not have been lost. I'd bet my shot was off center an inch or two; if the POI had been correct, the .223 would have done the job. Right bullet, right POI, no tracking necessary. JME, YMMV.
smile.gif


Dug in, steel pot on, fire away.



Regards,
hm

I have put down a lot of coyotes with my .223 over the years. For a long time it was all that I had. Will it drop a coyote 100% of the time, no. No caliber will, there are always variables you can't account for. So you have to place as good a shot as you can and be ready for the backup shot. Sure, I want a one hit wonder, but I am ready just the same.

These days I run my 6.5 or my .308 mainly for the added range that I can get out of them. But I would not hesitate to grab my .223 again, and I have.
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoWill it drop a coyote 100% of the time, no. No caliber will My .22 Creedmoor has dropped them 100% of the time, so far.
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Quote: I have put down a lot of coyotes with my .223 over the years. For a long time it was all that I had. Will it drop a coyote 100% of the time, no. No caliber will, there are always variables you can't account for. So you have to place as good a shot as you can and be ready for the backup shot. Sure, I want a one hit wonder, but I am ready just the same.

These days I run my 6.5 or my .308 mainly for the added range that I can get out of them. But I would not hesitate to grab my .223 again, and I have.


^^^^^Exactly!

I've shot coyotes with everything from a 375 h&h to the .223 (whatever I had in my hand at the moment). Have shot two with the .375, one DRT the other, a head shot of all things, took a follow up. First shot left a golf ball size hole at the base of his ear, leaving ear attached by a very thin sliver of hide at both corners. The coyote immediately went down, but got up as I was walking toward it and started walking in a 3' circle until I closed the deal. In this instance, a .223 with proper bullet would have put that coyote down in his tracks.

I don't care how big a gun you're shooting, a poor shot is a poor shot, and we all make them once in a while.
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As Mo said, I also stepped up to the 243 WSSM and more recently to the 308 (involuntarily), and both knock 'em down with authority, but if I could still use an AR, I would not hesitate to use the .223 again.

Regards,
hm
 
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