Smallest Caliber for coyotes

W

willow514

New member
I did a search and couldn't find anything on this.

But anyway, what is the smallest caliber a guy could use on coyotes. The area I would be hunting would have all shots with in 100 yards and I would be calling them from tall grass into a field.

Was looking at the Savage rifles in .223, .204, and the .17hmr. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I was looking at the 17 but was worried it might be too small, and I am looking for something that would be fur friendly. Also, if I went with the 17 what would be the best shot placement? Heart and lungs, head, shoulder?
 
Quote:
I did a search and couldn't find anything on this.

But anyway, what is the smallest caliber a guy could use on coyotes. The area I would be hunting would have all shots with in 100 yards and I would be calling them from tall grass into a field.

Was looking at the Savage rifles in .223, .204, and the .17hmr. Thanks.



The operative word here is ...."could" use on coyotes.

You 'could' use anything on them. Even a .17 HMR. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

What people DO use on them is personal preference, period.
I use a .223 or a .243 because I like humane kills & don't really care to have to chase down a wounded animal of any kind. Even a coyote. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The .204 & .223 you are looking at will be enough gun.

I've seen enough hunters change their mind about the HMR to venture out & say that you probably won't be satisfied by it's performance.

There's lots of reading on the subject here if you do a search..(use the date thing to bring up older posts)...Look what the more successful hunters here say about things & use themselves, & you won't be pointed the wrong direction. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Barry
 
Willow If you go 17cal go with a centerfire otherwise one of the 22cals will do great. the 204 I've had no experience with it yet.
 
barry i hope you are not saying that anything less than a 223 wounds and doesent kill i use a 17 rem and it will kill them just as fast as a 300 win mag it is called placing your shot to this day i havent wounded any thing as of yet.
 
I use the .17rem almost exclusively. About as fur friendly as you are going to get. But, you do have to place your shots. I called a coyote on Wednesday night and took him in the shoulder. That left me with trying to him him on the run to finish him off. I did but it could have left a coyote to die a slow death had I missed. I hate when that happens.
 
Quote:
barry i hope you are not saying that anything less than a 223 wounds and doesent kill i use a 17 rem and it will kill them just as fast as a 300 win mag it is called placing your shot to this day i havent wounded any thing as of yet.



Not at all. I AM saying that the HMR does exactly that though.

A .17 rem is great in the right hands. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I don't shoot a .204 or a .17 Rem mostly because I go through lots of rounds per year & not really set for reloading them at this time.
 
One of the posts somewhere in here said guys were killing them in Mexico with high powered pellet rifles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Ok, so I should probably shy away from the .17hmr, I don't want to end up wounding it and possibly losing it. I don't suppose the .17 hm2 would be much better.

One of the reasons I was looking at the .17hmr is because a friend of mine uses it and said he knocks them down with it.

I did look at the .17 Fireball but wasn't to sure on it.
 
I know a guy who used a 14 cal at one time. I believe he reccomended exact shot placement and around 100 yards or less. So I suppose that would be the smallest caliber.

The 17 Rem FB would work perfectly for what your asking for, just place a 25gr Berger or Hornady HP in the coyotes lungs. I would only take a head shot if a lung shot wasn't available.

I hunted with a nice fellow the other day out in AZ who uses a 19 Calhoon, and he is very good at calling in and taking coyotes.

A 223 is more than plenty big enough to make a coyote "Dead forever". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Some hunters like the bigger cartridges and some like the smaller ones.
 
shoot 25gr. berger bullets and you will kill with a 17.rem.as easy as you can with a 22-250,223 it is the bullet that makes a lot of difference in the 17.it even makes a lot of difference in the 223 and 22-250 i have used them in all three,and both my son's shoot them in their 220swift's.they are as fur friendly as you can get.i have shot over a 1000 coyotes with about every bullet,sierra and hornady make 52gr.hp.match bullets that do a fair job.i used these also when there was so many bullets as we have now.just my experience.
 
A good rule of thumb I recommend to folks who have this question is that the smallest cartridge I'd use on a coyote is any centerfire...
 
Grizz here,
Called one in and shot it with 22 long rifle. He only went 50 yards before expireing. I would not recommend this. Gotta have perfect shot placement. I hate to say it but placeing a bullet is about the only thing I do well. Rick
 
Any of the .22 center fires.

My attitude to smaller rounds is contained in the idea that the fact that you CAN do something, has never been an argument that you should.
 
Any of the .22 Centerfires ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You Can use smaller, like the .17's.. but it comes down to Shot Placement. Where I come from it's a pretty rare day that a Coyote gives you such perfect shots, and being in the East.. we have Big Strong dogs. A Small [beeep] is 35 + lbs with a thick coat and good layer of fat. 55 grain V-Max in .223 still has to get right area, but leaves more room for error. .223 is Cheaper to shoot, allowing more practice and trigger time.
 
Back
Top