.308 Too Big????????

Outlaw87

New member
Hello all Ive been looking at getting into coyote hunting for a while now. And Ive always looked at .223 and .204 for the right sized caliber but now Iam thinking about .308 so I can shoot longer range also and build a very accurate rifle. So question is how many of yall like to use the .308 and how hard is it on the fur? prolly will never try to sell any pelts but wouldnt mind a mount or two around the house.
Thanks
late
Matt
 
bullet choice has a lot to do with pelt damage, 308 would work, u can get 110gr bullets but i never got a good accurate load with them, had better luck with 125 nosler bt but they will do pelt damage, i personally would prefer something a little smaller maybe in .22 or 6mm cal. but what ever you got will work(as long as you do your part)
 
308 is great for mounts.
get the BIGEST,BADEST,HEAVIEST bullet you can find. then shoot 2 yotes. but from oppisite sides. lol
blow the poop outta them and put the two good halves togather for your mounts.
dont forget to post pictures.
by the way... most people on this sight are more help than me.
good luck
 
308 is almost all I use, my next choice is a 22-250 Savage Striker. I have shot quite a few with the 110 sierra HP's and can tell you that you HAVE to pick your shot and it will not always work then. Best one was a quartering away shot that went right in front of the ham and into the chest, nothing but slush and the way I found the entrance was by steam leaving the hole from pressure on body cavity applied by foot. Other would be head on chest shot. Despite what others might say you will not always destroy them with a 308, many have left small exits even from the sides. But a raking (if you can even catch it cause they are tough critters) shot or good shoulder bone hit will probably not be good. Good luck, Varmint x
 
I have fired 10s of thousands of rounds from a 7.62, not any at a coyote but whatever and where ever it hits is good enough- with a 308 verses the others you mention you need better distance judgment than what would be needed if shooting something flatter. I have a friend that shoots nothing but his south TX deer rifle at yotes which is a 300 winch. Practice makes perfect and yotes are great off season targets for a deer rifle shooter. So what ever works as long as you are doing your part to thin the yote passle. Stay center.
 
Outlaw87, I use a 308 with 125 gr , max 3031 with excellent accuracy. Sure I could use smaller but in Texas you are exposed to HOGS. Don't know when, where, or how big or far. Sure does a DOA on yotes near and far. Hides are just that, I don't collect them or sell them. Hogs don't know what hit'em.

Not to big, just right!
 
.308 is one of Major Boddickers first choices. He knows a little about coyote calling. Couple of the guys I've met at tourneys here in SD that have called coyotes longer than I've been alive use .308 as primary calling rifle. I'd say it's a good choice. Depends on what you plan on doing with the coyote. The guys I mentioned shoot to put em down for good. If you want to save furs. . .probably better choose something different.
 
Outlaw87,
There's no such thing as overkill.
grin.gif
If you have other large game animals in mind, the .308 is a good choice.

Another caliber that could be considered is a .25-06, as it has the same ballistics as a .22-250, but twice as much lead can be used. Very flat shooting and hard hitting. An excellent choice for pronghorns at 400+ yards.

I had a Remington 788 in .308 that shot 110gr. Hornady V-Max bullets at 3040 f.p.s. with IMR-3031, in a tight "clover leaf" group at 100 yards. Every rifle is different, so loads vary.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
I used a 308 for my first few years coyote hunting because it was the smallest rifle caliber I had at the time. I used 125 TNT hollow points. Pelt damage is likely with any 30 cal round in my experience. If your looking for long range and possibly saving a pelt every now and again I would go with the 243. 105 amax are shooting great out of my 243 out to 900+ yards but I have not shot any coyotes with that load yet.
I have used the 65 grain v maxes and they shoot great out to 4-500 yards. Very flat shooting and often don't damage pelts. I guess it depends how "long range" you are talking. 243 will get you out to 1000 yards or better.
 
If i was going to use a .308, i would use a 125gr solid nose bullet if i wanted the pelt. If i didn't care about the hide, i would use a horndy 150gr interlock, so far thats the best round for my .308. blue
 
Try a 150 gr. Nosler Partition, it shoots just slightly flatter than a .223 and if you don't hit a major bone mass it won't ruin the pelts.
Yeah, you'll have a bigger entrance hole than a .22 cal. bullet, and it will exit every time, but it's not going to fragment. If you shoot them right into the shoulder joint or something similar, you'll have a big mess. If you double-lung them it won't be much damage at all.
I'd use mine if I didn't own an AR already.
 
The heavier bullets may expand less and actually cause less pelt damage if that's what you're after. I'd believe that pretty much anything in a 308 is gonna give 2 holes in a coyote - it's just a matter of how big the holes will be. If your reloading, you can slow any bullet down some too to reduce the wound size. Play with a few reloading manuals some (ex. - hodgdon.com)and a ballistic calculator (ex. - hornady.com) and you may find something as best as it can be for the 308. Maybe a lighter bullet at reduced velocities? I've used a 125 gr. in the 30-06 for groundhogs as it flies similar to my 165 gr. deer load in drop and wind drift, is a bit cheaper, and way easier on the shoulder than my deer loads in the summer with just a t-shirt on, and also reduces the chance of a ricochet. A slower bullet should blow up less than a fast one and a heavier bullet, or heavier constructed, should blow up less than a lighter varmint type. Now as to flatter-flying and beating the wind, you'll have to figure out what's best for your uses. JMHO.
 
I've read where an experienced shooter killed a Mule deer at 635yds with a .243, 100grn bullet.

So, figure you're good to at least 635 on coyote with a .243. In Randy Anderson's The Truth V, I think there's a clip where Wooly shoots a coyote at 700+ (.22-250) and Randy's brother Troy puts one down at about 600 with a Rem in .243. They showed no pelt damage.

I shot a coyote quartering away at 120yds with a 87grn soft point .243 at ~120yds. Had to clean off the tree near it.

Hopefully this helps as I have no idea what my point was.
 
Sweet guys thanks for all the good info exactly what I was looking for my main goal is to be able to hit paper at 1000 yards but will take it yote hunting also and pelt damage is no biggie to me if I got lucky and shot a nice looking dog and didnt tear it up Id prolly mount it but I am not gonna buy a rifle just for that one nice looking yote all the ones ive seen here in az looked mangey
thanks again
late
Matt
 
If pelt damage not an issue, go for it.

My first coyote was shot @ 300 yards in 1956 (or so) with a .308 and have shot them with everything from a .222 to .375 h&h since.

Having said that, my two favorite coyote rifles are both AR's. One in .223 and the other a 243 WSSM.

Regards,
hm
 
Originally Posted By: HereticI've read where an experienced shooter killed a Mule deer at 635yds with a .243, 100grn bullet. Sounds like luck to me.
So, figure you're good to at least 635 on coyote with a .243. In Randy Anderson's The Truth V, I think there's a clip where Wooly shoots a coyote at 700+ (.22-250) and Randy's brother Troy puts one down at about 600 with a Rem in .243. They showed no pelt damage. At that range no wonder.

I shot a coyote quartering away at 120yds with a 87grn soft point .243 at ~120yds. Had to clean off the tree near it.

Hopefully this helps as I have no idea what my point was.
 
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