Which coyote rimfire caliber?

K

k9jones

New member
Hey Guys and Gals,

I have been predator hunting for several years now, and have always used a centerfire rifle. In my area there are counties that require a centerfire rifle to be used from a 8' stand. This is a huge handicap, when I am invited to one of these areas. I currently own a 22mag and a 17 HRM, and was wondering which rimfire you think would be the best for coyote hunting. I would like to hear your experiences and best bullets. I would also love to hear about anyones experiences with the new Winchester 17 Super Mag and coyotes. I know they aren't going to be like a 223 or 22-250, but what can I expect out of them.
 
Chupa,,It's always nice to know that you are up too...

As to the original post question,,Since you are restricted to rim fire, I would have more faith in the .22 magnum than the .17 HMR for Coyotes...The .17 is an extremely light weight bullet and while moving at high speed..The transfer of the kinetic energy though is much less...You are more likely to have splashes and run offs with it..

So far, I haven't heard of anyone obtaining the new .17 Super magnum, but again, unless they offer different bullet configurations and weights, I feel it will not be much better for larger sized animals...
 
Arkansas is one of those rimfire only states on WMAs, and I coyote hunt, so its been the 22 magnum for me. Ive killed lots of coyotes with the old Magnum and I like to shoot the CCI Game Points. CCI designed these rounds for coyotes, and they work better than any thing I have ever used! The Game Points give great penetration and knock down power.
 
I've killed coyotes with both the 22 Mag and the 17 HMR. I always carry a truck/tractor/atv/utv rifle around the farm, and use it when the occasion arises. Contrary to popular opinion on Predator Masters, I had good luck with the rimfires. Of course, all of my shots were 100 yards or less, but every coyote I have shot with them was a dead one. Bullet placement is the key when using a rimfire, and keep your shots at a reasonable distance, and you'll be okay. Now, having said all this, when it comes to coyote hunting on my farm, I am not a sport hunter. I just want to get rid of them, and could care less if they dropped dead in their tracks, or ran off and died in a hole somewhere. So, for my purposes, anything I shot them with is okay with me.
 
The 22 mag is a coyote killer when used within it's limitations. Some folks believe that a 243 is minimum coyote medicine. Others believe that you are over-killing with anything more than a 17 Rem.
 
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My recomendation would be the 22 mag with a 40 gr HP. My gun loves the Winchester silver box 40 gr. HP and that is my go to round from squirrels to bobcats. Pick your shots, limit your range to no more than 100 yds (50-70 prefferable), and be precise in your shot placement - avoid hitting large bones and you should be OK. Coyotes have a will to live, and will often "run dead" even when hit perfectly with much larger calibers.
 
17wsm does great on yotes. I use the 25 grain it runs 2600 fps. I was a huge fan of 30 grain 22 mag that was my go to rifle. I was skeptical of new 17wsm but after shooting my father in laws and see what it is capable on a few coons and a coyote my mind was quickly changed. 17wsm is by far better. I lost 5 grains of bullet weight but also gain 400 fps, flatter trajectory, and distance I will happily take that trade. The bmags feel flimsy but in typical Savage fashion it is definitely a shooter. Now I just have to wait for a better rifle to be made in stainless then pass the bmag down to the kiddo. I no longer have any 22 mag stuff.
 
22lr 22mag or 17. They will all kill yotes. Shot placement is key. I would go with 22mag. I got a savage 93 in one and love it. Nice shooter.
 
If Your limited to a Rim Fire Rifle the .22 Magnum is going to do a good job as mentioned within a certain amount of distance,the .17 WSM would be better if Savage can get their act together and make a better quality Rifle.I bought myself a Savage .17 WSM (B-Mag) in hopes it will be a good Shooting Rifle and put down some Coyotes and possibly a Bobcat or two?
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I'm hoping for some nicer Weather so I can get the .17 WSM sighted in and see how it performs... Or if I have to ship it back and fill out a complaint form?
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My personal opinion, I would try to find a 5mm. Ammo is easy to find, now. And they're beautiful rifles, IMO. A 591 or 592 should do you fine.

Of the 2 the OP listed, I think I'd rather have the 22 Wmr with the best shooting ammo I could find. Seems the CCI Maxi-Mags do well, often.

My pride and joy...Rimfire wise...

87dacd9b-2903-4779-9b0a-5e0bf84329f1_zps3e7410e0.jpg
 
I second the 5mm. The newer varmint ammo (yellow box) sends a 30 grain bullet about 2535fps and it performs very well on smaller game. The original white box ammo is a bit slower, but still does the job well:

remington-5mm-rimfire-magnum-bobcat-close-up-1.jpg


I like the .17WSM and think it is an excellent caliber, but I lean towards the 5mm in your situation.

If you do not want to go the 5mm route, I would go .17WSM with the 25 grain bullets.

Eric
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I think in his situation it would be the safest bet. I will be heading up north next week for some predator calling and will probably switch to the 25 grain bullets in my 17WSM because I'll be going after larger coyotes than around here in SoCal.

Btw, do you recognize the 591 in that Bobcat picture?

Eric
 
Originally Posted By: Widow maker 223Im surprised they didnt bring the 5mm back it doesnt seem to give much up to the 17wsm.

I'm trying real hard to get a B.MAG made up in 5mm. It shouldn't be that much to do, a barrel change and a magazine adjustment. Savage won't do it, but the gunsmith that did my CZ conversion to 5mm will. I'm waiting for any new offerings from Savage before I move on the conversion.

Eric
 
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