predator gun choices. need some help

Originally Posted By: Orneryolfart357ahh.. but when you throw Foxes and Bobcats into the mix that is where the game changes. A 220 Swift or a 22-250 may not be the best option. IMO It would be hard to beat a .17 Center fire for this situation. Capable of Coyotes, and easier on Fox and Bobcat. JMO


I have the Savage Walking Varmint in 17 HH. It's a tack driver. Haven't taken anything but rabbit with it yet but it's a great little round.

Originally Posted By: GTOHunterGo with the Savage Axis II in the familiar .223 that now has the adjustable Accu-trigger !

I have the original Axis in .223 on which I replaced the trigger with a RifleBasix SAV-1. It's light, easy to carry around and deadly accurate.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeOriginally Posted By: littledawgI'm sure I will hear it from all the self proclaimed expert marksmen, but anything other than a .223. I think someone else said it best the other day, it just isn't that good of a coyote cal from my experience. IMO people shoot a .223 because the ammo is readily available and cheap.

Thanks for the laff... dat's down rite funny !
lol.gif



Not funny, but hilarious. If you cant kill a coyote with a 223 Remington, it is not the chambering, it is the shooter. Well, maybe choice of bullet, but a 223 is more than capable of taking down a coyote.
 
A 22-250 is a better caliber I believe if you use factory ammo. The basic round is a 55 gr bullet that travels 3250 fps. The 22-250 is faster and therefore flatter. The standard barrel twist is 1:12 to 1:14. A slower twist for a faster bullet, but limits the size of the bullet. A heavier bullet needs a tighter spiral. Smaller rounds lose energy faster and are effected by wind more. The 22-250 has always been one of my favorite rounds and was my deer rifle growing up. A factory round should be effective out to 480 yds.

However, if you reload the .223 gives more options. I would recommend a 1:9 minimum. With a 1:9 twist you could fire anywhere from a 45 gr to a 69 gr. If you were to load a round with 25 grains of Varget and a 69 gr matchgrade boat tail hollowpoint and zero'd at 25 meters (26 yards) you could hold on target from point blank to 300 yards and hit the kill zone. The round would hit about 1.5 inches high at 100 yards and dead on at 300. The maximum effective range would be around 600 yards. The reason the .223 gets a bad rap is because of the cheap military reloads that people buy because of the price.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
 
I have a closet full of predator rifles. I have used everything from a 17 Rem to big game rifles. They will all get it done. That said if I was only going to own one it would probably be a 223. I live in the desert southwest and most of my shots are within 250 yards. The honest to gods truth is I would probably kill more Coyotes if all I carried is a shotgun. Yes I would set up and call tighter cover but even calling open cover most of my shots are closer than 60 yards. With a rifle I usually take the first good shot opportunity within 200 yards. With a shotgun I just have to work them more and get them in close. Yes you may have to pass on some shots but you will educate them less passing then shooting at them and missing.

drscott
 
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If I was a handloader in fox and cat country, I'd get the .204 you're thinking about. I'm guessing in Missouri you would be hard pressed to have to shoot a coyote at over 300yds and the 204 will get you there in style.
 
Originally Posted By: drscottI have a closet full of predator rifles. I have used everything from a 17 Rem to big game rifles. They will all get it done. That said if I was only going to own one it would probably be a 223. I live in the desert southwest and most of my shots are within 250 yards. The honest to gods truth is I would probably kill more Coyotes if all I carried is a shotgun. Yes I would set up and call tighter cover but even calling open cover most of my shots are closer than 60 yards. With a rifle I usually take the first good shot opportunity within 200 yards. With a shotgun I just have to work them more and get them in close. Yes you may have to pass on some shots but you will educate them less passing then shooting at them and missing.

drscott

and that is why I use a .223 with 1.5-5x. I have missed more cuz they are too close and moving. I know you see them on furtakers with a 20x nightforce, but they are just trying to sell you stuff. The action is 100 yards or less 90 percent of the time, even in open desert.
 
Originally Posted By: champ198How is the 220 swift on fox and cats as far as fur damage.
If you shoot a light bullet fast enough there wont be an exit hole to sew up.
 
Originally Posted By: TripleDeuce660Originally Posted By: drscottI have a closet full of predator rifles. I have used everything from a 17 Rem to big game rifles. They will all get it done. That said if I was only going to own one it would probably be a 223. I live in the desert southwest and most of my shots are within 250 yards. The honest to gods truth is I would probably kill more Coyotes if all I carried is a shotgun. Yes I would set up and call tighter cover but even calling open cover most of my shots are closer than 60 yards. With a rifle I usually take the first good shot opportunity within 200 yards. With a shotgun I just have to work them more and get them in close. Yes you may have to pass on some shots but you will educate them less passing then shooting at them and missing.

drscott

and that is why I use a .223 with 1.5-5x. I have missed more cuz they are too close and moving. I know you see them on furtakers with a 20x nightforce, but they are just trying to sell you stuff. The action is 100 yards or less 90 percent of the time, even in open desert.
True statement ! so when you have a dog staying out at 4-500 yrds you going to have a hard time , but that's so far and few between times....
 
Buy a Tikka .223, what ever glass fits your budget, and shoot the superformance 53grain Vmax at big stuff. Then shoot 50 packs of cheap stuff at everything's else.
 
Rem model 7 Predator is also something you could consider, looking into one myself! Also Browning X Bolt Varmint Stalker is a real fine rifle, just a bit more spendy being around 800$ but has .204 as a option with a 24" barrel which helps with .204 ballistics. The model 7 is .223 22-250 or .243, and go for about 7-750$.

Also as mentioned T/C Venture Predator is a fine rifle as well for a more mid range price(500-550 about). If you want more of a longer barrel gun Savage model 12 or 700 SPS Varmint are good too. Lots to pick from friend. Good luck!

For a 9 twister .223 (the ones above I mentioned are 12 twist which is good for the lighter .223 loads) might check out the 700 VTR. I have one it's a sweet gun.
 
Have any of you shot other game with a .204 like rabbits or squirrels? I'm assuming it tears them up pretty good. I'm just wondering I have a .17 hmr I love using now cause I can shoot a wide variety of game.
 
Maybe go with a 22-250 if you reload. I just got a recipe for reduced 22-250 loads in the 2500 fps range which will easily kill a coyote, fox or crow within 200yds and you can always load it hotter! I normally shoot a 52 gr at 3500fps which will kill out past 300yds. I can judge range, just not wind very well!
 
I'm getting 3400 with a Sierra hpbt out of my 223 and can load it down as well. Both great choices Budd you really can't go wrong. The 22-250 should get the nod if you have a desire to load bullets pushing 3800. If 3600 is fine it can be done with the 223 quite easily. I do like the fur flying look the 250 gives coyotes if you don't want to save pelts. But the 223 is easy on hide with a little thought and effort
 
Originally Posted By: littledawgI'm sure I will hear it from all the self proclaimed expert marksmen, but anything other than a .223. I think someone else said it best the other day, it just isn't that good of a coyote cal from my experience. IMO people shoot a .223 because the ammo is readily available and cheap. Another Axis would be fine but buy it in 22-250. Something about that cal just whacks the crap right out of a coyote.

there is a guy that has never really shot any coyotes with a 223. just repeating what some other guys that never shot coyotes with 223 said. kind of funny.

you might consider a t/c venture in 204. they are very accurate and work well on what you are wanting to hunt. there is also the tikka rifles. very nice guns.
 
I use a 22-250 but I'm not too worried about pelts. It will tear up a fox pretty good I know that for a fact. I guess I don't see the point of slowing down a 22-250 when you could just buy a 223 instead.
 
Like others I have a whole closet full of coyote rifles and love to experiment, with new, old and very different cartridges. I've killed them with everything from a 22 Hornet to a 6.5x58R Sauer with many common, unique and wildcat cartridges in between. They all kill very effectively if you understand the limitations and strength of each cartridge. I used to hunt fox up in the Dakotas with a 300 Savage(those were $100 fox at the time) but used a cast bullet zero expansion and a small hole in and out, the big flat nose on the bullet did the damage.

So if I were you I'd look for a readily available cartridge 204/223/22-250 with a good selection a factory bullets in a Axis or Ruger American. A couple of cans of krylon and you can have it looking like the best camoed gun.

Scopes, starting out you don't need the biggest and best, but you do need decent. Something in the Leupold VX-2, Bushnell 4200, Weaver Classic V or Burris FF-II. There are others but you get the drift. I rarely take shots over 300 yards and like to call in the thicker stuff, a coyote at 10 feet is a rush for me popping one at long distance isn't anymore exciting the shooting a good group at that distance. I find FOV to be more important to me than X's so I gravitate more to scopes like 1-4x20mm and 1.5-6x40mm with huge FOV's on the bottom end and more than capable to 300 yards on the top end. I do have a 22-250 set up for open country with a 2.5-10x40mm, still sufficient FOV on the bottom and even more X's on the top end.

You could spend the rest of your life very comfortably hunting predators with a Ruger American in 223 with a Weaver 3-9x38mm. As you mature in the sport you will find a hunting style you enjoy most and by then you will have the experience to fine tune your equipment.
 
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