How many yotes do you lose using a .223?

I havent lost ANY coyotes period. Ive killed most of mine with a .223, anywhere from 16yds all the way out to 441yds. A properly placed .223 round with a good bullet is PLENTY for a coyote! Im a big fan of the 53gr Vmax in the .223.
 
Originally Posted By: Lefty SRHI havent lost ANY coyotes period. Ive killed most of mine with a .223, anywhere from 16yds all the way out to 441yds. A properly placed .223 round with a good bullet is PLENTY for a coyote! Im a big fan of the 53gr Vmax in the .223.
Don't rely on caliber to do you're part of it. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing replaces range time.Set up a good stand and close the deal. Put your shot where it belongs and the .223 will get it done. I used one for a LONG time and wouldn't hesitate to take one out today.
 
I am getting a clear picture the 223 gets it done if I do my part. Next question am I doing myself a huge disservice if I don't harvest the pelts? Honestly my desire to hunt them is to make myself a better hunter and get out to hunt more and also help the deer and farmers out. Do most of you guys skin coyotes and sell fur?
 
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When you use quality factory coyote caliber ammo its all around a buck a pop. If you reload its cheaper but still about the same price. As someone here already said most people don't shoot enough coyotes to know what bullet is best. This being the case why would one worry about ammo cost? Before we started night hunting with thermal and only day hunted I went with the fastest, flattest, killingest cartridge I could get. No more coyotes than we got to shoot at even if ammo were 10 bucks per round it would not of registerd on my coyote hunting expense meter. You can't kill em if you miss. Most hunters will have way more runners from misses than they will poor hits. I hunted for years with a .223 but my 6mm rem and my swift lay the lead out faster, flatter, harder and compensate more to pick up my slack than a .223.
For night hunting I feel the AR platform is a huge advantage. Last year I started with my Stag 5 56 and switched to a savage 22 250 bolt gun after losing a few coyotes. This year Im having great luck with a 22 Nosler and might have my 6x6.8 back together to test on a few. I will not go back to .223 for coyotes.
 
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I don't hunt them specifically to save fur and try to make money, but at the same time it's pointless to leave $20 to $50 laying in the field. No need to skin, etc, as there's lots of places buying them on the carcass.

I've shot quite a few the first few years with a 223 Ackley with 40 gr Noslers at 3750 fps. It did great on all but 1 facing shot didn't penetrate and made a mess. I really prefer now to use a 6mm of some sort just for better wind bucking ability. Like everyone says, 223 is plenty and shot placement is key. The second part of the statement is that faster, flatter, and less wind drift makes that shot placement much easier.
 
I think the key to anchoring coyotes fast is to hit em up front and not get behind the front shoulder. To penetrate the shoulder and heavier frontal area imo takes a stouter bullet like the Nosler bt which is what I shoot in my swift and 22 Nosler. In order to make the stouter bullets work they need some speed. Hence why I like a faster round.
 
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We (More my son) have been just Hammering Yotes this year with Rock River AR’s, in .223. A few have required a second shot at longer distances but most go down with 1 shot . Between 4 of us we have 51 yotes since the first of November, and the fur man was here today for the second time in 3 weeks to buy the fur on the carcass. Shots have been as close as 40 yards and out to 450+ yards. 55gr. V-Max is the ticket for our handloads. Best year for price also, so no ice fishing since we can make some decent money hunting yotes.
 
To answer the second question,yes I save fur. Used to skin them all the time. It's easier to throw them in a freezer and sell them whole. Fuel,guns and bullets costs money. Might as well pick it up off the ground if it's laying right in front of you. For 30 to 35 dollars a coyote, why not? It ain't doing anyone any good laying out in the pasture.

But not everyone saves fur and that's alright too. I'd rather just load 5 up every week and make an extra $100 or so.
 
its funny to see the responses to this. It was a topic that came up while I was hunting with another board member here, it easy to see who shoots coyotes and who doesn't in very large volumes.
 
Originally Posted By: Lefty SRHI havent lost ANY coyotes period. Ive killed most of mine with a .223, anywhere from 16yds all the way out to 441yds. A properly placed .223 round with a good bullet is PLENTY for a coyote! Im a big fan of the 53gr Vmax in the .223.
I wish I could say the same but I can't. But if I have a coyote running I'm gonna shoot it. Sometimes they die instantly,sometimes they run off,sometimes they're tore up bad and too hurt to run...or I miss. The perfect shot doesn't always present itself and I could be alone on this but I take the shot that presents itself. It doesn't have to be perfect. That's why I want a bullet that will retain enough of its weight to punch through bone and stop the coyote long enough to shoot it again or kill it right there either one.
 
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Originally Posted By: steve garrettits funny to see the responses to this. It was a topic that came up while I was hunting with another board member here, it easy to see who shoots coyotes and who doesn't in very large volumes.

Care to expand on that?
 
Originally Posted By: Uncle JimboOriginally Posted By: steve garrettits funny to see the responses to this. It was a topic that came up while I was hunting with another board member here, it easy to see who shoots coyotes and who doesn't in very large volumes.

Care to expand on that?

actually I don't, lets leave it at that. it all good.
 
In my experience we kill smaller coyotes in the day and they fall a bit easier. At night we call in some big ol gnarly bass turds that can take some lead. At night we also call up multiples and shoot at a lot running. The 75 vmax at 3300 out of a 6x6.8 helps with those since full speed runners can be tough to hit square. My farthest is 260 yards. It was a neck shot with the 22 Nosler and it hit the off switch instantly. All it took was a bunch of luck lol. With digital thermal scopes and 1" or 1.25" clicks and a 50hz. delay I prefer every advantage that I can get.
 
Originally Posted By: Uncle JimboOriginally Posted By: steve garrettits funny to see the responses to this. It was a topic that came up while I was hunting with another board member here, it easy to see who shoots coyotes and who doesn't in very large volumes.

Care to expand on that?

Steve's a hit and run insulter. There's not too many on here whose opinions matter more than his....
 
Originally Posted By: steve garrettOriginally Posted By: Uncle JimboOriginally Posted By: steve garrettits funny to see the responses to this. It was a topic that came up while I was hunting with another board member here, it easy to see who shoots coyotes and who doesn't in very large volumes.

Care to expand on that?

actually I don't, lets leave it at that. it all good.

There's probably more than a few who feel it's NOT all good when they get insulted..
 
Quote: IMO the 223 is a crappy coyote killer. I will continue to use it anyways.

worth repeating.

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and as funny as that sounds, we all make do with things we are not happy with every day of our lives.


 
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