Aim point for coyote head shot

cmatera

Active member
I’ve seen lots of drawings showing where to aim to kill a coyote, but none on where to aim for a brain shot. Can anyone with head shoots coyotes tell me?
 
Well you guys are funny-looking. If I was shooting a large caliber gun it's pretty obvious. Yes, it was a serious question. Trying to thread a small caliber round into the brain is another matter. Don't get smart-stay like you are.
 
OK, just having a little fun.
Don't think you want a straight on head shot with .17 rimfire, cause of all the bone from nose on back.
Need to wait for quartering or side shot.
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Originally Posted By: Bob_Atl
Don't think you want a straight on head shot


a 22 short rim fire bullet between the eyes has been used to kill trapped coyotes for eons.

you do deserve extra points mr atl for taking the time to post those canine skull pictures.
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still cant believe it was a serious question.
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Thank you that is what I needed. There are forums where threading a small caliber rimfire into a coyote skull is common, but you have to be a member to even view the forums.
 
A .22lr will drop them in their tracks, but don't assume it's dead. The only one I killed with the .22, I shot him in the head four times. Knocked it out the first three times. Kept missing the brain. Last shot was walking away and hit him back of skull, were he dropped and quivered.
 
I've killed a pile of critters in traps with a 22 short into the ear, Beaver I used a 22LR or a club if I could reach them.

Never once thought about trying to shoot them in the head while calling, it makes for a really messy skinning job. It is way to easy to be just a smidgen off on a head shot and lose a nice pelt.
 
In my experience coyotes don't stop long enough to take a precise head shot like that. If you don't hit the lower jaw or aywhere in the snout you shouldn't have problems. A neck shot would be a better option. There's a lot of valuable stuff in there that keeps things living.
 
I been zapping yotes for a while, and I haven't had more than a hand full stop long enough to attempt to draw a bead on their head. I can see a lot of mangled yotes, starving to death with dismembered jaws.
There is still, even in predator hunting, a debt owed to the critter of an ethical, clean death. There are so many variables in yote calling, and the inherit oops that occur, and strictly head shooting would be a bad call IMHO.
 
I have shot a few in the head as they stood behind a bush with only their head visible for me to shoot at. They were looking straight at me, and it was either take the shot or they were going to disappear.

They are usually at some yardage when they do this.

Several head shots I remember. One was with a 22/250 AI with the 50g Nosler ballistic tip at a muzzle velocity of 4200. I had ranged a group of p. dogs when the coyote's head stuck up over a bush.
I had already dialed in the yardage. I hit him just above the eye, and the bullet did not exit the back of the skull....go figure. I have a picture some where of the the head shot.

I used a 6mm Remington Parker Hale Varmint for 4-5 years, put a 26" Shilen bull barrel on it in a 12T with zero freebore. I shot the 60g Sierra and Bergers at 4000 fps. Several coyotes stopped looking at us Usually from 200-300 yards, and all you could see was the top of the jaw line up. One on of the shots in particular the hit on the coyote was square between the eyes, and his eyes flew out in a V shape straight up. On the second coyote, I hit him square in the nose, and the top of his entire head flew off.

I wish that I had never got rid of that parker hale as the roll over cheek piece fit like nothing else since.

Shooting through a bush with a coyote's body behind the bush is a hail mary shot. I have tried it with all calibers. Those small twigs and branches deflect bullets dramatically.

To start out intentionally wanting to shoot coyotes in the heads, is fools play.
 
Spot and stalk hunting coyote and red fox, I get head shot opportunities on sleepers. Usually on coyote I try to come in on a side wind from the head side of a curled sleeping coyote. Last winter I shot a suppressor for the first time, doubles were much easier if I got more downwind. On the side shots I go for the ear hole. On the more face on shots I usually go for the upwind eye. I take headshots pretty much anytime inside 250 yards, since switching from set and forget scopes to dialing/rangefinder. Before I kept headshots under 200 yards. Wind is everything, stronger winds require shorter distance, more face on angles. Taking head shots with the right bullet, keeps sewing to a minimum.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnot
a 22 short rim fire bullet between the eyes has been used to kill trapped coyotes for eons.

while that's no doubt true, my trapping experience is limited to one knarley old raccoon, that didn't give up after one rimfire shot between the eyes,,,

A rimfire shot from a stand, at distance, would be horizontal entry and is unlikely to be as accurate as standing over a trapped vermin.
 
I preformed a Necropsy (autopsy) on a coyote. If you would like to see where the vitals are let me know thru PM. I will not post pictures on here due to antis.
 
Slip the bullet in from kinda "behind" the skull. Shooting coyote in the head usually results in a great deal of bleeding all over the set.
 
I stopped taking head shots after the last one I tried. It was facing forward sitting looking at me. I didn’t adjust for bullet drop as it was to close and blew its whole bottom jaw off and the bullet never made it into its skull or neck. It hammer of Thor’ed to the ground. Got up a minute later and ran off with no jaw, just top, with it’s tounge hanging out. I tracked it down a good 150 yards later and found it under a brush pile. It still tried to lunge for me with nothing to bite me with. I’ve dropped them stone cold dead between the eyes facing forward a few times with 60 grain vmax out of my 223. The one that ran was with a 70 grain NBT out of my 243. I only aim right behind the shoulder now or I don’t take the shot. I’ve drilled a few up the tailpipe running away as well. Makes a mess and if the bullet goes off at an angle...which it will, you’ll be chasing down coyotes. Imo your better off waiting for a perfect shot or passing till a good shot is able to be taken. There’s no law or rule that you have to shoot AT every coyote you see or shoot FIRST before your buddy takes it. The only way I’d headshot one Is if I had no other shot available and with my explosive bullets I just hope it blows enough of it off it’s shoulders....and obviously it dose not as I’ve stated. I would save head shots for 22 LR when trapping.
 
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Just below the ear.

When trapping I dont head shoot.. Too much blood all over everything. Give em a shot in the lungs ad it is all over.
 
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