Do i all ready have it.

rt2bowhunter

New member
Heres what i'm wanting to do. While squirrel hunting i'd like to have a rifle to both shoot tree rats and if a yote happens by or i call one in.

My yote rifle is a AR15 223 so 100% yote hunting i good to go. I have a Encore frame and im wanting a barrel for the above squirrel/yote rifle. I also have a 17 HMR that shoots very good and i shot this yote a week or so ago at 70 yds. I shot it between the eyes. It set down and rolled back over dead.

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So whats your recommendations stick with the 17 HMR or buy a Barrel for the Encore. I have been leaning toward the 17 or 22 Fire ball also looked at a hornet.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Why settle one gun for both.

That seems like a big difference between a tree rat and a coyote. I’ve got a 17wsm rimfire I play with a lot that I like. Not much bullet there (25 grains) but it’d destroy a squirrel and still a little small for a coyote unless very close but most of them for squirrel hunting are to big besides a 22LR. I’d say gonna be tough to fill a niche for both in one gun.
Just my opinion
 
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Not really settling I have a AR 15 in 223 and a 6mmx284 that shoots a 55gr bullet, both have Shilien barrels. I was just thinking the 17 hmr you just about gotta shoot a squirrel in the head or blow it up. So my thinking whats the difference blow there heads off with a 17 fireball or 22 fireball, and have a better yote rifle.

Thanks for your opinion i agree its a stretch.
 
How often do you see and truly have an opportunity at a coyote while you squirrel hunt?
 
well like i think i posted i plan on calling every so often. just random sightings yeah a few times over the years. just as well killum.

is yote a no no on here

anyway i have put the new gun on the back burner for now. i think i'll just used the 17 hmr.
 
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Originally Posted By: GCHow often do you see and truly have an opportunity at a coyote while you squirrel hunt?

Probably just often enough to rationalize a new gun, but then not really use it and just keep shooting the odd coyote with the .17 HMR that works so well on squirrels.
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Yes i reload, haven't really looked at the 20 practial. But will check it out. I have everything to load the 204 is why i never really looked at it.

.22 mag has crossed my mind more than once
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DesertRam your probably pretty close to being right. And why i think i'll just stick with the 17hmr and see how that pans out this fall.
 
I squirrel hunt some. When I spy a coyote I turn on the lip squeak of death and crack 'em with my .22 LR. This is one of a double I killed with my little Marlin M39A. Kills them deader than Disco!

 
Originally Posted By: orkanIf a coyote shows up I'd much rather have a 17 fireball in my hands than a 17HMR. Not even a question.

or even a 17 Hornady hornet.
 
Originally Posted By: rjhOriginally Posted By: CoyotejunkiWhat's a yote?
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LOL, Reminds of the coyote gods forum from a while ago.

Yea, ole John Henry hated when someone called them, yotes, otes, dogs, etc... Kind of silly, but I don't know of anyone calling deer - eer or fish - ish, sometimes ya just have to find humor in life.
 
I took a little different route. I ended up going with a encore 12ga. It should make both a squirrel and turkey gun as well as a great coyote gun.I just got it finished the other day. I patterned it with Apex TSS 4 shot at 50 yards and looked like a dead coyote to me. Changing from a 2 3/4" to a turkey load to a coyote load should be pretty simple. Just finding a choke tube that works best. The .700 tube is what i used at 50yds. This showed me both a dead Turkey or Coyote. But i will play with a few different chokes.
 
Combo guns come to mind a GOOD combo gun could be invaluable. 12ga/222 Rem would kill all the squirrels you want and take a coyote out to a couple hundred yards.

This one is 12ga/5.6x50R Mag.
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I've killed a lot of squirrels in the past with a 223 with light loads and one of my favorite squirrel guns was a 358 Norma Magnum with 148gr Wadcutters over a few grains of 700X, it woukd shoot clover leafs at 50 yards and not destroy any edibles.

22Mag would work well also if you keep it off the edibles of a squirrel, 22 Mag on coyote.

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I don't know a lot about a 17 HMR but a good bullet should work well inside 100 yards.
 
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GC, I love that little Marlin.

RT, if my main purpose / hunt was for squirrels, and with a very slight chance at a coyote, I would use the HMR. But if a coyote chance was pretty good while squirrel hunting (which I doubt) I think I would go with another barrel, ie more potent caliber.

As to discussion about the .17 HMR, it’s a pretty neat little cartridge in my experience, with performance that outweighs its minature size. I’m saying that with caution in mind too. No coyotes have dropped to mine, but a pretty good number of rather tough groundhogs have from headshots and with 20 gr. CCI Gamepoints. The cartridge is very accurate in the two rifles I have, allowing me to make some rather impressive hits on target to 100 yards and beyond. While I personally wouldn’t purposely go after coyotes with it, I also wouldn’t hesitate to head shoot one given a reasonable shot opportunity and within a reasonable range if I felt comfortable taking it. It goes without saying that I would be more selective in taking shots than I would with my 6x45, .223 and other calibers, but the HMR has gained my confidence enough that I would consider a shot at a coyote.

 
I have had a fair amount of Coyotes come into my Turkey calling. This is the first time in probably 30 years i didn't carry my bow back in the day or my crossbow now days. I think the Encore 12ga with different loads for the rare coyote hunting both Turkeys and Squirrels should work. If i have my .17hmr and see one squirrel hunting i'll just kill it. After all if im killing squirrels shooting them in the head a coyotes head shouldn't offer much of a challenge hunting open woods. Hunting thicker patches of woods i'll take the Encore shotgun.

Thanks guys a bunch of great advice.
 
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