Effective coyote range for .223?
- Thread starter DaveD
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogA "perfect" shot at 15 feet and it took three days to die???????????? Maybe not so "perfect" of a shot. At 15 feet, the perfect shot would have ears and eyeballs. But, JMO!
No, it was a perfect hit.
I think you missed the "subsonic .223" part. At 1,000fps it won't expand. Also i meant "yards" sorry my bad.
Have you ever shot critters with suppressed .22? Suppressed subsonic .22 can take quite a few good shots to kill a raccoon.
Which is my point, if it's not expanding and going less than the speed of sound it's a whole different game.
Look up some stuff on hunting with subsonics.
No, it was a perfect hit.
I think you missed the "subsonic .223" part. At 1,000fps it won't expand. Also i meant "yards" sorry my bad.
Have you ever shot critters with suppressed .22? Suppressed subsonic .22 can take quite a few good shots to kill a raccoon.
Which is my point, if it's not expanding and going less than the speed of sound it's a whole different game.
Look up some stuff on hunting with subsonics.
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I shoot a Rem 700 sps stainless, know three other guys that shoot this same load:
over book max load of Benchmark, 55g nosler ballistic tip, Lake City brass purchased new, cci 450(critical for accuracy), bullet seated .005 off the lands= 3500 fps. This is not an AR load!
In most 22 caliber rifles, excluding the 220 swift and 22/250 AI at 300 yards, if you hit a coyote behind the diaphragm, you will loose him...he will die eventually.
Since a pair of coyotes will kill up to 22 fawns a year, put a bullet in them best you can.
I sight my rifle in for 200 yards, and put a tad bit of daylight over their shoulder at 300, they usually flop. It is rare for me to have to take a shot that far out since I left Az. In Az, did a lot of hunting around a field that was being irrigated(flooded). The gophers would get up on the rows to avoid being drown. Coyotes had a nice day on the gophers, and I had a very nice day on the coyotes. Range estimation got critical on the coyotes to keep from shooting over the top of their back on the 223 or gut shooting them(low shots).
I had a blued sporter 700 barrel re chambered to 22/250 AI, and it was ungodly accurate and fast with the 55's topping out at 3900 with 45g of Win 760. I had permission from these large farms, and just let the coyotes lay as it was impossible to get to them. The farmers got the field hands to get the carcus out after the field dried up. I hope that all that read this post get to experience a good 22/250 AI sporter for use on coyotes, and with a 12T loaded with a 60g partition(3700 fps), you have all the deer rifle you will ever need...no kidding
over book max load of Benchmark, 55g nosler ballistic tip, Lake City brass purchased new, cci 450(critical for accuracy), bullet seated .005 off the lands= 3500 fps. This is not an AR load!
In most 22 caliber rifles, excluding the 220 swift and 22/250 AI at 300 yards, if you hit a coyote behind the diaphragm, you will loose him...he will die eventually.
Since a pair of coyotes will kill up to 22 fawns a year, put a bullet in them best you can.
I sight my rifle in for 200 yards, and put a tad bit of daylight over their shoulder at 300, they usually flop. It is rare for me to have to take a shot that far out since I left Az. In Az, did a lot of hunting around a field that was being irrigated(flooded). The gophers would get up on the rows to avoid being drown. Coyotes had a nice day on the gophers, and I had a very nice day on the coyotes. Range estimation got critical on the coyotes to keep from shooting over the top of their back on the 223 or gut shooting them(low shots).
I had a blued sporter 700 barrel re chambered to 22/250 AI, and it was ungodly accurate and fast with the 55's topping out at 3900 with 45g of Win 760. I had permission from these large farms, and just let the coyotes lay as it was impossible to get to them. The farmers got the field hands to get the carcus out after the field dried up. I hope that all that read this post get to experience a good 22/250 AI sporter for use on coyotes, and with a 12T loaded with a 60g partition(3700 fps), you have all the deer rifle you will ever need...no kidding
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Military says 550 yrds..
If your a non-shooting lead slinger, that would be to far. If you are the next unknown Hathcock, well then a farther poke would be fine.
Does it really matter?
If your shooting at coyotes, I guess it really depends on how you see things. Coyotes are not game animals to me, they are predators.
A beef or sheep rancher would say take the shot, the purist would say to watch it and not take the shot at a longer range. You personally have to reconcile that decision.
One thing i hear all the time at contest check-in is most of the people involved "SAW" enough coyotes to win, but couldn't connect. You won't put them in the truck if you don't take the shot. If you are not comfortable taking that shot, summer is a good time to practice shooting metal plates to get comfortable.
If your a non-shooting lead slinger, that would be to far. If you are the next unknown Hathcock, well then a farther poke would be fine.
Does it really matter?
If your shooting at coyotes, I guess it really depends on how you see things. Coyotes are not game animals to me, they are predators.
A beef or sheep rancher would say take the shot, the purist would say to watch it and not take the shot at a longer range. You personally have to reconcile that decision.
One thing i hear all the time at contest check-in is most of the people involved "SAW" enough coyotes to win, but couldn't connect. You won't put them in the truck if you don't take the shot. If you are not comfortable taking that shot, summer is a good time to practice shooting metal plates to get comfortable.
Ridgeline17
New member
^^^+1^^^ or I didn't see nothing today but I got off a couple of good brush shots.
On a serious note though set up some plates out to 500 yards. The ring is a serious confidence builder.
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lyotehunter
New member
Originally Posted By: coyote6974I wouldn't shoot at coyotes beyond 200 yards with a .223 rifle. I own an AR and a bolt action rifle in .223 and although I can easily hit targets at over 300 yards, I feel they lack the downrange energy to effectively kill coyotes beyond 200 yards. MHO and I'm sticking to it.
Coyote 6974 wow I have shot coyotes at 400 and 425yds with my 17. rem shooting a 25.gr. bullet and they dropped where they stood. but I have hunted for over 40yrs and shot lots of coyotes.i have shot close to a 100 in the head at night at 250yds with a 22-250.so it all depends on your ability.
Coyote 6974 wow I have shot coyotes at 400 and 425yds with my 17. rem shooting a 25.gr. bullet and they dropped where they stood. but I have hunted for over 40yrs and shot lots of coyotes.i have shot close to a 100 in the head at night at 250yds with a 22-250.so it all depends on your ability.
Originally Posted By: ackleyman
Since a pair of coyotes will kill up to 22 fawns a year, put a bullet in them best you can.
There you go, when I've trimmed the numbers down they no longer work in the large groups that have killed as many as eight sheep in one night, and come back three nights later and kill seven more.
I heard a noise outside and grabbed a semi auto .22 (my mistake), spot lighted a female coyote at over 200 yards that was trying to entice my dogs to chase her over the hill where others were waiting. I had a large holdover and sent one her way, heard the hit and saw her jump and yelp. She ran over the rise and I heard the others attacking her, I suspect they killed and ate her.
One less female yote and the pups she'd have had that year.
Hunting for sport I do not have that attitude, I believe in nothing less than humane shots and will pass on what I can't be sure of. coyotes kill our animals, I'll reach out and touch them at whatever range I see them with whatever I have. I also shot one with a .17 HM2 at about 75 yards, I was 100% sure of the well rested shot and placed the shot to where it did some flopping and spinning but died in a very short period, it died within a couple of feet of where it had been shot.
They just don't get the humane thing out of me, they are too destructive here.
Since a pair of coyotes will kill up to 22 fawns a year, put a bullet in them best you can.
There you go, when I've trimmed the numbers down they no longer work in the large groups that have killed as many as eight sheep in one night, and come back three nights later and kill seven more.
I heard a noise outside and grabbed a semi auto .22 (my mistake), spot lighted a female coyote at over 200 yards that was trying to entice my dogs to chase her over the hill where others were waiting. I had a large holdover and sent one her way, heard the hit and saw her jump and yelp. She ran over the rise and I heard the others attacking her, I suspect they killed and ate her.
One less female yote and the pups she'd have had that year.
Hunting for sport I do not have that attitude, I believe in nothing less than humane shots and will pass on what I can't be sure of. coyotes kill our animals, I'll reach out and touch them at whatever range I see them with whatever I have. I also shot one with a .17 HM2 at about 75 yards, I was 100% sure of the well rested shot and placed the shot to where it did some flopping and spinning but died in a very short period, it died within a couple of feet of where it had been shot.
They just don't get the humane thing out of me, they are too destructive here.
SlickerThanSnot
New member
Originally Posted By: woodguru
I heard a noise outside and grabbed a semi auto .22 (my mistake), spot lighted a female coyote at over 200 yards that was trying to entice my dogs to chase her over the hill where others were waiting. I had a large holdover and sent one her way, heard the hit and saw her jump and yelp. She ran over the rise and I heard the others attacking her, I suspect they killed and ate her.
One less female yote and the pups she'd have had that year.
good lord. you really are good. you could tell it was a female coyote at over 200 yards. and this is at night, using a spotlight no less. the things you read here sometimes amaze me. only someone trying really hard to impress others would write such an outlandish thing. sorry, but it did not impress me one bit. maybe some unknowing rookie coyote hunters fell for it? but i even doubt that.
I heard a noise outside and grabbed a semi auto .22 (my mistake), spot lighted a female coyote at over 200 yards that was trying to entice my dogs to chase her over the hill where others were waiting. I had a large holdover and sent one her way, heard the hit and saw her jump and yelp. She ran over the rise and I heard the others attacking her, I suspect they killed and ate her.
One less female yote and the pups she'd have had that year.
good lord. you really are good. you could tell it was a female coyote at over 200 yards. and this is at night, using a spotlight no less. the things you read here sometimes amaze me. only someone trying really hard to impress others would write such an outlandish thing. sorry, but it did not impress me one bit. maybe some unknowing rookie coyote hunters fell for it? but i even doubt that.
Wow, This thread is all over the place. I'm no expert at hunting or shooting but have killed over a 1000 coyotes in the last 35 years. I have shot them with everything from a 17 rem. to a 300 win mag. They will all get it done. You just have to know you and your gun, bullet limitations. The majority of my coyotes have been killed with a 223. Most under 60 yards but some way out there. The country I hunt most of your shots are from sitting in your lap to around 200 yards. Over the years I tried many gun bullet combos trying to find the perfect kill to fur friendly ratio and kept going back to a 223 with a 55 grn soft point. Now that fur in my part of the country isn't worth me messing with I usually shoot my 6mm rem. or a 22-250. Neither are fur friendly. Loved my 17 Rem when fur was worth something but it sucked in the wind. Shot a bunch with a 308 as for years that was my saddle/truck gun and probably had more runners with that than any other combo I have shot. If you didn't hit the shoulder with 150 grn core locks it just went thru without expanding. If I was hunting country where my shots tended to be over 200 a 223 probably wouldn't be my caliber of choice or I would learn to call better. There is no right answer shoot what you want.
drscott
drscott