My brother had a Remington 700 vls 223 with a 26" barrel. Our friend had an ar15 with a 16" barrel. Shooting at a 5/16" mild steel gong , the the same FMJ ammo,my brothers gun would shoot through it and the ar would only dent it. I too kinda feel the 223 gets a bad wrap from short ar15 barrels. That being said the guys around here that kill over 100 a year use 243s. Gotta be something to that.

I think what he means is that practicing from a bench at a rifle range is not as effective as practicing actual field shooting positions. Let's face it, MOST hunters do not practice field positions such as seated with shooting stix and it shows when they transition from the bench to the field.

I personally have never attempted 20 continuous shots at a soda can, but I have spent countless hours plinking at stuff with 22s from every position. And I regularly plink rocks and targets etc with my hunting rifle off stix pretty much every time I go out and on dedicated outings.

The only time I ever use a bench or range is for comfort/convenience during load development and testing.

Having grown up in WI and hunting fox for bounty in the 1960's experience is the biggest thing in gaining confidence. Practicing from field positions is another. Adapting to your hunting conditions is another, trying to call coyotes into the open in a heavily populated/hunted area can be a frustrating experience and when you do get one to come out more than often you will rush the shot for fear it will bolt. You might try getting down in the thick stuff where a coyote is far more comfortable.

The 222 Rem is a rather unique cartridge, and the fellow that is shooting one is someone that usually has a lot of experience. The average person will see a 222 Rem and wonder what it would cost to have it re-chambered to 223. A 222 Rem shooter will understand the limitations of the round and keep his shots within it's capabilities.

I have 3 222 Rem and zero 223's, if I need more than the 222 Rem the 22-250 more than fits the bill but saying that my coyote kills are far more likely to be with a 222 than a 22-250. I rarely expect a called coyote to farther than the effective range of the 222 Rem. and have no problems passing one one that is a marginal shot, I can usually call him in another day.

I never said 20/20 can't be done. But more people probably can't than can as shooting off sticks is a totally different game than shooting off a rest. I have several sets of sticks but truthfully, I hardly ever use them. Most of my field shooting is done setting on my butt and shooting off my knees. I usually set on a very short turkey seat and just rest my rifle off my knees. Been doing it for years. But here again, I wait for the shot. If its headed towards me I just wait. If its out of my comfort zone I just pass. I hunt for fun so its not a big deal if I don't get a shot.

Being able to hit a popcan at a hundred won't get you past round 1 at the egg shoot. I practice on dime sized targets at 100 yards with my 22 LR leading up to the egg shoot. You better be able to hit a quarter at 150 yards off sticks to be competitive. Last year I didn't get past round two.

Pop cans on a stick don't move either, coyotes hardly ever stand still. Apples and oranges. We use to shoot ping pong balls filled with colored water hanging from a string at 100yds with 17HMR's. Thats a bunch of fun when there's a breeze blowing. (Note: my friends wife filled them with a syringe and super glued a string to them and we hung them off the bottom of a back stop.)

AWS, I agree shooting cans @100 and eggs @150 are totally different. I have a buddy that thinks it will be easy. Soon as the weather cools a little, I'm going to have an egg shoot at the club. Figure he can come out and show all of us how easy it is. LOL!!

Oklahoma isn't that far from Elko, come on out and shoot eggs and coyotes with everyone.

I'd love to come out and meet a bunch of you guys. According to Google its about 22 hours from Tulsa. Just had a big expense getting dental work done. I'm not sure the funds will be there this year but its on the bucket list.

Good stuff right there !
.223 I use 60 gr vmax
6.5 grendel I use 95 gr vmax
I too need to practice MORE using my tri-pod/shooting sticks ..

Just about anything will work if you hit them right. I think basically the two to three not being enough for coyote means that when you shoot them through the guts or a little far back or through the back leg they don't blow up like they do with a 243 around max load. I think blem bullets also have thicker jackets and maybe don't work like the regular ones.

Before changing guns I would try different ammo.

Certainly if I shoot a fox with my 62gr Federal Fusions it's much better if I hit a solid bone like the shoulder. They seem to "pencil" through if I don't get a major bone. Something like a 55gr V-max is available in lots of factory loadings and probably worth a box or 2.

Practice is always important. Gut shots and hips will usually result in runners. The more practice you have and confidence in your equipment the easier it will be to make good hits and take some of the pressure off on live quarry.

ATB,

Scrummy

I think the 6.8 is a great choice when you need extra power. The round will take on larger game when the opportunity comes around. My grandsons have taken several deer with it.

If you are having trouble killing coyotes with a 223, you need to look in the mirror to find out why!!

I have a hard time with believing a 223 is not enough gun for coyotes.As a kid all I had was my ruger 10/22 and I killed a lot of coyotes.I was so pumped the day I got it and still own it.I think shot placement is crucial If you put one in the lungs ,head or kneck they may run off but it will die some were!

I see it at range days all the time, not everyone has the same ability or the same quality level of equipment. That's why there often disagreement and discussion about caliber choice and observational performance.