Just wondering if you all might have a AR platform caliber that would be good for Yotes, fox and Bobcat.
Yote wise not really concerned about saving hides but Fox and Cats I would want to save.
Is there one caliber that would do well for all that I could build an Upper for the AR i already have.

Do you reload?

Double tap!

6X6.8 if you reload. 22 Nosler if you don't.

Greg

I do reload yes. Not the best at it as I am still learning but have all of the equiptment to reload.

I'd probably look at building a 6x45 aka standard 223 necked up to 6mm. It's a pretty popular cartridge and a number of different places have/make prefit AR barrels chambered in 6x45.

You really need to drop caliber and bullet weight to save cat and fox hides. Like NO exit.

I've been really impressed by the 65 SGk from 223 on fox. I've got them loaded with CFE223 as strong as I dare, it would be a good deer round as far as 223 goes as well.

I havent shot any cats but all the fox hits I've made i have to search around for the exit, except one bad leg shot on a spinning fox, same for coyote.

Since your priority is fox and bobcat pelts, 17 Remington?

20 practical?

223 Remington with copper solid bullets. 45gr Barnes TSX performs excellent on everything, you'll get 100% pass throughs but small exits. I messed around briefly with 50gr TTSX but never got a good sample on predators. I bet similarly light bullets from Hammer will do as well.

Bang flop DRT on this big ol' fat coyote. 45gr TSX.


Same with these greys. Bang Flop DRT with 22cal exits.

17 Remington, 20 practical,

.223 rounds mostly just bounce off coyotes. i have read that more than once on the ole www. must be true lol

I've seen vmax bounce off angled coyote shoulder bones! I've never seen the SGK do anything other than smash through anything a coyote has.

Dirty dog, it's good to hear about the TSXs. I worked up a hot HBN lubed 53gr TSX load for the 223 and lab radars them at 3330fps. Accuracy is great also, I was hoping I liked them on fox and coyote at least as much as the 65SGK but I didnt know what to expect fur wise in the TSX .

I've been slacking big time in the coyote hunting department, I moved onto my own land now but I get so much snow, woods, outdoors and cold now just chopping wood and keeping the 800ft driveway clear I havent even taken some of my new loads hunting yet.

For that trifecta of fur, hard to beat the good ole .223. I've killed a lot of coyotes with the .223, and that's all I take with me for red fox. No cat opportunities for me. I have to travel for that, so no personal experience on them.