Boom Stick-Rifle Caliber

SnowmanMo

Administrator
Staff member
ar calibers by Jason Mosler, on Flickr


I have taken predators with everything from a bow to a high-powered rifle. Air rifles, pistols and shotguns are all viable options for predator hunters, and each comes with it’s own challenges and rewards.

One consideration for a predator gun, is a gun that you can use proficiently. You are going to need to take that gun to the range and shoot it…A LOT. When you think you’ve shot enough, shoot more. You need to perfect skills like range estimation, snap shots, rapid follow ups, etc. You’re going to want a caliber that you can afford to shoot…A LOT.

Now there are calibers, then there are calibers. Not all of them are created equal. Some states have a minimum caliber that predator hunters must use. I don’t want to get into a debate here, but I will say that a .22 LR is generally not enough caliber to get the job done for a new predator hunter. Now there are going to be those hunters who will swear that the 22 LR can get it done. Look, I know that you MIGHT kill a coyote by shooting it at point blank range in the head with a 22 LR…but for a new predator hunter there just isn’t enough power to effectively and ethically get the job done. Sure, you might also get it done with a well-placed heart shot, but a predator hunter who is new to the sport may not be able to get that kind of a shot. There are plenty of experienced predator hunters who are not good enough to get an accurate head or chest shot to bring down a coyote. Coyotes can take a lot of damage. I have seen them get balled up by calibers like a 30-06 and roll over and take off in a flash. A new predator hunter needs to use a powerful enough caliber. Not only is there the effectiveness but then there is always the question of ethics. Ethically hunters need to put down an animal as quickly and cleanly as possible.

Now for the truth, you are going to have runners. Do this long enough and you’re going to get a coyote that takes a solid hit and gets up again. A small, unforeseeable variable and you get a glancing shot instead of a DRT shot. While this can happen with any caliber a smaller caliber is more likely to result in a non-lethal hit.

A good starter caliber is the tried and true .223 Remington. Practice ammunition is affordable and readily available. There are plenty of high-end ammunition offerings that will put down coyotes. Hornady, Winchester, Remington, Federal all produce coyote stopping ammunition that can be found in most large sporting good/firearm retailers and online.

Once I began to figure out what I was doing in terms of finding and calling predators I really started focusing on my ammunition choices. I put down 67 coyotes in one season using the Hornady 55 grain Vmax factory ammunition. It was readily available, and my rifle shot great groups with them. Once I began to knock down some respectable numbers of coyotes, I began to stretch out a bit and began exploring different bullet options as well as experimenting with different calibers.

I think the holy grail for predator hunters is the ONE caliber that will do it all…coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bears, unicorns, a caliber that is available everywhere can stop anything and costs $1.298 per 1000 rounds. Spoiler alert… IT DOESN’T EXIST.

A caliber that is good for fur harvesting may lack sufficient power to put a coyote down hard, while a hard-hitting freight train will probably leave a hole that you can put your head through. Again, I am not here to debate every little nuance of every single caliber. For every person who loves the .223 there will surely be another who hates it. There are plenty of places on PM to get into those hot debates. We are trying to get guys out there, and the .223 will do that. But there are others. I started using the .308 in an AR platform. Hard hitting, readily available, I have sent many coyotes to the happy hunting grounds with it. I have a bolt action rifle that I take with me to California where I have to use lead free ammunition.

Then there are some others that are not as well-known but are just as lethal. The 6.5 Grendel, the .204 Ruger, the 6.5 Creedmoor, and many, many others. Some of them are going to offer benefits over others in certain situations, but again, you need to buy a caliber that you can afford to shoot. Sure, a .338 Lapua will do some amazing things…it should at $7/round. Not exactly something that most of us can afford shooting several boxes every time we go to the range.

I have heard a lot of predator hunters who have shot at and missed coyotes. When I ask how often they shoot, instead of admitting that they don’t shoot enough, they start out with how expensive ammunition is. If you can’t afford to shoot it, it’s the wrong caliber. Sure, maybe Super Sniper can get it done with that caliber, but you can’t if you can’t connect since lack of practice usually means you’ll have no idea what it’s going to do with you slap the fun switch.

Plan on investing a lot of time learning to shoot your predator gun. I have no problem throwing a box of lead down range to verify zero and to practice. When it is go time, coyotes aren't usually going to stick around while you figure out how to shoot.
 
All these write ups that you have been working on are great! Your efforts are greatly appreciated and will certainly help in the development of a new predator hunter. Thanks for your time spent.
 
Originally Posted By: YoteslayerWAAll these write ups that you have been working on are great! Your efforts are greatly appreciated and will certainly help in the development of a new predator hunter. Thanks for your time spent.

Thank you for the feedback...it really helps.

I hope it helps...I hope folks can learn from all our collective learnings and mistakes.
 
Best advice you gave was "When you think you’ve shot enough, shoot more"

I've killed a number of coyotes with a 22LR. Even witnessed a friend kill a coyote at 150 yards with a 22LR. I would agree that it is a poor choice for coyotes when there are so many other good choices out there. A 223 that you shoot all the time is better than a bigger gun that you are not as familiar with.
 
Originally Posted By: BrianIDBest advice you gave was "When you think you’ve shot enough, shoot more"

I've killed a number of coyotes with a 22LR. Even witnessed a friend kill a coyote at 150 yards with a 22LR. I would agree that it is a poor choice for coyotes when there are so many other good choices out there. A 223 that you shoot all the time is better than a bigger gun that you are not as familiar with.

A miss is a miss…unless it’s a near miss with artillery…

Thanks for your reply
 
Originally Posted By: desert davePriceless information! Thank you for your dedication in the sport!

Thanks you sir, just doing my part like many others here on PM.
 
Originally Posted By: Dan OGreat advice thank you for taking the time to post it.

My pleasure…I just hope to shorten up the learning curve a bit.
 
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