[The Perferator]

I know it's not the preferred weapon for coyote hunting. Before anyone clobbers me for using one let me describe our conditions and see what ya'll think.

I'm from northern lower michigan and hunt deep in the cedar swamps with my brother (he uses a shotgun w/#3 buck). The typical range for shooting would be about 25-35yd max. I could take the .270 but would be in the same situation of having to "snap-shoot" and wouldnt want to sling a bunch of .270 rds due to the added cost and wear on my nice deer rifle.

If we hunt nite time we are limited to using .22lr and/or shotgun with light load like #6 or similar (no slug or buck allowed).


I've seen several coyote taken with .22's over the years but not yet had a shot with mine. I'd like to hear from any of you that have take coyote with a .22lr. Thanx!

Perferator

 

[990]

I would not hesitate to take a shot at a coyote with a .22lr under 50 yards because I am very confident with my gun and I know how and where the ammo will hit.

The .22lr is actuallyu a very underrated cartridge and I KNOW that it will kill a coyote as long as you have the right ammo. I would suggest the use of a High Velocity Hollow Point such as a CCI Mini Mag 40gr. HP.

But the key is to PRACTICE!


I would say to go for it and just know when the distance is to far to effectivley take a coyote, you may have to pass it up.

-Todd-

 

[Ranger Dave]

I've taken several coyotes with a 22RF. They come in a dusk at the farm to have a look at then new caves.

We hide in the straw bales and let the come in close. I use CCI Mini Mag solids so get better penatration over the hollow points.

25 to 40 yards has been most of my shots.

Be still and very quiet. Lots on fun. Having a 12 gauge near by though is nice because if you pull a bad shot they can be nasty. 12 gauge scares the poo out of the cattle though.

 

[The Perferator]

Thanx for the replies, it's encouraging .


Dave, are you aiming for head shots or vitals? Would rather take the larger target area of the vitals but wondering if you have to chase them another mile before they drop. Sounds like your setups are alot of fun!



Perf

 

[281]

True enough the .22lr will do the job. I would suggest that you use a bigger gun, but if you that is a limit; ya gotta work with what ya got.

I have seen several yotes killed with a 10/22.
One head shot, 45 or so yards: dropped straight down dead.
One lung shot, 25 yards: dropped with a few kicks and dead.
One front shoulder shot, over 50 yards: The first shot dropped him, but he got up so the person gave it two more to the head and neck.

I would suggest the a high-velocity HP. With a head shot you only have to break the skull before you need expantion not penatration. With heart and lung shots assuming you dont have to go through any bone or real meat, you only have to break the hide and you want expantion as it enters the heart and lungs. Just my .02 worth.

Dean_311

 

[The Perferator]

Dean, yup the 10/22 is my only choice this year. I love to carry it, hunt it and shoot it....just my favorite little companion. The .270 is a cannon and cant cycle the rounds like the roog.

I'm sighted in for 50yds with the CCI MM hollowpoints. I know I'll be missing more shots (potentially) than my bro with the cannon.....but danged if I'm gonna sit inside with all the yotes running free taking the rabbits and deer ......pffffffft, like I need an excuse.


Perf

 

[hunter]

Perf, you can use ANY 22 rimfire at night here in MI. This means that the 22 Mag is also legal. IMHO, while you can kill a coyote with a 22 LR, the 22 Mag is much better at it. That being said, I would still prefer a centerfire rifle, but the archaic laws here forbid it. I've seen coyotes take some awful punishment from bigger rifles and go quite a way before giving up the ghost. hunter

 

[Ranger Dave]

Thanx for the replies, it's encouraging .

Dave, are you aiming for head shots or vitals? Would rather take the larger target area of the vitals but wondering if you have to chase them another mile before they drop. Sounds like your setups are alot of fun!

Perf

I aim for the vitals. A good lung shot drops them fairly quick. Some run 30 yards before kicking the bucket. With a semi auto you can get a couple rounds in him and he dies quick and close.

I've shot them in the head before but its hard since the coyote is always looking around.

I like the heavy weight 40 grain solids for penitration. When we skin them the bullets still mushroom. They just get deeper in before they start to open up.

 

[2979]

The 22LR will do the job, of course there is better choices, I have used 22LR for years, I just head shoot them, I now have a ruger 10/22 with a hogue stock and a BSA 4x32 scope with see through mounts, nice setup, had to use loctite I have found many years ago that Remington Yellow jackets work very well on Varmints, this is a hollow head bullet around 32 gr, really traveling, kinda on the pricey side around $24.00 bucks a brick in NH, note: Yellow jackets feed very well in my Rugers, Rugers seem to be picky with ammo. I also have the mark2 as well likes the yellow jacket's, also the Remington's burn very clean, lets say compared to Winchesters, now your talking dirty ammo I use a dry graphite to lube the bolt works well. Just my thoughts, remember shot placement is No# 1. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

 

[4353]

last summer i shot one with my new kimber hunter model 22lr. I was hunting ground squirrels when i noticed a coyote working his way up the meddow to my left. He stopped, standing broadside about 60 ft. in front of me, never saw me. Getting into a sitting position i put a cci mini mag hp into his lungs. He dropped on the spot and got right back up, i shot again and he dropped again this time for good. He kicked a few times and i shot again just in case. Looked like he went about 15-18 lbs.

 

[2979]

I know how you guys like to see the coyote pic's, gets your blood going. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

 

[The Perferator]

Did you happen to weigh those things? I cant wait to strap one on the hood of my Wrangler!



Perferator

 

[2146]

I only want to add one thing to this thread. HEAD SHOT ONLY . I live in Michigan too, and I have to hunt under the same piss poor laws, so Ive been there and done that. I personally wont even raise my trigger finger until I have a clean headshot preferably under 40 yards. I have shot for vitals at 50 yards and ended up tracking the injured dog across 3 different farms.

 

[050]

As much as I hate to say it, I think that a big portion of shooters don't really have the FOGGIEST idea of where the "vital" areas really are on most animals.

If one spends a bit of time looking at, for instance, advertising pictures for scopes showing the crosshairs on a big beautiful buck. Nine out of ten times, the crosshairs are nowhere near the X ring on that animal. I'd guess that a whole lot of hunters are just as badly mistaken as to where that area is. In most (by far) of those pictures, the shot would probably be a lung shot, but in reality, it would be NO WHERE NEAR the heart. The heart does NOT sit dead on the middle of the chest/lung area. Once people understand just where the heart lies in that animals chest, they would start getting a lot better results, and wouldn't have to watch a lot of animals run around while they are bleeding out.

Reliance on going to a bigger, more powerful gun to inflict massive damage is NOT the answer. Spending a little time understanding how animals are built would be time well invested.

(BTW.... It took all the restraint I had NOT to type that whole thing in caps!!!!!!!)
Ron

 

[varmastr]

Nomenclature is everything.

where all the folks who feel that the 17 is too small for yodeldogs?
Being able to hit where your aiming is one thing, being able to aim where were you want to hit is another.
I thought I was doing good this year at 35 coyotes, until..,
I met a young guy last night who has shot 281 coyotes this season. He feels that you certainly dont need more than a 223.
Placement over power.
If the shot aint right... dont take it, its that simple.
good luck, keep hunting.

 

[050]

Something to consider. The ribs on a coyote are, in all probablity, not more than 3/8ths of an inch thick. the heart sits within the soft, pulpy mass of lungs and the bullet only needs to punch through two or three inches of this soft mass, to get there.

The question isn't whether a 22 Long Rifle can kill a coyote. The question is, can you hit the target?

Ron

 

[2146]

The question isn't whether a 22 Long Rifle can kill a coyote. The question is, can you hit the target?

That is the exact reason that I say Head Shot Only. Shot placement is more important with the less powerfull 22lr because even though a 22lr will penetrate a coyotes rib, the rib is going to cause the bullet to deviate from its original path. So that perfectly placed heart shot isnt always going to make it to the heart.

 

[The Perferator]

You know, I'm thinking the same thing about coyotes. I need to find a picture of the vitals so I can know exactly where to aim. But if you can hit them in the lungs and get an exit wound then you've just put two holes in each lung. Most coyotes wouldn't go too far like that. Whitetail deer are king of the "running wounded". You best take the heart out and/or double lung 'em!

And quit telling me about those that are taking coyote by the cord....aint got a one yet this year.


Perferator

 

[050]

Perferator...

You can take almost any four legged animal and when standing perfectly broadside to you, draw an imaginary line straight up the back edge of it's front leg. then, where that line goes up the chest, mentally divide it into thirds. Where the bottom line, (one third of the distance up the chest) intersects the imaginary line you drew up the back of its leg is almost positively a heart shot.

Another way to look at it is on the animals elbow, which is just a pointed joint on the back edge of it's leg, shortly up in the body, is a good reference point. If you can drive a bullet into the chest right at the tip of the animals elbow, you'll get your heart shot. (If you are going to err, do it on the high rather than the low side. Hit too low and all you have is a nasty chest wound. hit high however, and you still score a double lung shot.

Hope that wasn't too confusing. I spoze I could draw a picture. In fact, I will. This is kind of crude, but should get the point across.

 

[varmastr]

And quit telling me about those that are taking coyote by the cord....aint got a one yet this year.
Perferator

I trust you were refering to my info,
in response, this 24 years old 'kid' is unemployed, lives in premium habitat with high coyote density, and is an Whitetail outfitter in season, with massive amounts permission. If all you did was hunt coyotes sunup to sundown for 7 days a week for 4 months straight.
I have about 35 this year, and a few foxes. This is an average or slightly above count. His numbers are not out of reason for a dedicated predator hunter.
When a good to excellent pelt returns $50-$70 canadian, and gas is $4.00 gallon, I say, all the power to him. He's making pith poor money per mile an hour.