223 Remington for wolves?

Originally Posted By: RedfrogThe wolf in the pic above was shot with a 220Swift. I think a 243 would be a good balance.

Calling is very effective but I think setup and technique are more important than the sound you use.

I guess you have to consider where you are hunting too. Up on the Salmon river and such its nothing to spot things 500+ yrds away. I guess in dense forest and stuff where you don't get long shots the smaller calibers will work.
 
Several guys up here use and love the AR-15 in 223. I'd prefer a 243 myself, but I usually am toting the 223 with 55gr. FMJ's. Not having killed a wolf yet, I can't say, but if you can put the bullet where you want, go for it, it'll work. I'd think the AR platform with a 243WSSM would be a sweet wolf setup, with easy follow up shots just in case you get a pack that comes in (not sure of your limits though). If you're hunting really windy, wide open areas, I'd go with a heavier bullet and more firepower to really reach out there and buck the wind.
 
Mr.Skaggs got a Dandy Redfrog. i would prefer 243 or bigger. if i get to go to idaho i be using a 270wsm that's my new cougar calling gun with the new Leupold 3.5x10x50. good luck guys. seen a black wolf north of spokane last year bear calling. wolf's are expanding fast here in wasington. plus the game department is bringing in 35 total pair's hunting is done here. Rick
 
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I think there is always a chance they will shut it down at the last minute. Its happen before. I was kind of glad to see they had set the limit at 200 and some wolves. This gives the bunny huggers less of a chance of swaying a judge to shut it down than if they had set the quota at the original 400+. All I care about is being able to get out and hunt them legally.

As for the AR15, I plan on having one guy with the AR and one with a long range rig for those 300 to 900 yard shots. Probably my buddies 264 win mag or my 243. A few years ago we had a whole pack on the opposite side hill just lounging and howling. Probably 800 yards away. We had muzzle loaders that time because we were hunting the elk that the pack was on the same side hill with.
 
Although I have never shot a Wolf, I think the best Deer/Hog bullet out of a .223 is the Swift 75 grain Scirrocco II. If your AR has a 1-8 or faster twist rate, it will shoot this bullet well. I load this with 24.0 Grains of RL-15 seated to mag length (2.26)and get just under 2600 FPS out of my 16 inch AR, this bullet will expand well even at 1750 fps so at 2600 FPS you should be good out to 250 yards+. A guy over on AR15.com suggested this bullet to me and he claims that the internal wound cavity on deer that he has shot with this bullet looks just like it does when he shoots them with a .243 and that it knocks them down just as well too. As long as you keep your shot at 200 yards and under, I think this would serve you well.
 
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I wouldn't hunt wolves with less than a 243. Sierra 70 grain Blitz King or the 80 grain Blitz Varminter would do a number on them. The 223 would do o.k. with a limited range and not hitting heavy bone. I've seen too many big coyotes jump up and run after being hit with 22 cal. bullets.
 
YES, I would lose a ton of sleep over that one. The reason I want an AR with a 30 round clip is just in case I miss the first few I shoot at.
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Poke holes in as many of them as you can. You get to keep hunting until you tag one out, right?
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They should be real dumb since they've never been hunted. I predict a good thinning of the population.
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Evil_Lurker said:
Poke holes in as many of them as you can. You get to keep hunting until you tag one out, right?
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They should be real dumb since they've never been hunted. I predict a good thinning of the population.
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I been hunting and trapping wolves since 2019 10 times smarter than the coyotes trust me don’t under estimate the wolf!
 
I have no experience with wolves but I've seen coyote run with a 223. Heck, I've seen fox run with a 108gr 6mm Creedmoor! I'd definitely use something bigger on an animal that has the potential to attack me...

243 would be my minimum recommendation. Sounds like you need to splurge on a new scope for your 243/308 like the Leupold Mark 4 2.5-10.....
 
If limited to 223, would use the 77 or maybe the 69 TMK, and stomp on em. I used the 69TMK for a couple of years on coyotes @ 3050. My understanding is that many guys use the 77s on hogs.
 
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