Best all around cartridge for.....

I have a handful of predator rifles. a 223 is hard to beat. I have always said for over 30 years of calling that I would kill more coyotes if I just packed a shotgun. Usually if 2 of us are on a stand one has a shotgun and the other a rifle. Most of my coyotes are shot between 20 and 60 yards. That said when I hunt more open country I use a 223 a 6x45 or a 6mm Remington. even in open country most of my shots are around 100 yards. With any of those rifle calibers I am comfortable out to about 400. I will say the 6mm Remington puts them down with authority but is not fur friendly.

drscott
 
To each his own. I've killed an awful lot of coyotes with the .223, but it is not anywhere close to being one of my favorite coyote rounds. In terms of killing called coyotes, with a factory rifle, there simply isn't anything the .223 can do, that the .22-250, or the Swift or the .243 Win. can't do better. Cost to shoot maybe? Barrel life maybe? For a predator calling rifle, who cares about either? Non factors, in my opinion. Factory ammo availability maybe? Well, maybe, but if you can't find a way to feed your .22-250 or .243 I don't know what to say. Just being able to find ammo doesn't seem like it should be a factor in selecting a chambering for the application. But, if it's a problem for you, then it's a problem and I guess you'll have to deal with it.

I don't use any of the above, have settled in to using a pair of non-factory chamberings. But, I have used all of the above, extensively, wouldn't have a problem killing coyotes with any of them. Not even the .223. Just, don't see the appeal of it, myself, when there are perfectly good .22-250's looking for loving homes.

I do realize my opinions are not mainstream though. Heck, I don't even have any use for the fast twist heavy .224's that have become so popular. I wore out some 8 twist barrels shooting 75's and 80's many years ago. Good fun. Like magic in the wind. Of no particular utility to me for my coyote hunting purposes. I'm all about the flat mid range for coyotes - MPBR, hold on fur to 400 and all that. Much past 400 and I lose interest, that's not a called coyote anymore.

- DAA
 
I shoot the 222 Rem, 5.6x50R Mag and 6.5x58R in combination guns and .223, 22-204, 22-250, 6x45, 6mm-204, 243 Win, 25-204 and 250 Sav in bolt actions. All have proven to be good predator hunting cartridges. Most of the time I have the 5.6x50R Mag/12ga combo gun for tight cover and either the 22-204, 22-250 or 6mm-204 along for more open country.

I like to keep things simple so my preference is a cartridge that I can hold on fur to 300 yrds and not have to deal with turrets, AO's or messy/busy reticles.
 
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looks like one mans best all around may not be another ones, depending on the conditions they hunt under.
 
Originally Posted By: Stu Farishlooks like one mans best all around may not be another ones, depending on the conditions they hunt under.
Quite true!

Though it is noteworthy to observe those cartridges which excel at greater distances, are equally suited to the close-up shots. The cartridges that excel at only at close distances, cannot be equally suited to greater distances. The wildcats I prefer certainly aren't for everyone... but boy it sure is hard to call the 22-250 unsuitable for coyote hunting in any situation.

I remember searching books and countless predator hunting sites when I was a teenager just getting into coyote hunting. Not even sure if predatormasters was around back then. Everyone pushed me in the direction of .223. Looking back on it, as a young man of very meager money, I wish someone would have put me in the direction of a 22-250. Instead I listened to all those whom said .223 was the way, and over a decade of use on coyotes, found it lacking many times. These big northern coyotes, at the distances we're shooting them, certainly illustrates the weaknesses of that cartridge. Those little bitty desert coyotes I see some of you guys shooting, might be easily killed by an airsoft rifle for all I know.
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Even still, a 22-250 would kill them AND the big dogs up north with no issue.

When someone says "all around" in reference to a cartridge, I am taking his meaning as something that will excel in nearly any predator hunting role the rifle might be pressed into. The .223 and cartridges like it will find themselves lacking when presented with a great deal of probable situations a caller can find himself in. Though with a 22-250 in his hands, there isn't many situations where he'd feel under-gunned on predators less than wolf or mountain lion. Even still, I've heard first hand accounts from guys that drop mt lions and wolves with 22-250's and heavy bullets like nobodies business.

The way I see it, there is "all around best" to mean "most versatile" and then there is "this is what works for me in my AO on my coyotes." One will often cross over into the other, while the other, will not readily.
 
Originally Posted By: Stu FarishI made do for quite a long time with a 30-06

My first centerfire was a .270 Win. and it was all I had for quite awhile. I've still killed more coyotes with it (about 400), than any other single rifle. Pictured below the last time I used it on coyote, a few years ago, making sure it would still Go Bang before using it on a deer hunt.

IMG_4548W.JPG


- DAA
 
I use calling coyotes as an excuse to keep building rifles and buying suppressors!!! I'm up to 9 AR's, 4 bolt rifles ranging from 204 to 300WM and 4 suppressors to put on them! So for me there is not an all around cartridge for calling coyotes just like there is not an all around call to call them with. This game can get out of hand in a hurry if you don't have self restraint! I would fall under that category!!!!

Hunter
 
The Best All Around is the 243. It will shoot screaming 58 gr vmax bullets... and even 105 gr amaxes... what can be better than that...? NOTHING...LOL.
 
if you do not want to save hides, 22-250 or larger is just fine.

i have killed coyotes out to 612 yards with the 223. works just fine if the shot is in the chest.
 
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