I have a Savage 17 HMR that I love.It has performed well on fox, but I'm not about to use it coyote.I really don't want my first coyote to be run away wounded.I'm thinking about buying a gun that can take both fox without messing up the hide on the foxes and will take coyotes consistently.I was thinking about a 204 or 223,but I'm not sure.Will either of the two hurt fox hides badly.Maybe in the future I might sell the hides so I was kind da concerned about that.What are the cheapest models(preferablely bolt-action) that you would suggest of the two calibers that are available?Thanks!By the way I live in northeastern Tennessee so I probably won't making 2 or 3 hundred yard shots.Hundred yards is probably the max.
Best coyote/fox caliber?
- Thread starter CsaDk
- Start date
Man if you are sticking under 150 yards you really don't need another gun. I have used the savage .17 hmr with accu trigger and have had loads of success with it. I have seen many natives up here in the bush use that caliber on caribou with no real far runners to speak of. I personally would not recommend shooting any big game with it but it is certainly capable of doing it. I would say that the .17 hmr is one the best all time 150 yard and under fur loads around. I am no professional but I am sure you will here more of the same around this cite.
If you still are set on something bigger in a bolt action I think the best bang for the buck is one of the .223 savage varmint series or any of the others with the accutrigger. It is a great gun and won't hurt the pocket book to bad. I know a lot of people really rave about the .204 but unless you reload I think you will find that it is expensive and can tend to splash and when it does exit it usually leaves the door wide!!!! open.
Good luck,
If you want to buy right go with an AR platform and you will never look back.
I shoot a Bushmaster Varminter .223, sniper grip, six position stock, with a trijicon reflex. Savage .17 HMR, and Savage .22 WMR.
If you still are set on something bigger in a bolt action I think the best bang for the buck is one of the .223 savage varmint series or any of the others with the accutrigger. It is a great gun and won't hurt the pocket book to bad. I know a lot of people really rave about the .204 but unless you reload I think you will find that it is expensive and can tend to splash and when it does exit it usually leaves the door wide!!!! open.
Good luck,
If you want to buy right go with an AR platform and you will never look back.
I shoot a Bushmaster Varminter .223, sniper grip, six position stock, with a trijicon reflex. Savage .17 HMR, and Savage .22 WMR.
IdahoElkHunter
New member
What use a 17 HMR for caribou??? Now I have heard it all. What do they use the 17gr or the 20gr? The HMR was designed for small game like squirrels and rabbits. If you want a flat shooting gun thats easy on fur look at the 17 Remington or its little brother the 17 Remington Fireball. They shoot as flat as a 22-250 and are cheap to reload.
Tim Neitzke
New member
If you want the best fox pelts you can have, a shotgun is the only way too go. From what I have seen nothing of the centerfire rifle sort is fur friendly on fox. I love my 17rem, but its tough on hides ( under 200 yards).
As for yotes .17 rem , 204 ruger .223 rem and the like are fur friendly . Our Mi. yotes are 3-5 times bigger than our fox. So, it's alot easier too keep a round in them.
Tim
As for yotes .17 rem , 204 ruger .223 rem and the like are fur friendly . Our Mi. yotes are 3-5 times bigger than our fox. So, it's alot easier too keep a round in them.
Tim
wvbestshot
New member
I have good luck with the rem. spatan #94 over/under in a 223 and 12 ga. 3" mag. Most of the foxes will come in close so I use the shotgun. If I use the rifle the foxes must by looking dead on so it comes out the rear end.
Handgunr
New member
Best all around....?
.....on average (average distances considered) probably the .204 or .223.
Fox alone can be dropped pretty easily using .17HMR's, certain .22LR's, or the .22 Mag. With coyotes on the other hand, it get a little iffy. .17HMR's, and .22 Mag's will do the job close in, but get out much past 100yds., and things get dicey.
The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills, but being so light regarding bullet weight, they can suffer from wind issues, and if a blade of grass is hit they can come apart right now.
I've got several calibers from a custom .22 SuperJet, to a .243, also encompassing the .223 & .22-250. Out of them all, I probably use the .223 most often due to the fact that the .22-250 & my .243 both will tear the snot out of anything they hit any closer than 150-200yds.
It also greatly depends on the bullet type, or design in each particular caliber, or how they are loaded. Unless you only have one gun though, I consider downloading a caliber kind of defeating a particular purpose within that caliber itself, or the reason for having it. I like to use a given cartridge within it's optimum parameters, and, like I mentioned, the .204 and .223 really work the best for me, all around.
Take care,
Bob
.....on average (average distances considered) probably the .204 or .223.
Fox alone can be dropped pretty easily using .17HMR's, certain .22LR's, or the .22 Mag. With coyotes on the other hand, it get a little iffy. .17HMR's, and .22 Mag's will do the job close in, but get out much past 100yds., and things get dicey.
The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills, but being so light regarding bullet weight, they can suffer from wind issues, and if a blade of grass is hit they can come apart right now.
I've got several calibers from a custom .22 SuperJet, to a .243, also encompassing the .223 & .22-250. Out of them all, I probably use the .223 most often due to the fact that the .22-250 & my .243 both will tear the snot out of anything they hit any closer than 150-200yds.
It also greatly depends on the bullet type, or design in each particular caliber, or how they are loaded. Unless you only have one gun though, I consider downloading a caliber kind of defeating a particular purpose within that caliber itself, or the reason for having it. I like to use a given cartridge within it's optimum parameters, and, like I mentioned, the .204 and .223 really work the best for me, all around.
Take care,
Bob
jdunham
Member
17 Fireball is the closest thing to a commercial round that is going to do what you want. 150-200 yards on coyotes or less. The problem is finding something with enough punch to knock down a coyote that does not also tear apart a fox. Tough nut to crack. 22WMR or 17 fireball are the two closest to filling both needs and they aren't perfect. A 223 in a savage is a great gun and can be loaded up or down. Not perfect for fox but it is not bad with the right loads. The 204 is going to be hell on fox.
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SuperSeal110
New member
.17Rem, .17FB, .22 Hornet.
jdunham
Member
I forgot about the Hornet, another great option for what you are looking for. Mine was rebarrled to 17 Ackley Hornet and it is perfect for 150 and under but it is a reloaders cartridge and isn't what I would call "cheap" to get started considering a gun will have to be rebarreled.
Stealth1959
New member
Quote:
I'm using a 22-250 as others stated...not to fur friendly closer then 150 yrds! but I'm more interested in just killing them off my farm. Killed 1 with the 17HMR at 65 yrds. he still ran 50 yrds before realizing he was dead
Now that was funny! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I'm using a 22-250 as others stated...not to fur friendly closer then 150 yrds! but I'm more interested in just killing them off my farm. Killed 1 with the 17HMR at 65 yrds. he still ran 50 yrds before realizing he was dead
Now that was funny! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
CWeeks
New member
Boy this questions has seen some miles, but in my opinion it is a .223 that is why I bought one and then a second one. But have been toying with the idea of getting a 250 to give it a try. But .223 is a great cal for small predators and rabbits, rockchucks, prarie dogs... BUT that also depends on how far you are capable of shooting.
To Idaho Elk hunter... obviously you have never lived on a reservation or in a native village. Lets talk once you have and we will see what you say about using a .17hmr for a fur and meat gun. These guys up here shoot to kill and if they don't we don't have meat. Behind the ear buddy, anything will drop. Got photos of some caribou from a spring hunt last year were several villagers took five in one trip all with a .17 HMR's. The going rule up here is the smaller the rifle the more meat you save!!! I witnessed all five behind the ear with one shot behind the shoulder all dropped on the spot other than the one behind the should and it only went 40+- yard.(Shot distance ranged 80-120+-yards)
As I said in my first post I would not use that caliber for anything in the big game category but with the right shooter it will easily do the trick!!! I would never use the .17HMR on anything larger than a coyote, wolverine or lynx. In my opinion and experience it is more than capable of dropping any sized coyote out to 150 yards with the right shot placement. I am sure some may disagree but I have seen and used this round a lot and would have to stick to my findings of it being a great 150yard and under fur gun plus you will probably never have a splash or big exit hole when using it on any fur animal. Plus it is cheap to shoot!!!
With that ramble over with I would recommend ideally using a .223. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
As I said in my first post I would not use that caliber for anything in the big game category but with the right shooter it will easily do the trick!!! I would never use the .17HMR on anything larger than a coyote, wolverine or lynx. In my opinion and experience it is more than capable of dropping any sized coyote out to 150 yards with the right shot placement. I am sure some may disagree but I have seen and used this round a lot and would have to stick to my findings of it being a great 150yard and under fur gun plus you will probably never have a splash or big exit hole when using it on any fur animal. Plus it is cheap to shoot!!!
With that ramble over with I would recommend ideally using a .223. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Id go 22 hornet or one of the 17 ceneterfires... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif and if I were going to use a rimfire it would be the 22 mag. Shot 2 fox last year with the hmr and had 2 runners that should not have went as far as they did given the yardage and shot placement. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Was not impressed with the 17hmr for fox.
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
Quote:
The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills, but being so light regarding bullet weight, they can suffer from wind issues, and if a blade of grass is hit they can come apart right now.
Bob
"The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills," I'll agree to that part.
Have you ever hit a blade of grass with one? Who dreams up this stuff? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills, but being so light regarding bullet weight, they can suffer from wind issues, and if a blade of grass is hit they can come apart right now.
Bob
"The .17 Rem's & Fireball are nice calibers and give good one shot kills," I'll agree to that part.
Have you ever hit a blade of grass with one? Who dreams up this stuff? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
White Eagle
New member
best bet on fox is a shotgun and if coyote is in as well a 10 ga.would be preferred
Load for fox would be #2's and for coyote buckshot is in order
Load for fox would be #2's and for coyote buckshot is in order
Ridge Runner
New member
ok, any centerfire will turn a fox inside out, a 22 mag is a happy medieum, use 50 gr hp's for yotes, and keep shots to around 100 yards and it'll serve you well.
Another option, at the shotshow '08 aguila will anounce the start-up of producing the 5mm remington rimfire magnum ammo, if you look around.....fast you can buy these rifles dirt cheap. ammo has been going for 90.00+ a box but the new stuff will be around 25.00 or less.
RR
Another option, at the shotshow '08 aguila will anounce the start-up of producing the 5mm remington rimfire magnum ammo, if you look around.....fast you can buy these rifles dirt cheap. ammo has been going for 90.00+ a box but the new stuff will be around 25.00 or less.
RR