What firearm do you like best for night hunting?

Never seen a coyote standing between cows legs???
Guess the cows were in front of the coyote or in back of it then huh. (LOL)
Gees if there's a cow in Lousiana and a cow in New Mexico and a coyote in Texas, means we can't shoot it cause cows legs are on both sides??
You guys don't seriously think I advocate shooting between a single cows legs to get a stupid coyote do you??
The statement was posted after the only other post recomended using SHOTGUNS so I was trying to make a point about the drawback to using a scattergun where I hunt.
As I said "if necessary". So when the heck is shooting a coyote really necessary????
OK, guess if it was pulling the calf for her, maybe then???

Later
DF2
 
Remmington 700 LTR .308 loaded w/ 168 gr Hornady A-Max. Leupold 3.5x10x40 Illuminated mil dot. Not that fur friendly but shoots consistent sub .50 MOA groups and I dont have to look very hard for what I just shot.
 
Everyone knows the .223 is the all-around best caliber for shooting coyotes, fox, bobcat, raccoons, cow legs and, when possible, your foot.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
I know, I know . . . a "well placed shot" from a .17 will kill a coyote as dead as a bullet from a .223 - but that's like saying a well placed round from a .50 can kill a Russian HAVOC helicopter as dead as a Stinger missile. (I love stirring this pot!!!) Furthermore, a well placed shot from a .223 will kill an Eastern coyote as dead as a .243. And a well placed shot from a .243 will kill an elk as dead as my .338 Win Mag . . . Oh the humanity!

I will say this . . . I saw a .17 anchor a fox with one shot last winter. Night hunting and a fella named Paul put the pill where it needed to be. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I like a 22-250 day or night. IMHO throwing a bullet that is less likely to ricochet is a good idea for night shooting. It's far more difficult to know what's beyond what you're shooting at.
 
Dylan, how far out do you think that 20 guage will kill a coyote. And what is turkey shot? We don't have turkeys in Alaska, is that bb shot?

My 12 yo son would like to use his 20 guage for some night hunting
 
Well, I figure this as good a spot as any to tuck this story about caliber wars. I'm sure Randy will find this story, but I just hope it takes him a while so you folks get a chance to absorb the story without reading a rebuttle right away . . . here goes. Randy & Paul came out to hunt NE Montana with me on Friday & Saturday night (would be out tonight too, if it weren't for the WIND). On Friday Night we call in a fox on a nice setup and Randy hits him with the .17 from about 40 - 50 yards. Hits the fox in the shoulder and I'm on the spotlight so I start scanning around for other critters after the shot . . . about 1 minute later I see eyes just 15 yards left and another 10 or so yards further away from where Randy hit the fox "there's another one" I whisper. So Randy shoots the "other one" (actually the same fox, wounded and dragging itself away) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif. We make some crippled coyote sounds on the mouth calls and in less than 5 minutes here come a couple coyotes. I'm not certain on the distance, but I'm guessing it was 150 - 170 yards when Randy drops the hammer on him. No "Fwop" or any other sound indicating a hit. In fact, Randy said he missed it. AS soon as he finished saying he missed it we could hear the coyote ravaging himself and trying to rip the bullet out. That coyote looked like a "Dancing With The Stars" contestant for a few seconds in the red light - spinning and swinging. That one got away - Randy & Paul gave a look, but couldn't find it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif What's the point to this story? My friend's, Randy & Paul, shoot the .17 REM and I shoot a .223 (the best round for varmints / coyotes / fox). Now I'm not saying I would have immediately anchored either of the animals Randy shot, but I've never seen a fox do anything but drop dead from a .223 and I've only seen one coyote alive after being hit with the .223 (leg shot, later finished him off with the shotgun). Yeah, yeah, I know - if you shoot the animal in the vitals it's going to die. That's all fine and good when there's ZERO wind, shooting in the bright light of the sun and you're not freezing your arse off up in the tower. Night hunting predators in Montana throws some curve balls - you don't have to hit an over-the-wall home run every time you're up to bat when you're shooting the .223 = you can hit an awful lot of in-the-park home runs with a .223 where you can't do the same with the .17 REM. Some of you might be thinking "but the .17 REM doesn't rip up the fur." To that I must simply say this - I'd rather have to pick the spot on the predator where I save fur instead of praying to hit the spot on the predator that will allow me to find him after he gets up and runs away. If you're shooting a 55gr bullet out of the .223 and hit a Montana coyote anywhere other than the shoulder or rump, you'll have all the fur you need. Before I close this up, I have to give credit to the .17 REM for bang - flopping a coyote from 163 steps up a hill (probably a 145 yard shot). Paul hit that coyote on Saturday night and it dropped DEAD as soon as the bullet found home.
Well, Randy, if you fellas come out next year (or even later this year) maybe we can send you home with more than just 1 fox & 1 coyote . . .
 
Hey, here in michigan we cant hunt at night unless it's shotgun or rimfire. Kinda slims it down to one choice for night for me....17HMR.

In the day (oops, wrong forum) I use my ***gasp*** 45/70 Guide Gun because we also have cougar, wolves and bear when we tuck into the swamps. On fields, it's the laserlike, lightning quick .270win.
 
Why not use the old 45-105? Did a number on the old buffalo, and they were hunted for the pelts. Why wouldnt it work for fox? *JK* But my real question here is how come anybody on any forum ever asks something that starts with the phrase "What gun is best for" it ends in total chaos? Everyone ends up in a conflict, so ill just skip over these in the future. "Why cant we all just get along?"
 
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Why not use the old 45-105? Did a number on the old buffalo, and they were hunted for the pelts. Why wouldnt it work for fox? *JK* But my real question here is how come anybody on any forum ever asks something that starts with the phrase "What gun is best for" it ends in total chaos? Everyone ends up in a conflict, so ill just skip over these in the future. "Why cant we all just get along?"


Grown men act like little kids when it comes to loyalties of firearms. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I use a 700 VLS 22-250 for daytime hunting and my 870 12 GA 3" mag with Dead Coyote for night hunting. I bought an 11-87 3 1/2" Mag this fall for goose hunting. I am going to give it a try tomorrow night.

JD338
 
I'm from Michigan too and sorry to say think a 17HMR is a poor choice. Plenty of medicine for fox, but there are just too many coyotes around these days. A 12 gauge with lead BB's or dead coyote is faaaaaaaar superior to any rimfire. If one is in known fox areas (fewer and fewer these days) #2 lead would be a better choice. I use a 10 gauge American Arms, double trigger side by side with an aimpoint red dot. With 2 1/2 oz of nickel plated BB's with a full choke it's a real night KILLER with some reach. For those predators that show up on your lap out of nowhere, I use a light, fast, 1 5/8 oz load of #3 nickel plated shot with an improved cylinder choke for a huge, deadly pattern that doesn't send fur into the next zip code. Choice of loads can be instantly selected with the double triggers. It's a heavy beast that gets tiresome to carry with other equimpment, but it does the job like nothing else where the choice is either rimfire or shotgun.
 
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