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OK, we are starting to see lots of factory rigs for predator hunting, and most of the dedicated "coyote" rifles i see pictured sport a heavy barrel. My question is why?
A little of my background: I was fooling around with rifles long before I ever went hunting, and for a while there I was under the mistaken impression that you had to have a heavy barrel to be accurate. Until I went hunting for the first time and used someone else's rifle. After carrying that and subsequently carrying my own 13.5 lb rifle, I learned that a 7.5 to 8.5 lb rifles was easier on the arms.
Correct me if I am wrong, but in regards to accuracy potential of a rifle has little to do with the weight/profile of the barrel is far down on the list after such items as the quality of the barrel, ammo, tolerances, rifle's bedding, & barrel crown. What the heavy barrel does give you is better accuracy during higher volume shooting due to not warping due to heating.
Am I just not a very good hunter? Am I not seeing as many yotes to shoot at and heat up my barrel where I need more heft. Is the heavier barrel a Western thing (I am in Georgia)?
Seems like when I see folks post some pics of their bag, the show one, or two, or a pile of em after a whole days worth of hunting.
I am using a 22-250 with a standard sporter contour, and have never heated it up enough hunting yotes that I needed more heft in the barrel.
Anyway, I am up late with the new baby, and I ponder these things.
Part of the answer is in your assumption that these will be "dedicated" calling rifles. Just because it's named "coyote" doesn't mean people won't be using them for lots of other things. And there's no law against a gun named coyote saying being used to shoot rockchucks or crows or anything else. If they're gonna name it something, "coyote" sounds better than squirrel/rabbit/groundhog/prairie dog/crow/porcupine, etc.
A slimmer sporter stock has as much effect on the gun's feel as barrel weight. A factory varmint contour barrel that's a little shorter can handle very well if it's not in a clunky varmint stock with a big forend.