Im trying to decide on what cal. to use for varmint/predator hunting. I want to be able to take down a coyote or fox with a single shot. im looking for a light weight and accurate rifle. I was thinking about a 22-250. I went to a gun shop today and was recomended a 17hmr. Any suggustions are much appreciated!
-
Be sure to read this post! Beware of scammers. https://www.indianagunowners.com/threads/classifieds-new-online-payment-guidelines-rules-paypal-venmo-zelle-etc.511734/
Need advice for a rifle
- Thread starter mj23geraldo
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana
Member Benefits:
Fewer Ads! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
A 17hmr would probably do a fox but pushing it on a coyote unless it is a perfect shot. I would recommend either the 22-250 you mentioned or a .223. I personally would go with the .223 because of the availability and price of ammo. Another option would be a .22mag if you use maxi-mags it would work also.
Varmints
There are tons of calibers that will do what you want. The question is, how much trouble and expense are you willing to enjoy to accomplish the task?
.22 hornet and Khornet, .204 Ruger, .222 Rem, .243 Win, the aforementioned .22-250 and .223.
The WSSM family of cartridges and a host of wildcats will all do the job.
Single purpose gun? Or possible big game rifle as well? .308 kills coyotes.
.243 is very versatile and deer and antelope capable where legal.
If cheaper is better, a Savage short action in .223 is hard to beat for small initial investment and ammo cost.
I've killed a coyote with .22lr and .17hm2 but shot placement is CRITICAL and your range is limited by sportsman like ethics.
There are tons of calibers that will do what you want. The question is, how much trouble and expense are you willing to enjoy to accomplish the task?
.22 hornet and Khornet, .204 Ruger, .222 Rem, .243 Win, the aforementioned .22-250 and .223.
The WSSM family of cartridges and a host of wildcats will all do the job.
Single purpose gun? Or possible big game rifle as well? .308 kills coyotes.
.243 is very versatile and deer and antelope capable where legal.
If cheaper is better, a Savage short action in .223 is hard to beat for small initial investment and ammo cost.
I've killed a coyote with .22lr and .17hm2 but shot placement is CRITICAL and your range is limited by sportsman like ethics.
trapperDave
Shooter
223
there are tons of calibers that will do what you need, imo the 17 is not one of them. it will be fine for 100 to 150 yards but after that if will require a head shot
snapping turtle
Grandmaster
22 mag and 22 hornet for fox is perfect. The body under all that hair is about cat size.
222 rem and 223 win for about 95% of all the coyote action you will see and both are not overkill on fox.
22 mag on coyotes will do but you had better be a good tracker as the are going to run before expiring. The 17 HMR will do on both but again a good amount of trailing will be required. (unless it blow them up completely.)
Other 17 cal options are 17 rem, 17 fireball, 17 hornet. All of those will work well but I could not get my 17 rem to shoot well after 5 shots. It was a copper fouling machine.
22-250 for long rang coyotes and pests. 243, 6mm rem and 220 swift and 25-06 if upi want to go for coyotes and small deer and pronghorn.
I have a 222 rem that handles all but the horned stuff real well. Very accurate out to 222 yards. It drops quick after that.
222 rem and 223 win for about 95% of all the coyote action you will see and both are not overkill on fox.
22 mag on coyotes will do but you had better be a good tracker as the are going to run before expiring. The 17 HMR will do on both but again a good amount of trailing will be required. (unless it blow them up completely.)
Other 17 cal options are 17 rem, 17 fireball, 17 hornet. All of those will work well but I could not get my 17 rem to shoot well after 5 shots. It was a copper fouling machine.
22-250 for long rang coyotes and pests. 243, 6mm rem and 220 swift and 25-06 if upi want to go for coyotes and small deer and pronghorn.
I have a 222 rem that handles all but the horned stuff real well. Very accurate out to 222 yards. It drops quick after that.
I would avoid the .17 for coyote hunting. It may work, under perfect conditions. I have actually hit a coyote poorly with a .300 Win Mag and had it get away, so shot placement is critical.
.223 .22-250 .243 .204
Any could be good choice, mine happens to be a .204 Ruger bolt gun.
.223 .22-250 .243 .204
Any could be good choice, mine happens to be a .204 Ruger bolt gun.
malern28us
Master
Since you asked for a rifle, an AR would fulfill all of your requirements and allow you to switch uppers if you wanted something for bigger pursuits. An AR in 5.56 would serve you well and is more than accurate enough. If you want a bolt action, a savage is good, cheap and accurate.
billcollector
Marksman
I think the most important question that nobody has mentioned is, how close are the shots you are going to take? I have 17HMR, 223 and 22-250 along with buck shot in a 12 gauge. If you are going to get 50 yards or closer shots then the 17HMR is a very lethal round for coyotes and fox's. But if you are looking at 50 as the closest out to 200 then you might want to look at the 223 and if you think you are going to need to stretch out and tourch them at 300+ then the 22-250 is the way i would go. Distance is going to play a big part of this decision. I would say for all around flexibility a 223 is probably the best of both worlds, just don't handicap yourself too much with a 17 till you get better at calling and getting them in close to you. and that is from experience i can tell you that.
I second the 17HMR.
A lot of people have reservations because it's so small, but it has massive capacity to basically "explode" upon impact. If you've never seen it first hand, it's almost unbelievable. It will turn a rabbit or a squirrel almost completely inside out and it definitely has the power to reach out to about 100 yards if you are a good shot. I'd consider the "effective" range of a .17HMR to be 100 yards. Most varmint game will likely be within this range anyway. If you need to cover more distance you should be looking at a .223 or maybe even larger. .223 is just a little bit more expensive though.
22-250 or 17HMR, cheap ammo, effective, and can be picked up new or used for cheap.
Warning Graphic hunting videos below of the .17HMR in action.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrb56yCCqnY[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgUAh6jYtOs[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBx4J780nOw[/ame]
A lot of people have reservations because it's so small, but it has massive capacity to basically "explode" upon impact. If you've never seen it first hand, it's almost unbelievable. It will turn a rabbit or a squirrel almost completely inside out and it definitely has the power to reach out to about 100 yards if you are a good shot. I'd consider the "effective" range of a .17HMR to be 100 yards. Most varmint game will likely be within this range anyway. If you need to cover more distance you should be looking at a .223 or maybe even larger. .223 is just a little bit more expensive though.
22-250 or 17HMR, cheap ammo, effective, and can be picked up new or used for cheap.
Warning Graphic hunting videos below of the .17HMR in action.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrb56yCCqnY[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgUAh6jYtOs[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBx4J780nOw[/ame]
Last edited:
sloughfoot
Grandmaster
Anything from the 22 LR to the 12 gauge will kill a coyote. It is a small dog after all.
Don't overthink it.
Don't overthink it.
