Posted on 12/09/2007 8:32:13 PM PST by Moose Dung
Sorry for posting this in the main area, but I need some advice quickly.
Over the past few weeks I've been having a real coyote problem. We're in the San Joaquin Valley and have always had issues with the coyotes, but this year seems to be expecially bad (even traveling in small packs, which I've never seen before). I need some recommendations on the proper weapon to deal with these varmints.
I figure, I need something that will kill a coyote from 30 yards when we get an intrusion on the property. This isn't a sport thing...no blinds, no calls, just an intruder that needs immediate lethal force.
We're out in a sparsly populated area in the middle of open farm land. The nearest house is about a half mile away.
Thanks for the help.
Moose Dung.
I figure that if an SKS can bring down feral pigs, then it should do well against a coyote.
Maybe .22 stinger ammo if you don’t want to buy a new gun but a .223 would do the job fine and ammo is still relatively inexpensive.
The ,22 should do it with a well placed shop - .22 magnum is a no brainer
Get a donkey
Just be sure of what’s BEHIND what you’re shooting at.
Pretty much anything bigger bore than what you have will work!
.223, 30 cal, whatever.
Lots of folks will recomend 22mag, maybe the 17 Hornady, maybe even a .223. All these will work, but don’t discount something like a 30-30. It will smack them hard and the bullit drop is such that you don’t have to worry about shooting distant neighbors. At the distances you cite, a scope won’t even be needed.
***Over the past few weeks I’ve been having a real coyote problem. ***
Savage 110 FP in .223 bolt action. Extremely accurate. Not too costly.
Legal in Kali.
Others...22-250
or .250-3000
If you also want to deer hunt get one in .308 Win.
I agree - a 30-30 lever action with open sites is perfect at up to 50 yards for a coyote.
?
MD, I would suggest that this is a great opportunity to invest in a Bushmaster AR-15. Get the 1 in 9 twist rifling for ammo utilization purposes.
I’d suggest a 12/16 guage pump shotgun with buckshot. It will have the range to take out the coyote and not carry like a rifle. Also makes good home defense, which is a significant issue.
I’m suprised .22LR isn’t working.
However, at 30 to 50 yards, I’d just use deer slugs in the .410.
If he’s hitting them with the .22 it’s probably working but not immediately. Might as well put them down humanely with something that does the job right.
The most inaccurate rifle I have every owned. I sold it and bought an AR-15.
However, I would use a Remington 710 with a scope, in a 30:06 caliber. A 200 yard shot would be easy and it will drop the coyote instantly. A 300 yard shot might take some practice.
I agree.
At the short ranges he’s talking about though, a .410 deer slug would hit ‘em like a freight train.
LOL, you need practice, I could kill coyotes all day with a 22 at 30 yard. Get a good scope and practice. Are buy yourself a 22 mag. but you need to practice. Other than that any of the 22 cal center fires will do, whatever your budget can stand. You are not well armed, so start with the minimum. Remember bolt actions and lever actions are more accurate than semi's.
Antifreeze..........
You can usually find a used 30/30 for $150-$165 or so.
If you make a good head shot or body shot on a coyote with a 30/30 that varmit isn't going anywhere.
Marlin Model 336A with Mounted Scope
Thanks for the great advice...except the donkey thing(!?!?). The problem with the .22 is that I need it at night, the coyotes move pretty quick, and I’m on foot with my maglite.
dung.
LOL!
(Except he’ll kill his own dog.)
I know many a sheep and goat rancher who’ll agree with that. They’ll kill a coyote pretty damned fast.
One more suggestion. If you decide on .223 you can pick up a single shot for less money. You’re not likely to get a follow up shot at night holding a mag lite anyway!
If you want a very flat-shooting round with more velocity, I would say .25'06 or the .22-250. Either one has less recoil than the .308, the .25'06 has a little heavier bullet. But at just 30 yards either one would be total overkill, those are 300 yd plus varminting rifles (are you sure you're not actually shooting at 100 yards?)
Donkeys, mules, and llamas are death on coyotes.
That reminds me of a funny story about my husband and an armadillo... Well, it probably wasn’t funny to the armadillo.
;)
susie
When ya get him, skin him and leave the hide on the fence near your place. It’s a Sicilian message to all his kin. ;>)
I was raised on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, and it worked pretty good (usually we put the skins on the fence in the creekbed).
In your case a good used shotgun or an inexpensive new one (Remington 870 for about $350) should do the best. Set him up. String up lights some distance from your house, and leave meat. Illuminate your target and take your shot. Max 35 yards. Full choke. Maybe #2, 3 or 4 buckshot. Make his day.
He may not get along with my two springer spaniels.
dung.
I had your problem trying to use a marlin .22 LR w hollow point-—not enough punch at that range. So I used a .222 with a scope (coyotes wouldn’t get close to me) and bagged 7 in a week-—one shot one kill. This is in Ohio.
Get you a Ruger 10/22 Mag. That should do the trick.
Put a laser sight on the rifle. You’ll be faster to the shot, and you won’t have to bother shouldering the weapon. Trying to sight in a moving animal when the light is poor can cause you to lose track of the critter altogether. Just put the red dot on the coyote and squeeze...
I should add that the coyotes at my place wouldn’t get closer than 100 yards to me.
The guardian dog has not been much help on airborne predators. The Bard Owl problem only lasts a few weeks in May and those ewes who lose a lamb immediately breed back and pop out lambs in september/october. After the third coyote carcass left in the feedlot by the dog, we've never had a coyote problem since. No shots fired and no antifreeze.
“I had your problem trying to use a marlin .22 LR w hollow point-—not enough punch at that range.”
Bingo!
Maybe my problem is the load. The single-shot .410 is just too slow.
dung.
Well I didn’t say it was a perfect solution......:o)
I freepmailed the guy ....told him to scope his marlin and use stingers as that works here in the panhandle of Texas for my coyote solution within a hundred yards. type of bullet and shot placement is key to quiet solution !
If he could keep his pup kenneled up a few weeks the liquid solution is magical. I have also seen pieces of compressed sponges fried up in bacon grease scattered in and about coyote land that does the trick.........think corked up at one end ugly death.
Cheap route was suggested to snag a surplus 6,5x55 Swedish Mauser and a Scope and lay waste to the critters for less than a 150$ if your a careful shopper.
Stay safe !
Well if we have an unlimited budget I want a property fence made of det cord !........LOL !
Could use a scoped tarhunt bolt 12 gauge with a #4 buckshot shell deep cut at the wad.....travels like a slug, 1 inch group at 100 yards. Explodes like a frag grenade upon impact. nothing but fur and a tooth er two left........
<========<<<
The donkey answer was not a joke. They hate coyotes and will kick the snot out of them. Lots of farmers here in Tennessee have just one or two in with their animals... near me they are with cattle, horses, goats and sheep that I can think of off the top of my head. You won’t have to worry about chasing the coyotes around with your mag light if you have one.
My great gandfather had the same problem with raptors. He took care of the coyotes with a .270 or an Army surplus M-1. He would keep the lambs in the lambing barn as long as he could so as to reduce losses to raptors.
Hadn’t considered that. May not be a bad idea...
Got any suggestions?
dung.
Use the moose gun
The night shooting with a mag-lite kind of made me very afraid for just about everything except the coyotes.
That's true. They will hunt down and stomp coyotes to death. And the unfortunate thing is, you can shoot coyotes all day long and it won't help; they just breed more and faster when you cut their numbers back a little. Getting a couple of llamas is easier, they're on watch all the time when you can't be.
You do know there is suck a thing as a laser sight you can put of the barrel, Like this : http://cgi.ebay.com/LASER-SIGHT-Scope-2x-Switch-2x-Mount-SET-remote-knob_W0QQitemZ360003361577QQihZ023QQcategoryZ106974QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem. They have all kinds of them depends on your budget.
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