Poll: which rimfire for coyote?

Which of these would you choose for coyote hunting?


  • Total voters
    44
  • Poll closed .
22mag vote here. I’m actually looking at a Ruger American bolt action in 22mag as a cheap quieter backyard coyote rifle. I have a 223 I built for this. But that’s way too loud with no hearing protection while I’m standing at the back door in my skivvies at sunrise.


Ps. Taken a couple with 22lr too. Haven’t used 17.
 
Any of the three should do the job, if you do, even a 22 short. But I think of the three choices listed, 22 mag is the obvious choice.
Yotes are vermin, and should be shot with whatever you have with you at the time. As long as you can do so safely.
 
Obvious how? I'd think the .17 has more energy delivery, which is what you want. No?
More hitting power in a .22 Mag, I think. More speed in a 17 does not compensate for a lighter bullet. Typical .22 Mag is 40 grain, IIRC.

22LR vs 22WMR vs 17HMR Trajectory
  • 22LR, 40 grain bullet zeroed at 50:
    • 50 yards: 0 with 101 ft-lbs
    • 100 yards: -6.1″ with 86 ft-lbs
    • 150 yards: -21.1″ with 75 ft-lbs
  • 22WMR, 30 grain bullet zeroed at 50:
    • 50 yards: 0″ with 201 ft-lbs
    • 100 yards: -1.3″ with 159 ft-lbs
    • 150 yards: -7.0″ with 131 ft-lbs
  • 17HMR, 17 grain bullet zeroed at 50:
    • 50 yards: 0 with 182 ft-lbs
    • 100 yards: -0.3″ with 134 ft-lbs
    • 150 yards: -3.1″ with 97 ft-lbs
 
Which would you choose, if you had to, for shooting a coyote, with the ammunition available today? Which ammunition would you use?

What are you planning on doing with the coyote after you shoot it? If you are planning on keeping the pelt you don’t want to blow a big hole(s) in it.

None of the above. For a humane kill, 5.56/.223 or bigger. Jack.

We are ridiculously restricted in regards to what we can use here.

Bob
 
.22 Magnum is available in 50 grain projectiles and that's a lot better than a light .17 caliber bullet or slow moving .22 LR.

For stuff like Coyote, that's where .30 Carbine, .327, and .357 and even 9mm start to shine as they're more effective and the ammo isn't outrageous in price.
 
None of the three will drop a dog where it stands unless the shot is PERFECT. All three will kill the dog, though, just not immediately. I'm not looking for pelts or pictures, I just want the coyote dead, so I'll shoot it with whatever I happen to have with me when I see it. I know it'll die within a day or two. No, it's not particularly ethical, but my neighbor lost their Pug last year to a coyote, so I don't much care.
That being said, 22 mag.
 
I wouldn’t use rimfire for yotes. The ones I’ve seen around are huge.
Yes!!!! I agree, I use a .223 WSSM with 64 grain Winchester Power Points on top of Varget. I used to use a .222 but gave that gun a rest when I was doing way to much tracking after a hit. The .223 WSSM is bang flop.
 
If that’s the biggest caliber you’re better off using a shotgun. Not sure if you have yote hunted before but they tend not to stay still so a 22 might be tough to get in the right spot.
 
Why the slim choices?
Two of your choices aren’t legal for yotes at night and if your gonna hunt them during the day then use a centerfire rifle round.
 
With out laws and regulations in play
22mag just for the energy retention.
Coyotes have very small vitals. So it comes down to "can you hit" what your shooting at.
My 22mag was not very accurate. 17...i had one briefly. Ammo was just to hard to get back then.
So for the lack of accuracy , energy is a good back up.
 
Why the slim choices?
Two of your choices aren’t legal for yotes at night and if your gonna hunt them during the day then use a centerfire rifle round.

Noise. It would be in a legal area, but pretty close to neighborhoods, so need to be cognizant/respectful of that. If I had wide swaths of open land with nobody around, I'd choose a .17 Hornet or maybe .223 in a pinch. If I had unlimited funds, I'd get a .20 Practical and reload my own loads. Too bad suppressors are not allowed in Massachusetts.
 
Noise. It would be in a legal area, but pretty close to neighborhoods, so need to be cognizant/respectful of that. If I had wide swaths of open land with nobody around, I'd choose a .17 Hornet or maybe .223 in a pinch. If I had unlimited funds, I'd get a .20 Practical and reload my own loads. Too bad suppressors are not allowed in Massachusetts.

Arrows are quiet if they are an option.

Bob
 
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