What is the best gun for predator hunting?

If you don't want a MASSIVE exit wound, a lot of the loads recommended above would not be a good idea. Hornady makes a special "SX" 50 gr .22 softpoint, intended to not exit. I would suggest an AR-15, so you can take several shots at several yotes, or at one that is running. I might even consider using tracers, under certain conditions, but that might be illegal in some states, dunno. The AR-15 would give the option of shooting matches (BE or combat) as well as being a shtf or defensive, gun. With a $150 Ciener .22lr conversion unit, its a fine small game gun, and a great trainer for novices. For use in a prairie dog town, it is the primo choice, because many hundreds of shots won't heat it up enough to cause heat mirage enough to make you miss at 100 yds, as happens with all bolt actions. The 40 gr Federal hp is unlikely to exit, and is available as a loaded rd. So is a 45 gr load at Wally's, Winchester, IIRC? I use only 60 gr Nosler Partition Softpoints, but I don't care about the pelt. The partition gets deep penetration, for deer and men
 
My confusion lie here; you are hunting yotes in ma with an 800.00 .22 at night???

no. i was hunting coyotes with a scoped .223 rifle. But between sunset and the half hour you can still hunt with anything bigger than a .22lr i couldnt see anything. same in the morning, half hour before sunrise i couldnt see anything.

so now i use an SKS.

i dont even bother going out at night. iron sights or scope, i cant see shit. except when its snowing. i like to jsut call them in and watch them walk around. I wont shoot them with a .22lr. too small.
 
noboy has said anything about the 220 swift..it is an old round and held the record for over 4000fps for quite come time
 
Be careful hunting at night. The rules say "a. During the period from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, (nighttime hours) rifles are restricted to those chambered not larger than .22 long rifle.".
The key words are "Chambered not large than .22 long rifle". 17hmr, 17 rem, 22 mag etc are CHAMBERED larger that .22lr.
 
Be careful hunting at night. The rules say "a. During the period from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, (nighttime hours) rifles are restricted to those chambered not larger than .22 long rifle.".
The key words are "Chambered not large than .22 long rifle". 17hmr, 17 rem, 22 mag etc are CHAMBERED larger that .22lr.

i beg to differ with this.... .17cal is a smaller diameter then .22. and the .17mach2 is nothing more then a necked down ,22LR. the .17hmr might hold more powder but it is still a smaller caliber then the .22..

IMO more ppl should challenge using the 17 rim fire at night. maybe the laws will be rewritten
 
I challenged a couple of dep cops at my local gun shop and as they stated, "the diameter is smaller but the chamber is longer". They are the ones you answer to in the woods.
 
MassWildlife has stated that if the chamber is, in any dimension, larger than that for the .22LR, you cannot use it.

That leaves 22LR and 17HM2 for rifles at night.
 
Be careful hunting at night. The rules say "a. During the period from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, (nighttime hours) rifles are restricted to those chambered not larger than .22 long rifle.".
The key words are "Chambered not large than .22 long rifle". 17hmr, 17 rem, 22 mag etc are CHAMBERED larger that .22lr.

i beg to differ with this.... .17cal is a smaller diameter then .22. and the .17mach2 is nothing more then a necked down ,22LR. the .17hmr might hold more powder but it is still a smaller caliber then the .22..

IMO more ppl should challenge using the 17 rim fire at night. maybe the laws will be rewritten

I challenged a couple of dep cops at my local gun shop and as they stated, "the diameter is smaller but the chamber is longer". They are the ones you answer to in the woods.

MassWildlife has stated that if the chamber is, in any dimension, larger than that for the .22LR, you cannot use it.

That leaves 22LR and 17HM2 for rifles at night.

Unless you can put together language for a bill to change that. I suggest you do just that, and persuade one of the new state representatives to sponsor the bill as their own. Then, go out and help them find co-sponsors and act to get the bill passed. I would suggest something to include all rimfire, all centerfire up to .223 in size. This would include the .204 Ruger, .17 Remington, .17 Fireball, .22 Hornet, and a host of other calibers. I will help you if you want. Let us know how it goes, and report back here what the bill number is so we can assist.
 
I've shot yotes with .22 (hyper velocity) rounds and they die. Not necessarily quick, but they do die. My experience with the 17HM2 would stear me away from that round. Expensive and that little 17gr pill has limited penitration capability on bone (read: skull). IMHO, you'd need to be right on them for a humane shot. It's a shame they don't allow .22 mags and 17 HMR's.
For a day gun, it's hard to beat a lightweight .223. Common, cheap to feed, accurate and potent enough to give a yote the "stay " command out to 200+ yds. It's also an easy round to reload down to .22 lr and .22 mag performance when you need to be quiet.
 
getting them to change that would be hard, but if you want to do it, i hope you succeed.

maybe you can get them to let us use artificial lighting for night hunting. We can already use them for raccoons, but not coyote. That way we can even use night vision. most night vision scopes have an IR light attached to them to see better. that's artificial lighting.
 
... maybe you can get them to let us use artificial lighting for night hunting. We can already use them for raccoons, but not coyote. That way we can even use night vision. most night vision scopes have an IR light attached to them to see better. that's artificial lighting.

This sounds like YOUR ISSUE. Why don't YOU take it upon YOURSELF to fix this legislation? If everyone picks one piece which is important to them, and those with matching areas of legislation band together, this could really take off and happen. It is up to YOU and each and every INDIVIDUAL out there to do their part.
 
Asking a question like this would be like someone asking which race car would be the best one to drive to win the Daytona 500.
The answer would be the one that is the lightest and the fastest.

Anything from a .17 HRM to a .243 would work great for what you want to do.
The solution is to spend as little money as possible, to get the biggest bang for the buck.
A rifle such as a pre 64 Winchester Featherweight Model 70 in .220 Swift would be a poor choice, because the ammo is so expensive and the barrel life is very low.
The same holds true with a .22 Hornet - because the ammo is so expensive.
 
in part of mass. that i live in, we're not going to get many shoots outside of 100yds. i shoot a 22mag, it's quite, strong enough to do the job and easy to carry. i picked up a marlin 25m a while ago for 125.00. the thing is a tack driver out to 100+yds.
 
...Anything from a .17 HRM to a .243 would work great for what you want to do. ....

Wrong. The .17 HMR is too little for consistent humane harvesting of coyote. The .243 is going to rip holes through them.


in part of mass. that i live in, we're not going to get many shoots outside of 100yds. i shoot a 22mag, it's quite, strong enough to do the job and easy to carry. i picked up a marlin 25m a while ago for 125.00. the thing is a tack driver out to 100+yds.

Not bad, but still, rimfire are not appropriate for coyote size animals.


... a poor choice, because the ammo is so expensive and the barrel life is very low.
The same holds true with a .22 Hornet - because the ammo is so expensive.[/QUOTE

.22 Hornet is quite inexpensive when you reload. It takes pretty minimal powder.
 
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