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17 hmr

COB-TY

Retired to the happy hunting grounds above.
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Ohio
Although they shoot hard and fast it might be a little lite for Yotes.
 

Beentown

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Yep, I believe it is TOO light. The lightest I go is 22-250 or .223

Most of the time it is 308win just because I "know" its ballistics without looking or thinking really. Shoot what you got but if you don't have a .17 and are going to buy it especially for yotes I would take a step up in caliber. Right now Vances has the Marlin Varmint X7 with scope for $369.99 Great value in a rifle...

Beentown
 

Beentown

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A .308 is a pussycat especially with a varmint barrel. A rifle doesn't kick near as much as a shotgun until you get into magnum calibers.
 

hickslawns

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I have a 17hmr. I love that gun. It stays with me in the truck. If I saw one in the field I would take a crack at one with it simply because it would be available. HOWEVER, when I go hunting coyotes I either carry a 223, 22-250, or 243. 17hmr shoots pretty flat out to 100yds and is a tack driver unless windy in which case it will drift. 17hmr could be effective if you got a head shot or hit them just right. Most of the time when hunting yotes, they are on the move and a head shot is not a realistic target. I would not recommend it for coyotes.
 

RedCloud

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17HMR is to light IMO. I would stick with .22-250, .223, .204, and .308 if it was me. I use a .223 for my yote gun. I also use a 68gr. Hornady V-max tipped bullet. Good out to at least 200 yards (never hit a range that was longer ) with the potential of about 400 yards and still have plenty of knockdown. The kick on my .223 is fairly minimal IMO and the gun is lightweight at around 8# or so. I would love to get one with a bull barrel on it for better long range. My next yote gun will be an AR chambered in .308
 

DJK Frank 16

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Hardin County
Agreed with the above, .17HMR is a little too light for yotes. Perfect groundhog gun though! But if you are going to coyote hunt, I will agree that a step up in caliber is needed.
 
saddlepants,
I highly recommend the .22-250 or .243, for a low recoil and hard hitting caliber.

I had too many "runners" with a .223, but I should've reloaded some heavier bullets for it. Something in a 55gr. Hornady V-Max would've been ideal. Instead, I sold it and stepped up into a .25-06. :smiley_blink: This rifle will carve a canoe out of 'em! IMO it's light on the recoil...not as much as your 20 gauge with 3" shells. Rifle recoil is quicker and sharper than a shotgun. Whereas, a shotgun tends to be a quick "push"...until you get over the 1 1/4 oz. loads.

I've owned a 17HMR and they're extemely accurate, but are at the bottom of the pile for killing power, where coyotes are concerned. :smiley_arrogant: Coyotes are very tough customers...never under estimate their ability to adsorb lead and keep moving.

I shot this one 4 times and he still ran over 50 yards and made it into the woods, before dropping dead. If you notice, his guts were blown out and his left rear leg is busted. Tough customer!



Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
i had a savage 22-250 , at 305 yards i was putting all my shots into the bottom of a pop can and that was with the crappy scope that came with it , they have very little recoil maybe twice as much as a 22 magnum, very accurate and plenty of knock down power at 300 to even take down a deer , with good optics it would be a hell of a gun , but i would get one with a the accu trigger
 
Jesse said:
I'll echo the group. I'm building a .223 or .270 right soon with coyotes being the primary reason why...
Jesse,
I would suggest leaning toward the .270 or simular caliber, for the knock down power. Shot placement is everything, but having a little more power is always a good thing.

I know when pros are hired to eliminate coyotes, they use larger calibers, so as to anchor the coyote if a follow-up shot is needed. Pryor to purchasing my .25-06 I had considered .308, .30-06 and 300 Weatherby. However, it's flatter than a road killed squirrel around here, so background is a concern. :smiley_arrogant:

Bowhunter57
 

RedCloud

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Jesse,
I would suggest leaning toward the .270 or simular caliber, for the knock down power. Shot placement is everything, but having a little more power is always a good thing.

I know when pros are hired to eliminate coyotes, they use larger calibers, so as to anchor the coyote if a follow-up shot is needed. Pryor to purchasing my .25-06 I had considered .308, .30-06 and 300 Weatherby. However, it's flatter than a road killed squirrel around here, so background is a concern. :smiley_arrogant:

Bowhunter57

That was my biggest issue and the only reason I went with the .223 pushing a 68 - 69gr. Vmax bullet. The .223 pretty much blows up on first solid contact and turns into pcs. that won't travel like my .303 brit did. My .223 might not be as flat a shooter as the 22-250 but I can go with a little hevier bullet with better knockdown.
 

Beentown

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.223 Is plenty and quite economical. The best thing you can do is practice and .223 makes that possible. $8 a box compared to $16 and up for 22/250.
 

Huckleberry Finn

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Buddy of mine bought a Remington 700 in .223 this summer, 4 x 12 scope and a bull barrel. With 100 rounds of ammo it was out the door for under $600 bucks. Sweet shooting gun with unlimited potential.
 

RedCloud

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North Central Ohio
Paid almost $300 for my Stevens model 200 .223 and then another $190 for a scope. You could go with a less $$$ scope and be under the $400 mark. Mine is a bolt action so follow-up shots aren't as easy as a semiauto but I think bolt actions are a little more accurate.