I am new here. From Ottawa, Canada but this seems to be a nice forum so I suscribed!
I need advice since I am new at predator hunting.
I am hesitating between a 223 caliber and a 204.
My brother insists on the 204 because it is small, fast and efficient.
Since I know a little more on deer hunting and stuff, I thought I'd ask you guys to give me some advice on what would be a good caliber for predator hunting.
if thats the only 2 yer interested in then the 223,more versitile,my choice was the 22-250, in my book just plain gooder than the 223,but then after 21 yrs in the army the 223 aint even close to being in my list.22-250 and 223 can be setup for longer range and just plain kicks asses.
__________________
to the brave and faithful man nothing is impossible
Can't offer much on the .223 due to never had one, but I have done a lot with my .204--fantastic for long range shots, unreal accurate , but very very fast. It can punch a small hole thru a coyote and not neccessarily drop it, where the bigger, slightly heavier and somewhat slower .223 may be the better choice. I watch the guys hunting them on the Sportsmans channel and two of the pros on the show are using .243's which would be even better. In my opinion, the .204 is at the bottom of aceptable calibers for coyotes and up--they are awesome on crows, groundhogs and most anything just a little smaller than a coyote, but wouldn't be my choice for a coyote caliber--go with the .223 or a little larger--I would think the .243 or .22-250 would be perfect------John
Ok so you guys seem to be leaning a little more toward a 22-250.
why is that?
What is the difference with the 223 in matter of caliber?
(I am just starting to learn of what are the differences when you speak about calibers.)
Thanks again for your replies. they are much appreciated.
__________________
Silence is Acceptance. "To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men." ~ Abraham Lincoln ~ Stand Up and Be Counted !
I own both a .223 and a .243 I use the .223 for varmint hunting only, and the .243 for both deer and varmint's.
The .223 has a larger bullet than .204, has more widely available sources of ammunition and a better knowledge base to draw on.
I'm fortunate that I can choose among .223, .22-250, and .243 when it's time to chase coyotes. On MOST days, it's a .223 that comes out of the safe. That's somewhat influenced by the rifle itself, though.
The .22-250 does have longer legs than the .223, but most of my shooting is under 250 yards, so it's really not a factor (unlike prairie dogs, where it is). The .243 bucks the wind quite a bit better, but the heavier bullets generally do considerably more damage to pelts.
An early mistake I made (with the .22-250) is thinking I might be able to use a heavy-barrelled rifle for coyotes. While a HB is perfect for prairie dogs, where you're shooting steadily and not moving much, it's a PITA walking from coyote stand to coyote stand. And, with a longer barrel, it's clumsy to turn on that coyote who crept in behind you. A coyote rifle needs to be somewhat more portable than the standard "varmint" rifle. As well, it doesn't need as much magnification as does a rifle you're using at 400 yards on 12-inch tall prairie dogs.
SO - I've found the CZ527 Varmint Laminated in .223 just about perfect for the way I hunt coyotes. Yes, still a heavy barrel, but the micro action is significantly lighter and shorter, which compensates. The load I've worked up with 50 gr V-Maxes prints ragged holes at 100 yards. It wears a Burris FFII at 4.5-14x.
After 24 years in the Army, I'm surprised I've become such a fan of the .223. Not that the others won't work, but if there's a niche the .223 fills completely, it's for coyotes.
223 and 22-250 shoot the same exact bullet...or at least you can use the same bullets for either gun..Now Im talking just the bullet for reloading purposes. I dont mean you can put a 223 round into a 22 250 or vs versa. If you are not reloading go to the local place where you plan to buy ammo and check the choices for 22 250.
The "ONLY" real draw back of a 22 250 to a 223 is the availability and cost of ammo.
22 250 pushes the same bullet as the 223 it just does it faster.
a .224 cal bullet works with
220 swift
222 rem
22 250
223
and a bunch of other comercial and wildcat rounds. The only real difference is the speeds each round is pushing the bullet. If you reload I would check out the 220 Swift if you buy factory check availibility of 22 250 and it its plentiful I would go with that round.
Go check out a ballistics tables of the rounds and you will see the differences in bullet drop. Its not huge per say but the Swift and 22 250 are worth getting since they shoot a good bit flatter then the 223.
243 is a great caliber choice but you may have a problem finding factory loads with the lighter bullets.
__________________
"What do you mean I ain't kind? Just not your kind."
Advice on riffle
