I'm in the process of buying a little place in north central Texas and it has plenty of hogs and coyotes on it. I haven't bought a rifle yet, but I've been planning on buying a 7mm Rem Mag for big game hunting in Montana and that seems like it would be a little much for coyotes and hogs on a regular basis or would it be? I've been looking at ammo and the .223 ammo is dirt cheap, but I'm not sure if that would be enough for hogs on a regular basis. Should I look more toward a .270 or something like that (I shot a .270 growing up) for a hog/coyote rifle that could also be a backup for deer? I guess I doubt I would be shooting more than 20 rounds in a weekend at coyotes and hogs so ammo shouldn't be that big of a factor in my decision? Any suggestions?
Thanks, Nathan
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Live on 51 acres in Lubbock county.
Own and hunt on 160 acres in Fisher county.
you can probably even get away with a 22-250 rifle. thats all you will need for coyotes and if you want to shoot hogs just shoot them in the head just under the ears. that will nock down just about all you hogs. if you decide with a 270 then you should be able to cover all american game with no problem. if you think that the 22-250 is not big enough then go with a 243 caliber. i have shot plenty wiht both calibers and never lost one. i need to knock on wood now. good luck with your decision.
I use a .223, but I handload, which may make a difference. I'm not sure many manufacturer's make loaded ammunition with the larger-game type bullets in them. Most are varmint bullets. Same goes for nearly any other .22 centerfire rifle. One advantage the .223 does have is that you can get rifles with a 1:9" twist, which will stabilize heavier bullets. I did have decent luck with the 52 gr. Match BTHP's from Black Hills on hogs, but a head shot is a must if the hog has much size. I also had pretty good luck with those bullets keeping the hides of my predators in tact.
I also use a .25-06, which is harder on hides, but works well on anything in Texas. It's not something you can really harvest bobcats or coons with and keep the hides, and it will ruin some coyote hides, but it is a little better suited for hogs and deer. I often carry two rifles in my truck when hunting, one for what I'm calling, and another just in case I run across something besides a predator.
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I see no reason why the 22-250 wouldn't work. I have shot several deer with mine, and they all dropped dead. It really comes down to shot placement. It is for sure a great varmit gun.
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Thanks for the replies so far. Originally I was thinking that it would be alot cheaper to get a smaller gun because the shells are so much cheaper. Like a .223 ($4 a box) or .243 or .270 ($12 a box) vs. 7mm Rem Mag ($17 a box) for the cheapest shells for each. It sounds like the .223 would be pushing it for hogs with factory loads though. I guess a $400 - $600 rifle and a $300 scope gets you close to $1k for a 2nd rifle and at $5 a box that would take 4,000 rounds to pay it off with the cheaper ammo using a .243 or a .270. Coyote hides are not ever fur quality in my area of Texas so how big the hole is shouldn't matter much. Using the 7mm would let me feel very confident in longer shoots and give me more practice with it also. The only other thought would be to go ahead and purchase a .270 now and hold off on the 7mm Mag until I actually go elk hunting, but I don't want to try to make due with the .270 for elk although I know some people do.
Eventually I will need to buy my son a rifle (he is 5 weeks old right now) so maybe that will be when we get a smaller bore to add to the arsenal.
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Live on 51 acres in Lubbock county.
Own and hunt on 160 acres in Fisher county.
Leaving for Texas on Monday the 29th for a week of hog, coyote, and bobcat hunting. I will be using a 22-250 and I have hand loaded a Barnes bullet for hogs. The Barnes is a solid copper bullet that penetrates and doesn't spatter on contact. Also going to try a 60gr partition bullet made by Nosler. Both bullet used on coyote or bobcat should be less damaging on the hides. Anyone used either of these bullet?
What caliber for varmits & hogs?
