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06-26-2006 | 09:20 PM

#22

mightyoakwildlife

Joined: Jun 2006

Posts: 11

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From: Catskill Mountains, Upstate, New York

RE: Coyote hunting with a .22LR?

I useWinchester 40 grainlead solids, standard velocity "T-22" target ammo (XT22LR), as they leave very little pelt damage. After having shot SEVERAL HUNDRED coyotes with this round, usually from my S & W Model 17 revolver, with four inch barrel, I can honestly swear that EXACTLY seven have required more than one shot, and none of the others traveled more than four feet from where they were when I shot them. Oh, did I forget to mention that all the "one-shot kills" were in foothold traps,head-shot, at a range of less than three feet? Seven is the number of 'yotes I have had pull free as I arrived, in my 34 years of coyote trapping. By the way, I ended up killing & recovering only two of those seven! I've taken a couple coyotes with high velocity ammo in .22 LR, but I would NEVER advise anyone to try it, if at all possible. Until just a few years ago, the Dept. of Conservation here in New York required rimfire calibers (when using a rifle)for hunting over a light for varmints & predators. I used a .22 WMR for years, and learned the hard way that even the mighty 22 mag is on the wrong side of marginal. As for the .17 HMR, my partner/brother repeatedly tried toconvince me to bring mine outfor predators. He hasn't had the nerve to try it on coyotes yet, but I have finished three of his wounded foxes with my 12 gauge, and he has made guarenteed track stars of seven others (total 9 failures to stop). The .17 has droppedfive others, as if hit by Thor's hammer! If a bone got hit, the fox done split! PLEASE stay away from the little rimfires![:'(]

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