I have the Marlin 917V, $200 at Walmart. For an extra $50 you can get the laminated thumbhole stock. I put a Mueller APV 4.5-14X40AO scope on it and I can hit a dime at 100 yards with mine. I haven't used mine on anything larger than a squirrel and it's deadly on them, if they don't fall down dead it's because you missed it. It's not uncommon to just find bloody flaps of skin where the head used to be, and a shot to the chest usually removes the heart, lungs and the opposite front leg. This might seem like a little overkill but you'll find yourself taking longer and longer shots just to see if you can do it. You'll never hit a squirrel at 150 yards with a .22lr. My brother in law tells me that where he's at in Alabama, the guys who chase hogs with dogs are using the .17hmr to kill the hogs. They claim that it makes a tiny entrance hole through the skull, then explodes like a hand grenade inside the head. I'm sure that it will be fine for coyotes if you only take head shots.