Originally Posted by
Howler
if you reload, go with the .204 and 35 gr. bergers on top, and if ya don't reload stick with the .223.
I've shot just short of 100 coyotes this past winter and most of them with a .204 and the 35 gr. berger. It just flat works well.
With that said, I've shot almost 20 with my .17 rem. and it works pretty well to.
If ya start getting a lot of run offs, move the bullet further forward and find the shoulder. Bullet placement is key to plant'em where they stood.
A question and a comment here, no offense meant by either, just food for thought:
First:
Out of those 100 yotes this year with the 204R, what was your average range? Not doubting in the least, that's a heck of a winter, just think it's worth adding to the consideration when new hunters (less experienced with shot placement, or maybe less experienced shooters). Like I said before, out to 300yrds, the .204R is great for pelt preservation, and anchors them well, but for a hunter playing to 600, I favor more bullet weight. BUT, not everybody hunts that far, or alternatively, there are guys (maybe yourself) that can do more with the .204R at ranges that I'm not capable/comfortable with.
Second: The fact that you mention the .204R and the .17Rem in the same breath reminds me of a post on another site I use a few months back (year ago maybe, eh, I've slept a few nights since then). Many guys that use the .17Rem are generally guys that have hunt enough to have ruined more hides with a 22cal centerfire in a few seasons than most new hunters will ever even call into the gun. Many guys that pick the .204Ruger are guys that watched a few calling videos on youtube, read some stuff online, then went out and bought the hottest new thing. Comparing the hunting effectiveness of these two hunters isn't really fair, so it's not really fair to compare the cartridges in their hands either.
Similarly, if new guys that are pure green buy a .204R instead of a .223rem because of a hornady poster they saw, that doesn't mean their 204R will be as effective as your 204R (as a guy that obviously knows how to fight the fur). You know to move your shot forward and connect with the shoulder to anchor them because you might have seen a few dogs run off after connecting. Some of the new hunters that pass through might not even know where they connected, or might not connect with enough dogs in a season to figure out that a certain bullet placed a certain spot lets them run. A heavier bullet with a pumphouse hit will anchor a dog, even though it might require a bit extra stitching, so that's sort of my 'err on the side of caution' soapbox for new hunters.
For you golfers out there, muscle-back clubs might give a touring pro more power and feel than cavity back's, but at my level, I need my golf clubs as forgiving as I can get!