I carry a Leica rangefinder in the truck with me all year round. Just for fun we use it to train ourselves in estimating distances. I only took it with me on hunting trips once or twice, found it was just another piece of equipment I had to keep track of. Use a rangefinder for training and you will get sufficient range estimation skills to handle coyotes within the .223's range.

Hitting a moving coyote (you asked "how much in front ..." ) is another story. Lots of practice needed - I presume just like in shotgunning there are different styles: a sustained lead, catch up on the coyote and pull forward, shooting at a spot you think the coyote will arrive at. Follow through is important. I shoot a single shot so I don't bother practicing this. I have friends with bolt actions who usually are as disciplined with their shooting as I am, until they spot a coyote running in an open field. Then they unload, but because they don't practice such shooting they almost always miss totally.