RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

lol, glad someone understands... i know i don't NEED a new rifle but i WANT one and I want to get one that is going to be better than what i got because so far since moving here i am 0-4 on the coyotes and I want to increase my average. lol

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

That .243 you have would be just fine at those ranges. Maybe try some other ammomaybe it just doesn't like what your putting though it. If you have access to handloads that would be the way to go. Also you might think of cleaning it real good with good solvents and a brush to remove cooper and powder fouling. Chances are your rifle is just fine 7 years isn't that old for a rifle unless you do some serious shooting. I dont know what kind of scope you have on it but a quaility high magnificationscope will help greatly at those ranges. Maybe just change out the scope,good cleaning and try some different ammo.

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

The .240 WB mag will definately reach out there. If you are concerned about pelt damage it wouldn't be a good choice. That one is going to leave a hole. May not be the most recoil friendly either. It's liable to buck a little.

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

The 204 ruger will do the job, but if there is a 20+ wind blowing it will effect your shot placement. I live on the high plains of NM where the wind never stops blowing, and I have made several shots on animals 250+ yards this year and dropped them in their tracks with mine. I have been shooting factory loaded Hornaday 40gr V-Max. On less windy days my die hard 223 fan buddy and I shoot at paper out to around 500 or so yards just to play, and let me tell you, this cartridge has made me a believer.

And no the 17 won't get it done at those ranges. The 17 HMR would get the job done close range, and I think it or the mach 2 should be the leading choice among trappers, but it doesn't have the velocity, or energy to be a long range dog killer. However, there is a new round on the market called the 17 rem fireball that looks interesting, but it’s ballistics don't really compare to the 204 ruger or 22-250.

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

In factory loadings, a 55 grain Nosler ballistic tip from a .243 is ballistically superior to any .204, .22-250, or .220 Swift loading. Thisincludes wind drift and bullet drop. Higher diameter bullets have higher ballistic coefficients, up to a point. With this in mind, if you really wanted a long range coyote gun a .338 Lapua would be hard to beat. However, a .243 or 25-06 is more capable than most people can shoot them. If I were you I'd take your .243 to a gunsmith for some bedding and a trigger job, find a load it likes, and practice. What kind of rifle is it, anyway? Also, where are you currently living? If you live in good elk/deer/pronghorn country and just want a new rifle, find a nice 7mm/300 Mag and shoot an aerodynamic bullet through that. It would serve you well for larger species, along with being a pretty good long range gun on the dogs.

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

I'd stick with your .243. If not buy a 25-06and start reloading.

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

ruger mark 2.243 i shoot 55 grain bullets that winchester makes balistic silver tips at 50 yds. i am 2" high and at 200 i am still 2" high the gun shoots amazing i haven't got to take out yet BUT if i were you i would get a BDC scope by nikon it helps a ton me n my cousin were messin around n he asked if i could hit a huge oak tree at about 700 YDS i pu the last circle on it n i hit that tree i couldn't BELIEVE it not were i wanted to but i nvr sited in for that range!!!!! i think that would be an awesome setup JMO

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

I live in ILLINOIS where the terrain in my area is also flat.There are alot of coyotes but most are skittish also,from the dog runners and the truck shooters.My advice is to learn the terrain and how to call prpoperly and most any centerfire rifle or shotgun will do.I have hunted 3 days of the last seven and called in 4 coyotes,killed 3 at distances from 25 to 150 yards.So do your homework and learn to call if you truly love the sport.DONT HUNT FROM A PCKUP its just not the same

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

I think my rifle is a Remington 1700... maybe 700??? Anyway I have been shooting Winchester SuperX 100grain rounds through it and just today I went out and bought some Hornady 100 grains because they claim that they are dead on at 200 yards vs. Winchesters 100yds. I was re-sighting the gun in today at about 350 yards and I got it down to being able to hit the paper on the target but it still needs a lot of fine tuning. I have a 3-12x50 rangefinding scope with lighted reticles and it seemsto work quite well and has a decent zoom on it. I live in Midwestern Minnesota in the Lake Agassis flat plains. It is litterally beet fields as far as the eye can see. You can actually clearly see towns that about 20 miles away and there are only trees around the very few houses in the area. This makes seeing the coyotes really easy and shooting them very difficult. The biggest problem is the roads are all exactly a mile apart so when they sit in the middle of the fields they are at a half mile and the second they see a vehicle they high tail it the other way. And they NEVER go near a road unless they know you wont have a chance of catching up to them...

RE: LONG range coyote gun
 

I just picked up a Savage model 11 in 243 and I think with what i'm gonna load for it I bet I can make it a shooter at 3 and 4 hundred yards