HuntingNet.com Forums - air rifle vs. coyote

Quote:

Originally Posted by yote_slayer (Post 2653542)

so i got this new air rifle. its made to kill groundhogs and stuff like that with a good body shot...... do you think it could kill a coyote at close range with those special max penetration and max velocity pellets??? with a head shot maybE? :eek:

yote_slayer, I believe it is possible; however, I do not know the gun you are referencing. There are .22 air rifles that would not have any issue in penetrating the skull of a coyote. I own an Evanix AR6 and I believe this is one of those rifles. There are several others which I could name.

In testing, I can put a 32.4 grain pellet clean through a 2x6 at 50 yards. At 75 yards the pellet will almost go through the 2x6, but lacks about 1/8 of an inch. Given this fact, I would say at 50 yards it is possible. However, this is with the presupposition that one will not have an adrenaline rushing, no wind, and the situation is the same as on the firing range.

Another aspect to consider is to not be caught up on the marketing hype on the packaging. The Evanix states the AR6 it is capable of 1250 f.p.s. but this is with PBA ammo and going downhill with a tailwind! :) At 50 yards, I consistently have 1/2" six shot groups with the 32.4 grain pellets, yet they are traveling at about 950 f.p.s.

I also own a RWS 350 Magnum which claims 1000 fps, but the chrony shows approx. 850fps.

A .22 centerfire or rimfire (depending on ammo) would most certainly accomplish the goal of a head shot; however, again that is in a perfect situation.

In my humble limited opinion, I would suggest a larger caliber perhaps starting at 9mm air rifle and go up from there. For the money, a SamYang 909S, as mentioned in this posting, would be an excellent choice.