Coyote guns. So many possibilitys

[McTrigger]

Recently I ordered a CZ 550 kevlar varmint chambered in 22-250 and have now been informed that the paperwork was wrong and it is held up in the in the Chek Republic and i wont be seeing it till Febuary. its not to late to cancle my order and i really need a new coyote rig as my sako 222 lacks the power needed for those mid to long range shots. so heres the questions has any one out there handled any coopers but perfeably the cooper phoenix model 22 in a 22-250 or the kimber 84m varmint pro? also the sako 85 varmint seems to be a nice looking gun aswell. plans are shooting somthing chambered in 22-250 or 243. and price range is below 2000$ any help would be great as the dog season is upon us.

[elkhunter11]

I have owned six Coopers,and have another on order which just happens to be a Phoenix model 54 Repeater in 260.The Phoenix is a great gun,but I have resisted purchasing a model 22, because I prefer a repeater for a coyote rifle.I considered the 22-250 and the 243win,but I settled on the 260rem,because it offers bullets with very high BCs that can be fired in the standard twist offered on factory rifles,and because the 260 offers longer barrel life than either a 22-250, or a 243win.As a bonus,the 260 is an excellent pronghorn/deer cartridge as well.The only negative,is that the Model 54 is new,so unless you have one imported from the USA, you will likely be waiting until spring,as I will be.If a single shot works for you, the model 22 is a very accurate, well made rifle.Until then,I will use my CZ527 Kevlar in 223 for all of my coyote hunting.

[pickrel pat]

i have a passion for the 220 swift, knock down power is a little light at range, but gettin there so fast makes me tingle all over!!

[McTrigger]

I was wrong about the single shot im after a repeater. my mistake

[elkhunter11]

I was wrong about the single shot im after a repeater. my mistake

The Cooper model 54 repeater varmint models are available now,but only in wood or laminate versions.The Phoenix will likely not be available for a few months yet.

[McTrigger]

That is a major bummer. now i assume you must mean cannot be found in canada for a few months is it possible to pull one out of the states?

[McTrigger]

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[McTrigger]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The Cooper model 54 repeater varmint models are available now,but only in wood or laminate versions.The Phoenix will likely not be available for a few months yet.

what do you know about the kevlar jackson or excailiber?

[elkhunter11]

That is a major bummer. now i assume you must mean cannot be found in canada for a few months is it possible to pull one out of the states?

There are no Phoenix repeaters built yet,the stock molds are just being finished.There are Laminate Varmint repeaters available in the USA.

what do you know about the kevlar jackson or excailiber?

Once again,there are no synthetic model 54s built yet,because there are no synthetic stocks available yet.There are plenty of model 52 long action Jackson Hunters and Excaliburs available.The 25-06 and 25-06AI would be your best model 52 options for a coyote gun.

My go to big game rifle is a Jackson hunter in 280AI,of which I have two,and I also own two more Jackson Hunters in 22lr and 17Mach2.

[Stinky Coyote]

yeah, i vote 25-06 also for longer range dog gun and bonus it would make great prairie buddy for bigger game too, buddy just picked up an excalibur i believe (the lighter straight stock one in 280 ai)...what a beautiful rifle and was shooting hot first day out on first try loads with 140 bergers, those coopers are sweet, i'd have a hard time overlooking a sako 85 though, more rounds in the mag with the sako and can't have enough rounds in the mag when its coyote time imo, that would be a tough call both awesome choices....good luck lol

[elkhunter11]

i'd have a hard time overlooking a sako 85 though, more rounds in the mag with the sako and can't have enough rounds in the mag when its coyote time imo, that would be a tough call both awesome choices....good luck lol

I did own a Sako Varmint Laminate Stainless in 223 for a bit.It shot well,but with the bullets seated to just off the lands where the accuracy was best,the loaded rounds wouldn't fit the magazine.With the bullets seated to fit the magazine,the only bullet that shot well was the 50gr v-max.I ended up selling the Sako and buying a CZ527.The CZ magazine easily accommodates the heavier bullets,up to the 69gr matchking when seated to the lands, and the accuracy with the 55gr ballistic tip is exceptional.

I would have purchased a Cooper 223 in the first place,but they don't make a 223 repeater yet.

[gitrdun]

I'm a looser. My yote gun is a .223 Stevens 200 with minor modifications.

[Artist]

.257 Weatherby! The Coyotes will hate you. 100gr GSC HP @ 3940fps makes for a deadly coyote rifle. In the winter, there's no need to mess around with a call; just find a comfortable spot, bundle up warm, have a coffee at your side, and wait for that tiny little black moving dot in the distance! The rest is self-explanitory!

[McTrigger]

Originally Posted by Artist

.257 Weatherby! The Coyotes will hate you.

That unit must slow u down a bit packing it around.. heck of a shot tho.

[elkhunter11]

.257 Weatherby! The Coyotes will hate you.

And I would hate to have to carry that gun very far.

100gr GSC HP @ 3940fps makes for a deadly coyote rifle.

And deadly on barrels as well.

[Artist]

Originally Posted by McTrigger

That unit must slow u down a bit packing it around.. heck of a shot tho.

You're absolutely right! The unit is a bit on the heavy side. The upside though is that you don't have to pack it much if you have a good spot to bed down and wait. Anything within 600-700 yards is already within good reach. The extra bulk of the rifle also make recoil minimal enough to enable you to watch the impact.

It's not for everyone though, I'll agree to that.

[Artist]

And deadly on barrels as well.[/QUOTE]

Yea, well, you can't have everything. Speed indeed comes at a cost, but for the number of shots I actually put down the barrel each year, I figure it's an enjoyable trade-off. Kinda the same reality that having alot of horse-power is probably going to burn your tires off a bit quicker, but that's why they make more tires, and that's why they make more barrels! If you drive the .257 Weatherby carefully and never heat the barrel up, it actually probably lasts just as well as some of its cousins (Such as the .220 swift).

[gitrdun]

Sure, but how much fun is a gun that you can't shoot a lot? wouldn't be a great ticket item at a BR or Silhouette shoot, nor a rifle rodeo for that matter.

[Artist]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

Sure, but how much fun is a gun that you can't shoot a lot? wouldn't be a great ticket item at a BR or Silhouette shoot, nor a rifle rodeo for that matter.

Actually, for me, it's a lot of fun precicely because I don't shoot a lot! Quantity is not everything for everybody. Frankly, BR, Silhouette shooting and rifle rodeos don't interest me a whole lot, nor is this particular setup meant for those purposes. I maybe take 4-5 coyotes a year and for that purpose, the rig is perfect.

Like I said though, it's not for everyone, and for those days where I want to go hammer off 100-200 rounds, there are plenty other calibers to choose from.

For what the .257 is meant for, it "gits'erdone" just fine.

[Lonnie]

if your looking for tempary yote gun 6.5x55 . You use to beable to get a sporterized version for about $250. lots of bullet wieghts to consider 85gr.to165gr. 100gr.bullet 4x12x 40 scope and a bypod it makes for decent varmit gun. mine has 29inch barroll and is to heavey to be carrying alot that is why the bypod as I use it usualy with in a 100yards of the truck .

[elkhunter11]

Actually, for me, it's a lot of fun precicely because I don't shoot a lot!

Perhaps it's just me, but I won't take 500+ yard shots at living animals unless I shoot a lot with the rifle/load.

[Pathfinder76]

I've had coyote rigs in 223, 22-250, 243, and 260 Remington weighing from 6lbs to over 12 lbs scoped. A 7lb -8lb rifle is about perfect and the 260 Remington is just about the perfect choice. Where it me it would be a Model 700 donor with a Gaillard barrel matching the remington sporter contour in a McMillan stock.

[Pathfinder76]

Here is a bit of reading on the 243. I found George Garners comments interesting.

http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.html

[harv3589]

I have a .223 and I think I am going to stick with it and just get the barrel swapped out to a 1 in 8 twist and AI it to shoot the 75gr A-max's. I think it will be rifle then that will last me along time. My only complaint about the .243 is the shorter barrel life, other than that it would be my pick.

But if I were rich I would have both

[DUKE-1]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

I'm a looser. My yote gun is a .223 Stevens 200 with minor modifications.

bet it shoots great, take a look at your Stevens big brother the Edge.



$299.00 rifle,factory ammo,, Bushnell scope, under an inch group from prone in the snow. does a coyote really care if you spent $2000.00 or $200.00 save your cash . .243 savage edge .

[wolf308]

ive used my rem sps varmint 700 in 204 for 2 years now and have hit 40ish coyotes with it. sight it in for 250 yards like me and you wont regret it, holdover/under is minimal with a little practise youll know it and for 500 yards i think youll need some elavation then. plus its quiet so u dont spook em bad if you miss or theres more than one. hitting moving coyotes is like using a laser. ive hit them from 25-400 yards with mine most being around 150-200 yards. the only downside is wind.but in the mornings and eveings that dies off at least in central alberta generally. so far its also my most accurate handload. 4 shot group that measured .098" . its a great calibre and done well for me.

[smith88]

What about a .240 weatherby mag?

[Artist]

Originally Posted by smith88

What about a .240 weatherby mag?

Now THAT would make for an excellent coyote rig, although as with most overbore calibers, it would likely be "tagged" as a barrel-burner. Aside from that however, it would definitlely be one I would consider!

[smith88]

Originally Posted by Artist

Now THAT would make for an excellent coyote rig, although as with most overbore calibers, it would likely be "tagged" as a barrel-burner. Aside from that however, it would definitlely be one I would consider!

What makes certain calibers "barrel burners"?

[Artist]

Originally Posted by smith88

What makes certain calibers "barrel burners"?

There are probably a few ways to explain it (some of you Gunsmith types can pitch in here; this may be a bit oversimplified), but, basically, a barrel burner is a caliber that runs a larger than normal amount of powder through a small bore. The .220 Swift, for example, is a very large amount of powder being torched through a small .224 bore. A 223 would be much easier on the bore because of the much smaller amount of powder in each case.

Having said all that, experience has taught me that continuously firing when the barrel is already hot, does far more damage [barrel burning] than anything else. "Barrel burner" rifles are speedy, but if overheated and shot without care and attention to temperature readings, certainly don't last very long. For this reason alone, if you're the type of shooter that likes to go out and hammer off a couple of boxes of rounds in a short period of time, a .257WBY or a .240WBY is probably a poor choice [in addition to the fact that both ammunition and reloading components are expensive for them. $$$ also becomes an issue!

Another obvious factor is how "hot" you're reloading your rounds. I guess you could tame down any caliber to shoot cooler, but IMHO, you're then somewhat defeating the purpose of starting with a "speedy" caliber to begin with!

Just my 2 cents!