Coyote hunting w/rimfire

[hillbilly243]

I recently found that I can night hunt for coyote, but can only use a rimfire rifle. I'm not that familiar with rimfires, so I'm asking for opinions.
With a well placed shot, are there any rimfires that will get the job done?

The last thing I would want is for the animal to run away and die a slow death.

[Questor]

I wouldn't assume that I could reliably make a well placed shot on a moving target at night.  So I'd use the shotgun.  Also, a 22 magnum seems a little light for coyotes under the best of circumstances.

[SBF]

IMO the only rimfire I would use would be a 22 Magnum using a high quality bullet, something like the Federal Premiums.  I would personally only take a shot if my target wasn't moving and keeping the ranges as short as possible, nothing over 100 yards for sure.
As for shot placement, having never shot a coyote with a rimfire I could only venture that you would want to go for a shot right behind the front shoulder hoping to take out the heart/lungs.

Good luck!

[S.S.]

All depends on the range and the shot placement!
Don't use the Hyper velocity rounds, they do not penetrate
deeply enough (Nasty surface wounds though).
The 22LR will do the deed on a  Coyote pretty handily out to about
60 yards with a standard velocity hollow point through the lungs.
The Aguila 60 Grain SSS will normally penetrate through & through
on a broadside out to about 75 yards or so (sometimes it will be found
just under the hide on the reverse side).
I would suggest a .22 mag 40 Grain J.S.P. and still keep your shots under 100 yards or so on body shots!

[ghostZ]

I don't understand...I have never shot a coyote but with all of the smallish game I shoot I go for head shots.  Do you go for body shots to reduce the pelt/hide damage?

[thecowboyace]

I don't understand...I have never shot a coyote but with all of the smallish game I shoot I go for head shots.  Do you go for body shots to reduce the pelt/hide damage?

I would not go for a head shot at night for the reason that depth perception is not as good as it is in the daytime for quite a few folks, aw, maybe just us old far???.  If you use the heart/lung shot, it is doubtful if it will go all the way thru.  It would first have to enter the chest cavity without hitting a rib, then on the inside it will twist around some, usually and then have to exit without hitting a rib.  Most of the time you will hit the rib going in.  If you are not real close and using the hyper velocity 22's it is not likely on going out on the other side.  Or at least that is my supposition.

[DDO]

I don't know about shooting coyotes at night, but I have killed a few with my 22. In the summers of '63 & '64 I worked on my Uncle's ranch haying. I was earning $10 a day for "can see" to can't see" days. There was a bounty of $5 or $10 (can't remember which) on coyotes. I kill 7 the first summer with my 22. All one shot at less than 75 yds. Next year killed 10 with 22 and 2 with Model 100 .308 (bought it with money I earned the year before). The ones I shot with 22 were just as dead as ones shot with 308. Of course the offside of the ones shot with those 150gr Silver Tips were quite torn up!!!!

Dewight