22 mag fore coyote

[gunoil]

going to hunt coyote. will the mag get the job done??? some people says it will. and some says it will not... cannot use a centerfire to hunt coyote in tn thanks  looking at one of the marlin bolt actions .. thanks worm  

[Catfish]

The .22 mag. will kill coyote, but not relialiby. You would be far better served to use a .12 ga. with no. 4 bucks. The shotgun will kill them realiably farther than a .22 mag., even if it`s just a 2 3/4 in gun.

[Gregory]

I've been debating this in my own mind, I have a conservation area nearby and restricted to shotgun, muzzleloader, or rimfire for predator hunting while on that property.
 
I hit one with a 22Mag last year and never recovered him.  I'm trying to decide if I want to use a shotgun with buckshot or one of my open sighted muzzleloaders this year.
 
I'd really like to use my 32 cal ML loaded with 70-100 gr conicals at 1500 fps.
It's a nice lightweight rig.

[Lawdog]

The .22 mag. will kill coyote, but not relialiby.

This about sums it up.  I have taken a few Coyotes with a .22 WMR, a Ruger M10/22 magnum, but they all required multiple shots.  Now before someone jumps in saying all you have to do is shoot them in the head, head shots on Coyotes isnÂ’t always possible.  Seen too many wounded due to the Coyote moving his head at the last moment.  Recovering wounded Coyotes is chancy at best.  If you HAVE to use a .22 WMR then be prepared to shoot 2, 3 or more times.  Lawdog
 

[varmit_master]

Hi if you hunt a Arkansas WMA you have to use a 22 rimfire or a shotgun with shot no bigger than T size. I have used the 22 mag had good luck with it. You have to keep the shots to a 80 yds or less. I like the Win 40gr JHP for hunting. And hunting here in the woods on the WMA the shots are going to be about right. VM

[Jerry Lester]

The 22 magnum is not enough for coyotes. Yes, with a perfect head shot it'll drop'em in their tracks, and a perfect heart/lung shot will kill'em, but in most cases you'll have a long very hard tracking job, with the majority being lost.

I'd say go with the shotgun. I've dropped coyotes dead in their tracks up to 40 yards with my fox shotgun which is a lowly 870 Express Magnum 20 guage loaded up with Federal 3" magnum #2 shot(full choke). If my 20 guage can do that good, then a 12 guage loaded with 3" magnum #2 shot or bigger should give you at least a few more yards of dependable killing range.

I'm likely in the minority here, but I wouldn't trust #4 buck, or any other buck shot for coyotes. Unless you can reliably put several of those pellets in his chest area at a given range, a coyote can take a hard hit, and still run like he hasn't been touched. I know the heavier pellets carry more energy, but with a shotgun, it's a gamble as to where exactly in the coyote that energy will be delivered.

I'm a firm believer in the awsome knockdown power of a shotgun, but I believe you get the best effect by hitting the vitals, the head/neck, and preferably hurt the running gear some to boot. If you put 10-20 pellets of #2 shot in those areas, a coyote pretty much just flops over right there in my experience. You'll end up with more holes in the hide, but they'll be a lot smaller than buckshot holes. 20 guage 3" magnum #2 shot usually ends up stopping against the hid on the off side of a coyote at 30-40 yards in case you're wondering.

[mag shooter]

First I'll say that I have never went out hunting coyotes. While hunting other game ,I have shot at 5 coyotes and killed 5 with the 22 mag. Boiler-room shots, none dropped on the spot, 20-80 yards. In my case ,on two of them , had I not shot for lungs I don't know if I would have recovered them. Thick fur does not leave a great blood trail, however all of them left a decent blood trail from the lung spray via nose and mouth.  

If you limit  yourself to lung shots and use a proper bullet , I think it is up to the task, at least out to 75 yards or so.

[mag-check]

If Im not hunting open country the 22 magnum is all I use and Ive killed a bunch of coyotes! Keep the shots under 100yds. with a good accurate 22 magnum and it works great. Mag-Check

[sixgunluv]

"head shot it'll drop'em in their tracks, and a perfect heart/lung shot will kill'em, but in most cases you'll have a long very hard tracking job, with the majority being lost".

      Hmm, where did you plan on shooting them?  This one was a neck shot @ 15yds. with the 22mag. and Win Supreme 34gr. hollow point.

[kyote]

I have shot more coyotes then I care to remember with the .22mag.when winchester came out with the winchester supreme .22mag I read about it and thought it was a good round.I had a brno .22mag semi auto with iron sights.then I bought a voltsquartsen semi auto in .22 mag and put a leupold on board.As I can recall all coyotes hit with both rifles (at under 100 yards) were one shot kills.and dropped em like the hammer of Thor.best I can figure is that fast moving little round does penetrate well, not exiting,and dumping all it's energy in mr.Coyote.now granted if they are hit in the rump or some place that will not even be fatal later.well you will track untill you give up.
At under 50 yards.I think it is a better coyote killer then the .22 cal ceneter fire in .223 using the plastic tipped bullets.
But I normally carry two guns when gittin after them filthy coyotes,A H&K630 in .223 stoked with pretty hot loads below the barnes trple shock 53gr bullets and my H&K super 90 stoked with 3"mag #4buck shot or 3"BBs...Happy coyote callin....

[HOGBUSTER1]

Hey GUNOIL
Who told you that you couldn't use a centerfire weapon to hunt coyote in TN? :?  You might want to re-read the TN hunting regulation's agin! I just went from cover  to cover of the 2005/2006 regs and couldn't find anything forbiding the use of a centerfire weapon while hunting yotes. The only thing I found was shot size while useing a shotgun can't be larger than #BBB.
Let me know if you find something different!

[HOGBUSTER1]

Hey GUNOIL
Who told you that you couldn't use a centerfire weapon to hunt coyote in TN? :?  You might want to re-read the TN hunting regulation's agin! I just went from cover  to cover of the 2005/2006 regs and couldn't find anything forbiding the use of a centerfire weapon while hunting yotes. The only thing I found was shot size while useing a shotgun can't be larger than #BBB.
Let me know if you find something different!

[statelinerut]

Same here on the regulations of centerfires in TN for yotes. There is no regulation against the use of centerfire for yotes in TN. I hunt with a .243 for yotes and plan on getting a .223 in the future. I dont know where or what you read about the regulation, but its wrong. My game warden will verify that. There is also no limit on yotes in TN. The only regualtion on yotes in TN is the times of hunting them. That being the 30 minutes before and after legal shooting light.

[onecoyote]

Gunoil, guess that answers your question. Now you can go get the right caliber for coyote hunting.

That little old 22 mag can kill a coyote, deer, elk, bear, Mt lion etc, but that don't make it the right caliber to use.

[JD338]

22 Mag is marginal for coyotes. You would be better off with a centerfire 22 or a shotgun.

JD338

[kyote]

ahhhh ha..found one on .22 mags..hope this helps.

[jamaldog87]

the 22mag is like the 357mag for deer. they both have people that say yes and no for them. i know of people that have use .22cal airguns, 22LR, and 410 shotguns on them. the .22mag will kill them but at 30-50 yards with head shots.

[victorcharlie]

Have a look at the 2006 TN hunting regs:  http://www.state.tn.us/twra/06huntguide.pdf

specifically page 7 Illegal Hunting Equipment and Methods. 

Item 4.

Rifles or Handguns loaded with centerfire ammunition are prohibited for all hunting between 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sun rise.

So......it's illegal to hunt coyotes at night with centerfires...........in Tennessee......

but legal to hunt coyotes at night provided there is no night vision, electronic calls or center fire rifles or handguns......

So, I assume, or at least I see no law preventing mouth blown calls and rimfire, shotgun or muzzle loaders to hunt coyotes at night.....did I miss something?

[jamaldog87]

well here in FL you can i think use guns at night. most of the yotes here are killed in the day.