Shot placement

[daddywpb]

I'm just getting in to coyote hunting and have been reading everything I can find on the subject. What is the preferred shot for putting them down fast. I'll be using a .223 and am not concerned with pelt damage.

[trotterlg]

When you shoot one open him up and look inside.  You will find the heart is much lower down in the chest than you would think it would be, at least it surprised me, so a high to mid chest shot will most likely hit the lungs and some other stuff but miss the heart.  Even a lung shot with a .223 should do the trick however.  Larry

[onecoyote]

No disrespect intended.....But don't open up the coyote, you may be puking your guts up if you do. I'm not an expert, but I do have more then 5 decades of experience killing coyotes in competition and for fun.
"Take your best shot", coyotes are not always easy to kill, they are tough as nails. A good chest shot on a coyote usually puts em down.

[trotterlg]

onecoyote:  You urp if you cut one open?  How can you learn to kill something if you don't know how it is built?  Look inside and you will see where you should shoot, or you could just aim to hit something and hope for the best.  Larry

[daddywpb]

I have seen coyotes shot on TV hunting shows. They are almost always facing the camera or at least looking at the caller. Most of them simply crumple at the shot, so I was thinking that those were head shots, but when they show the animal, there is no blood on the head. I guess it was a shot low to the chest head on?

Trotterlg - thanks for the info about the heart being low in the chest. I will look into it further.

[onecoyote]

Larry,Your joking right? If not, do you do that to every coyote you shoot? How many poor coyotes have you shot? Why bother to open up a dead coyote to find it's heart?  Just look in a book.

[Glanceblamm]

Daddywpb
You can pretty much look at it like deer hunting. Just imagine a ball being in the center of the chest and try to shoot through it no matter what the angle. A classic broadside just behind the shoulder is a very good shot on them as well as a frontal chest hits…when I get into the angles I try to avoid the shoulders where the skin is more suseptable to ripping. I try to place the bullet say just in front of the right shoulder where it will exit just behind the left shoulder or visa versa.

We have the larger eastern types here an even at that, their central nervous system just cannot stand a hit from the .22 cal centerfire rifles. There are obvious exceptions such as long range but for the most part it will be just like the video you saw…instant lights out when shots are made within calling distances.

[onecoyote]

glanceblamm, I take my best shot at the time, what ever the coyote happens to give me. The one I like the best is right behind the shoulder.
Something I did years ago that helped me was shooting 5 shot groups fast at the range. I could do a minute an angle within 3 to 4 seconds a shot. That carries over to coyote hunting.
Coyotes don't hang around long and many times all you got is a few seconds. It worked so well for me other predator hunters started doing it at the range.

[Jerry Lester]

I prefer the same shot as I do on deer. I try hard for a shot through the facing shoulder into the vitals. In my experience, this shot, no matter what animal it's on, has been the most consistant "drop'em in their tracks" shot possible. If you break that facing shoulder, then tear up the vitals, about 80% of the time, the animal hits the ground, most times for good.

[varmitbob]

I agree with the deer shot philosophy.  Behind the shoulder quartering away is optimal.  I have found that the bullet selection is as important as shot placement.  I use a .223 and us the Horady V-Max Bullets.  They have a thin candy shell, and they lose their shape quickly and transfer that energy to the yote.  Since you do not care about the pelt they work quite nicely, and are forgiving if you do not get the perfect shot.

[Glanceblamm]

A lot of times it is exactly like ONECOYOTE said. They don’t hang around too long and you will have to take the best shot possible. They can be a pleasure to watch as they come in low & fast & will be zig-zaging from brush to brush that you wouldn’t think would even hide a rabbit. They can run on their belly’s very fast to zip across a small opening only to get back into cover like a small briar patch where they will disappear.
If they detect that something is amiss…they will change speed & direction without even thinking about it. I think that a slow coyote really can run 35mph and that’s on a bad day!

I have never considered putting a bipod on the rifle just for these reasons. You will need to be able to get an accurate shot off quickly and don’t want the rifle to be too cumbersome. I have seen some times where the shooting sticks may have come in handy but I tend to leave such equipment at home. Is far better to be proficient with your choice of weapon in the first place and onecoyotes tip is a great one.

[jamaldog87]

i kill one with my 22LR at 45yards with a head shot. i always shoot them in the head to save bullets.

[onecoyote]

Jamaldog87, that's why I always do Texas bull eye shots rather then head shots, saves on the BS.

[Jerry Lester]

Jamaldog87, that's why I always do Texas bull eye shots rather then head shots, saves on the BS.

 

[jamaldog87]

you can kill yote with 22LR at 45 yards or less with high speed ammo like CCI Velocitor. it even said on there site Up to large varmints like coyotes.  it just you have to pass up a lot of shots to get that one good one. also i use my 12ga sometime with buckshot and those are body shots.
 you an check for yourself : http://www.cci-ammunition.com/ballistics/rimfire.aspx