Coyote Hunting Handgun minimum caliber?

[dsk]

What is the minimum caliber for coyote hunting with a handgun? Is .22LR too light? Thanks for your help! Don

[major257]

The question I would ask you is how close are those coyotes going to be? A well placed bullet will kill from any gun but I would prefer something a little bigger, say a 38 special or 357 in a pistol cartridge or any number of center fire rifle cartridges out of a encore or contender. Thats my opinion.
Matt

[Lloyd Smale]

a rock in the head works for me!!

[Mikey]

Lloyd - fer goodness sakes, gimme a break.  I'm trying to teach my wife how to shoot to get her away from throwing rocks - she's already pretty darn good at that.....................Mikey.

[Is64.8]

I made the mistake of using a .22LR out of a 6.875" barrel Ruger MkII on a bobcat.  Aiming at its shoulder was also a factor [mistake], but I did not recover the animal even though I know I hit it.  It was 20-25 yards away at the shot.  I should have used the other gun I had with me at the time (.45 Colt).

I have killed more than one coyote using .22WMR out of Ruger single-sixes, but I do not enjoy tracking bobcats or coyotes.  Every coyote I have killed with the .22 Magnum has required tracking(searching) to find.

I would definitely use a .32 Magnum, a .357 Magnum, and even a 9mm instead of the .22LR, but that's just my opinion.  You'll probably be getting a lot of opinions on this topic, but I sure hope the "e" word doesn't show up in this thread.   

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont have any of he E word to waste on coyotes or wolves. Feel about the same way I do about snakes as i do about them.

[Is64.8]

I dont have any of he E word to waste on coyotes or wolves. Feel about the same way I do about snakes as i do about them.

Agreed.  I spend some time trying to call, hunt, and kill them. 

[dsk]

I have a T/C Contender with a 10" 22LR  Match barrel, which is easy to carry and a Super14 .223 barrel which is a bear to carry. I also do not wish to track a wounded animal. They are becoming a problem here in FL.

[S.B.]

Snakes, I can tolerate, coyotes I wish they were all dead. I use at least a .357 magnum on them. I like my model 27 with a 5" barrel. Now, bullet weight is another matter, use about a 125gr. The bigger the mess, the more I like it. Enviromentalists don't realize how much game is destroyed by these verrmin. They seem to kill for the sake of killing?

[Ken ONeill]

My minimum in revolvers would be a .357. In bottlenecks, a .223.

[Old Griz]

I know bunch of folks have taken them with .22s, but I like something bigger. The smallest I'd want to use is a .38/.357 in either a handgun or rifle. Weapon of choice would either be my .223, or 7.62x39, but we were talking handguns, so I'm leaving them back home. My favorite hunting handguns are a pair of .44 Bisleys. One is scoped, the other a gold bead/V-notch. Might be a tad overkill on a yote, but that's just what I like to shoot.

That said, however, if I were out in the woods and all I had with me was a .22, and a coyote presented itself with a nice, clean, and close, shot, I'd probably take it.

[terry]

 I have shot several with a 22 rimfire pistol as tend to carry one sometimes while working on the ranch. It will get it done but would not be my first choice for sure. A 9mm or up would be a better starting point. 

[HL]

A 22hornet or 218 Bee would make quick work of a coyote. I would just stay away from the rimfires.

[Is64.8]

dsk,

The other thing to consider is whether you hunt them at night and what the regulations are for that in your state.

Also, some places have restrictions on what can be used during certain hunting seasons.

Where I live, I would only be allowed to use .22LR, .17Mach2, and 17HMR rimfires OR shotgun with shot no larger than #6 at night. 

Still, when allowed, I'd suggest using something bigger and/or faster out of a handgun.

[corbanzo]

Giant stinky rats....  if I have a weapon, and I see a yote, you better believe I'm trying to kill him. 

[BlkHawk73]

 I think the .30 carbine Blackhawk would be great for this. Even better if you reload.

[dsk]

Thanks for the help!  Don

[Redhawk1]

My 22 Mag Single Six has taken quit a few Coyote's.

[corbanzo]

If I empty 10+1 .22lr out of my buckmark that is 352 grns of lead at 1400fps, not too shabby if you ask me.   

[sneekyhunter]

I use a glock 20 in 10 mm with a 6 inch barrel,i use a light fast 135 grain bullet,im too lazy to go downstairs and see what brand it is but they do awesome damage..

[jhalcott]

  Don ,are you teaching the wife to HUNT or shoot for self protection? Any thing is better than a rock for protection,only if it connects. A .22 is great to teach some one how to hit the target. So is an air gun,which can be used indoors on rainy days.I believe Fla. still has them. If the coyotes are coming around the home ,they are looking for food. Cats ,dogs or little people will do. A rapid repeat shot may be neccessary to chase them away. I would want some thing heavier then a .22 single shot to ward off a hungry coyote.

[blhof]

I use a 357 max Dan Wesson or 3030 contender, quick kills and I like the big bang as much as I hate coyotes.  It maybe overkill, but none have run after the hit.

[Is64.8]

My 22 Mag Single Six has taken quit a few Coyote's.

Mine have also taken bobcats and coyotes; and when I have some .32 H&R handloads (not quite max with 100 gr. XTP or Speer JHP), I also like that caliber in the small Ruger single sixes for such varmints.