Furbearer caliber?

[huntnut]

I'm go strickly after furbears this year, no deer hunting and very little waterfowl hunting. I'm mostly going to trap them but I will be hunting them to. I'm looking for a fur freindly gun. I have my 243 H&R for coyotes for windy days and long shootingand with the right bullet works great for not tearing them up, but I'm looking for something for in close coyote, fox, bobcat, coon. I'm thinking the 204 is going to be to hot and to much fur damage for the thinned skinn animals , they dont make a 17rem , the 17hmr a little small for the coyote, bobcat and maybe the fox but would work on the coons. so that leaves 22 hornet or 223. I"m going to  use my 10ga pardner turkey with buckshot too.

[PartsMan]

22 hornet or 22mag

[LaOtto222]

There are two lines of thought to save fur. One is to use full metal jackets and make a small hole going in and a small hole out. Of course you need to hit them right in the vitals or they will travel a looong ways before dropping over. The other thought is to use a bullet that will penitrate a little ways and blow up so it does not come out the other side. The 223 is probably by far the most popular cartridge for Y E Coyote. You just have to be careful what bullet you choose and the distance you shoot them at. If you choose the 22 Hornet (I think they are dropping this chambering) you will have to make your bullet section carefully too.  

[coyotejoe]

I'm thinking .22 mag. (.22 WMR).  I have a Savage M-24 (old one, I wouldn't touch their newer junk) in .22 WMR over 20 gauge. I consider it to be the ideal predator calling gun. With the rifle I can take standing game out to 100 yards and on moving targets a 3" magnum load of #4s will do nicely out to 40 yards. I'd not use buckshot, even in your 10 gauge there are just not enough pellets to make clean kills at 50 yards, #2 lead shot is a much better choice. In the .22 Mag I'd use the CCI 30 grain TNT for no exit furbearers. The problem with FMJs is that you'll loose a lot of animals even with well placed shots and if your bullet hits a large bone even the FMJs will make a huge exit.

[Rolly]

I'd not use buckshot, even in your 10 gauge there are just not enough pellets to make clean kills at 50 yards, #2 lead shot is a much better choice. In the .22 Mag I'd use the CCI 30 grain TNT for no exit furbearers. The problem with FMJs is that you'll loose a lot of animals even with well placed shots and if your bullet hits a large bone even the FMJs will make a huge exit.

I'd have to disagree on the buckshot thing. I have taken many yotes with the same gun, 10 gauge Turkey, with a red dot scope and #4 Buck does great (54 pellets) at 50yds. I prefer a 2 1/4 oz. load of copper plated BB, but the buck works fine. I've taken them up to 60yds. Beyond that, you don't need a shotgun and pattern your gun to see what it likes first.

For the full metal jackets, I have to disagree too. They will make a big hole if they hit bone, but with head shots that equals dead varmint, and I've sold fur for 12 years and never once had a buyer comment on missing fur from the head area. They don't use it anyhow, but this is only my opinion. I prefer a good softpoint to the FMJ, and on fox, woodchuck, and coon I use the 33 gr. Vmax from Rem. Do a good job. On yotes, use bigger. JMHO

[torpedoman]

the 17 hmr will work good out to 100 maybe 125 yds for yotes the accuracy of the round lends to good placement.small entry and no exit lots of internal damage.

[wanderer]

What about a 357? With the right bullet (in other words no hollow point) it is easy on fur plus it is a really fun and versatile caliber. Anything from rabbits to close range deer can be done with the 357, provided that the ammo selection is correct. Plus, it would kill coyotes like the hammer of Thor out to 125 yards.

[trotterlg]

Fir bullets need to be one of the 17 CF's, even a 204 is too big, big bullet = big hole, counting on a pass through with a FMJ or a 38, to not do damage isn't real world.  It has to go real fast and then breakup fast, a Coyote isn't 10 inches thick, only 22 that is close is a Hornet with their thin jacketed bullets.  17 Remington or the 17 FB or one of the 17 Hornets is the real answer that has been proven for years now.  You may be able to re-invent the wheel but most likely your results will be less than satisfactory in the long run.  Get one of the 17 RF barrels and make a 17 CF from it, a 17 K Hornet would be nice.  I have a 17 FB Handi and I think it is a little light with 20gr bullets for Coyotes, I have a 17 Remington Savage for that.  Plus the ballistics of a fast 17 are great, both of my .17 are a half inch high at 100 yards to be dead on at 200 yards, so there isn't really any requirement to hold over or under out to any real practical calling distance.  Larry

[broknaero]

The .204 and .223 is too much for all you listed except coyotes. The .17 rem I've blown up too many fox with but great for coyotes as well. .17 Fireball is about the best compromise the is. .17 Hornet is perfect for Fox,coon,and cats. If I was you I would load TSX bullets for the .243 you have for coyotes. Would work for fur. Don't know if you reload or not, I imagine they have factory loads for .243 loaded with TSX. Just please don't use FMJ bullets.  You will wound more than you can recover.  The TSX will work for coyotes and deer with the .243. That leaves you with the .22 Hornet for fox, coon, and cats if you want a factory loading. The Hornet will work on coyotes if called in close. Within 150 Yards. Stay off the larger bones like the shoulder and you'll be fine.  Do not use the V-max out of the Hornet for coyotes.

I don't know what area of the country you hunt in, but if you call you can expect close fast action. Where I am I mostly call grey fox in thick tight cover. Shots are usually within 50 yards. That makes a 12Ga #2 shot the best choice for fox and use the smaller buck shot on coyotes, and the Hornet second choice. If I'm night calling for fox the 12Ga is #1. If I'm night calling for whatever (fox, coyotes, coons) then the Hornet is #1. 10ga is great for fox and coyotes. Don't use a shotgun on coons if your keeping the fur. Fox and coyotes are sold fur out where coon is skin out. All those pellet holes in the coon will fetch a lower price. Don't know if your looking to sell fur or what. If your looking to sell then specialized rifles and tactics are needed.  Like a .17FB or .17 hornet for when your targeting Fox, and cats.  .17Rem for coyotes.  And a .17HMR or .22 mag for coons.
5mm Rim fire is a good compromise too, don't know how destructive the new ammo is for it though.

  Many of us have tried and failed to find 1 all round fur rifle for predators. Fact of the matter It doesn't exist. There's so many variables. I have learned that you just have to pick the predator you are most likely to encounter and go with the right rifle for that. Theres a big difference between a 55Lb. coyote and a 12 Lb Fox.

[Sourdough]

Well there is the .17 Rem Fire Ball.  But I shoot the .223 Speer TNT.  Does good, turns everything inside to jelly.  Does not exit.

[coyotejoe]

I'd not use buckshot, even in your 10 gauge there are just not enough pellets to make clean kills at 50 yards, #2 lead shot is a much better choice. In the .22 Mag I'd use the CCI 30 grain TNT for no exit furbearers. The problem with FMJs is that you'll loose a lot of animals even with well placed shots and if your bullet hits a large bone even the FMJs will make a huge exit.

I'd have to disagree on the buckshot thing. I have taken many yotes with the same gun, 10 gauge Turkey, with a red dot scope and #4 Buck does great (54 pellets) at 50yds. I prefer a 2 1/4 oz. load of copper plated BB, but the buck works fine. I've taken them up to 60yds. Beyond that, you don't need a shotgun and pattern your gun to see what it likes first.

And how many did you wound and lose? A single pellet of #4 buck weighs only 20 grains, or about 2/3 as much as a .22 short. They leave the muzzle at about the same speed as a .22 short and will arrive at fifty yards going considerably slower than a .22 short. Placing two or three .22 shorts at random on the body of a coyote is a pretty inhumane and uncertain way to take anything.

For the full metal jackets, I have to disagree too. They will make a big hole if they hit bone, but with head shots that equals dead varmint, and I've sold fur for 12 years and never once had a buyer comment on missing fur from the head area. They don't use it anyhow, but this is only my opinion. I prefer a good softpoint to the FMJ, and on fox, woodchuck, and coon I use the 33 gr. Vmax from Rem. Do a good job. On yotes, use bigger. JMHO

Well yeah, if you take head shots a .375 H&H will do, or a .22 short.

[Rolly]

Well yeah, if you take head shots a .375 H&H will do, or a .22 short.

I'd use either in a heartbeat!  I just prefer a 10gauge with BB's and a 223 or 22mag for the rest. We've shot bobcat with a 300 weatherby, center mass hit, and he got stuffed and is sitting on a mantel. Good sewing and the right mount, he looks BEAUTIFUL baby....

To each their own, I didn't say you were wrong, I look at it a little different than some. Many think 10 gauge is too much. I've never lost a yote with the Tenner. I'll tell ya why, I guess I know when to use a shotgun and when to use a rifle. I've had as many as 18 hits on a yote at 50yds. Quick follow up shot will anchor ANY yote. I guess when you shoot 54 (.240 DIAMETER) pellets, the coyote knows only one thing---dead, even if only 1/3 of the pellets hit it.....

[STUMPJMPR]

My dad has killed deer at 75 yds with his 10ga shooting #4 buck

[petemi]

I like my 20ga, 3 inch, full choke #4s and my .22-250 with both 40 and 55 gr. V-Max.  They will handle anything I encounter.  Even those tall 100 lb. coyotes.  They are coyotes, aren't they???

[Rolly]

petemi,  I used that exact combo for years and had great success with both. Just switched over a couple years back and enjoy the same success.

stumpjmpr, I've heard many of the same stories. I wouldn't personally try it, but have heard it done. Mostly guys who run hounds on deer in swamps and such.

[petemi]

petemi,  I used that exact combo for years and had great success with both. Just switched over a couple years back and enjoy the same success.

stumpjmpr, I've heard many of the same stories. I wouldn't personally try it, but have heard it done. Mostly guys who run hounds on deer in swamps and such.

Years ago, in Florida, we were hound hunting deer, and a buddy of mine shot at a running deer at 75 yards distant with #2 buck.  I would not have taken the shot.  The deer piled up in a heap, and when we got over there, we couldn't find a mark on it.  When we skinned it we found that one pellet had severed the spine.