Coyotes with my .22 mag

[je265]

Scored on my first coyote of the year the other day. Sportster .22 mag with 2-7x Nikon Prostaff shooting CCI 40 Gr Maxi-Mag HP. About a 40 yard shot and other than a couple of death spins he went nowhere. I meant to aim for the shoulder but ended up aiming behind the shoulder for a lung hit. I've found that if I can break their shoulder they usually don't go far but on deer I always aim behind the shoulder and in the heat of the moment I went with what I was used to. I know there is much debate about the effectiveness of rimfires on coyotes but I've had a pretty good run as long as I keep my shots within 50 yds.. Many of my hunting spots are in urban areas and I prefer rimfires due to the reduced noise.

[52bagman]

Good looking dead yote. Shot my first with a 22 Hornet, DRT with just the stiff leg stretch at the end.   
Keep shoot'n.

[cwlongshot]

Congratulations!!!

Don't listen to any of the hoey saying the Rimfires do not work! 

They are EXACTLY like any other caliber you choose for a task. They have there limitations and more constrained perimeters. BUT many times as in your case they are exactly what's needed and the Maggie and HMR have the power to meet the need.

We have killed probably close to a hundred in the past 20 years. The majority of those have been with sub calibers because like you we have a lot of homes around and people here a outs get nervous with gun shots. (Far too many news reports about shootings and drive by shootings in the city's) So when we can do it with a Maggie or LR or HMR we do and they are none the wiser. It's NOT a safety issue. It's simply appeasing the busy body's. I would rather simply avoid the altercation entirely.

A couple weeks back one of my friends shot a dog with one of my rifles in Maggie at 175 yards! The dog spun as usual and ran but only went a short distance and piled up!

My buddies kid using my old HMR shot a mangi dog with a rat tail down they the top of the back near short ribs and he yelped bumped up and lit out for about 50-60 yards. Then laid down and died .

Good job and keep hunting with your Maggie. Stay with in it's limitations and you will never want for more gun!

[je265]

Thanks for the advice CW. This is my first coyote with a 22 mag. I've gone 2 for 3 with my 17 HMR, I head shot the one that got away and I think the bullet skipped off it's head. I'm more comfortable with body shots anyway and will stick with it.

[MDC123]

Nice looking dog. 22WMR in the earhole will DRT them.

[je265]

Scored on my second coyote with my .22 mag. About a 50 yard shot and I aimed for the shoulder and after a few spins and he was done. I've discovered if I hit the shoulder they usually don't go far, when I've shot behind the shoulder they seem to run even though they are dead on their feet. CCI Maxi-Mag 40 grain jhp.

[cwlongshot]

GOOD JOB!!!!

[brayh92]

Good lookin yotes I've been out 3 times in the last week and only shot at one darn things aren't comin around my spots here lately

[ironglow]

Some nice looking dogs, je265;
          Now I feel more confident that my 22 mag can handle the job if necessary..even our big, eastern ones.  I nailed a fox DRT a couple seasons ago with a .17 HMR (17 gr Hornady V-max) at about 100 yards.  Side on just behind the front leg..not a step further..

[mechanic]

Our deer season ends today, the hunters will be out of the woods, and I can dog hunt in earnest.  The 17 HMR will get it's trial run the next few weeks. 
 
Ben

[hillbill]

just curious guys. what range do youall sight your 22 mags in for?if i sight my marlin in for dead on at 50 yrds it is 4 in low at 125?does that make sense?i thought it would shoot flat at that range.im new to the 22 mag as this is my first one.

[cwlongshot]

just curious guys. what range do youall sight your 22 mags in for?if i sight my marlin in for dead on at 50 yrds it is 4 in low at 125?does that make sense?i thought it would shoot flat at that range.im new to the 22 mag as this is my first one.

Speaking for my self, I use a couple site in distances based of use and bullets....

For coyotes, with the 22Magnum,100-125yards is my max range, many of my shots are inside 50. I like to place my bullets so I also zero at 50 yards. BUT I also shoot at 100 to see just where my site is. On my H&R std I am shooting Federal 50G HP's and my reticule works out perfect for dead on at 50 and top of bottom post zero's at 100.

With my Marlin shooting +V ammo I zero at 100 and end up with about 3/4"high at 50.

With my Versa pak, (16'') I shoot 34g Winchesters and 40g Fiocchi FMJ's, they hit about 1/2" high for the 34g and 1/2 Low for the FMJ's. For all my  proposes dead on at 50 yards.

With my hand guns, dead on at 25 yards.

CW

[PowPow]

just curious guys. what range do youall sight your 22 mags in for?if i sight my marlin in for dead on at 50 yrds it is 4 in low at 125?does that make sense?i thought it would shoot flat at that range.im new to the 22 mag as this is my first one.

same as you. using a fixed 4x.

[ironglow]

I like to go about +1" at 50 yds, that puts me about right on at 100 with 40 gr ammo.  I think if I go for coyotes I may carry those CCI gamepoints.  With woodchucks, they pass through apparently not mushrooming much,  but with anything bigger (such as coyote) they should be just about what the  Doc ordered.
  I bought some Fiocchi and they looked the same; I found out later that CCI makes the .22 mag ammo for Fiocchi.

[je265]

Hey guys. I also zero in at 50 yards and probably wouldn't shoot much past 75 yards with it. I almost bought a box of those gamepoints yesterday but I have about 400 rounds of the maxi-mags and so far they seem to do the job. I just got in from hunting and scored a double on coyotes but hunted with my rem 700 in .222 rem because the farm I hunted has some bigger fields. Even with the .222 rem I had one of the two go about 50 yards with a lung shot, the other one was dead right there. Both were shot at about 80 yds or so. I'll post a picture on the predator hunting forum. Good luck to everyone on their predator hunting, I'd rather hunt predators than just about anything else.

[PowPow]

...those CCI gamepoints...Fiocchi and they looked the same; I found out later that CCI makes the .22 mag ammo for Fiocchi.

Those CCI JSPs are my fave; good to know about the Fiocchi's. thanks.

[blaze]

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

[cwlongshot]

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

My 17 Hornet beats the pants off those ballistics.... and I CAN reload it!!  

CW

[mechanic]

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

My 17 Hornet beats the pants off those ballistics.... and I CAN reload it!!

CW

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

My 17 Hornet beats the pants off those ballistics.... and I CAN reload it!!

CW

In Georgia you couldn't hunt coyote with it.  No centerfire smaller than 22 cal. is legal for anything here.  If you are in the woods with a centerfire and it's not deer season, you could be charged with deer hunting out of season......small game is rimfire, and shotgun with 4 shot or smaller.
 
Stupid laws huh?
 
Ben

[cwlongshot]

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

My 17 Hornet beats the pants off those ballistics.... and I CAN reload it!!

CW

The new Winchester .17 Super Magnum Rimfire should be great for rimfire coyote shooting.  20gr. @ 3000 fps (400 fpe) or 25gr. @ 2600 fps (375 fpe).  Savage is to make the first rifles, but H&R shouldn't be far behind?  Great for non reloaders and more settled areas.

My 17 Hornet beats the pants off those ballistics.... and I CAN reload it!!

CW

In Georgia you couldn't hunt coyote with it.  No centerfire smaller than 22 cal. is legal for anything here.  If you are in the woods with a centerfire and it's not deer season, you could be charged with deer hunting out of season......small game is rimfire, and shotgun with 4 shot or smaller.
 
Stupid laws huh?
 
Ben

KINDA makes sense...  At least until to realize how many have fallen the 22Mag and how many more WILL fall to the HMR and the new 17Mag.  

[gcrank1]

Ive used a 75ish yd. -0- for 22 Mag to satisfaction. From what you say it might work for you.
The more triggertime you get the more natural it will seem, no matter what you are set for.

FWIW, I just checked my old Gun Digest #37, 1983; it has a good article regarding the 22Mag," One Magnum That Works" by a varmint hunter with quite some experience with it. He gives this 100yd' zero recommendation from his years of use and figures of then available CCI and Win. 40gr. @ 2000ish (still typical):
50yd. +.6
75yd. +.9
100yd. -0-
125yd. -2.0

[je265]

Thanks gcrank1,
I bought the gundigest you referenced off fleabay and just got it. A neat article for sure and some other good ones in there as well.

[catncarp]

GREAT, THANKS FOR SHARING

[ironglow]

Thanks gcrank, I'll use those figures..should be a great zero for almost anything I would shoot with a .,22 mag.