I have a Handi in 223 BBl and it shoots great. Everyone knows that past 300yds, a shooter is really pushing the capability for a 223 to take down a large predator. Sure enough, ground hogs, P-Dogs and smaller varmints don't stand a chance with the 223 pretty much out to 400yds and maybe beyond that.
I have been thinking for a long time about getting a larger caliber for the purpose of taking longer shots at Yotes. Then a friend of mine took me to his personal 500yd range.
He has made life size yote targets out of steel and placed them at different distances on the range from 100 all the out to 500 yds. There were two types of targets. A yote that is facing directly at you and a yote that is broadside to you.
We started off on a roof top on a very stable platform shooting with good rests. I was pretty good out to 400yds with the rests. I was hitting the vital areas of the targets with a 223, 243 and a 308. Used different scope powers from 4x to 16x. At 450/ 500yds is when I started having a little trouble. Not much but it was noticable.
OK, the gloves then came off. The shooting rests, benches, and all the range goodies went aside. Real huting conditions just went into effect. Sitting with back propped up partially by a roof angle, and shooting off of an unstable support. I was using my trusty Stoney Point bipod. 100yds- easy. 150yds-kill zones. 200yds-Suprisingly well. 250- Wind was definatly playing and that target is getting small. 300- I was abviuosly reaching my limitation. 350- more misses than hits. 400- Yeah right. 1 hit out of 5 average. Beyond that all hits were aided by much luck. I tried all of these ranges with my 223 then repeated with the 243 using everything from 4x-16x It didn't matter if I was using the 223 or the 243. It was obvious that I was reaching my limitation at around 250/300 yds. Do you know how small a broadside Yote really is at 300yds let alone 400 or 500yds? A frontal shot at a yote is even smaller. These targets were standing still. They were not moving. I cannot imagine trying to shoot at a yote past 100/150yds that is slow walking let alone trotting. It was a very sobering and humbling experience. And also a very good lesson. So good as a matter of fact that I had him make me one of those targets that I now practice on shooting at different distances out to 300yds.
The point that I am trying to make here is that in Yote hunting, that dog is almost always moving and usually stops only for very short periods of time. Not long enough for you to square up you scope with it at 400yds. at least not me. My 223 will take ANY predatory dog and varmint at 300 and under that lives in my neck of the woods and pretty much this country.
I am assuming that the 22-250 is nice until you call in a fox at 50yds. I have seen a 243 tear up some Yotes more times than not.
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