Picking Off Pesky Predators
Picking Off Pesky Predators
Talk to any of your hunting friends and ask them about their rifles. More specifically, ask them which one is best. This will likely inspire a debate that could last for hours, especially if beers are involved. Big game hunters should have little issue deciding what they prefer.
On the other hand, coyote hunters will debate at great length about the best gun for taking out the sneaky varmint. In reality any cartridge that can kill an animal will kill a coyote, so there really isn't a “right” gun for a coyote hunt. However, what is important when selecting coyote hunting equipment is the reason behind the hunt. Those who have tried it generally don't recommend coyote as a viable source of food. Apparently coyote meat tastes rather awful and is used for bear bait at best, so there's no reason to be concerned with damaging valuable meat.
Some hunters seek out coyote hunting for the challenge of tricking the critter. Others hunt coyote for bounty or as a service to a land owner while others hunt them to protect their land themselves. These are the main reasons for hunting coyote and they all boil down to one goal.... dead dogs.
If protecting pets and livestock is your driving purpose behind hunting coyote, then any gun you have around for deer hunting or anything of the sort will be sufficient. Coyotes are notoriously hard to kill so for means of protection there really isn't a bullet too big. A .308 or a 7mm-08 will be more than enough to drop a dog in its tracks without too much guesswork. Such a large bullet won't require an extremely well placed shot to make an effective kill and you can be comfortable with your ability to repel the predators.
Now, if you're one to engage in a coyote hunt as a favor for someone else or as a hobby, you might want a more specialized gun. A .25-06 is considered a good choice amongst many coyote hunters for its accuracy and range. However some consider this to be too much gun for the game. Most coyote hunters that think this are those who have a secondary interest in hunting coyote. That would be the coyote's pelt.
This is the only other reason one would hunt coyotes other than simply killing them. Coyotes were traditionally sought as a fur bearer for trapping and trading. Today coyote pelts are still sold to fur traders for use in coats and other clothing. Coyote hunters seeking dogs for pelts prefer a smaller cartridge capable of making a kill, possibly at range, without damaging too much of the pelt.
The ammo most preferred for coyote hunters seeking pelts is either the .223 or the .22-250. Both of these cartridges use the same .224 diameter bullet with the main difference being the power behind it. Either round is found to be the optimal coyote hunting cartridge for both killing and preserving pelts.
Regardless of whether your quest for coyotes is for pelts or just dead dogs http://www.coyotehuntingstore.com has the right gun for the job. Pursuing coyotehuntingstore.com will lead you to discover not just the guns and ammo, but all of the gear you need for any coyote hunting from pelt collecting to pet protection.