I've been tossing around the idea of buying a varmit rifle. I currently have a Ruger M77 Mark II .223. I haven't even taken it out after coyotes or the such but plan on real soon. My only dilemma is I want to also hunt bobcats and foxes but I feel the .223 will cause too much pelt damage. Is there a rifle that is easy on bobcat and fox pelts but will knock a coyote down if given the chance? Is a 17HMR too little for a yote?
In my opinion a 17 HMR is plenty for a coyote, and in my opinion the best all around varmint rifle, in part because it's a rimfire and ammo is very inexpensive versus .223 or 22-250. My next rifle will probably be a Remington SPS Varmint chambered in .17 Remington Fireball. It's right near 4,000ft/sec with a 20gr. projectile. The fireball shoots flat and fast with minimal damage to the pelt. It reaches out a lot further than the 17HMR which at one point or another will come in handy when you're varmint hunting. The kinetic energy the Fireball delivers over the HMR is also a huge positive.
.204 ruger maybe? I know guys who use .17 HMR on yotes but you have to hit them dead on or it's bye-bye.
Shoot FMJs or soft points out of your 223. If you don't hit a coyote good with a 17 HMR he will run off. A 204 is too fast of a round and will do too much damage. You may ruin a pelt or two but you will definitely kill more with a 223 unless you are a he'll of a shot.
I love my .17hmr, drops groundhogs in their tracks, that's the biggest thing I've shot with it though. I wouldn't be afraid to use it on a yote either. It's crazy how accurate this gun is, especially to be rimfire. Easy 1" groups at 100 I've killed game out to 200.
You will consistently lose yotes shot with a .17 HMR. Trust me, I've done it. The .223 is just about the best compromise for all 3. Just keep your shots out of the front shoulder and you will be fine. I shot my cat last year 3x times (don't ask ) and the only one that caused excessive pelt damage was the one that went through the shoulder blades.
Finch....I apologize if this is a mini-hijack....but do any of you guys have lights on your barrels? Do you employ a spotlight? Just wonderin'
22-250 here, it'll flat do some shooting. I hope Jeff and I are able to pursue some yotes in the not so distant future. I'd rather have a yote at the taxi's office than a deer, I've got the fever to put a big ol' yote mount in the man cave.
So, the general concensus is that a 17 HMR is "inadequate" for yotes. What about a head shot? Hypothectically speaking, would I be considered a prick if I said I didn't care if I maimed a yote? What about a 17 fireball? Enough for a yote? My .223 should be fine as long as I stick with FMJ's or soft points? I guess the Hornady Vmax's I shot the other day would do too much damage? :D I don't really care about a yote's pelt but I do want to do as little as possible to a fox or cat. I'd like to have one of each mounted. I only have until the end of next month to kill both. I guess I just wanted to spend some money and buy a new gun. BUT my .223 does need a better scope. Maybe I'll just upgrade it.
Jeff - I use a Streamlight TLR-1. I can get a solid 100-150 yards out of it. It costs a bit more than $100, will mount on any picatinny rail system, and is the same size/weight as about a D cell battery. I found for the places I hunt, it was the best setup, as I'm not usually shooting beyond 100 yards anyhow. Mine is mounted on the gas block of my rifle, and even with my scope on a full 9 power, it doesn't get in my field of view. When my front hand is in the regular shooting position on the hand guard.......my thumb easily can activate the wing style rocker switch on the back of the light for easy use, even with big gloves. I also got a Bushwacker brand name flashlight red filter that flips open like a scope cap. The Size 1 filter fits the TLR-1's bezel perfectly. I scan for eyes with the red lens cover, and then when I've got something close enough to shoot at I pop the cover open with my thumb, and let lead fly. With the filter applied, I can pick up eyes at 100ish yards, further on a dark night. When I can see eyes, it's usually close enough to shoot at if I pop the filter open. Most predators won't stick around when regular color light is put on them. They don't seem to react much at all when you put red light on them though. You can get gun mounted lights that are much more powerful than the TLR-1, but they are bulky, expensive, require a heavy battery that you have to carry (think lantern type of battery), and seem to have non stop issues based on what you read on hardcore predator hunting sights like www.predatormastersforums.com, and www.thenpha.com. Some of the other lights out there include the kill light 250, and sniper hawg lights. Primos also make a couple of different lights, but everyone I know that has one says they are junk. A bud got one of the Primos lights from ****'s Sporting Goods, and my Streamlight is about 1/10th the size and weight and is just as bright. Below is a pic of the TLR-1 on my calling rifle. On a side note, I never call with a bipod.......but you should get yourself a pair of good shooting sticks. They are much faster, lighter, and worth their weight in gold. I take mine and use them on every set.
The .17 fireball is a fantastic gun and very fur friendly. I've never owned one, but have shot a buddies. It will work great on cats, foxes, and yotes......it's just not going to be a 400 yard gun. The .221 Fireball is another great one, as is the .22 Hornet.......but that is starting to get light for a yote. I've got a Hornet myself, and killed my first dozen or so yotes with it. I had 3x runners in there though that I never recovered with it. I would not use FMJ's for anything. They are inconsistent with how they perform, sometimes they tumble when inside, and they don't kill anything quickly. You will end up with runners using these. The cat I killed last year was with 55gr VMax's.......like I said all but the shoulder blade shot left small entrance holes, exits the size of a dime, and jello inside.
I'd stay away from oddball cartridges 17 fireball or 221 fireball or 22 hornet. If the gun you get doesn't "like" the very few options that are out there you are screwed. I agree FMJs may not be the most accurate out there but they will drop a bobcat or fox with little damage. Coyotes will most likely run off. I have a Kimber Longmaster VT 22-250 because of the long shots we have here. I'm not to concerned about pelts if I kill a predator it helps my turkey, quail, rabbit, deer, hog etc..... population.
I wouldn't consider the fireball to be an "oddball" cartridge. It's not as popular as a 22-250 or a 223, but for what you are going to use it for it seems to the perfect choice.
Well, I didn't buy a new gun while at the gun show the other day. There was a Savage 17HMR that I kept going back to but I held off. I'm just gonna stick with the 223 and experiment with different types of ammo. Thanks for the recommendations.
Good choice. Your .223 will also do much better in the wind than the very light bullets of a .17, etc.
17 Hmr is a sweat caliber and does not hurt the ears like a 22-250 and shells are easy on the wallet. Love my thumb-hole savage
