.204 or .22-250 for coyotes

All you new guys who are just getting into coyote hunting, put your posts in this area. Lots of good information that would be helpful before putting up a post asking for the "how to" manual on calling.
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Tim Anderson
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Tim Anderson »

[quoteWell I think the .204 is out, so .22-250 or .243, which one would be more fur friendly. If I go custom rifle how about a .22-250 improved with 52 gr bullets as far as fur friendly? Thanks in advance.][/quote]

So why is the 204 out??? It will kill coyotes just as dead as the 22-250 and with less fur damage... With most any cartridge a guy needs to learn how to shoot first to be successfull with them.. I don't have one cause I like what my little 17 Pred. can do, but I do know a hunter that uses one for contest hunts in S.D. He won the V.H. calling contest a few years back and other contests and his go to rifle is the 204.. He was in a contest two weeks ago and took first again and also shot his first quad , he brought in 9 coyotes for the win..

The big craze in the last couple of years is shoot big heavey bullets. Sure they are'nt affected as much by the wind compared to some of the lighter bullets, but if you push a med weight bullet as fast as you can its not going to be affected as much by the wind either.. I'll take a med. weight bullet going 3900 fps over one of the big heavies going 3200-3300 any day..
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barebackjack
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by barebackjack »

Tim Anderson wrote: I'll take a med. weight bullet going 3900 fps over one of the big heavies going 3200-3300 any day..
But what about those light bullets the .204 shoots fast? :wink: :mrgreen:

Whats your definition of "medium"? To me, for coyotes, 50-60 grain range is "medium". 30-40 is "light". And you cant tell me a .204 can throw my definition of "medium" anywhere near 3900 fps.
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Tim Anderson
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Tim Anderson »

[quote][But what about those light bullets the .204 shoots fast?

Whats your definition of "medium"? To me, for coyotes, 50-60 grain range is "medium". 30-40 is "light". And you cant tell me a .204 can throw my definition of "medium" anywhere near 3900 fps./quote]

No they are not the best choice due to how they are constructed. The 20 cal. is what I would still call new, not many bullet makers jumping in and makeing a good solid light bullet for it yet. The 39 gr. Sierra and 40 gr. ballistic tip do a fare job but can still be improved on.

I like to use a med weight bullet for each cal. example listed below.
Med. 17 cal- 30 gr.

204- 40-50 gr.

224- 52-55 gr.

6mm- 58-65
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desertdog
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by desertdog »

would lean toward the 22-250 with 55gr. soft or hollow points.Just as important,if not more,is good glass.By good i mean Leupold vx11 or vx111.You get what you pay for!
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Yote
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Yote »

Thanks for all the input, I'll probably go with a .22-250 and not a custom rifle. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts about a .22-250 Kimber 84 varmint as far as accuracy and the rifle overall, likes and dislikes? If you have this rifle, what grain bullets are you using and how is the pelt damage? Thanks.
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by bucksnbears »

Yote wrote:Thanks for all the input, I'll probably go with a .22-250 and not a custom rifle. Does anyone have any experience or thoughts about a .22-250 Kimber 84 varmint as far as accuracy and the rifle overall, likes and dislikes? If you have this rifle, what grain bullets are you using and how is the pelt damage? Thanks.
I don't have that rifle but would LOVE to. prolly be to nice for me to hunt withthough.
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Coyotehunter »

my dad bought one of those over priced model 84 Kimbers in the .22-.250...............sent it back three times. Big piece of shit. if you are going to spend that kind of money get a old remington and put a match grade barrel on it and your off and running.
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Yote
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Yote »

Thanks for the input I have heard good and bad things about the accuracy of this gun, just wanted to hear some first hand experience with it. Thank you
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Tactical.20
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Tactical.20 »

All I heard was good on the accuracy. I shoot about 4,000ftps, light bullet 4375fps, one cronied at 4420, and it didn't blow the primer!!lol I am 1.5" hig at 100yds, dead on or 1" low at 300yds, some300yd groups are 1.5" some are closer to 2" group at 300yds.
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Yote
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Yote »

Still looking for others with input on a .22-250 kimber 84 varmint, good and bad. Thanks.
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leadbiscuit
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by leadbiscuit »

A couple years back a guy I know asked me to help him work up a load for a 84 varmint in 204. Initial impression of the gun was positive. It was a laminate stock version with a stainless fluted barrel. Barrel contour was what most of the barrel makers would call a number 5. Slightly lighter than what you would find on a rem varmint rifle. After spending some time with the gun I came to the conclusion that you're mostly paying for the finish and good handling of the little rifle. Accuracy ended up being about the same as an out of the box Savage or CZ. Or a slghtly tweaked 700. It did have a pretty good trigger though.

Personally I'm not classy enough to own such a gun. I grew up on the eastern edge of SD where our idea of fun was drinking cheap beer until you fell over backwards in your chair. Ever seen a motorcycle accident happen inside a house??? When the rider was trying to go up a flight of stairs?? In fact, it was on those same stairs that one of my peers invented a sport he called "stairdiving". The idea was to get a running start, jump off the stairs, do a flip in the air, and land safely on the couch at the bottom. He was a nimble little bastard, but he never did get it quite right. The ceiling in the staircase was just too darned low. For some reason that guy never did amount to much. Not that we were drunk all the time. After all, jumping road approaches in an old Ford station wagon was not a good idea when your judgement was impaired. I think I'm just a Rem/Sav kind of guy.
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Coyotehunter »

that is some funny shit leadbisquit
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Optimax90
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Optimax90 »

"stairdiving" I shutter at the thought of that :shock:
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leadbiscuit
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by leadbiscuit »

Opti;

What should make you shudder is the fact that most of us (not me) have managed to reproduce.
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Prairie Ghost
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Re: .204 or .22-250 for coyotes

Post by Prairie Ghost »

Heard nothing but good things but don't thinks its needed to have an accurate rifle
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