14 replies to this topic

[forestfolk2u]

I'm looking at the possibilty of buying a new rifle in the near future I want a caliber that will do well on Coyotes, Bobcats, varmints and a deer now and then. I'm hung up on two new calibers both are of the WSSM family the first is the 243 and the second is the 223. Would like to get your opinions and feelings on the subject. Thanks for any and all replies. KenMERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

[ShooterJohn]

Ken, both are really too hot to shoot coyotes and have decent fur left. A .17 Rem, .223 or .204 would be much more fur friendly and do everything you need. ;)I didn't read the deer part in my first response. I'd buy a cheap old 30-06 or .270 for a deer gun. You could get a .243 for the deer we have in California. They're not very big.

[forestfolk2u]

Thank You Shooterjohn that's exactly the kind of information that I was seeking extremely helpful and deeply appreciated. Ken

[onecoyote]

I have a 223WSSM I've been shooting coyotes with this year. I have been shooting the factory 64 gr bullets, to date I think I've got 24 coyotes and they all droped in there tracks with little pelt damage. I am not happy with the caliber at all. I have the Win Mod 70 stealth varmint rifle, it shoots five shot groups around an inch at a 100. That would be ok for coyote hunting, but not good enough for me. Hand loads I'm sure would do better. Another problem I hear about is the caliber has been fouling barrels including mine, that is due to the powder Win uses, not the speed of the bullet. By the way, that 64 gr pill goes 3600 fps, the 55 gr factory hits 3850, I don't even want to know what the 40 gr bullet well do lol. A 243 or 25-06 is a better bet for an all around rifle in California

[Hylander]

I would agree with John:.223 or .204 for varmint's and predators..243 is a great deer rifle.I would not use anything smaller than .243 on deer.

[canis disrupter]

Ken,I would lean towards the .243 for a varmint & deer over the 25-06, less recoil, easier to get back on target.My rem. 700 rebarrel project is finished, what a sweet shooter it is! .243 varmint profile, 26".A bit heavy for an all day deer stalk in steep terrain, but very, very accurate.I was looking at a .243 for sale on consignment in the bay area here..700 bdl, 24" varmint barrel, wood stock,they wanted $500.00. no scope. The other thing I wanted to mention, is get started in reloading, you can fine tune the loads to your gun and it makes a big difference!Good luck & Merry ChristmasEric

[ForkedHorn]

The "ethics" or effectiveness of .22 caliber for deer have been debated long and hard for many years. Most would agree that although properly placed it CAN take down a deer, the chances of something going wrong; shoulder shot, branch deflection, missed vitals etc. are too great to make it an "ethical choice" for deer. Unfortunately, it will hard to find one caliber that will work great, varmint through deer... I might suggest either get two guns, one to cover each end of your desired spectrum and in between or if you must get just one, go bigger than .22 caliber. It won't be as fur friendly or ideal at the low end, but I think the risk of injuring and or not making a clean, quick kill on big game outweighs the trade offs at the lower end. That being said, I'd go with either a .30-06, .270 or .25-06 for the upper end (deer) and the .223 for varmint & predators... If you can only get just one, then the .243 would be my choice. JMHO, let us know?

[Cranky Farmer]

You planning on keeping the coyotes after you shoot them? If pelt damage isn't a concern the .243 would serve you will for any hunting you do as you listed above in CA. A .25-05 would be another great choice.

[Thumper Dunker]

I would rather sew a hide up than to lose a deer. Like every one said 270,30.06,25.06 for deer and 223,204 ect for yotes

[onecoyote]

Having hunted in California a time or two in my life and having owned all the above named calibers except the .17 and 204......If I could only own one rifle it would be the 243. It shoots a 100 gr bullet for deer and you can shoot 55 gr bullet for predators. Thumper Dunker, I agree with you kinda. I have sewed up many a hide when I was selling fur, but I have also put down a few deer with a 243. As you know, put the bullet in the right place and they fall where they stand. Problem with most deer hunters is they don't spend enough time at the range, most are happy if they can hit a pie plate at a 100 yards.

[Iron Worker]

100 FPS faster if you went for a 6MM Remington. Hows that for a monkey wrench into the mix?

[ShooterJohn]

A 100 feet per second isn't going to do enough for you to be good or bad. I think basically everyone here and any other forum will agree that a .17 Remington, .223 or .204 would really be your best bet if you want to keep your pelts. Then get some larger for deer if you want to hunt them too. I see this way to often on other sites people recommending the high end .22 caliber rounds as the best thing for coyotes. If you want to just shoot them and not keep the pelts why not purchase a .338 Ultra mag, it will definitely drop any coyote like a bus fell on it out to 1000 yards and more. But do you need that kind of stopping power NO! Get something in the lower calibers so you can see your hits through the scope. It's much more rewarding and you save the fur too. JMO, but one I think deep down most if not everyone will agree with.

[Cranky Farmer]

I agree completely.

[bzzrd feedr]

Mine usually become buzzrd feed. I've been told that the fur guys don't really want hides from here and can tell if you try to slip them a Kally hide. Is that true?

[ShooterJohn]

You can get a bad hide from anywhere. It depends on the time of year and condition of pelts in general. Prime pelts can come from anywhere under the right conditions.