75 replies to this topic

[RLS]

New to the form and the sport appears to be a common topic. I just started predator hunting this fall. I shot a young dog my first trip and I was hooked. So was my 13 year old son. He asks me every week are we going this week? I am looking for a new rifle for him. I would like to find something that he could use for more than coyotes. I have been looking at a .243 Win.. I have been a bird hunter most of my life so rifles have not been a high priority. It appears that this would be a great round for California. You can find 55 grain bullets that perform on paper very well. I could also go up to 100 gr. for black tail. Any comments or input would be great.Thanks,

[.243Win]

Hi RLSthe .243 is my choice....because it is all I have also.I dropped my 4 point muley with 2 shots with 100 gr soft pointsthis was near Trona, up in the Panamints before DVNP expandedI am working up some smaller loads like you mentionthe 100s tear up rabbits and coyotes big time !I think if you're going to shoot a lot, the smaller calibers mentioned by othershere seem to be popular: the .17, .204, .223 etcI am sure the recoil is a lot less than the .243

[Frank]

Hey RLS, welcome to the (greatest) world of predator hunting. As you discovered it is an exciting sport and you and your son will only grow to love it more, the more yotes you kill. It is a rush! (quail hunting is my 2nd favorite for decades), but definitely a far 2nd. lolThe 243 is of course an excellent choice for all the practical reasons you mention. BUT, (I always hate the but part), will your son really want/need it? In other words does he seem to have an interest in deer hunting? Most usually do. lol"But" (again), if he does not appear to have much interest in deer, a 223 or better yet, the newer 204 Ruger caliber is a better choice. A whole LOT more fun being easier to shoot (a LOT less recoil & muzzle blast) along with longer barrel life (than a full throttled 243). Also, as time goes on, you're likely to purchase more rifles & could easily end up with one for coyotes & another for deer... If not several rifles for each. Don't say it won't happen. I hate when I lose those. lolAnyway, you really can't go wrong with any of these 3 calibers IMHO. However, my hunch is, your son will have the most fun with a 204. Then get a 270 or similiar for deer later on. Just my 2 cents.Good Luck in Your DecissionFrank

[Cranky Farmer]

In your case the 243 would be an acceptional choice! Or possibly a 25-06.

[RLS]

Thanks for all the input. I think a .223 or .204 would be the best for what we are doing now but I can only sneak so many firearms into the safe. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone with the .243.

[Bozsik]

If you are interested in the deer, an not interested in the pelt of the coyote, 243 sounds like your deal.db

[ShooterJohn]

For a multi purpose gun I agree with the .243. The pelts in California aren't that good anyway. So I think you'd do fine with the .243 and you can hunt California deer with it too.

[MojaveJ]

I also just shoot a 243 and love it but am switching from the 55gr bullets to the 75gr bullets to see what happens. I have been shooting the 55gr and it puts dogs down right now but if you want pics to show to people it really tears the animal up. I don't reload so i just am trying to find something that will do the job without the damage.

[RLS]

It sounds like .243 may be too much of a gun. I thought the 55 gr. bullet would perform like a 22-250 or .204. The speeds are about the same but I guess the little extra size makes a difference. All the input has been a help but now I am not sure which way to go.

[ShooterJohn]

A .22-250 or .204 are not necessarily fur friendly either. If you are worried about fur then go with a .17 Rem. A .243 is a good all around gun as you said you wanted to hunt coyotes and deer. If you want a good all around cheap to shoot get ammo anywhere at a good price then buy a .223. The .204's are nice but can make some big holes, after all speed and an explosive bullet makes that happen. Then if you went with the .223 say you could buy a .270 or good old .30-06 or so later for deer. But as I said you can do both with the .243. Maybe you should read for awhile on some of the different forums and listen to the guys that shoot a lot before you make a choice. How far are you really willing or able to shoot accurately? There is no do everything round but for what you want that .243 is the closest you'll get.

[RLS]

The more I look the more I am not sure. The guy I hunt with shoots a .222 that he loves. He won a .204 but he has had a hard time dialing it in. If it is some-what dry this weekend I think we are going to work on it. He had a scope that was bad and had to wait for a replacement. I may wait to see how that works. Just keep sending the advice and I will keep listing (reading).

[Frank]

Well, RLS, when your friend had a hard time dialing it in, was it with the bad scope on it? Which then of course would happen on any rifle/caliber, right?! Dialing it in should come easy, especially with factory ammo. One of my partners has a 204 in CZ and is a fabulous rig. If I were buying another predator rifle (just what I need / lol) it will be a 204 in a Savage Low Profiler, or a custom one.My friends and I have slain yotes/cats with most calibers between 223 and 300 win mag. The most damage I've seen over the years came from a 223. You are going to get fur damage occasionally, no matter what the caliber &/or bullet style (varmint or big game bullet). Except possibly with a .17, which is a controversial yote caliber anyway, with me being on the side it is best left for squirrels and such IMHO. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the calibers mentioned, and again, are all Great choices. There are also MANY pluses with a 223 such as cheap cost & high availability of factory ammo(as ShooterJohn mentions). No other caliber can match that. But it is also has the least performance of all. Also, I personally no longer "compromise" or buy "all around" calibers if you will. I (& many folks) have done that many times over many years. BUT I never get quite the satisfaction out of a rifle/caliber as I do with one that is "specific" for what I am shooting... Targets or game. Also, remember that the more one "enjoys" shooting their rifle the "better" they will shoot. There is a BIG difference between the shooting pleasure (recoil) of a 223 & 243. Especially for a "teenager", shooting "lots" of rounds at the range. Heck, I've seen this difference with adults between these 2 calibers. It must be FUN!Anyway, if you are "not sure, do not do anything".... YET! (a rule I often use on many decissions). You still need more time to think about it... & is a GOOD thing. It's often a Tough call when shopping for a new caliber/rifle. Taking your time is probably the best advice of all. No matter what you choose, it will be a great choice... Good Luck Frank

[RLS]

The problem with his .204 was the scope. It bound up and would not fully adjust. I just saw him and the new scope is on. We are going to try a few set ups Saturday morning and then shoot it. He has a 300 Weatherby that he just put a new scope on also. He wants to sight in both after we hunt.I shot my first coyote with a .17 HMR. It was a young dog at about 30 yards. I had a 20 gr. round that made a hole almost 1 1/2" for an exit wound. It flipped him over but he got up and ran 30 more yards. I hit him just behind the front shoulder. I was hooked. Now I am looking for a few areas of my own. I like the thinking part almost as much as the buying part. I think you are correct that a .204 or .223 might be a better way to go. If I want a larger caliber later I can buy it then. More research. Now which rifle to buy and which scope? It may end up for me and not my son.

[Frank]

Ditto on all of it... And our advice really is worth exactly what you paid for it. LOLAs far as rifles & scopes go, they're even a more personal preference. I like Chevy you like Ford.I would suggest to handle as many different brands as you can while in the SAME store. Then you get a real comparison. Many, if not most predator hunters probably prefer a rifle that is lighter than the standard heavy varmint weights. But I am "not" one of them. Figures, huh?! lolI like my predator rifles to be HEAVY. All 3 of mine are HEAVY, with the heaviest (& favorite) @ 12lbs. They are more fun & much "steadier" to shoot whether in the field or at the range. They are generally more accurate & take longer for the barrel to heat up. They have less (bullet) point of impact change. We normally do not walk too far when coyote hunting, but even then you'll notice very little when using a sling. I also do not like stainless barrels on my predator rifles even though I've had a couple. I either had them bead blasted to matt blue, or replaced them. But that's just me. lol (can use camo tape on s.s. barrels)Some of my favorite rifle brands are Savage, CZ, Browning, Remington, Winchester etc. Stay with their better models. IE; Rem 700, Win model 70... I especially like the Savage Low Profiler. Scopes? Zeiss & Leupolds are the benchmarks by which most others are measured by. And with good reason. BUT, there are LOTS of good ones. Just don't buy the lowest grade of any brand. Burris & Nikon are good. BSA's suck. Period! There is a reason why BSA avg is around $50 & their best $180, while the others best are $1,500. Expect to pay an avg of $300 with approx $200 as a minimum & $500 top of the line.I love 3x9's... 3X gives a LARGE field of view... anything higher does not. Even 4x is too narrow. You will often need the extra field of view when searching for that yote. Burris makes a 3x12. Rings & mounts? There's only one IMHO, & that's Conetrol from Texas. There are other good ones however, with Tally (sp?) & Leupolds to name a couple. I do not care for Weaver or Warn(sp?).Please let us know what you end upFrank

[RLS]

Frank and the rest of you have given me some great advise. I travel around Northern California and try to hit as many gun shops as I can. I am always looking for new ones. I think I may start tomorrow on a new quest. The search is half the fun. Once I start to narrow it down I will be back for more help. one problem I have is my son and I both shoot left handed which becomes a pain. My .17 HMR is right handed and it is not to bad. Thanks again for all the help.

[ShooterJohn]

Savage makes some nice left handed models that even come with a scope so that are very reasonably priced.

[Cranky Farmer]

So you and the son are "correct" handed like me!

[ShooterJohn]

And Me! We're in our right minds.

[MojaveJ]

And me both of my savages are left handed. It sucks but I have to buy all of my rifles new. Can't seem to find quality used ones in LH. My buddies gave me a lot of dog poop for buying savage until they shot mine and saw the groups they produced with no mods they all bought rem and win and had to have the triggers worked. Me I'll just say thank you accutrigger.

[RLS]

I must be in the right place or left place. I will look at the Savages.

[ShooterJohn]

Here's a left handed Savage gun package for $556.http://www.savagearms.com/10glxp3.htm

[RLS]

I am not sure this will work but what do youo think of this one. http://www.savagearms.com/12flv.htm

[Cranky Farmer]

It has an Accu trigger!

[ShooterJohn]

That would be my choice of the two but I was just trying to get the scope and everything. The 12 is slightly heavier too but a little weight never killed anyone.

[Cranky Farmer]

I've heard good things about the Stevens lately.

[NVWalt]

All good advice but don't listen to any of them. Get a 17 Rem. for coyotes, kills them dead without a mess. and a 260 Rem for deer, kills them dead also. I had to do this as nobody seemed to like either round and they both work very well on predators and deer. Just get a gun you like or think you want and shoot the barrel out of it..Good luck and good hunting.....Walt

[Cranky Farmer]

Walt,I am beginning to think you like the 17 Remington!

[ShooterJohn]

A .22-250 or .204 are not necessarily fur friendly either. If you are worried about fur then go with a .17 Rem. A .243 is a good all around gun as you said you wanted to hunt coyotes and deer. If you want a good all around cheap to shoot get ammo anywhere at a good price then buy a .223. The .204's are nice but can make some big holes, after all speed and an explosive bullet makes that happen. Then if you went with the .223 say you could buy a .270 or good old .30-06 or so later for deer. But as I said you can do both with the .243. Maybe you should read for awhile on some of the different forums and listen to the guys that shoot a lot before you make a choice. How far are you really willing or able to shoot accurately? There is no do everything round but for what you want that .243 is the closest you'll get.

Hey Walt,You didn't read my earliest post very well then. Seems I mentioned the .17 Rem. You said a .260 but I got you covered with the .270 or .30-06 and it's a lot easier to find ammo off the shelf for either of those too. I know it hard to remember two pages of postings but that just old fart syndrome!

[NVWalt]

Well. I've never been accused of being a pretty fart smeller and the older I get???? now where was I and what am I typing here...Walt