A new poll for the Holidays, I'm still working on my list for Santa

What would be your perfect predator gun (wolf, coyote, lynx & fox) -- want to save the fur

Make & caliber please

Winchester M70 Coyote chambered in 25 wssm.

My Remington Classic (Purple Swift) in 220 Swift.

With wolf on the list, whats wrong with a 260 rem with 110 barns banded solids!

Save the pelt kill the dog!

Ed

quote:

want to save the fur

How much do you want to save?....last year and again this year I've had some fun with a small trapline.....skunks, raccoons, opossum, bobcats, but never a coyote as they always seem to pull out of the trap.....Guess we just need bigger traps!!

I use a .22 LR hollow point and it does everything we need....If we were used to catching yotes then I'd use the .22 WMR as when they are in traps it's easy to get a head shot and the 22 WMR does have some authority!

If I was just hunting using calls etc for 'yotes then I'd be loking to use my .223 or .243 with 55 grain Btips and confining myself to head shots.......and it can be done.....

If I would up shooting too many running away I'd seriously look for a good .22 Hornet.

If you can confine yourself to head shots then the cartridge need only be accurate.....

Not a rifle but: 12 guage with Dead Coyote. Otherwise .223.

Sako .17 Rem for fur

Triple deuce contender carbine . It's always handy.

My trusty REM Model 700 SPS 22-250 topped with Burris FFII 4.5-14X40 shooting Berger 50 gr HP.

I have no complaints from my remington 700 varmint in 222. Kind of heavy carrying but mighty accurate calling and shooting from a blind.
Okie

I rather like my Rem 700 LVSF in .223

Remington 700 stainless SPS in 223 topped with a 6.5x20x50 Simmons Whitetail scope. Load it with 40gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. You want it to expend all of its energy within the animal.

I would think a good 22CF or 6mm.
But a .25 is good too. Wolvs get prety big.
Not herd much about hunting wolves , but ther usually run in packs so a repeater might be a good Idea.
...tj3006

Wallking varminter, or heavy barrelled bench gun?
And you want to save the pelt, right?

You shoot a fox, coon or other small animal at any reasonable range with a frangible bullet, out of any thing like a 22-250 or swift and you can kiss the pelt goodbye.
This fox was shot with a 17 remington fireball, 20 gr. v-max at 30 yds or so.




I would have been better off shooting him with a 17 hrm or a 22 lr.
Last coyote I shot with a 22-250 was at 175 yds, using 40 gr. v-max. You could put your fist in the wound. I thing you should size your rifle according to size of quarry and distance.
I call varmints in close, so most of my shots are 50 yds or less. I shoot 17 hrm, 17 ackley hornet, 17 fireball, 17 mach IV, 17 remington and Tactical 20.
However I really like my remington 700 predator in 17 fireball. Works great for me
GWB

Heavy barreled AR15 in .223 is hard to beat. If shootng a long ways, .220 Swift.

quote:

... want to save the fur ...

That rules out the 303-25! The last beasty I shot with it didn't have any fur left worth a damn! (Nor did the first one, for that matter).

Hornet maybe? That's one cartridge that never ceases to amaze me! The holes in the skin are usually quite small. (Bigger than .22 on the exit side, 'though). We don't actually have any predators - although there have been reports of Black Panther sightings!

Make and caliber? Anschutz 1431/32 22 Hornet. What can I say?

around my way use what ever is handy

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
A new poll for the Holidays, I'm still working on my list for Santa

What would be your perfect predator gun (wolf, coyote, lynx & fox) -- want to save the fur

Make & caliber please

Best would be a 22-250 or something simular but won't be fur friendly for the lynx and fox unless you down loaded it with to .22 Hornet levels...Even a 22-250 can be light for wolves in my experience if you get less than a perfect shot...
13 wolves
175+ coyotes
6 fox
0 lynx

I'm squarely in the 22-250 & 220 Swift camp, but wouldn't turn my nose up at the 6m/m Remington either.
I also think you're missing out by overlooking a fast twist 223 with heavy bullets.

Has anyone down loaded a 25 caliber? What bullets? What powder and charge? Accuracy?
I'm thinking along the lines of using the same rifle for smaller stuff (light loads), quiet loads (subsonic), varminting (fast loads) and game hunting (heavy bullets). The 303-25 falls between the 250 Savage and the 257 Roberts but if a 25-06 can be loaded down then so can the others so any info on that would be great too.

On the 'fur friendly' front, the first few beasties harvested were with 87 grainers which wreaked havoc but I have also used Sierra 100 grainers and these did not blow the pelts apart. So maybe the 257 would make a good fur harvester with the appropriate bullets?

Is there actually a 'bad' caliber to use for fur hunting?

22-250 Ruger Mark II, 6X scope.

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
A new poll for the Holidays, I'm still working on my list for Santa

What would be your perfect predator gun (wolf, coyote, lynx & fox) -- want to save the fur

Make & caliber please

Kimber M84, .223 Remington, W-W cases, Federal GM primers, W748, Speer 50 gr TNT.

SBB

Here is a suggestion on the simple and inexpensive side. I would go with a .223, especially since you didn't say whether you hand loaded. You can go with a Savage Model 11 and a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40 (last years model) for just under $600.

I would use 55 gr. soft points.

Good Hunting,

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
...What would be your perfect predator gun (wolf, coyote, lynx & fox) -- want to save the fur...

Hey Abob, I can't comment on the Wolf because I've not Killed one. Have Killed some BIG Dogs, but I hear the Wolf reaches 100#.

And I'd recommend a Caliber I've never owned - one of the 17cal Centerfires in either a M7 or M700 Remington. The guys from the old Varmint Hunters Board and Exit101 Board used to brag on the 17Rem all the time for saving hides. Now there is a 17Fireball also. They used both Hornady and Rem Bullets. Don't know who all makes them now.

As for me, the current Varmint rifle is a 223Rem M7. If I wanted to save the hides, I'd go with either the 50gr TNT or the 52gr Wide Mouth Hollow Point - both made by Speer.

Since I don't keep the hides, the good old 50gr PLHP Rem is my normal carry Bullet in it. They do not always remain inside.

Best of luck to you.

vapodog

Don't stake down the traps for coyotes, use a drag and you'll catch them. That way they drag it till they get caught in some brush or a wire fence which has some give to it and they don't pull loose as bad. Coyotes are a bitch to catch, if you've had several get loose already, you'll not catch them in a trap again. I also use a double set with one drag, often you'll catch the second leg when they jump. If you stake them down, they'll pull loose or break a chain quite often.

For a stalking rifle, personally I'm going with a Stevens 200 in .223 or 22-250. Its cheap, accurate and I don't feel bad going nuts with the spray on camo!

For a blind gun...any of the Winchester 70 Coyote's, or a Savage varmint rig of some sort.

No votes for Ruger's 204, is it too small?

What about the different 25 calibers?

Hey abob, I think the .204 is a great varmint round and will do less damage to the fur but the .17s will still be better for this job.

Remington M700 bull barreled varminter in 22/250 AI.

I agree about using a 22-250. It was at short range, but I almost literally took the front shoulders off a coyote at about 10 yds. He almost ran over me. I think I'm going to have that rifle re-chambered in 6BR Rem. Sort of a combination Varmint/Benchrest gun. I think the 6BR will shoot a little better at longer ranges and in windy conditions. Just a thought.

Remington Model 7 Predator...

Available in 17 Fireball, 223, 22.250 and 243...
a 22 snd 6 BR would be a nifty addition to available calibers...

I'd also like to see it offered in 250 Savage, 260 Rem and 7/08...

I'd admit to instantly buying the 260 in that package as long as it had the correct one in 8 twist, instead of the one in 9...

Seafire2, have you developed any reduced / Blue Dot loads for fur hunting?

I'll chime in my 0.002 cents worth ; 30378 and Texas Bob have it correct IMO !.

.223 enough but not to much with correct bullets a winning combo .

Shooting ranges were not mentioned or I failed to read them . So .223 gets my vote it's what I use .

I think the .17 hmr is too light for this job, even though I have killed coyotes with it. You just have to place the shot perfectly, which I can't do all the time because my heart is usually trying to come out of my chest and throat when I see a coyote coming in!

If you really want the hides, then yes a .17 Rem or .204 with the v-max would probably be best. But I don't care about the hides so I REALLY LIKE my .243 wssm with a 70gr b-tip going about 3750fps! Plenty flat and I'm sure it's enough for even a wolf....with a 95gr b-tip............

My predator rifle is a cheapo Stevens 200 in 22-250. It is loaded down to about 3200fps using 55gr, Sierra GameKings. That is a great combination that will not wreck the pelt. Generally the exit hole is the size of a dime..even on stuff as small as bobcats.

Z

You didn't say how far you would be shooting. The "saving the pelts" is probably the hard part here. As another suggested, the .22 Hornet (Ruger) would be a good gun for short to medium range (out to 200 yds). I have killed a number of coyotes with my .17 HMR, but 150 yds is about max with it. I load my .243 Ruger M77 for 58 grain bullets and it is great to 300 yards plus, but there will be some pelt damage with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Abob:
Seafire2, have you developed any reduced / Blue Dot loads for fur hunting?

Give me a caliber and potential bullet weight you are looking at, what kind of velocity you were thinking about, and the size of game you were intending to use it on...

I should have some stuff lurking in the old Blue Dot Library that we can set ya up with...

Seafire,

223 rem, 55 grn FMJ, under 2800 fps; is that possible?

mostly fox & coyote, wolf if they show them self

How many of you are using an AR/black rifle for predator hunting?

I'd agree with the Stevens 200 and decent glass vote. .223 or .22-250 depending on how I feel the day I buy it, either will do fine. DNZ mount, glass bed and upgrade trigger either in a few years time or when bored and in need of a project.