Which calibre to choose for predator hunting?

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Njal Thorgeirsson

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Hi all! I'm somewhat new to the forum...

Essentially I'm new to hunting, but one of my dad's acquaintances has offered to take us coyote hunting. I am looking for a very affordable rifle that is at least reasonably accurate. So I think I've narrowed it down to a Savage Axis or a Stevens 200, which both seem to fit those criteria very well. But I just have no idea what to look for regarding calibre. It's ok if the calibre is overkill for coyote (maybe preferable, as I may wish to use it for deer or other game in the future). Also, regarding recoil I am comfortable with all of the below calibres.

It would appear that I can choose from .22-250, .223, .243, .25-06, .270, .30-06, .300 win mag, .308, and 7mm rem mag.

So I just have no idea what to go for. Are they all generally similar in accuracy at, say, up to 300 yards? Do the larger calibres sacrifice any accuracy for size? What would you reccommend as an all-around calibre for predator hunting, small-medium game and some occasional target practice?
 
Usually a 30-30. But of the two rifles that you listed, the Stevens 200. I like it better because there are so many upgraded that can be done to it. Caliber would have to be 223 for a varmint only rifle. You can use that out to 300 yards with confidence. But, if deer are going to be your medium game, go with the 243 or a 25-06.
 
There's no point in looking at the 300 winmag for this. Trust me. Disregard the 22-250 and 223 for deer sized game. (long discussion may ensue) .243 is fine, 25-06 is perfect! the rest would be very good too. Caliber has nothing (almost) to do with potential accuracy. Pick the rifle with the best trigger and cheapest ammo since you're on a budget IMO.
 
The .223, .22-250 are fine for coyote and similar. I've owned both but prefer the .22-250 as most of my ground hog hunting involves long shots. But if you ever see yourself going for something larger like deer the .243 or .25-06 are the ticket.

I'm a big fan of the .25-06 as I've owned one for 34 years, I've used it for everything I've ever hunted, even bear. You can use cartridges in the 80 to 90 gr range for coyote or other smaller game, and 100 to 120 gr for bigger animals. The .25-06 is accurate, fast, flat shooting and versatile. It's capable of some very long shots as long as you do your part.

The .243 is a nice round too for anything up to deer. I don't own one but wouldn't hesitate to get one.

I wouldn't want anything bigger for what you intend to hunt.
 
Most 22 250 have a slow twist will not shoot a heavy bullet good! 243 is a very accret gun and has a twist of 1in 10 some have a twist of 1 in 91/2 that would be my pick. GOOD LUCK
 
"calibre"

Where are ya from?

Just my 2 cents but if your looking for a "do-all" kinda rig I would be looking for a 22-250 or a .243 as both will take deer sized game and are great for varmits. as for the platform its your call but for the money savage is hard to beat.
 
no such thing as overkill on a coyote unless you're trying to keep the pelts. there's always a big debate over whether shooting deer with a 22 caliber rifle is sufficient/ethical.
 
I think .243 is a good choice, as others have said. It will work well for deer too, though I wouldn't use it on anything larger. It may work for larger game, but I can't say for sure... IMO, a .308 is worth checking out as well. I would definitely limit it to short-action cartridges no larger than .308 Win.

My brother in law recently got a Savage Axis (though his is .270) and we took turns shooting it when he got it sighted in. I have to say I was much more impressed with it than I expected to be. It's worth checking out. Good luck.
 
.243 for definite, in my opinion. You can get the Hornady 56gn ammunition which is perfect for coyotes, well beyond the range you'd want to shoot 'em & 100+gn ammunition which will drop deer out to 300+
If I could only choose one caliber for everything I'd ever want to hunt, I'd be really hard pushed to choose between .243 & .25-06 If I were to hunt more big game than varmints, .25-06 & vice-versa.
Forget all the magnums. What you save in rifle, you'll spend in ammo & if you save in rifle, you'll need a LOT of ammo ;)
 
I know it's not the optimum round and definitely not so if you have big deer. But here the biggest of game animal will drop like struck by lightning from a 55 gr. 22-250. Heavy bullets don't matter to a dead animal. Same reason a 257 weatherby works so well with a 100 gr. bullet even when that bullet comes from 500 yards. High velocity=massive trauma. Just look at some ballistic gelatin reports. Food for thought.
 
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I agree with the others on the versatility of the .243 and also the .25-06.
I personally own the .243 and love the caliber.
I also personally love the Stevens 200 as well. Though I will add that the trigger was really heavy for my liking but fixed that with a rifle basic trigger. It is super accurate
 
Texaszach said:
I also personally love the Stevens 200 as well. Though I will add that the trigger was really heavy for my liking but fixed that with a rifle basic trigger.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reminder. We did note that the trigger on the Savage Axis I mentioned in Post #12 was pretty heavy too. We guessed that it was close to 9 pounds or so; we may have been way off, but it was significantly heavier than either of us liked. My BIL removed the trigger spring and cut one coil off of it, which helped reduce it a fair bit, but still heavier than I prefer. If it were my rifle, a new trigger kit is something I would be installing at the first chance I had. Something to keep in mind if you go that route.
 
Go with the 243, it allows you the versatility of varmint hunting and if you decide to go deer hunter, the .243 with an 85 grain bullet or higher is very capable of taking deer out to 300 yards if you are an excellent shooter.
 
My "Yote" rifle is a Savage Edge in .223. Pretty much the same thing as the Axis. I was on a budget at the time & got it on sale with a scope for $299. As I said I was on a budget & put a Centerpoint 4-16x40 scope on it for $70 from Wally world. Its been a great rifle for under $400. Its put a lot of fur in the truck. I wanted to get the 22-250 but factory ammo is so expensive, I went with the 223. Its very accurate out to 300yds & I'm very happy with it in that respect. The trigger sucks & the stock is flimsy as hell but again, its getting the job done.

If your on a budget, don't handload & its gonna be just strictly a "Varmint" rifle, I'd say the 223. Ammo is cheap & there's all kinds of ammo options for it! Either the Savage or the Stevens. If you think you'll hunt deer down the road, get the .243. If you can spend a couple extra bucks, I noticed Cabelas had some Savage rifles in 223, 243, 270 & 308 with the accutrigger & wood stocks for $399. I have a Savage 17HMR with the accutrigger & for a stock trigger, its pretty sweet!! That rifle has put "Dead Dogs" in the truck to! 17HMR 17gr V-Max is a deadly cartridge out to 150yds on yotes ;)
 
Yeah Bobson the Stevens trigger was the same. I lightened the best I could but was still not content with it knowing I could get a high quality one for I think less than 80 dollars.

I will say that I did take a fair share of animals with the old trigger and knew it would probably be really heavy when I bought it. The great thing about the 200 is it's easy to replace parts on.. Most savage 110/10 parts fit you just have to check if the gun has a staggered feed(attaches to rifle) magazine or centerfeed magazine(stays in stock)

I still plan to throw a new laminate stock on eventually as well as purchase a metal trigger guard and oversized bolt.... I'm truly making this gun my own and got to start hunting with a rifle that cost me 250 plus tax
 
243 all the way, I'd go with the Stevens 200 because you can upgrade the parts just like a Savage 110 or 11. I'm not sure if the Axis will take an aftermarket trigger.
 
Njal, there wouldn't be enough difference in accuracy among those cartridges to matter at all. :)

I've used centerfires from .223 on up. For the mix of deer on down to varmints, the .243 does quite nicely. I've tagged a couple of dozen bucks with mine. I've ruined the day for several coyotes. And with 55-grain handloads, I've messed around with prairie dogs. Recoil is not a problem at all, IMO.

I'm still a bit conservative about using the .223 and .22-250 on deer. Yes, they work, and with the right bullet will work quite well. But I always have concern about depth of penetration, particularly if the neck shot isn't available, or if I might have to take an angling shot through meat to get to a vital area.
 
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