What caliber?

[Dpj]

I am new to guns and i am looking to buy a rifle to take out mostly coyotes and prairie dogs. Should I be getting a .22 lr or something else?

 

[sloughfoot]

Depends on the range you want to take the animal down.

The 22LR is just fine inside 50 yards for most critters including raccoon, coyote, prairie dog, rabbit, crows. Heck, just about everything...

If you are planning on a longer shots for yotes, you will want more cartridge.

As a new shooter, you can't go wrong with a 22LR to learn with.

 

[sepe]

Everyone needs a .22. Get some time on the trigger and look into getting a rifle for prairie dogs and coyote.

.204 is a good prairie dog caliber and works for coyote, .223 will also work for some distance work.

 

[thegeez]

I agree-start with a .22 and get very familiar with it-get 7-8 different kinds of ammo to shoot and see which one it likes.Suggest you get a scope for it as you will want one on a larger caliber to shoot dogs and coyotes. .204 and .223 are great for what you want. Have fun shooting!

 

[lnholmes]

I've never had a problem using .223 when I go coyote hunting. But as with everyone else, start with 22lr.

 

[kludge]

A .22LR or a .22 WMR (aka .22 Magnum). Either would be a good starter rifle. The .22LR will be much cheaper to shoot, but as mentioned, shots on coyotes should be limited to ~50 yards. A .22 Magnum will get you out to 100-125 yards.

If you have a coyote "problem" then almost anything will work, as long as you don't care about damaging the pelt.

For prairie dogs you'll probably want something for much longer ranges (300-400 yards) and there are several good choices.

 

[dross]

I think a 22lr is too little for coyotes.

 

[Gator762]

I agree with.22 for just starting out. And then when you move to longer range I like the 22-250 or 220 swift but the swift is hard to find ammo for but they give more range than the 223 or the 222.

 

[gunman41mag]

I agree with.22 for just starting out. And then when you move to longer range I like the 22-250 or 220 swift but the swift is hard to find ammo for but they give more range than the 223 or the 222.

The 223 is your best bet, cause ammo is cheaper than the 22-250 or 220 swift

 

[funkeecowboy]

A .22lr is definitely too little for coyotes unless you're working a trap line. In a lot of instances the .22lr is barely enough for coon let alone a big coyote. If you're looking at reaching out and touching prairie dogs and long distance coyotes I'd pick at least a .223 but more likely a .22-250 or .243. Everyone needs a .22lr but IMHO it's not enough for coyotes.

 

[HuntMeister]

My vote is for the .243. Very versatile round, you can hunt dogs, yotes and if you decided to in the future it would make a great deer gun as well for any state that allows that caliber for deer hunting of course.

 

[bbarker]

.223 for the cheaper ammo although 22-250 would be a flatter shooter.

 

[gunowner930]

Another vote for .223. I also agree that a 22 LR isn't enough for coyotes.

 

[goinggreyfast]

I don't know. I kinda like my High Point 9 Carbine. But that's just me. It's not too expensive, has a great warranty, and is really fun to shoot. It will also reach out and touch something from longer than 50 yards.

 

[D-Bo]

A 204,222,223,220 just about any 17 or 22 cal will work but 22lr is a little small.

 

[DRob]

Different worlds

Shooting prairie dogs and shooting coyotes is not exactly the same. You can use the same cartridge but the shooting is dramatically different. Prairie doggin' is high-volume shooting with ranges varying from under 100 yards to as far as your gun can launch a bullet. Shooters have confirmed kills on p dogs at 1500+ yards every year. Yes, you can use a .22lr for prairie dogs but you'll be looking at lots of targets beyond the capability of the round. I started my p doggin' career with a .17 HMR and a .223. I consider that a good starting point. You'll heat up a centerfire to the point of damaging the barrel in no time at all in a decent dog town. Not so with coyotes. I now use .17 HMR, .22 WMR, .17 Fireball, .204 Ruger, .223, and will try a .308 with light bullets for prairie dogs this year. All the guns are essentially "bench guns" and, though some of the calibers will do very well on coyotes, the guns are not "carry guns" for the most part.

My wife and I will take 8-10 rifles and 3K rounds of ammo for a 2-day prairie dog shoot. There's nothing quite like it.