Coyote Rifle Big Bore Cal ? Longest Distance ?

I have seen this question come up a few times, and I have some thoughts to add, with the preface that I have never taken a coyote, even though I have went out specifically to do so.

First, lets get the main point out of the way. When talking about airguns, do not focus on the airgun's caliber without knowing what the airgun can deliver in energy. One airgun may put out 100fpe while a different airgun may put out 50fpe in the same caliber! When I hear you specifically say .257, I automatically think the shooter was using a Texan, which slings .257cal with a significant amount of energy.

I currently have two airguns:
  • FX Maverick VP .30cal pushing a maximum of 95fpe.
  • Benjamin Bulldog .357cal pushing a maximum of 205fpe.
The maximum distance you can take game depends on two factors:
  1. Your accuracy at that distance.
  2. How much energy does your shot have at that distance, which also depends on if you are taking:
    1. A brain shot.
    2. A body shot.
Let's say that we want to be able to land our shots within a 1.5" diameter, which should give you an adequate kill zone for both targets. At 100 yards my .30cal can put 70 fpe at the target, and my .357 can put out 170fpe on the target. Both of these energy levels are able to take a 40 pound yote (BTW, 40 pounds is a big yote) with a head shot, but you may have have a harder time with a body shot with the .30cal if you hit the shoulder.

In summary, taking a yote depends on a lot of factors. Only you can determine how much airgun you need and how far that airgun will work for you.
 
I have seen this question come up a few times, and I have some thoughts to add, with the preface that I have never taken a coyote, even though I have went out specifically to do so.

First, lets get the main point out of the way. When talking about airguns, do not focus on the airgun's caliber without knowing what the airgun can deliver in energy. One airgun may put out 100fpe while a different airgun may put out 50fpe in the same caliber! When I hear you specifically say .257, I automatically think the shooter was using a Texan, which slings .257cal with a significant amount of energy.

I currently have two airguns:
  • FX Maverick VP .30cal pushing a maximum of 95fpe.
  • Benjamin Bulldog .357cal pushing a maximum of 205fpe.
The maximum distance you can take game depends on two factors:
  1. Your accuracy at that distance.
  2. How much energy does your shot have at that distance, which also depends on if you are taking:
    1. A brain shot.
    2. A body shot.
Let's say that we want to be able to land our shots within a 1.5" diameter, which should give you an adequate kill zone for both targets. At 100 yards my .30cal can put 70 fpe at the target, and my .357 can put out 170fpe on the target. Both of these energy levels are able to take a 40 pound yote (BTW, 40 pounds is a big yote) with a head shot, but you may have have a harder time with a body shot with the .30cal if you hit the shoulder.

In summary, taking a yote depends on a lot of factors. Only you can determine how much airgun you need and how far that airgun will work for you.
The coyote I took with the FX Indy was standing at 50 yards. It was a heart shot. The Indy shoots at at 73.5 fpe with JSB 44.7 grain. The coyote ran 10 yards and drop dead. I thing that one is the one that I have taken with less power with a chest shot.

The one I took with the .25 Cal was a head shot at 60 yards and the rifle was shooting the H&N Baracudas 31.02 grain at 60 fpe. It was dead before falling to the ground.

The only one I took with the .357 needed a lot of shots because of not so good placement.
 
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have taken over 20 yotes wth airguns ,as for caliber I have taken with pretty much all calibers I own 22 257 and 30 cal I noticed with .22 caliber they all all seem to run up to 75 yards but were dead on their feet while running , Me my self I would not shoot a coyote under 50fpe at where they stand meaning , say for example my R5m in 22 caliber puts out 69fpe at muzzle so I wont shoot a coyote beyond say 60 yards with it , and I am talking a 36 grain solid slug like the MP slug , I will not shoot a coyote with a pellet in 22 caliber , I feel it may wound animal and it isnt very ethenical , Now if I had my 257 caliber this has alot more power meaning my airforce shoots a 73 grain slug at 230 fpe so I would shoot a 100 yard or a bit further , I have taken coyotes in 3 caliber with my R5 30 caliber I owned and also my evol in 30 , all were taken with solid slugs , in the 50 to 65 grain range , I never shot one with a pellet even with 30 caliber , I feel a 8 to 10fpe gun can do it with a pellet cleanly but I only hunted them with slugs , I also only take body shots , meaning heart shots , The 22 caliber slugs 90% of time go threw heart both sides and depending on ribs they hit will pass threw or the slug is very close to exiting , The 30 caliber does alot more damage with wound size and I never had a yote go over 10 yards after being shot most fall dead where they stand , About 6 years ago , I shot a coyote in the head with a hollowpoint slug it was only yote I took a head shot with a airgun , and it ran and I did not find him , I did later find a dead coyote in the pond so I believe it was him , but because of this I never took another head shot nor would I use them hollow point slugs on coyotes , But this is just because in my mind I felt maybe the slug fragmated and maybe did not penatrate like a solid point would of , The reason I have taken so many coyotes is where I live it was all farm land and all the farms have been sold off and turned into housing devolopments , so the coyotes started going into large packs and going into residental areas and killing peoples pets and things it has gotten out of control , and also some of them coyotes hae devoloped mange and other dieases where they lose fur and litterly foaming at mouth , so If I see this I take them out immediately ,it is not uncommon for them coyotes to be like right outside my house howling or visciously trying to get into neighbors chicken cages get at other animals , but my gun of choice for coyotes is the .30 caliber with a 52 to 65 grain slug