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smallest caliber to kill coyote with a body shot?

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There's no way to really answer the question as posed since judging killing power base purely on caliber is only looking at part of the equation. The other part is the velocity of your projectile and how much energy it retains at the target [not the muzzle]. I would not think less that 50 ft lbs is sufficient for an ethical repeatable kill using perfect shot placement on a medium game animal. Other people have other opinions, that's mine.

Not trying to be critical, but anyone who is not experienced enough at hunting to know where to hit the specific animal species' vitals, when to shoot and not shoot based on the position of the animal, know your weapon's effective lethal, and have enough trigger time to maintain your point of aim during a period of excitement [buck fever]- I'd just implore that person to get some education and practice before shooting at anything that big. From a legal perspective, as I said in response to your other post, over here in PA you need a furbearer license to take a fox or coyote and you can't hunt either with a pellet gun without a special permit. That could get you in trouble or worse. All it takes is one highly public incident for folks in a locality to want to slap restrictions on air rifles that currently do not exist. Its easy to forget that you are a part of a much larger hunting community already struggling with bias and bad press, and an individual's actions can have consequences- especially in the age of social media.




 
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If it’s a rural coyote killing pets, you will most likely be shooting at closer ranges. .25 cal with a heavy pellet, jsb 33 grain or eunjin 43.2 will do the job and be safer than a slug. A .30 shooting 44.75 polymag on a rural coyote will also do nicely. Out in the country , I’d use slugs no matter which caliber, where there is less danger of a pass through going awry. Know your gun, your quarry, be humane. 
 
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Head shot and brain shot, different things. There is a lot of room in the head to miss the brain, which can result in a pitifully wounded animal. Although I'm not an advocate of taking larger animals with air rifles, I disagree with the above comment about a heart/lung shot resulting in an inhumane kill. My guess, 90% of big game is taken with that shot. Yeah, from the animal's perspective I'm sure it's unpleasant, but how far can we go in analyzing that effect? Arrows kill by hemorrhage, so you wait for the animal to bleed to death. I know this, a well placed chest shot is more humane than putting a slug through a jaw or nose. And that's within the margin of error for a clean heart/lung shot.
 
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I like to share my thoughts on this discussion. 

A well placed temple shot was the key to my success in dropping the two coyotes that I had gotten so far.

Thanks Deadaim for the post.

The first coyote was shot in May of 2019 with an 18gr pellet(32 ft.lb) and the second coyote was shot in May of this year with a 23 gr slug (45 ft.lb). Both coyotes were hit at the temple 70 yards away. In both cases I had lots of time to pull the trigger as they were just laying there for a long time. The opportunities were very rare indeed.

It was a sensitive discussion to argue whether or not with a .22 calibre would be a humane thing to do. I practice a lot with target shooting and I know what I can do my tool and I also know my limit in terms of accuracy at longer ranges. I wouldn't have taken the shot if I wasn't certain I can place it at the temple area at 70 yards. Call it lucky or whatever, but I was very happy with the results and the farmers were delighted as I had helped her reducing the chances of her animals being taken by these coyotes.

But I would not recommend anyone to just pick up any gun to shoot at coyotes either with head shot or body shot.

Only you know whether you are up for the task and how confident you have with your tool.

Thanks. 
 
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I have always thought about taking a coyote with an air rife but never tried it. I had a local dairy farmer ask me to sit in his barn where he kept calves. A coyote kept trying to get in the barn and he really wanted me to try shooting it with a wildcat that I had. I never did but I’m sure I could have. Here’s one of the prettiest coyotes I ever shot



E3B09869-3ACB-4AC3-B34A-3199F5E838DD.1603463393.png

 
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I shot 3 yotes on or near my property with a 22rf using standard velocity 40 grain match bullets. All of them ran off in a wounded fashion from chest shots done 40 to 110Y. I'm pretty sure they died but I didn't feel good about the outcome?? I should have tried hollow points like stingers or yellow jackets but thought better and changed my mind.

I shot another one with a 17Rem in the backbone offhand at 130Y or so. Then tried to dispatch it with my 22 cal 29fpe PCP using 18gr JSB. Shot it in the head at 30Y, then 20Y, then muzzle to the head, darned if only the muzzle to the head went to the brain, I was very surprised that the others basically glanced off ??? Felt really bad about that!

Little centerfires only from now on for me even though these are just vermin....




 
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There is a ton of talk about how any caliber no matter how small can do anything. I have VERY limited experience (thought that should not matter to this argument) but I have seen .22 and .177 pellets bounce of squirrels. Repeatedly. At under 30 yards.

Now some of that may be my lack of marksmanship. Though that can't be the case from a few feet away. And heck, the squirrels fell over at the first shot or I wouldn't have had to worry about a second.

That's why I got a .25, even for squirrels.

I wonder if some of the arguments for using virtually any caliber with virtually any gun at any range depend upon one or more of two things:

1. I'm an expert marksman who will effectively never miss to any measurable extent, and/or

2. I'm not really involved in the discussion in the first place, i.e., I don't care what happens to my targets; I just want to shoot them.

I'm not even judging here so much as implied: If you are a farmer/rancher who makes his living off of what your acreage will provide, then I can understand your doing whatever is necessary, absent over-the-top cruelty, to keep your thing going. You've got a family; people have to take care of themselves; I get it.

Farmers should still be held to a high standard, as should anyone with a machine capable of propelling a destructive missile. But if they take heart/lung shots instead of brain shots, I can see where they're coming from as long as they meet the usual standard for anyone with a firearm: Practice and know what you are doing so you don't wind up doing anything stupid or cruel.

Recreational hunters and casual backyard "snipers" should be held to a higher standard. Certainly to a higher one than "who cares about cruelty." You may have something in jeopardy, but it is likely not your family and your future. It is simply your leisure time, by and large.

If it is a leisure activity, or one with minor consequence, you might as well follow your state's hunting license rules as anyone else. Everyone loves a rebel, but being a rebel about squirrels or ducks or deer is pretty weak.


 
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Just have to make this comment. First I have shot everything from bats to wolves pesting, no not with a airgun for all. Have shot this year over 5000 pigeons, doves (collard) and starlings plus 5000 ground squirrels with a airgun this year. Now to piss off some. Why is it those who have not shot these "pests" have the most profound opinion on killing them. Guess I'm just a grumpy old man sorry. 
 
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Probably because they are trying to look at the issue directly and use logic that applies.

I'm a master gardener. You wouldn't believe the weird old wives tales the students would bring in to announce how they plan to grow their crops. Some of it was hard to hear without laughing out loud. And anytime it wasn't about the science, well, then it was getting into magic territory. The best thing the program taught me is to rely on the University-vetted science and not what somebody's beloved auntie used to do, or myths and legends. Even experienced gardeners often don't really understand what they are doing very well, or why they are often succeeding despite what they do rather than because of it. And some people just like magic.

I'd refer people to their local Department of Fish and Wildlife for recommendations. AND to stay within the law.

People can do all kinds of stuff. Doesn't mean they should.

For my part, I find many people's claims of competence or virtue to be highly exaggerated, to say the least. Especially on the internet. Precise shot placement, consistently, is not something I'd leap to believe in. If that is a necessary condition of shooting the smallest caliber possible, then maybe shooting the smallest caliber possibly is a deservedly suspect notion.
 
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In my experience, I've killed them w a .30 cal slug and .30 cal pellet, 101 yards w the slug ( through and through) 75 yards w the pellet, both body shots. The 75 yard pellet went completely through, entering behind the lungs as it was quartering away, and coming out near the front shoulder on the opposite side. 

940 fps w a .44 grain pellet and 880 fps w a 49 grain Nielsen. 

Not sure I'd take those shots with my .25 Vulcan. These are California yotes, 20-25 lbs. 

Head shooting only, for me, w the .25 cal. I can't have a wounded animal going onto another property and dying.

I've been setting coyote stands recently and using a shotgun, to make sure they drt. Not as fun, but they need to be thinned out.
Click to expand...

What were their reactions after being shot? Any difference or maybe both DRT?
 
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@ bolo, there was a big difference between the two animals final minutes. The pellet shot coyote bounded 10 yards, over a slight rise, and expires about 25 yards further on. It was dead when I peaked over the rise, on its side. The slug shattered animal spun around like ot was going to bites its tail and fell off into a ditch, it wasn't truly drt, but it went out of our world faster than the pellet smacked coyote.

I'd like to echo, that slugs are dangerous even after they've hit something. I'm using pelletws more frequently to minimize possible problems with pass through or misses. 
 
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