.308 varmint/predator

Started by Lost Hunta, January 27, 2005, 10:30:40 AM

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Lost Hunta

would .308 Win be too big for say coyotes? It's all i got but i have plans for another H&R Ultra but varminter version in .223. not for a long while though
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rockinbbar

A .308 will kill them for sure....
You might not have much fur left over once they are hit with it though, if you were planning on saving the hides.

Don't they make an extra barrel in .223 that will go on the H&R?

Rockin'
Remind yourself often to SEE not just "look".

Gmoney

A .308 will destroy a coyote....bad for furs but good for being dead...
-Greg
 
Personal field testing trumps everything no matter what Field and Stream says, what your degree of perceived manhood is, or what your buddies think.

Lost Hunta

that's right they do but they havta put the barrel on don't they? I i could do it then i'd just grab a .223 barrel but if they've got to everytime then that'd be a waste of a .308 barrel. Maybe i can swap the barrels regularly my self? otherwise the handi-rifles are cheaper but are lacking in the bull barrel part
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rockinbbar

I think they must fit the barrel at the factory, after that, you can change them at will.

Rockin'
Remind yourself often to SEE not just "look".

Lost Hunta

alrighty then. Ya know i got some lip from others who were dumbfounded by getting a single-shot of all guns. but single shots (break-action) can easily converted from one caliber to another by just a few screws and common-sense, well and a manual just in case.
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Lost Hunta

just uh won't the parts get worn out from being removed at put on again aginagin ect. and if i had say a scope for both barrels if the zero would move from removing the barrel then once i was done with the other putting it back on? confused i know :)
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Rohann

Hmm,
I think a .308 would work fine for coyote, though you would either need to get about a 100 grain bullet (if can find one, not sure if they factory produce 'em), or shoot with Mil.Surp FMJ bullets (are they legal to hunt with?)
 
-Rohann

Gmoney

A lot of factory .308's that I have seen do not shoot that light of a bullet very well....
-Greg
 
Personal field testing trumps everything no matter what Field and Stream says, what your degree of perceived manhood is, or what your buddies think.

OregonBoy

I've seen one coyote shot with a 180gr factory load. The exit wound was the same size as the entrance, but the 'yote dropped on the spot.  I think a 308 would make make a great predator rig in areas where your calling might bring in a bear.

Daryl (deceased)

Having shot a good number of coyotes with larger than needed calibers, I can tell you that you'll get anything but predictable results.  One will shoot through and leave a small exit, then the next might nearly blow a coyote in half.
 
If you MUST shoot them with a heavy caliber, my advice is to use a heavily constructed bullet designed for penetration, and then don't hit any heavy bones.
 
Good luck,
Daryl
A government that abrogates any of the Bill of Rights, with or without majoritarian approval, forever acts illegitimately, becomes tyrannical, and loses the moral right to govern-Jeffrey Snyder
 

RIP Linden33

Lost Hunta

say what do hides go for? and what type of a bullet (specific) would you recommend
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Daryl (deceased)

LH,
 
Don't use Sierra.  They're very accurate, but they come apart pretty easily from what I've seen.
 
Any other standard bullet on the heavy-for-caliber side should work fine, at least part of the time.  For the .308, I'd suggest 150-180 grains.  Light, fast bullets are usually designed for violent expansion; heavier bullets usually have a heavier jacket and won't expand as quickly.  I'm partial to Speer bullets, but others work about as well or maybe even better.  I've seen ordinary run of the mill Speer 180 grain BTSP's out of a .300 win mag that simply shot a small hole (3/4 inch exit) all the way through a broadside coyote.
 
Hit a heavy bone with any of them out of a .308 though, and the pieces of bone act as shrapnel that gennerally blow out the other side and leave a gaping hole.
 
Hides can sell for anywhere from 0-50 dollars, depending on condition of the fur and the amount of damage done to it.  A lot depends on what area the coyote comes from.
 
Good luck,
Daryl
A government that abrogates any of the Bill of Rights, with or without majoritarian approval, forever acts illegitimately, becomes tyrannical, and loses the moral right to govern-Jeffrey Snyder
 

RIP Linden33

Trucker

It seems to me that the .243 win is one of the most versatile rifle bullets there is.  Any comments?
Steve

Daryl (deceased)

Trucker,
 
Versatile?  Yep, a person could say that.  Fur friendly?  Not a chance!  I shot (????? only the good Lord knows how many?) coyotes from the mid 70's through the late 1990's with a .243 Winchester.  You bet it's effective, but it blows large holes in hides.
 
Don't seem to matter what bullet is used...fur friendly it isn't, at least no more so than any number of other calibers including the 7mm Rem Mag!
 
With fur prices finally going back up to some degree, I've moved "up" in a sense, to smaller calibers.  Coyotes are just as dead, and there is, at the worst, less of a mess to sew up.
 
My first of recent attempts was a .223, and I thought I had the perfect fur friendly calling rifle...until I gutted a nice bobcat about 13 months back.  Since then I've been using the .17 Remington, and am very satisfied with it's results so far.
 
I'm not a big fan of "versatile" rifles these days, unless there's no opportunity for owning more than one or maybe a few.  Now days I like to use firearms intended for specific purposes, and that also makes it easy to have an excu....err..a reason to buy another! :)
 
BTW-I still have a pre '64 model 70 in .243 in my safe, but it's more of a back-up rifle to others that are more suited to specific needs.  In that sense, versatile isn't such a bad thing!
 
Take care,
Daryl
A government that abrogates any of the Bill of Rights, with or without majoritarian approval, forever acts illegitimately, becomes tyrannical, and loses the moral right to govern-Jeffrey Snyder
 

RIP Linden33

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