What action for a hunting rifle

skeetlee said:
I can guarantee one thing. Whatever I choose to do will be accurate. Why would anyone want a so so accurate rifle for any reason? Accuracy is always a primary concern for me. Actually I see no reason what so ever that a custom coyote rifle couldn’t have the accuracy potential of a bench gun. If built properly there is no reason for it not to be. At least in my mind, Lee
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I'm with you skeeter.... I simply cannot fathom why anyone would purposely build an inaccurate rifle! The only exceptions are classic style showpieces like the Martini above or designs like Butch Lambert's Blue-&-Steel walking hunters. And of course "Dangerous Game" rifles, but dude specifically said "varmint, prairie dog and coyote" hunting.....

When I started shooting ground squirrels I set down and figured out at what range my factory rifles would HAVE TO miss. A squirrel killzone stands maybe 8-10" tall and 1.5-2" wide, so with an MOA rifle up and down was OK out to 3-400yds with my "accurate" factory guns but the guns themselves would start missing side-to-side at under 200yds!!!!! NO windcall, NO error, just MISSING. And I wanted to do like the big boys did, shoot stuff at "more than 200 yards." :)


I've learned though that most of the population are really just about Pray-N-Spray, they don't really care that the rifle is INCAPABLE OF HITTING MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME on a 200 yard ground squirrel! This is weird to me. When my moa rifle AUTOMATICALLY MISSES a prairie dog at 300yds by shooting right past it even when my hold/call is good then my effective range is 350yds MAX. Then luck becomes a factor.

wheeeee.......

And there are hunting shows that tout shooting elks and deers and stuff at ridiculous yardages using equipment that's marginally 1MOA. A RIFLE capable of 10" groups at 1000yds and an animal with a killzone about the same size....and they say "shoot!"

IMO if you're gonna' shoot stuff beyond 300yds you need yourself a 1/4moa rifle.

And then there's the "hunters" who smugly say "walk in closer so's you can shoot 'em with your Mouser." As a 30yrs bowhunter I giggle at this...

I live in big country. I _could_ shoot a 1000yd deer from my garage door. And it would take about 45min to "walk up on" the animal. I can picture a lot of situations where "walking in" 300-400yds is an hour prospect. the animal can be in the next ZIP Code by then. And of course "walking up on" coyotes and prairie dogs is laughable.

Anyways, I respect your decision.
al
 
Depending on what type of coyote hunting you're into and what caliber you're thinking of, what about an accurate AR15 in 223? Less than 1/2 MOA is easy with a good barrel and you can do the work yourself including the barrel. Brownell's is carrying BAT barrel extensions which are by far the best I've used, other than that find a good take-off benchrest barrel for cheap ($100 usually). The long range rigs have 28" or better barrels with faster twists and they have plenty of meat on them for cutting 4-6" off the chamber end. After your done with it the throat looks like a brand new barrel and they shoot lights out. Again, it depends on what you want for a coyote rifle, but an ultra-accurate semi-auto is very nice when more than one coyote comes into the call. After dumping the first one howl your head off, get the other(s) to stop and plug another one.
 
msalm said:
Depending on what type of coyote hunting you're into and what caliber you're thinking of, what about an accurate AR15 in 223? Less than 1/2 MOA is easy with a good barrel and you can do the work yourself including the barrel. Brownell's is carrying BAT barrel extensions which are by far the best I've used, other than that find a good take-off benchrest barrel for cheap ($100 usually). The long range rigs have 28" or better barrels with faster twists and they have plenty of meat on them for cutting 4-6" off the chamber end. After your done with it the throat looks like a brand new barrel and they shoot lights out. Again, it depends on what you want for a coyote rifle, but an ultra-accurate semi-auto is very nice when more than one coyote comes into the call. After dumping the first one howl your head off, get the other(s) to stop and plug another one.
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I kinda' agree with this as a viable choice for a coyote gun. And I'm a guy who feels really weird about carrying a military style rifle in the woods.

I do. It bothers me to be associated with the type of people who really get off on it. Sooooo, guys like me need to bite the bullet and CHANGE that perception.

Guns is guns.

I'm blessed to be able to have all of the above so I can choose my poison. Maybe one day I'll be man enough to hunt sagerats with an AR

LOl

al
 
I don't know if it helps your decision or not but you can get Bat actions with a Panda tenon, may help with the using old benchrest barrels thing if you or friends have Stolle bench actions.
 
First of all thanks for the participation. I know topics like this one can lead in a lot of different directions. This one has been a good and I thank you all for that.
I have wanted a 22-250AI for about as long as I have been shooting accurate rifles. I say every year that I am going to build one, and I have even went as far as buying a few components for one. At the moment I have nothing at all to hunt with.
Every year it seems to me that I loose a little excitement to hunt and kill. Not sure why but that's just the way it is with me. Now with that said, I haven’t lost all my enjoyment in hunting. I used to kill truck loads of coyotes every season and I loved it. I kinda miss it. I have gained a few new farms to hunt on and I think this year I will do some hunting again. I will figure something out. Lots of good choices out there. Isn’t it cool!!!! Lee
 
A suggestion : try the .220 Wilson Arrow .
It was used as a Benchrest cartridge.



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Glenn;)
 
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6mm 250 AI variants

here are a cupla other good/practical/accurate/deadly rounds that also can be used in Hunter class comp. that are perfect varmint/coyote/antelope/deer ctgs...these are 6mm and 30 cal versions of the 22/250 AI,,,I call em SAILOR...Savage Ackley Improved LOng Range...Roger
PS,,,call Kiff and ask about my reamers....here are a cupla other good/practical/accurate/deadly rounds that also can be used in Hunter class comp. that are perfect varmint/coyote/antelope/deer ctgs...these are 6mm and 30 cal versions of the 22/250 AI,,,I call em SAILOR...Savage Ackley Improved LOng Range...Roger
 
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