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Korgs130
01-08-13, 11:42
I知 going coyote hunting on a fairly large farm in Central Illinois this Spring and I知 looking for advice on optics for my AR. I知 fairly proficient with my current set up, a 2 MOA H1 with an Aimpoint x3 in a LaRue flip mount. Will I be okay with this set up or would I be better served with more magnification? If I went with more of a traditional hunting scope, would I benefit from an illuminated reticle for low light situations? This will be my first time hunting so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

jmnielsen
01-08-13, 11:58
I guess it depends on your terrain, and what time of day you plan on going. I hunt in the wide open sandhills in the midwest some, and some in more wooded areas. My sandhill rifle has a 6.5-20 Cabelas Alaskan guide scope, and for closer shooting I have a Leupold VX-1 shotgun scope with turkey plex reticle. I can get by in the sandhills with the smaller scope, but not in the trees with the bigger scope. I think a 2-7 or 2-8 would be a good setup for all around use. As for illumated reticle, I can't comment too much. No issues here early morning or late evening with my scopes. And at night I have a spotlight and no troubles seeing the reticles.

JW5219
01-08-13, 12:09
The gun as it is should be just fine for your use. Field of view is more important in most cases than magnification when coyote hunting. They don't stand still very often. How you set up to call is more important than your gun, optic or calls you use.
Good luck!

usmc1371
01-08-13, 12:42
I hunt dogs in a mix of very open and steep wooded terrain, my .204 ar wears a leupold 4.5x14 LR and my 16" 5.56 has a leupold 1.25x4 VXR. The lower mag scope works good in both open and thick country inside of a couple hundred yards where 90% of my coyotes are killed. The .204 is set up for open country and with 4.5 as the lowest magnifaction some times it hard to get onto dogs that pop up close and they don't stop moving for long. Honestly your aim point set up will be a blast for coyotes and I would use what you have, you will have fun I promis. After a few try's with the aim point you will have a good idea of what you want If you do decide to change. Good luck and have fun.

jmnielsen
01-08-13, 14:11
I hunt dogs in a mix of very open and steep wooded terrain, my .204 ar wears a leupold 4.5x14 LR and my 16" 5.56 has a leupold 1.25x4 VXR. The lower mag scope works good in both open and thick country inside of a couple hundred yards where 90% of my coyotes are killed. The .204 is set up for open country and with 4.5 as the lowest magnifaction some times it hard to get onto dogs that pop up close and they don't stop moving for long. Honestly your aim point set up will be a blast for coyotes and I would use what you have, you will have fun I promis. After a few try's with the aim point you will have a good idea of what you want If you do decide to change. Good luck and have fun.

My open range rifle is a .204 as well. Awesome round!

Shokr21
01-08-13, 14:23
I use a vortex SPARC 2moa dot.

The longest shot that we have available to us is 350 yards, but most shots are from 90-150 yards. The 2moa is fine for that. When the yotes get past 175 I'll let the guy with the remmy 700 in 308 bark first. I can't remember his exact optic but I believe it's a 3- something. He also carries a 12 gauge with bead sights for the closer dogs.

This 3 gun setup works for us darn near every time we have a good shot. We've taken 9 dogs this year and had 6 more show up but never get close enough or slow down enough to venture a shot.

Good luck killing those song dogs!

Korgs130
01-08-13, 20:15
Thanks for all of the great input. I am looking forward to it. Any recommendations for a good 5.56mm/.223 round to use?

JW5219
01-09-13, 09:30
Thanks for all of the great input. I am looking forward to it. Any recommendations for a good 5.56mm/.223 round to use?

Stick with a soft point bullet (55-60grs) or something loaded with a Sierra 55gr hollowpoint, and you should be fine. Personally, I am not a fan of light, plastic tipped bullets.

Korgs130
01-09-13, 10:10
Stick with a soft point bullet (55-60grs) or something loaded with a Sierra 55gr hollowpoint, and you should be fine. Personally, I am not a fan of light, plastic tipped bullets.

Would 75gr or 77 gr OTM be overkill?

Hehuhates
01-09-13, 10:13
Stick with a soft point bullet (55-60grs) or something loaded with a Sierra 55gr hollowpoint, and you should be fine. Personally, I am not a fan of light, plastic tipped bullets.

Why not? I have lots of success with 55gr. VMax etc. I've had 60gr. soft points blow huge holes in Coyotes, and destroy fox.

jmnielsen
01-09-13, 10:16
I really like the vmax rounds for coyotes. I've never had a problem with them destroying the fur with an edit wound. Seems to me they fragment very well and all that is noticed on the fur is a small entry wound.

Shokr21
01-09-13, 10:21
Re: Ammo

I've used everything from 855 to soft points to nosler tipped federal rounds.

Use a round that you know your zero for. Accurate hits are king, they're small animals anyway, I've never hit one and had to track more than 150m most are down <100m.

usmc1371
01-09-13, 11:18
The heavier HP rounds work fine and you will get an exit wound for sure. I have had good luck with the vmax bullets in 223 they seem to put dogs down fast. I have killed more than a few with pmc xtac lately and really I think it works fine. I don't save hides so big exit wounds don't matter to me at all.
The .204 with 32 grain Vmax will snatch the life right out of a coyote and inside of 200 yards I don't exit wounds very often.
If you shoot them from the front or through the ribs ( not the shoulders) they go down quick and the exit holes ain't bad.

The 260 grain nosler acubond is really not a bad coyote round as long as you have absolutely No desire to keep the hide. The fur you can see is pretty much whats left, CZ 550 375 H&H.
.http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i365/usmc_1371/coyote375.jpg

Hehuhates
01-09-13, 11:57
I sell mine to the taxidermist. He'd rather they had one or two small holes. The 55gr. poly-tipped bullets seem to work best for me. They are very accurate too, even in my 1:7 16". I did hit a big male 40+ pounds at about 15 yards that got messy though.

rocsteady
01-10-13, 19:54
Check this thread for lots of terrific testimonials on the Barnes 70 g TSX.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=94628

Korgs130
01-17-13, 22:05
Thanks again for all the great advice.

SteveS
01-17-13, 22:31
Guys get them yotes!!!!

hjmpanzr
01-18-13, 23:21
Would 75gr or 77 gr OTM be overkill?

Both 77gr (mk262) and 75gr Hornady TAP work very well inside 200 yds no experience beond that with those bullets (although I still love the 22-250 for those things).
As far as scopes, the nightforce 2.5-10 is superb but have taken most with a very old leupold 3-9.

Shooter07
01-29-13, 18:11
I知 going coyote hunting on a fairly large farm in Central Illinois this Spring and I知 looking for advice on optics for my AR. I知 fairly proficient with my current set up, a 2 MOA H1 with an Aimpoint x3 in a LaRue flip mount. Will I be okay with this set up or would I be better served with more magnification? If I went with more of a traditional hunting scope, would I benefit from an illuminated reticle for low light situations? This will be my first time hunting so any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

First off, i just wanted to say hello to a fellow 50th AS veteran. I was stationed at LRAFB with the 50th as a Loadmaster from 03-06. Your avatar caught my eye as you don't generally see it floating around the message boards.

As for your questions:

What rig are you using? What will the terrain and shot distances be looking like on this trip?

Will_Power
02-01-13, 00:20
Just to tag a "me, too!" onto this thread, but I'd sure appreciate some feedback on a starter or budget mil/mil scope that would work for coyotes. Looking to pick one up soon and am a bit overwhelmed with all my options (weaver tactical, primary arms, millet tactical, or the fixed 10x's from swfa and bushnell tacticall...).

Korgs130
02-01-13, 09:05
First off, i just wanted to say hello to a fellow 50th AS veteran. I was stationed at LRAFB with the 50th as a Loadmaster from 03-06. Your avatar caught my eye as you don't generally see it floating around the message boards.

As for your questions:

What rig are you using? What will the terrain and shot distances be looking like on this trip?

Devils! I was in the Fightin' Five-Oh from Oct 98 - Dec 02. Good times.

For my my rig, I'll use my BCM 14.5' Mid-length. Hunting will be on a farm in Central IL. So the terrain is very flat and open. I'm sure there will be opportunities for some pretty long shots, but I don't see me taking a shot beyond the 200 yard range.

I'm completing the assembly of a Novveske carbine right now and I'm seriously considering variable optic for it, but that more than likely won't come together before the hunt.

rocsteady
02-02-13, 11:26
Looking forward to hearing how everything works for you equipment and success-wise.

Good luck.

farmhard
02-05-13, 18:39
i'm a little late to the party so here goes, where i hunt in eastern kansas we have open prairie to heavy timber. so i use a vortex 1x4 for short range on my 16in gun and a redfield 3x9 on my 6.8spc for longer distance. on the ammo, i use what shoots the best groups. your shooting at a damn small target that likes to move, shot placement is tops for me.

good luck. and knock em dead

walker2713
09-22-13, 14:36
I think you'll be in great shape with the red dot and magnifier. Most of my experience has been with a higher power scope, and I'm anxious to try the H-1 hunting coyotes.

Here's a pic of my .204 Ruger with a Bushnell 2.5-16 Elite 6500 scope....


http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb419/Vartarg/file_zpsd6e36576.jpg (http://s1204.photobucket.com/user/Vartarg/media/file_zpsd6e36576.jpg.html)


George

tmanker
09-26-13, 21:04
Young dog messing in my garbage. He got the 5.56 at 80 yards. It's a BCM 16" with TA31RCO with my custom krylon job. Before you laugh at the flashlight, let it be known I've used it several times in low light on dogs. Here in Iowa, that scope is absolutely perfect. 4x is plenty to 300 yards. I think WAY too many guns are over-scoped for predator hunting. If the bravo company failed, my draht would have probably done worse things to that pup.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i75/thebestofindica/fb2e9d1b9f4c45485940c59ddd960f74.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i75/thebestofindica/2fec54bad62e3ac12a21c69506335652.jpg


http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i75/thebestofindica/dd1306c80633ffb1214cf164ac5acc15.jpg

GunBugBit
09-30-13, 14:36
That yote never felt a thing.

A friend gave me a low end 4x optic and while the magnifcation is probably fine for coyote hunting inside of 150 yards, I find the image too blurry. Not good glass I think. I have a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 on my LR-308; something along these lines is what I'm looking for but in a more streamlined format.

SIGFORALL
10-05-13, 20:23
This is my source for everything Coyote!

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

gun71530
10-05-13, 20:31
I tend to use my T1, but I hunt in farmland/heavy brush.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

tmanker
10-05-13, 22:09
I tend to use my T1, but I hunt in farmland/heavy brush.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2


I've tried the T1 with 3x, but here in Iowa, it just isn't the best choice. Most of my calling is from a terrace in an open field. 4x is good to 300 yards and if I can't get them that close, I need a new new hobby. But I love me that T1!

murphman
10-09-13, 19:43
The other weekend Natchez had demo Nikon coyote specials that looked interesting. Curious if anyone has ever played with one, I liked the front lens device that is similar to what you can put on an Aimpoint.

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=NK8454D&lsrc=NZ&utm_source=NZ&src=BE1292&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=09262013Nikon

levik97
10-13-13, 19:23
Anybody use irons for coyotes?

Levi

GunBugBit
10-13-13, 20:29
I have gone coyote hunting with just irons. The yotes failed to appreciate it and did not present themselves.

Hehuhates
10-14-13, 12:15
Anybody use irons for coyotes?

Levi

I have used irons for coyotes and deer. Both shots were inside of 80yards. Not hard shots. To me irons are fun to shoot and more accurate than a red dot.

GunBugBit
10-14-13, 16:01
I agree that irons are fun; I enjoy the challenge of irons and like to return to basics often. Predator hunting is a good venue for the challenge of applied iron-sight shooting.

Nino5150
10-20-13, 13:27
I use a Vortex SPARC optic and 55gr polymer tips to keep hide in good shape.

Turnkey11
10-31-13, 22:11
A simple red dot is where its at, if its NV compatible its even better. NODS + red dot + IR light source (built in illuminator will do out to 50 yards or so) is a winning combination. I also use the IR to find my dog, most mammals eyes glow if you shine IR at them which helps out a lot if youre covering entire fields at night...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/Homestead/IMG_20131031_205506_4871_zps1699595e.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/nf9648/Homestead/IMG_20131031_210550_1111_zpsdc06f13f.jpg