Best caliber for fur?

[ChrisA]

Any centerfire 17 caliber with a 25 grain HP is consistently the most fur friendly option. I've taken coyotes out to 308 yards with a 17machIV and the now obsolete 25gr Berger match HP. All but one coyote have been bang-flop, the one runner was my fault because of a gut shot.

Chris

 

[MallardSX2]

.204

 

[Dana]

.20 or .224 pick your poison with the case or bullet. Experimentation is fun....

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Head shots with my .17WSM drop them where they stand every time so far. .204 is also does a great job for longer shots in vitals with minimal pelt damage.

 

[TheGDog]

What have you all had decent luck with in .223 Rem Lead-Free... that's Fur Friendly for yotes?

 

[Jardo]

all you guys are wrong. only fur friendly option for fur is an intergalactic death ray.

you dummies.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Dana]

Way overpenetrates ....grin

 

[TheGDog]

all you guys are wrong. only fur friendly option for fur is an intergalactic death ray.

Oh... so you mean the AR15? (Or at least.. this seems to be what the media has convinced the masses of anyway)

 

[MAndrews]

A couple of buddies and I were pretty serious coyote hunters in the TX panhandle back in the 80's when fur was worth a little more than now. The best we found was a 22/250 with a 50-55 gr bullet pushed as hard as you could get it safely. Most of our shots were at 250-400 yards on wheat fields and the .223 wouldn't always put them down reliably at the longer ranges. It also didn't buck the wind like the bigger gun did.

I also killed a bunch out of the back of a moving P/U on the flatter/smoother fields. My favorite set-up for this was a 3" 12 gauge with Federal copper plated #2's. It would roll them in a nice little ball when they were at a dead run. The extra $75-150 I could make on cold mornings was big money when I was making $10/hr.

 

[MAndrews]

One thing to add. If you hit bone with any centerfire rifle other than a .17 you'll get hide damage to some degree. That was another reason I liked the shotgun, I never lost money on 'yotes killed with it since the holes were small. We sold most of our hides "in the round" or in other words on the animal. We had a couple of buyers local that preferred them that way, less work than sloppy knife work for them.

 

[kodiak17]

If not too far out the 22 hornet should be a good option. The barnes varmint grenades work really well on foxes. So does the 17 Remington with 20gr Bergers

 

[Cur dog]

. 220 swift 52 grain smk don't even draw blood unless you nick them then you have a mess

 

[B23]

I would think bullet selection would play a bigger factor.

I agree. I think bullet selection has as much or even more to do with it than caliber.

In .22 cals the 52 and 53 gr SMK's are generally pretty easy on pelts.

I'm not a pelt saver so the bigger the hole/s a bullet leaves the better I like them. I like my coyotes to be more deader'er.

 

[Angler]

223 Remington 55 gr v-max, bullets go in and don't come out.

 

[Afhunter1]

Any centerfire 17 caliber with a 25 grain HP is consistently the most fur friendly option. I've taken coyotes out to 308 yards with a 17machIV and the now obsolete 25gr Berger match HP. All but one coyote have been bang-flop, the one runner was my fault because of a gut shot.

Chris

Yup. This guy knows what he’s talking about. Soon as I heard that bullet was being disc. I bought 3k of em. I got a lifetime supply for me. This is the best all around fur gun I have used. I use a custom cz527 with a shilen barrel in 17 rem. 25 gr bullet with 25 gr powder for 4K.

my predator rig. +/- 3” to 300yds!

 

[sportsmans challenge]

Yup. This guy knows what he’s talking about. Soon as I heard that bullet was being disc. I bought 3k of em. I got a lifetime supply for me. This is the best all around fur gun I have used. I use a custom cz527 with a shilen barrel in 17 rem. 25 gr bullet with 25 gr powder for 4K.

my predator rig. +/- 3” to 300yds!

View attachment 245854

Chris,
If you dont mind in a message or on here tell me more about your build. I have been looking at the 527 for a 22 grendel build for hunting. Seems like stock options are few and far between.

 

[Brian Stewart]

What about a 17 Hornet?
Disclaimer: I know SQUAT about predator/fur hunting.

It is an awesome round especially for calling. If hunting for mainly foxes it would be my number one choice although I've killed several bobcats and coyotes with it and never felt under gunned I still prefer carring a 17 rem in either a LVSF or an AR platform.

 

[Lgraham]

.17 predator is about as good as it gets on fur for yotes, most time with the .17 there’s no exit. A low velocity .22 ca centerfire can be fine too with the right bullets, I prefer soft point boat tail 55’s usually get a nickle size exit hole to sew up. Biggest thing is staying away from super high velocity and hitting major bone at sub 100 yards. That’s when things get messy fast.

 

[Afhunter1]

Chris,
If you dont mind in a message or on here tell me more about your build. I have been looking at the 527 for a 22 grendel build for hunting. Seems like stock options are few and far between.

It started life as a M1 223 which I rebarreled with a 17 cal shilen #1 finished at 22”. The factory trigger has been polished and is a creep free 2# normal or 8 oz in set trigger mode. That’s all that has been done. It is my most accurate gun and is a one holer. With the m4-2000 muffler it is awesome quiet. First night out hunting with a can I shot a fox and called a coyote in 5 min later that I almost shot too. I was sold! Ha ha

the factory plastic is pretty decent. I bedded mine and have no issues with accuracy.

 

[Afhunter1]

It is an awesome round especially for calling. If hunting for mainly foxes it would be my number one choice although I've killed several bobcats and coyotes with it and never felt under gunned I still prefer carring a 17 rem in either a LVSF or an AR platform.

I bought a ruger 17 hornet from you off predator masters years ago. I bedded that gun, installed trigger and bolt shims, and cut barrel to 19”. That gun is a nickel group all day too. I haven’t been over there too much last few years.