17 Rem vs 204 Ruger for Coyotes

[spencerhenry]

I have not lost a coyote yet with the 17-223. I have had a couple of poorly placed shots that I followed up immediately with a second shot.
I used to use a 223, I lost a few coyotes. On a poorly placed shot, I was reluctant to shoot again because with a spinning coyote you don't know what you're going to get and I didn't want another big hole in the hide. The hesitation on a follow up shot cost me a few. The 17 with its tiny entrance hole, I am not afraid of putting a second one it it. I have never had a "splash" with the 17. It also requires no vertical adjustment out to over 300 yards.
22-250 puts them down hard, but I think in marginal shots it does much more hide damage. More than a few coyotes were left unskinned with a 22-250 bullet that layed open the whole side, or the spine shot that left a softball sized hole in the back.

 

[bbassi]

I go back and forth one year to the next between my 17R and a 20 Practical. Both are very effective inside 300. I love my 17R because I usually don't have to bother stitching the hole, and we shoot a few fox and bobcats around here too and the 17 was made for that, but I sure hate losing 17R brass. With the 20P i don't even bother looking. LOL

 

[searcher]

I'd definitely go with a .204 or .20 Practical and Barnes Varmint Grenades. Exits non-existent unless near-point blank. What works between the .17 and .20 is not so much the caliber - but bullet size and type. The heavier weight and frontal area allow less penetration than the smaller diameter bullets that don't open as quickly and hold together too much sometimes. The sintered bullets excel at dumping all the energy into the critter and doing massive internal damage, resulting in super quick kills. I Love 40 grain .224" V-Maxes, for example, on squirrels, but I've lost a lot of coyotes on imperfect shots using that bullet, though never lost any with the 50 Varmint Grenade - and fewer through-shots. I have written letters to Barnes asking them to do a .17 Varmint Grenade so I can have that bullet for my .17.

 

[dakor]

Thanks for the info everyone. I think I am going to build a 17 Rem first for next years calling season and a 204 the year after that. Than I will have both.

 

[bullseyeshtr]

I use a 204R for yotes in an AR for my night gun with a suppressor and night vision. I love it. I use 32 barnes varminators and have had only one exit but it was tiny at 400 yds. Still got $50 on carcass. Normally out to 250 broadside they just tip over with a behind the shoulder shot. Lost 1 due to scope error on my part and not reading the directions properly and hit him far back and couldn't get a second shot in him. I splashed one as well but that was my fault on shot placement. Other than those 2 instances, zero issues with a 204 on yotes and the fur buyer doesn't complain one bit.

 

[Mark M.]

204

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have fur rifles in 17 rem,20 practical,204 ruger,223 rem and 22-250. I grabbed the 17 before the others, until I started running suppressed. The 17's are not threaded(yet), so I may lean that way again as rifles are threaded. I much prefer a 20 cal over the 223 in a AR platform. Almost a dead heat between the 17 rem with 30's and the 20p or 204 with 40gr Nosler BT's for coyote fur. I like no exits and dead right there. I take a high percentage of head shots on sleeping coyote, the bullet must stay in the skull.

 

[MTSLW]

For those ranges, I'd say take your pick. .17's are hard to beat on fur though. I've been shooting a .17-204 with 32gr Reed's and it's fantastic out to 400. DRT on just about everything under 300, even behind the rib cage they don't go far at all. .20's are a bit more specific when it comes to stuff like cleaning rods and the like.

 

[aguwa]

I know this thread is a few years old but why not try to re start it , wondering why no one mentions the 222 rem that is my trade off gun just a tad bit More for those not so ideal shots and very fur friendly 50 gr soft point privy partisan ???

 

[boltfluter]

I know this thread is a few years old but why not try to re start it , wondering why no one mentions the 222 rem that is my trade off gun just a tad bit More for those not so ideal shots and very fur friendly 50 gr soft point privy partisan ???

Many years ago I used a nice little Remington 722 in .222. A very accurate little rifle, and great on coyotes with a Hornady 50 gr SX bullet. Never had an exit hole with that great little bullet. They were $9.95 per 100 bullets. The good old days!
Paul

 

[Bill K]

I have used both, but overall the 204 R, day to day would be the way to go.

 

[JB10]

I have a 204, never tried any of the 17's. My gunsmith loves the 17 fireball and 17hmr for close stuff. Just built a 20 practical and going to be trying it out soon on coyotes

 

[HillbillyLongRifle]

Ive killed Predators with both 17 and 20s. If you want a good all around Bobcat, Fox, and coyote Pelt saver and have a good supply of old 17 caliber bullets than build a 17 Rem!

If you dont have any of the older discontinued 17 caliber bullets than id lean towards the 20 caliber.

The 20 caliber depending on the bullet will destroy Fox and Bobcat pelts if the shot placement is off!
These are very thin skin!

If mainly calling or killing coyotes id build the 20 caliber!

I own both a 17 TAC and three 20 Tacs. They both will drop coyotes dead in their tracks with the right shot placement.

If im saving Bobcat and Fox furs i will carry my 17 TAC every time!

My best Bobcat and Fox rifle is a 17 Hornet!

 

[roband]

x2 on the above statement about fox and cats being thinned skinned.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

I am on the fence with what do build for a coyote calling rifle. I want no pelt damage and something that can kill out to 300 yards. That said 90 percent of the shots will be 200 yards or less. So should it be 17 rem with 25gr or 30gr bullets or a 204 with 35gr to 40gr bullets.

I had a 17 rem many years ago and it worked great on fox but I never shot a yote with it. I have never shot a 204 at all.

204 all the way,good to go out to 400 yards with the right ammo , one with a high BC, also ammo factory is readily available, decent ammo at that.

 

[dakor]

204 all the way,good to go out to 400 yards with the right ammo , one with a high BC, also ammo factory is readily available, decent ammo at that.

I tried the 204 on several coyotes. I lost one and had runners even under 50 yards even with 39gr speers. So I sold that rifle.

My 6x45 hits way harder and I do not get runners, same with the 220 swift. I built a 6-204 that I am going to try out this week on yotes.

With 55 ballistic tips leaving the muzzle at 3707fps I do not think I will have any runners.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

I tried the 204 on several coyotes. I lost one and had runners even under 50 yards even with 39gr speers. So I sold that rifle.

My 6x45 hits way harder and I do not get runners, same with the 220 swift. I built a 6-204 that I am going to try out this week on yotes.

With 55 ballistic tips leavng the muzzle at 3807fps I do not think I will have any runners.

Individual results may vary, but inmo ,and mine only any runner with a 204 is the result of improper shot placement, spoken by one who's taken hundreds most with 17 hornet. Not a slam on anyone just a statement of fact from my experiences.I only use factory ammo as I don't reload Federal Premium 40 grain Nosler ballistic tip has dropped them drt out at 400 with a 200 yard zero.

 

[dakor]

Individual results may vary, but inmo ,and mine only any runner with a 204 is the result of improper shot placement, spoken by one who's taken hundreds most with 17 hornet. Not a slam on anyone just a statement of fact from my experiences.I only use factory ammo as I don't reload Federal Premium 40 grain Nosler ballistic tip has dropped them drt out at 400 with a 200 yard zero.

When you hit them in the heart broadside at 51 yards and they run another 75 yards and pile up or shoot them front on in the chest under 100 yards and they run 150 yards I don't think its shot placement.

Since I am calling these my average shot is less than 100 yards. 90 % are under 50 yards and are front on chest shots. So that's in the boiler room and not the guts.

Front on chest shots with the 6x45, 220 swift, 6-284 and they drop every time. So after playing around with a 204 on 9 yotes and only dropping 3 out of 9 on the spot I went back to what works.

I recovered 8 of the 9 I shot so I could see where the hit was. If it was a bad shot I would take the blame they were not bad shots.

The coyote I lost was shot at 173 yards broadside and hit in the lungs. It spun and spun biting at behinds its shoulder. Fell down got up and took off and ran 500ish yards into a big slough. Never to be found.

So if you have had good luck with yours keep running it. I did not so I went back to what works.

 

[aer21]

Dakor, what bullet was that in the 9 above?

 

[dakor]

Dakor, what bullet was that in the 9 above?

39gr Speer TNT. I was going to try 35 Bergers but after talking with several guys I know that ran them they said not to waste my time as they were switching because of runners.

One guy I know went to 50gr Bergers he has a pile of them and he said that they seem to work a lot better. My rifle was a 12 twist so 50's were not an option and they quit making them so there is also that.