.20VT a good choice for coyotes?

[K22]

Great point by Coyeteklr, it's all about shot placement. Case in point:

I'm an old fart too, hunted varmints forever. Was out yesterday, hit a monster groundhog at 178 yards with my 223, heard the "old thump" when the 50 grain bullet hit but that critter crawled about 15 yards into a tree line. I went over to investigate and found guts strewn all over the path to the hole. He was lying in the entrance to the hole, still breathing. I made a bad shot, gut shot him. Did the humane thing and finished him but even poor shot placement on a large groundhog won't work to well. I try very hard not to have this happen but it does occasionally. I've found that you can override poor marksmenship with cartridge power.

 

[Goofycat]

I've had gut shots happen also, but not too often. When it does happen, though, I just think about what happens when a coyote, bald eagle or red-tailed hawk gets hold of a ground squirrel. I don't know which is worse: a gut-shot or getting eaten alive. ???

 

[ab_bentley]

It'll do the trick, about 250yds IIRC. 32gr VMax over H4198 and SMR primer. Adam

 

[coyoteklr]

that is a nice looking rig......looks like an accutrigger ....whats all the rest.....
like i said above there is so much out there now that i am ignorant about......
the other day someone posted a 224ar..... i thought they had hit the 4 key instead of the 3 key....and i don't know what a IIRC is either, but with a 32 grainer it sounds fast.... i have a friend that shoots a 22 cheeta and man it zips and he is a good shot..... but yeah he still misses like the rest of us.....
i usually shot a 40 grainer in my swift until i got it ackley improved then went to 55's.... i may go back. you wouldn't think so but that extra 15 grains makes a difference in the wind... of course we don't have much wind on the eastern slope...... alright who said that......

when a pack (3 to 5) of coyotes grab a ewe they will grab the back leg if they are running and try to slow it or pull it down then another will grab the throat and pinch off the air.... and of course the others will stand there and twiddle their thumbs ubtil the ewe is dead.... or not ... it is also a case of eating while alive...
that is how you can usually tell a coyote kill... punctuer wounds on the throat where as with a domestic dog they will grab a flank and just rip out the guts..... sheep are just not fighters ... they give up and lie down and die....
that last part sounds like a story out of the bible.... except He knew the end game and didn't give up....no i didn't plan that wording all out.....
sooner or later everyone makes a gut shot... especially when you first start or at running shots.... the adrenalin rush is something else and the concentration is hampered....... and if it ever goes away you will probably find yourself in a pine box......
not as much rush as being shot off the end of a carrier, but during peace time i'll take the hunting coyotes....

 

[soldierofchrist]

I have killed Coyotes nicely before with a 22 Win mag don't see why a 20 VT wouldn't get the job done. You may want to shoot a tougher bullet like a 35 grain Berger to get better penetration but other then that your cartridge will have plenty enough Horsepower behind it to get the job done.

 

[zcrackshot]

I used a Savage Model 12 BVSS in 22-250 for years. I loaded it with 50 gr Blitzkings and 40 gr V-max's and never had trouble putting down coyotes inside of 400 yards. Beyond that a few made a run for it but were soon found. With the scope and all it weighed a lot to carry and I started carrying my 204. It's a great shooter and I have used it for quite a while now. I have taken dogs with 26 gr Varmint Grenades, 32 gr V-max's, 34 gr DogTown's (Midway USA brand), and 39 gr Blitzkings. I have yet to take a shot over 300 with the 204 but any one of the listed bullets has worked great for me. As a matter of fact, the DogTown's shoot incredibly accurately and are absolute killers! I wouldn't hesitate for a second to tote a 20VT after coyotes, I'm sure it's plenty for dogs no matter where their hides are grown! I hunt dogs for bounty not for pelts so I've never paid attention to the damage done by the bullet or the thickness of the hide.