I call coyotes, in your face shooting is more common to me than anything over 300 yards so I set up for the close stuff and 4x-6x will kill any coyote within 300 yards. I spend a lot of time in the off season practicing off of my shooting sticks. I hunt coyotes for pelts and hunt a lot, retired and living in great coyote country. I also like hunting close cover, I find it much easier to call a coyote in the cover than try and call them out of it and I set up my rigs for that type of hunting.
What’s a good optic on an AR when hunting coyotes?
- Thread starter MoneyWaster
- Start date
That yote isn't dead .I can tell
Take a look at Primary Arms 1 to 8 power with the ACSS reticle. I have one on my 18" AR in 6.5 Grendel and I LOVE it. It has a lighted reticle that you can turn on low enough that it does not wash out your intended target in low light. Or you can put it on the highest setting and see it great in bright sun light. If you keep it on 1 power and light up the reticle you can use it about like a red dot. Then when you need more power crank it up. 8 power is plenty for 300ish yards or more shooting. I also have a 1 to 6 power like it on my A4 AR 223.
I also prefer lower magnification for hunting rifles. I run a VX3 2.5-8x36 on my .22-250 bolt gun. For an AR, a Leupold MK-AR 3-9x40 would get my vote.
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Trade-offs between the close stuff and the longer shots often depend on your experience and limitations as a rifleman. I've practiced a lot at short range, so I can find the target quickly with a 2x low end. At the same time, my eyes are not the best, so I prefer more like a 7x or 8x at the top end for shots past 100 yards.
You may be the opposite, needing a 1x to quickly find the target in close, but only needing a 4x out to 300 yards.
You may be the opposite, needing a 1x to quickly find the target in close, but only needing a 4x out to 300 yards.
I love the Leopold mk6 3-18. I have had Leupold replace the 5B pinch turrets with 5c turrets and it made a nice improvement. Have 3 or 4 of them on my various hunting rigs from 223AI, 22cm to 6.5saum. This picture is prior to having the punch turrets replaced. 
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
Plus it's illuminated even though I really don't care for the illumination as it's just something else to be screwing with when you should be shooting. It's a very clear scope and is built well. It's designed for .223/5.56 but I put it on my Grendel. Worth looking at.
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
Coyotes in N. Nevada can and will hang up from 250-500 yards. Not unusual for them to work down wind and give you a nice standing shot from 250-300 yards.
A 3-12 or a 4-16 is really nice to have with some target knobs marked to 500 so you can twirl it up at a glance. RARELY, do you have time to range a coyote.
A 3-12 or a 4-16 is really nice to have with some target knobs marked to 500 so you can twirl it up at a glance. RARELY, do you have time to range a coyote.
I guess how you hunt has a lot to do with it.
My nephew and I spent a week in northern NV(Elko) in late Sept. hunting coyotes. We killed coyotes everyday. We were shooting a number of rifles, experimenting with cartridges, bullets and scopes. We killed coyotes with 22 Mag, 218 Bee, 223, 22-250, 243 and a combo gun in 16ga/16ga/6.5x58R Sauer. Scopes used to kill coyotes were 1-4x20mm, 1.5-5x20mm, 1.5-6x42mm, 2.5-8x36mm and an old Balvar 8 2.5-8x?, we never had a coyote we couldn't kill because of the low power of the scope.
Most kills were with a Kimber 243 and Leupold 1.5-5x20mm with #1 reticle, including the longest at just 200 yards, my nephew takes the long ones he leaves the short ones to me. Three were killed under 20 yards with a Model 70 22-250 Leupold 2.5-8, Savage 11 22-250 2.5-8 Balvar 8 and the drilling in 16/16/6.5x58 with a Leupold 1-4x20mm.
If I have coyotes hang up beyond 300 yards I pretty much did something wrong. I also don't like to hunt areas where coyotes can look over the set up from that far away. I like them committed inside 300. That way you don't need turrets or fancy reticles and you can kill every coyotes with scopes under $300. That leaves a lot of money for gas and long hunting trips.
My nephew and I spent a week in northern NV(Elko) in late Sept. hunting coyotes. We killed coyotes everyday. We were shooting a number of rifles, experimenting with cartridges, bullets and scopes. We killed coyotes with 22 Mag, 218 Bee, 223, 22-250, 243 and a combo gun in 16ga/16ga/6.5x58R Sauer. Scopes used to kill coyotes were 1-4x20mm, 1.5-5x20mm, 1.5-6x42mm, 2.5-8x36mm and an old Balvar 8 2.5-8x?, we never had a coyote we couldn't kill because of the low power of the scope.
Most kills were with a Kimber 243 and Leupold 1.5-5x20mm with #1 reticle, including the longest at just 200 yards, my nephew takes the long ones he leaves the short ones to me. Three were killed under 20 yards with a Model 70 22-250 Leupold 2.5-8, Savage 11 22-250 2.5-8 Balvar 8 and the drilling in 16/16/6.5x58 with a Leupold 1-4x20mm.
If I have coyotes hang up beyond 300 yards I pretty much did something wrong. I also don't like to hunt areas where coyotes can look over the set up from that far away. I like them committed inside 300. That way you don't need turrets or fancy reticles and you can kill every coyotes with scopes under $300. That leaves a lot of money for gas and long hunting trips.
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TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
I gave up on scopes on my coyote gun {AR-5.56}. There were times I couldn't find the dog in the scope. I went to an EOTECH … Keep both eyes open and slam em.. I have hit and killed em at 300 yards a few times.
Mark M.
Silver $$ Contributor
A couple of thoughts, if you can't find a coyote in your scope, first, your rifle doesn't fit. Like a good bird gun when your rifles butt hits your shoulder your eye should be aligned with the scope, you shouldn't have to move your head around to see through the scope. I use various types of comb risers to fit my rifle too me, I also have short arms so most of my rifles get an inch sawn off the end of the stock.
Adjustable cheek piece
Adjustable cheek piece
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