Yote Management With AR Platform, Fav Barrel Length And Caliber?

[DougGuy]

Thinking of assembling an AR for managing yotes on a local farm, probably use PSA stuff whatever they have on sale. Haven't seen the farm yet, it's small at 6 acres so won't have any 350yd shots, I imagine 150-200 might be the most distance.

What would you choose for caliber and barrel length? It doesn't have to be MOA, it can be a pistol length 10.5" with a can and get the job done.

My first thoughts are to use the one I already have in 300 AAC, and shoot 150gr supersonic, saving my 220gr subs for a different type of adversary..

Once we figure it out, might assist the land owner in assembling her own AR I don't think she has one. Yet.

[cattleskinner]

If it were me, and it isn't going to be a all the time rifle, I would just pick up a bag of 110 or 125 gr. bullets and load them for a slightly extended range.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

I’d probably look at Palmetto State Armory’s “Daily Deals” and find a 16” upper in .223 that called out to me, and use it on the lower I already have. Although they do have some bodacious deals on lowers as well.

I haven’t lost a ‘yote I’ve shot with the .223

[dk17hmr]

I have a 40 S&W ar with a 10.5" Faxon on it that is pretty impressive out to 150 yards. No reason a supersonic 300blk wouldn't work well though.

[white eagle]

for me and the same application its a
224 Valkyrie with a 18" JP barrel
it will handle all ranges I care to shoot plus I can shoot heavier
22 cal bullets for a higher bc
while shooting next to my son with his
16"barreled 223 I find the extra 2" to be not as loud
not that that makes a difference while hunting

[Texas by God]

5.56/.223 with 16" handy barrel and 55gr sp will do nicely.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[John McCorkle]

At your ranges, you'd be fine with nearly any caliber you choose. If you shoot 300 blk (which I highly highly recommend...more on that later) be sure and use supersonic to keep your margin of error on range estimation easier....556 shoots flatter but 300 blk carries the pain. If you want to use 300 blk subsonic... absolutely doable even to the distance you think is farthest but range estimation becomes an issue and off by just a few yards and you'll shoot high/low.

I say 300 blk is the most versatile...I have killed a pile of deer with it... fantastic whitetail round. Easy to reload for....easy to cast for...the most versatile caliber out there for the AR platform hands down. It's no hot rod, it's no slouch. It is like the Ford f150 pickup truck....just good at pretty much anything except for Indy 500 and car shows.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[ikarus1]

Combat Armory has an 18" 224 Valkyrie Valkyrie freefloat rifle length gas upper for under $200 with code TAKE15

Get you a good toolcraft BCG and you're set.

Everything I've gotten from CA has been on par or better than PSA stuff

[osteodoc08]

If you have 300 BLK already and don’t care to keep hides, get some 110gr Vmax or Varmageddons. Load with 296 and hit them out to 200 with ease. I hit a 6” plate at 50, 100, 200 with ease with my 16” BLK.

Otherwise any 223 with normal barrel and 50-55gr class varmint bullets

[dverna]

5.56/.223 with 16" handy barrel and 55gr sp will do nicely.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Agree. KISS.

Less chance of a ricochet and good to 250 yards+

Ammunition is cheap if your friend does not reload. Brass is cheap so policing brass is unnecessary if you must take multiple shots at a running coyote.

[popper]

Vmax,sst, cast 125-150 gr. is plenty. Friend hit yote with 223 but ran off. Maybe dead?

[M-Tecs]

Especially with the limited acreage I would select something that has almost zero chance for a ricochet. In a .223 that would be a 40 to 55 grain V-Max or Ballistic Tip in a 9 twist barrel. Since yotes tend to be a pack animal fast second or more shots may be required. In the .223 barrels shorter than 20" get a lot louder if that is an issue. My primary yote/prairie dog AR has a 28" barrel but my secondary yote rifle is a 16" with carbine butt stock. In ND rifles are not required to be cased and are considered to be unloaded as long as the chamber is empty. It makes a outstanding truck gun for yotes.

For a 100% yote rifle for all distances it's tough to beat the 204 Ruger. I will be setting one of those up for myself this winter.

Years ago I spotted 6 yotes chasing a medium sized Whitetail Buck in deep snow. I was shooting a bolt gun that held 6 rounds. I killed 5 of the 6. That is not common but running shots at running yotes with multiple targets is fairly common.

If saving hides is goal some to the less explosive 55 to 62 grain bullets may be a better option. If the exit the V-Max and BT's make big holes.

If you use your 300 AAC I use 125 bullets.

[missionary5155]

Good evening
We bought a 24 inch free floated upper flattop for a scope 1/8 twist 10 years back and have had a lot of fun with 55-65 grain soft point slugs from whoever has them on sale. Have a 4-12 power scope on it.
Sitting behind cross sticks it is a very stable rig.
Mike in LLama Land

[WebMonkey]

Hey DougGuy,

Another vote for 55gn soft pointed .223.

I use them in a handi rifle at the ranges you specify.
Steel cased cheapies have put them down quick so far.

[pmer]

I would go with the 300 blackout and the 125 grain bullets. If you want you could spend the money on a day night scope or thermal just my humble opinion.
I had a new ATN day night scope for a 20 caliber AR but I sent it back because it would lock up, it sure was nice though or the idea of it anyways. It was big and heavy but the screen would lock up.

[Rick Hodges]

I have used a bolt action .223Rem with 55gr. Sierra HPBT's at about 3100 fps. for coyote for some years. My buddy uses his .223 Colt HBar with Black Hills 55gr. sp's. They are death on coyotes to 350 yds. and not overly hard on pelts if you are saving them. There is no need for heavy bullets nor uber fast twist barrels.
To hear some folks talk they think coyotes are bullet proof. They are just 25-55lb. dogs and a 22cal. centerfire rifle slug in the boiler room kills them just fine.

[Texas by God]

Plus one on the ricochet concerns; especially on 6 acre farms. I would even go with .17 Rem or .204 Ruger before the BO. And I love the BO. Popper- a friend hit a deer with a .308; it ran off and we never found it. No ones going to say the .308 is not a deer gun. Your friend hit that coyote poorly at best or used the wrong bullet. I’m no champion of the .223 but it works.(22-250 for me, if you please) and if the OP builds one for the landowner; 5.56 will do for game up to deer at 6 acre ranges.

[M-Tecs]

Rick you're 100 correct. Back in the early 70's pelt hunting was very profitable. I started actively yote hunting at 12 years old with a 30-06 off my 1971 Ski-Doo Olympique 335. It was hard on the pelts. I much preferred to run them with the sled and take them with Dad's High Standard H-D Military 22 pistol. In two years I made enough to purchase a Browning Sako L579 in 243. That rifle killed a lot of yotes but I ever did find a bullet I was totally happy with. I would lose too many using FMJ's or with most other bullets pelt damage was costing me money. With the proper bullet yotes are easy to kill with a proper hit. Wish I had a 17 HMR with 20 grain bullets back than.

The bullet proof yotes seem to be making a come back not because of yotes got tougher but people using bullets that act as FMJ's primarily out of 7 twist AR's. Since the 224 Valkyrie has came on the scene lots of folks are losing a lot of yotes due to lack of expansion of the 77 and 88 grain bullet the 224 Valkyrie crowd tends to want to use. Once they switch to the 55 to 62 grain bullets their loss issues tend to go away.

[9.3X62AL]

I built a bench rifle AR-15 for song dogs and field diggers a few years ago. 24" truck-axle barrel, 1-8" twist, 12x Leup up top. 55 grain BalTips @ 3300 FPS, for the win on coyotes. I have used all manner of rifles and handguns on coyotes, from 22 LR in a Colt OMM x 6" (head shot) to 45/70 rifle, and many stops between those 2 extremes. I fur-hunted to supplement my meager income in college and after I went to work at the SD and for about 12 years after that, until the fur market collapsed with the "Fur Is Dead" fauna fascists' pining and moaning.

That market seems to be returning of late, but I won't be competing in it. I am more than happy to send them to The Great HowlFest Beyond just on general principles these days. They kill a lot of the birds and animals I like to hunt, so as long as it remains legal to do so I will let drive on every one of them I can get a safe shot at. Love their music--don't like their voracious depredations. They are in no danger of having their numbers depleted, to be sure.

[Ramjet-SS]

Yup .223 5.56 with 55 grain BT are fantastic like the hammer of Thor I like a heavy barrel 16” with tight pins and high quality bolt. Makes for great prairie dog gun too. Run two let one cool between sets.