25-06 for 'Yotes?

[irondog54]

I see pics of coyotes hit a 25-06 and they look like they were road kills. I was thinking of 25-06 for a coyote rifle with 90 gr hollow points. I give all my dogs to the local farmer who skins them to defray dog food costs. I don't want to hand them pieces...whattya think?

[keeki]

i use a 25-06 for yotes with 75gr vmax and a healthy dose of rl-17, devastating.

[rez187]

look its all about shot placement. i use 243 with 75gr v-max it can if no dense area hit cause huge holes but if you hit the yote solid not too bad. 25-06 is a great caliber and a good choice. plus you can always pull double duty and use for larger game also. go for it its a great caliber that is getting more popular every year at least here in the west.

[darkker]

With the 25, it really isn't all about placement...
If he wants free food, he can't really complain....
The 75 gr V-max or Sierra with a lump of Win-760, if hit high and broadside, behind the ribs; Will almost cut them completely in half.

[Samdweezel05]

14 twist .22-250 to save fur.

[keeki]

one of the yotes i shot this year with the 25-06 75gr vmax at 425yds+ hit him a little far back in the last few ribs and it was almost two pieces. Bullet placement wasnt all that important. I have 3 .243's, a 22-250, a .223, a .220swift and a 25-06 all of which i consider my varmint guns, i also have a .270, 2 30-30's, 7.62x39, 22 mag,and a 30-06 plus about 30 other guns. For some reason when i go hunting for varmint or deer or just about any other critter I always grab my 25-06. Truth is that in most of the country im not sure there is a better choice of rifle.

[irondog54]

yotes i shot this year with the 25-06 75gr vmax at 425yds+ hit him a little far back in the last few ribs and it was almost two pieces

See, if I do that with the guys on a fur hunt, I am liable to get a boot in the a$$... I think something smaller would be better.

[darkker]

Ok, IF pretty pelts are your game; then not a 25.
You have to pick a caliber with FMJ's and be VERY good with shot placement. Unless you are using a dirty thirty.
With the 20's some 22's you can use light bullets with high velocities to not come out the far side. Again placement becomes VERY critical.

[Slowpoke Slim]

At what distances are you normally shooting 'yotes? It's hard to beat a 223, unless your ranges are long, or it's high wind conditions. I use the 50 gr vmax in my Stevens 223. Most of my shots are close, less than 100 yards. Longest shot for me would be right at 200. That's right in the 223's sweet spot, and I think this is the perfect combination. At least for me, in my conditions.

If your shots are longer, or wind is an issue, then a fast twist 22-250 would be my choice. You'll have to watch out for close range shots (if you have those where you hunt) and bullets blowing up on surface hits due to the higher speeds and close distances.

I shot a few 'yotes with a 257 Roberts years ago using the 75 gr vmax. They worked great, but they made a mess of the pelts.

I don't save pelts, especially 'yote pelts, as no one around here has any interest in them, nor will they pay you anything for them. So pelt damage really doesn't matter to me.

[375Win]

If those bullets are 90gr gameking HPs they are a pretty tuff bullet and you might do just fine with a quarter or fifty cent piece exit, I'm going to try them this season out of my 250Sav.

375Win

[dwa]

Iam working on two loads with mine. one being a nosler 85 grain ballistic tip with H4831sc, other being nosler 115 ballistic tip with the same powder. I love the diversity of the 25-06. I do think that the 85gr would be hard on a yote though. you can try for head shots only ;). By the way I have working dogs and been around em for a long time just never heard of feeding coyote meat. I do feed mine raw hogs and deer. I would worry about passing sometype of K9 disease back to the dogs.

[Three44s]

Barnes bullets makes a solid for .25 caliber.


Three 44s

[Tracer]

Interesting posts! Well I have been shooting a 1/4 bore (25-06 cal) for near 20 years and found out early on in my sport of hunting game, small to medium that the 25-06 can and does handle the job with a passion. This is a rifle that can take a G...Hog or deer out to 400 yards. It does Get R Done folks

The 25-06 used on coyotes is a great choice in my book, if your not saving fur of course. You can take one out at any angle and not have to want for weather the bullet will reach the vitals. A 100 grn bullet (not solids) hitting Mr. Song Dog is truly a train wreck for that critter plainly speaking.
I have used several brands of bullets in the past years and all did a great job on the yotes.

I found out also within the first deer season of having this rifle and caliber (model 70 Winchester classic) that my rifle of choice was a dynamic representation of putting bucks down in their tracks with a 120 grn Nosler Partition bullet.

[DannoBoone]

Barnes bullets makes a solid for .25 caliber.

Three 44s


Those would certainly tear them up the least, and would probably get a smaller exit....quarter size
range would be my guess. But they are expensive and can be tricky to find a load which shoots
accurately. A good deer bullet of about any kind would keep the exit hole smaller, and the 100gr
bullets have good BC.

But should Mr. Coyote show his face when I'm out & about with my .25-06, he will get the Nosler
85gr BTBT. If it cuts the little devil in half, so much more the fun. ;D

[twcracker]

When living in Colorado my standard Songdog load was Speer 87gr. TNTs over 57.5 grs. of RL-19 just under 3500 fps. Dogs just seem to explode. If shooting for fur use a Barnes solid. Still use the 25-06 as a deer rifle in GA

[Three44s]

Not a cheap alternative but the Nos Partition in a heavy for caliber would help with fur.

I just buzz saw my 'otes with 75 gr. v maxes and either ww 760 or RL 17 in my .25-06's


It took me 35 years of ote hunting to come the big .25 but I must say ...............


........... it does everything with .............. PANNASH!!!


Three 44s

[coonhunter70]

Earlier this year Sierra came out with 90gr blitzkings for the .257 I'm getting sub 1/2 inch groups with them in my 25-06, haven't shot any critters with them yet but I suspect they will flat tear something up.

[Three44s]

coonhunter70,

thank you .......... I am going to have to try that Sierra 90 Blitzking!! ........... I was about to order the 87 gr. Speer TNT ........ but I do like "my Sierra's" mighty well!


Best regards and welcome to the forum!!!


Three 44s

[scope eye]

Hi I do not want to worry about bullet drop and hold over and mildots and all that related stuff, so my solution is 70gr blitz kings complemented with 60gr of RL17 or H4350, with that 4000 fps + they go for ever with out dropping and get the job done every time.
Dean

[keeki]

scope eye, is that a 25-06 or AI?