From Steve Hanson’s A Varmint Hunter’s Odyssey…



Mike Johnson, an avid coyote hunter from Montana, has tried a lot of different cartridges and bullets on coyotes.

Johnson is a hide seller – not just a coyote culler for ranchers.

He values two things in his ammo.

One – the coyote dropping immediately. He is hunting in open ranch country in Montana. Common shooting distances are 300+ yards. Johnson has had to look for hours in subzero temperatures for a coyote that only traveled 75 yards in the sagebrush after being hit. He wants instant stops. He also shoots a lot of coyotes in groups – as many as six in a pack. He cannot swing onto another coyote if he is not sure the first one is down for keeps.

Two – minimum damage to the hide which he intends to sell. No exit hole. Entrance hole should be small.

Johnson shoots for the coyote shoulder finding it gives better stops than shots behind the shoulder – just like Elmer Keith shooting elk in the shoulder so he wouldn’t have to track wounded game.

Johnson has used the 17 Remington a lot and likes it.

Currently Johnson is using the fast exploding 22 caliber 40 grain bullets pushed at close to 4,000 fps from a 223 Remington or 222 Remington Magnum.

Has used heavier bullets but they create too much hide damage.


If a 40 grain bullet can be consistent on coyotes, it might do well on prairie dogs, groundhogs, and rock chucks.