I was just given a Ruger Single Six convertable from my dad, and am wondering if the .22 Mag has enough wollup for coyotes.

Sure, within reasonable range.

50 and under?

50 yrds and under would probably work but if they ran like a scolded hound I wouldnt be suprised either.

The previous responses, as well as this one, are fair, IMO.


The responses that you get here will (hopefully) be based on real and actual "been there and done that" field experience.

Based on that assumption, here is what I have experienced (in roughly 550 coyote kills)

A rimfire .22 Mag out of a rifle is marginal at best unless the conditions are perfect. With a bit less out of a handgun length barrel...well you get it.

The American Coyote (for lack of a better designation for that wily and tenacious smart-as-a-dog predator) can smile on civilization yet defy it with one cock of the head and a simple yowl.

On the other hand, hit him in the correct place with an adequately performing bullet, and you will be skinning him for a nice fur check if done properly.

Hit him wrong or inadequately, and you will lose him.

Even with 'Wily Coyote,' you must "use enough gun."

I know because I have been there and done that.

Gregg Richter

My two cents, "Wily Coyote" translated means "Will to Survive".
They can survive the toughest of winters on the frozen farm land of eastern North Dakota, by eating next to nothing, the occasional cow pie, feral cat or whatever they can fit in their mouths.

I've tracked a down and "Dead" coyote's blood trail for a mile and a half across the snow, only to lose it in a cattail slough, hit with what I thought was a good shot from a 25-06 and 65 grain V-max. The shot laid him out flat, I had to cross a low area and walk up a little rise, to the point where he was laying only to find it gone and a blood spatter and trail. Just this past Christmas day the neighbor kid needed six stitches and is undergoing rabies shots, from a bite he received while picking up his "Dead Coyote". His mother was not all impressed. So yeah use enough gun and make sure it is dead.

You got to put it where it counts tho.

I don't doubt that story at all. Back in 2012, my dad shot a coyote with his 300 Weatherby Magnum while deer hunting. He said it looked like a gut shot, but the coyote went down almost immediately. Instead of going to pick it up, he decided to keep hunting, and after a while he looked up to see the coyote running off. We never saw it again after that.

Will work well.

HMMMMMM. Maybe I'll carry the model 28;) Or both! Thanks guys.

It is a good question because some of us are limited to rimfire, legally speaking. As an example, in the state of Rhode Island you can hunt with a handgun for small game and varmints but it must be a rimfire and then it must be 22 lr for any sort of night hunting.

So my Ocean State special is a Ruger Single Six with a 9 1/2 barrel and a red dot sight mounted on it. In fact I am taking it to the range today and see how well it shoots the Hornady Critical Defense ammo.

Here is some testing I had done a few years back. It is results from .22 shorts, LR's and mags thru 1 1/8", 6.5" and 20" barrels going point blank into milk jugs. Milk jugs are not yotes though.
http://www.thektog.org/forum/f100/playing-22s-now-pics-206598/

db

As a youngster growing up I killed a lot of coyote. with a 22mag rifle. I had a stand where everyone in the hunting club would dump guts. and carcasses. It worked good for head and neck shots at calm still animals. I would think a handgun is less acurate and less velocity so is even less adequate for yotes. It will kill coyote it just means you have to do everything else right.

Go for it.

Coyotes are tough. Whatever you shoot them with needs to hit a vital spot.

I agree with the other replies...Select your shots carefully, and use an accurate, and properly constructed bullet for your circumstance...I liked the jacketed soft points out of my pistol..but must admit I have had luck with every kind of bullet.. (accept I never used FMJ)....I have this pistol and have used it on coyotes with success...but these were under 25-30 yard shots...on younger backyard raiders!...Good luck!

We were calling, facing one direction, when this guy popped up inside 15yds behind us and I was able to place a CCI 40gr JHP into him from my 4" S&W Kit gun. I was very, VERY lucky to take him with my little 22mag... However, I would never recommend using this round from a revolver at distance... I have never shot a coyote with a 22mag rifle so I cannot comment... One of the reasons I bought a 9" Freedom Arms 357 was for coyote hunting, but when I bought a FA`s in 41mag it covered everything the 357 could handle and more. A 357 or 41 would be as low as I would go. Good luck and good hunting. Coyotes are a blast to handgun hunt....