What are your takes on different varmint cartridges?

A .22mag or .22 Hornet can be made to work for coyotes, but it's a very close range proposition. 100-150yrds at best. You'll want to be in the ballpark of pushing a 55grn bullet to 3100fps, and the Hornet falls just too short. The lighter bullets just can't shed the wind as well, and the slower velocities with heavier bullets leave it dropping pretty steeply down range.

The .223 Rem is probably the ideal varmint cartridge. No, it's not as fast as the .22-250 or .220 swift, but it's still plenty fast, and it's much more kind to your barrel. Varmint rifles generally see a lot more shooting than heavier purpose rifles (i.e. deer rifles), so barrel life is an important aspect in choosing a varmint cartridge.

You also might want to consider what ELSE you might do with the rifle. If you're on a tight budget and can only have one rifle, then a "varmint" rifle is probably a poor investment. A smallbore rifle like a .243win or .25-06 would be a better choice. That'd allow you to shoot coyotes out to 600yrds (or further), as well as deer.

Personally, the .223rem is my ideal coyote rifle, whether it's in a bolt action or a semiauto. You'll get better accuracy (in general) with a bolt action rifle than a semiauto, and you'll spend less on the rifle to start with.

In my opinion, the IDEAL coyote rifle would be a Savage 12 VLP-DM (Varminter Low Profile - Detachable Magazine) heavy barrel stainless bolt action repeater, laminate stock, chambered in .223 Remington, topped with a 4.5-30x50mm Bushnell Elite scope. This is the exact rig that my wife dumps coyotes with all year long.

Suitable?.... This depends on you..... Are you planning on being a super dedicated varmint hunter?... or like me?.. Have a passing interest and only go out now and then?....

If you want to be a super dedicated varmint hunter then look into the 22-250 or the .243.....

Me?.... I live here in upstate New York and shots are always under 300 yards with most under 175 yards... So the .223 is my preferred choice... Its cheap in bulk, and great for close range hunts.... Yes there are expensive .223 cartridges offered that are much better than the cheap stuff for long range shots.... But if its expensive ammo then go for a cartridge with better ballistics performance like the 22-250 or .243......

.22 Hornet?.... Not popular, not all gun manufactureres have a rifle that uses it, not always on every sport shop[ shelf and limited range.... Its a decent 175 yard cartridge but thats about it... Also its affected by crosswinds more than the .223, 22-250 or the .243..... So the .22 Hornet would be a poor choice for over 200 yards.....

http://www.chuckhawks.com/22hornet.htm

Me? -- If I wanted to step up and go with long range varmint hunts I would look at the .243 Winchester real close......

If you are strictly looking for a long range varmint cartridge then the .22-250 is what I would go with.

If on the other hand you are looking for a multi use varmint/deer cartridge, then I would move up to a .243 Win, or .25-'06.

The .22 Hornet is a great short range varmint cartridge, but not out to 400 yards.

22 Hornet won't be pleasant if you're shooting at long range. It's a nice old cartridge, mild and limited in the noise it makes, but a long-range varminter it ain't.

As a handloader, I prefer 257 Roberts and 6mm Remington for longer shots at vermin. If you want a 22, then 22-250 will get you out to about 300 yards, if there isn't much wind. But you should at least look at 243 Winchester if you're planning to "stretch your legs" much farther, or shooting in a breeze.

For a dedicated varmint rifle, I prefer an AR-15 in .223 with a heavy 18-20" barrel. The .223 ammo is easy to find, available in quite a few bullet designs and is quite sufficient out to 400 yds. For a multipurpose deer/varmint rifle, I have a Rem 788 in .243 Win. Either of those work for me and do not leave me feel like I am lacking anything.

Not a 22 Hornet at ranges over 200 yards. Even over 150 yards is a real stretch for the Hornet. 22-250, 220 Swift, 223, all good for the ranges you stipulated.

It's hard to beat .223 Rem. There are higher performing varmint cartridges out there. But .223 Rem. is chambered in a multitude of different rifles, it's available nearly everywhere with many different loads to choose from, it's relatively cheap, and it doesn't erode barrels quickly like some of the hotter rounds do.

Now the question is, what rifle will you buy?

The .22 hornet will not have that kind of reach. A .223, 22-250, or .243 would work well.

22 250

* Its very difficult to beat the 22-250 caliber cartridge.*