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Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

This comes up all the time--taking larger game with airguns. It pretty much is always a bad ideas unless you are talking about doing it with a .22 cal AirForce Condor.

Of course its possible to kill them with a low cal airgun. An airgun "could" kill a person in the right circumstance. But that doesn't say much.

thepaladin · Senior Member

No. No a .177 is not up to killing a coyote unless you manage to pin it in the eye so that the pellet punches through the orbital bone and into the brain, a near impossible shot as it would require an upward angle. (a child was killed like this a few years ago in an accidentel shooting and it burned a lot of air gun shooters for a while as news papers screamed about the danger of airguns).

A coyote is a hard varment to kill. As they spread across the US most hunters who know recommend a center fire .22 to .24 type bullet.

I would try a .25 airgun at point blank range (under 20 yards) if I was getting say 22 o23 fps, and the thing was in my yard and I felt I had to try the shot. But a .177, no, run for it.

KyPlinker · Member

With a coyote, the question isn't if it will feel pain if it is not killed with the first shot. The question is, will it retain enough life to come and eat your face after your first shot doesn't kill it.

Coyotes are some scary animals, (we get packs of them around here all the time, we cant go camping alone and feel safe, gotta have a group). I wouldn't take one with anything less then a .22 to the head, and thats only if i have another guy there with me with a shotgun or something to finish him off.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I know yotes vary from region to region, but all the ones I've seen have been pretty small and not very formidable. I thought they were also pretty skittish from hundreds of years of human hunting, although I've never had up close interactions with them.

But I just can't picture a yote attacking a human. I think some folks confuse wolves with yotes since they look alike. Wolves of course are much larger and fierce. Not saying what you are saying about them is untrue though.

A man at a recent festival here brought his two pet timberwolves. I had no idea a wolf could get that big. It must have been close to seven feet tall standing on its hind legs. The guy had it muzzled on a leash and choke-roped with a thick rope and he was still barely able to keep control of this beast when it started to get restless. And he was a huge man and the wolf was just playing around.

thepaladin · Senior Member

Here in Nashville (yes they've spread this far east) espically in the south coyotes have come in and are fairly common. They are getting used to urban areas and will attack pets and in a few cases small children. They are skidish, but like a lot of wild animals familliarity has bred contempt. That's why I said that I would use my .25 in a head shot if forced to by an aggressive sort. But I would not hunt coyotes with an airgun. Possibly a .243 W or maybe a 25-06, but not an airgun by choice.

craigfperry · Member

we have had three attacks here in the last couple of years,
in urban/wooded areas, one was a woman walking her dog and out of the woods came the yote and carried little skippy off for supper, the next was in a ladies back yard it attacked her and a child she had to fight it off also urban wooded area. the next was in mass. a man and a kid were in the back yard the yote attacked and the man got the yote in a headlock were he held it untill animal control showed up to dispatch the yote.
the more we crowed them the more this will happen.
i think they were after the children as supper.

when i camp out on my land i sleep by a big fire and the .410 loaded with OOO buck is by my side, you just never know.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

I would think a simple combat/survival knife strapped to your waste would be prudent item worth carrying at all times if you live in yote country....or a double barrel shotgun.

thepaladin · Senior Member

Good idea I suppose except that they are moving into urban areas. The coyotes I'm talking about are within the city limits of Nashville. I'm not sure about the law if you shoot a firearm in defense of a familly member against a coyote. i would think in your yard it would be legal. I'm sure wearing the combat knife around town might, raise eyebrows ( Laughing

). Mostly just being aware of your pets and children will work I'm sure as a coyote will avoid an adult mostly. Still, the original question was was it advisable to try to kill a coyote with a .177. That gets the no vote.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

It is legal to shoot anything, humans or coyotes, in defense of a family member who's life is threatened. Getting back to the fact that an airgun is not a self defense gun, then it is not going to do you much good if you are attacked by an animal.

Btw, did anybody ever see that friggin' awesome video clip of that man eating lion who attacked the hunter that was sent to kill it? The hunter was shooting it with his .308 while it was charging and even shot it point blank in its face as it leaped at his head to bite him. And that still didn't kill it. So what do you think an airgun is going to do?

cw · Banned

From my experience .177 is not very effective for anything
bigger than small birds.

I have dropped coyote with a hopped
up .22 caliber Patriot throwing Kodiaks before and I have a lot
of 70-80 yard coyote kills with a .22 caliber Condor spinning
28.7 Eun Jins.

I feel that .22 is the only way to go for hunting and pest control.

CW

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Yeah, you could drop a yote with a 22 cal rimfire like a toilet seat, and a Condor has the same power so it shouldn't have a problem.

Considering I'm a 20 cal owner I'd have to say that 20 cal is also ok for small game hunting and pest control. It's enough of a step up from .177 to make a noticeable difference, but I still wouldn't shoot a yote with one...unless in self defense! Just kidding.

KyPlinker · Member

AirGunEric · Site Admin

Man- you guys need to find your coyotes something better to eat. I have a pack or two of 5-10 each that roam around a couple miles through the trees outside my house- but they basically keep to their own and only make alot of noise when someone's dog disturbs them or the moon gets bright. Only seen a couple of wolves around here- and they pretty much do their own thing too. I haven't heard of any attacks from either around here happening in years.

Of course, I am nowhere near an urban area and we have the full spectrum of natural wildlife and a garbage dump or two around- so I don't think they have much to worry about in finding dinner and needing to resort to eating small children or such.

And no, I wouldn't dream of taking either down with most airguns, and most certainly not a .177 airgun.

billandbeaufort · Senior Member

With all the .45 cal. .50 cal. .58 cal. and up air rifles that are available, why would anyone want to shoot a coyote with a .177? Pleanty of people are hunting with airguns that put out 500FPe and more! A .177 with 20FPe just won't do it!

2RCHA · Veteran Member

I think it's mostly wishful thinking Rolling Eyes

, LOL, Cheer's, Andy.