Ruger American .22 WMR too little too much?

I recently picked up a Ruger American .22 WMR, I was originally looking for a .22 LR but they didn't have any in stock, but they did have the .22 mag. So I got it thinking it would have better range/power comped to the LR.

Everything I've read so far tells me it's too much for things like bunnies, and too little for 'yotes.

Does anyone have any personal experience?

I'm new to the sport and was looking for a good plinking rifle that would be decently cheap to shoot, that I could also hunt with.

 

"too much"... if you plan on killing something, there is no too much. If you plan on saving meat and hide there is but a rimfire isn't one of them.

For coyote, with the right bullet and being an excellent shot... 50 yards is the limit of ethics.

.22lr is only useable on yotes if you're trapping.

 

So, I can use it for coyotes as long as I place the bullet properly?

I guess I'll work on my shot then!

 

Try reading up at predatormasters forums. It's 90% 'yote hunting, 10% everything else gun related.

 

I would never use a .22 mag to go coyote hunting, at least not like I hunt them with hounds where most shots are at them running. A .22 mag would be great for groundhogs, crows, and turkey. It's a little overkill for rabbit if your eating the meat, but would certainly put one down.

I use a .243 for coyote. Most everyone I know who hunts coyotes uses a .223 or .243, less frequent hunters usually use their deer rifles.

 

I wouldnt kill a coyote with anything less than a .17 HMR and thats a maybe.

For that either a shotgun with 00 buck or a .223/5.56 with a hollow point. I hate seeing them suffer. Dog lover and all that. Anything bigger will tear the hide to much to make it worth selling the pelt. If your into just killing shit (I am not, thats just me though) anything bigger than a .223 will work obviously, but your going to turn it inside out.

Rabbits a .22 mag is a bit much, your not going to have much left to skin or eat, it will tear them up. For rabbits, either a pellet gun or a .22 with sub sonic rounds. They suck to skin if you tear them up to much.

I have the Ruger 10/22 take down that I basically broke down and rebuilt with a new stock and scope that I hunt anything snowshoe hare size and smaller. Works wonders on P dogs out to about 225 yrds. It will hit further obviously but they hear it before it gets there.

Your not really going to find a rifle that will meet all your needs when it comes to hunting.

Plinking, you cant go wrong with a .22 LR, I am personally a fan of the Ruger 10/22 because I like auto's and cycling a bolt for a .22 is just to tedious IMO. Ammo is a pain in the ass to come by though. The 10/22 doesnt really like lead ammo, it prefers copper jacketed rounds, in mine at least and good luck getting that other than online on rare occasions, it is getting a bit better however.

 

I'm having a hard time finding anything other than CCI rounds for my rifle. They look and feel like they're good quality but out of every store that carries ammunition around me only one had them in stock, that's how a lot of .22s are though.

This is my first rifle and I was planning on getting something bigger before deer season, a .270 or something a long those lines.

Coyotes are legal to hunt all year round and I really enjoy being out in the woods. I could care less if I saw one, having a reason to walk through the woods with "a goal" is good enough for me. However the off chance I came across one I'd prefer to know I could put it down, rather than it put me down.

Thanks for the info!

 

.270 is a great all around caliber. I'll hunt anything up to an Elk with it.

It will dust a coyote though.

As far as a coyote putting you down, not likely, if you see one before it sees you stop moving, because once it does see you....it will high tail it.

 

If you can be taken out by a 40 pound dog, you probably shouldn't be in the woods to start with. You should be coloring

But really a coyote will be heading for the hills not heading for you so no worries there.

And an HMR isn't a coyote round, at all. The topic is however a lot of amusement in coyote hunter circles. The bullets are too light and lightly constructed. I ended up doing a prairie dog trip with the hmr once and only once without a centerfire rifle as backup. I've smacked a lot of PD's with the hummer and hadn't seen a yote in this area in years. So of course, I came across 3 on this trip. I rolled one 3 times inside 100 yards with the hummer, vitals every time. After the third hit it dropped in a ditch and took off. I lost the blood trail 4 hours later.

The .22mag carries more energy with a heavier (generally) constructed bullet than the hmr. The 22 doesn't lose the energy advantage until about 150 yards where the better bc and higher velocity of the 17 takes over. The 22 is still not a 'good' yote bullet, but its substantially better than the 17 at close ranges on heavier game.