For those who only dabble in predator hunting it isn’t always necessary to have a predator hunting specific rifle. There’s nothing wrong with using the old deer rifle, in fact it is a great opportunity to build more confidence with that rifle. But if you’re looking to get out there and get serious there’s nothing like having the right tool for the right job. And that job usually requires more than one tool, most predator hunters find a need for a center fire rifle and a shot gun.
When choosing your center fire rifle the first thing to decide on would be the action. Each action has its pros and cons, depending on your style of hunting and personal taste will determine what suits you. Whether you prefer both action, semi auto, single shot, pump or lever action, a lot of the particulars will stay the same. Like barrel length, weight and caliber. I prefer a short barrel, and wouldn’t have anything say longer than 20 inches. Barrel length has a direct link to the weight of your rifle. It is also linked to the speed in which are bullet travels, and in predator hunting most times faster is better. As for caliber there’s no shortage of them out there, and a lot of them perform similar. In deciding a caliber one thing to consider would be if you’re going to reload for it or shoot factory ammo. There are more than a few great calibers out there that will require you to reload for, but if you do not reload you won’t have a problem finding a suitable round.
With that let’s start with action, I personally enjoy most actions out there. But there are a few that I’m more partial to, bolt action and semi auto are my two favorite actions. It is hard to beat the semi auto when you’re out coyote hunting and are expecting multiples. In semi auto I prefer the AR 15 platform, these days it can be had in an assortment of great calibers. On my personal AR 15 I run a 16 inch barrel which is lite and easy to swing. And in my honest opinion it is hard to beat the 223, ammo is readily available and it is very easy to reload for. In a bolt action rifle my personal preference is either the Remington 700 or model seven, both are reliable and inherently accurate. The 700 is more readily available and hard to beat, but the model seven is basically a lighter scaled down version of its big brother. Both can be had in an array of effective calibers. Your decision will come down to terminal performance, recoil, availability of ammunition and of course affect on fur. Now if you’re not going to be saving fur than your decision will be that much easier.
Here’s a short list of the calibers I use.
.243
A great multi use caliber with a lot of knock down power, good wind and brush bucking abilities. But a little hard on fur. It is a good caliber to own, best for game up to deer size. With ammo being readily available.
.223
My favorite of them all right now. Good stopping power and average wind and brush bucking abilities. The .223 or 5.56 is a good compromise on fur and stopping power. Most states will allow you to hunt deer with it, but I feel it is a litle lite. Ammo is also easy to come by.
.221 fireball
The .221 fireball is a great round with just enough stopping power for coyotes yet just light enough to be fur friendly on fox and cats. It is a good round but does have limits, you need to limit your range and be sure of your shots. This round is the easiest on the ears.
.204
This is a peppy little round, and just like the fireball has its limits. It is quickly gaining popularity in the predator hunting community. Being an alternative caliber for the AR 15 has helped.
Now on to a shotgun, just like the center fire rifle you probably already have a shotgun you use on clay’s or upland game. It will work just fine to use what you have already, but there are shotguns more suited for predator hunting. But I prefer a shorter barrel on my shotguns, my personal dedicated predator shotgun has an 18 and half inch barrel, and more than likely I wouldn’t use anything over 24 inches. Just as in the center fire rifle the shorter barrel makes for a lighter gun that’s easier to swing. As for actions I use a semi auto, but the pump action will also do the trick. I use a 12 gauge 3 inch loaded with either number four buck or anything from BB on up. There are people out there that have good luck with a 20 gauge, but you will need to limit you range and be picky on shot placement.
