Need Recommendations for a PCP Airgun to Deal with Coyotes

Like woogie_man said above.....and I am sure you'll need it to be QUIET! A .22 or .25 with a oversized moderator and a brain shot will suffice so accuracy will be of utmost importance. Most high end PCP's will suffice, a bullpup will be more maneuverable like a Brocok Ghost, Taipan Vet2, RTI, AGT Uragan etc......
 
What do you guys think about this?
Since you are new to PCP air rifles, you should stay far, far away from ANY FX air gun... unless you want to learn how they are made and see what they look like in pieces on a workbench while researching the latest modification that claims to fix the most recent engineering blunder you've discovered.

stovepipe
 
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One shot dead right there kills are most likely with brain shots. Keeping it inside 40 yards could keep this possible but it would take a pretty accurate gun and shooter. If you want to limit yourself to brain shots then a 25 caliber should be fine. But if you want to be able to take body shots with a reasonable chance it drops with little to no running then you would want at least a 30 in my opinion and a 357 wouldn't be a bad idea. But the bigger you go the harder it is to keep them quiet. The Benjamin bulldog is available in 257, 35, and 45 caliber. I think 45 is overkill but the others are not for what you describe. You did not mention what happens if you shoot through the coyote. If you go for the bigger calibers that is very possible, especially with something like a domed pellet that does not expand. You need enough penetration to shoot through the shoulder if you will be taking body shots but you may or may not want to shoot completely through them. I think it tends to minimize running to have an exit wound but others lean more to the "energy dump" theory.

A P35X in 25 could work if you keep it to brain shots. Others report upper 50s fpe which should drive a 34 grain pellet right through a coyote skull. This gun is slightly under $500. The SPA M60B is another option for maybe $100 more if you go with the carbon fiber bottle. You can get it in 30 and 357 caliber but it is not as powerful in 357 as a bulldog or many other 357s. An Umarex gauntlet in 30 caliber would be another relatively inexpensive option.

In my experience a shot through the neck gets about the same reaction as a brain shot - at least on squirrels. Side to side body shots result in less running than a frontal shot to the chest. I would avoid those if you want drt results. I get a lot more drt results on squirrels with my 30 fpe+ airguns than I do with my two sub 20 fpe guns. Brain shots I don't think it matters. But body shots I am confident are more immediately effective with more power. I only use domed pellets on squirrels.
From what I've read, a .25 pellet or slug to their thin skull will put them down. The OP can keep it quiet enough to keep the Karens in CA at bay. You can't even hear my .25 Maverick in my back yard, Donny Moderator, perking 26 gr. RMR/FX hybrids at 1000 fps
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on purchasing a PCP airgun to address a coyote problem in my backyard. I live in a golf course community in CA so I can't kill them with my real gun, and lately, we've had an increasing number of coyotes jumping fences and gates. Unfortunately, they've been killing some of my neighbors' dogs, and I want to ensure my pets are safe. I truly have 0 knowledge when it comes to PCP guns or anything thats why I'm writing this forum.

Here's what I'm looking for:

  • Caliber: I'm not sure what caliber would be best for effectively taking down a coyote with one shot. Any suggestions?
  • FPS: What FPS should I be aiming for to ensure a humane and effective kill?
  • Range: The maximum distance I'd be shooting is around 40 yards.
  • Budget: I'd like to stay within a budget of $2,000-$2,500.
I would greatly appreciate any specific model recommendations or links to products that fit these criteria. Your expertise and experience would be invaluable in helping me make the right choice. If you have any recommendations please let me know! ill truly appreciate it and hope to get revenge for all the neighbors!

Thank you in advance for your help!
Where in the formerly great state of CA are you?
 
Like others have said, I also would not want to use anything less than a 30 cal. I would not want to depend on myself to make clean head/brain shots (coyotes tend to not hold still for long). I would want to be able to take out a coyote with a heart/lung shot since it's a much bigger and easier-to-hit area. Since noise is a factor, I would also not want to try to quiet down a rifle that is more than 30 cal. I know that my maverick 30 cal sniper, which is putting out 112 fpe, is quiet as far as muzzle pop goes -- no muzzle pop with the donnyfl ronin on it. But the ping sound is kind of loud. It sounds like I'm hitting a 5 foot long 4 inch diameter pipe with a hard rubber mallet. I think that anything bigger than a 30 cal would be difficult to quiet the muzzle pop sound.

Two people have suggested the umarex gauntlet 30 sl and I also think it would be a good rifle for the op, since it's pretty much a no-fuss rifle with a small price tag. Hopefully there is a moderator for this rifle that will eliminate the muzzle pop. Get the 30 cal gauntlet with the longest barrel for the sake of more power with less noise to achieve that power. Maybe they only come with one barrel length, but if there's an option, get the longest one.

stovepipe
 
Just an FYI for those suggesting night vision and snares, we cannot use those to hunt animals in California.

To the OP I would use either a 25 or 30 Cal with enough energy to hit max speeds for pellet ~850-980fps. An FX Impact or Maverick are good choices for your budget. There are lots of cheaper option too that will last you a few years like the Air Venturi AvengeX. Another good choice is the 25Cal Taipan Vet Gen 1 in 25Cal still available from Tony at Talon Tunes. This would be my choice, as they are top tier accurate and reliable.

Regardless what you buy you will want a long barrel in the 700mm range, and you will need a decent compressor. The Omega Trail Charger is a great budget option, or if you want to roll the dice a little the GX CS4 is also good. The JSB Hades are great hunting pellets, but for a short range shot any pellet will work with good shot placement behind the eye.

A Maverick VP with a 600mm barrel will reach out plenty far. Easily 1 MOS, one minute of squirrel, at 100 yards. 40 yards is nothing to it.
 
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Picked up Snowpeak M60B .35 from Krale (Netherlands) in March for $605. Shoots FX 81 grain pellets @ 650 FPS amazingly accurate @ 50yds. Ideal for coyotes but they're currently doing neighborhood a big favor controlling feral animal infestation caused by miserable, childless cat lady, so free pass. WM
IMG_20240409_180419.jpg
 
FX Crown in .30 caliber (or .25) (New $1600) ,
Yong Heng air compressor (new $250),
Arken scope SH4J (New $350),
Several tins of JSB 44 gain pellets ($25 each).

One afternoon of getting set up, dialed in, and your done.
Problem solved.

If you wish to exit the hobby, you should have no problem getting 85% of your money back quickly.
If you get hooked, youd be set up with a exceptional rifle that can do everything from plinking, to long distance target shooting.
 
A Maverick VP with a 600mm barrel will reach out plenty far. Easily 1 MOS, one minute of squirrel, at 100 yards. 40 yards is nothing to it.
Yeah I guess I was thinking more in general. A lot of the other usual suggestions dont really make enough power with the shorter barrel versions. But the FX guns have no problem with fpe in the 600mm. I have to really push my 500mm barrels though to get enough fps in 25 and 30 Cal in my FXs. Still enough to take down most critters but a coyote can be a tough pest. I would want the most performance available, especially in a golf course neighborhood I would not want one running off.
 
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on purchasing a PCP airgun to address a coyote problem in my backyard. I live in a golf course community in CA so I can't kill them with my real gun, and lately, we've had an increasing number of coyotes jumping fences and gates. Unfortunately, they've been killing some of my neighbors' dogs, and I want to ensure my pets are safe. I truly have 0 knowledge when it comes to PCP guns or anything thats why I'm writing this forum.

Here's what I'm looking for:

  • Caliber: I'm not sure what caliber would be best for effectively taking down a coyote with one shot. Any suggestions?
  • FPS: What FPS should I be aiming for to ensure a humane and effective kill?
  • Range: The maximum distance I'd be shooting is around 40 yards.
  • Budget: I'd like to stay within a budget of $2,000-$2,500.
I would greatly appreciate any specific model recommendations or links to products that fit these criteria. Your expertise and experience would be invaluable in helping me make the right choice. If you have any recommendations please let me know! ill truly appreciate it and hope to get revenge for all the neighbors!

Thank you in advance for your help!
Should be shooting a minimum of 50 ft lbs...30 cal would be my choice. I'm shooting an AGT Vulcan 3 700 in 30 caliber shooting 54 gn slugs @ 976 fps or 114 ft lbs energy. When actually tuned for coyote I'd shoot 62.5 gn slugs @ 120 ft lbs energy
 
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What’s your experience with PCPs?

If it’s minimal, and it’s only for coyote culling, I’d go gauntlet .30. They’re huge, but they’re simple and can be hand-pumped.

If you’ve got some PCP experience (not the kind where you end up in the pigeon coop with Hector)… and also want to buy a compressor, then the Uragan, Vulcan, M60B (ish) guns are great. Personally, I love the Uragan .30.

If you’ve got a PhD in engineering, and like to tinker with stuff (and chase random gremlins)… then FX is a great way to go.

Coyotes are tough, tenacious critters…. but their skulls are thin. I’d either go brain shot, or pick a slug that’s solid enough to exit on a lung shot. That way it either drops dead, or runs off without packing any evidence.

Just remember…. Coyotes have more rights in CA than you do.