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I shot my first coyote with a Browning A-Bolt chambered for the 270 Winchester. It worked, but that’s not a gun most would consider a true coyote rifle. Given that we live in a country where we can own as many guns as we want, why not specialize and have a rifle, or rifles, dedicated specifically to coyote hunting?
What is a dedicated coyote rifle? Well, that depends on where and how you hunt coyotes. Out West, shots can be long and plenty; I’ve seen as many as seven coyotes called in at one time. For this, you want something very accurate that’s chambered for a long-range cartridge. In the East, coyotes often show up one at a time and in your face. Here, a quick-handling carbine is more like it. Of course, there’s nothing saying you can only have one dedicated dog gun. A good camo finish is a plus in any coyote rifle, as is the ability to keep it running in the worst weather.
Because these are special-purpose rifles, you should expect to pay a little more. You could, of course, just get one of today’s cheap-but-accurate, black-synthetic stocked bolt-action rifles that’s chambered for a good predator round and call that your coyote rifle. That’s perfectly fine. But the rifles below are more purpose-built, with task-specific features that can drive the average price up a bit. Still, there’s something here for every budget. Below are seven of the best dedicated coyote rifles you can buy in 2025, from the priciest to the most affordable. Taken together, they’ll cover any and every kind of coyote hunting situation you might encounter.
Related: How to Hunt Coyotes—a Complete Guide
An open-country coyote surveys a winter landscape.
Wilson Combat NULA Model 20S
This is the most expensive rifle of the seven, retailing for a little under $3,000, but it's also the lightest—and it shoots like a bench-rest gun. It’s Wilson Combat’s rendition of the NULA Model 20S rifle Melvin Forbes made famous. With its 18-inch threaded barrel, it weighs in right at 5 pounds—the same as a Fox Pro XWAVE predator call. It also has the 223 Wylde chamber, so it’s equally compatible with 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO ammunition. It has a five-round internal magazine, a hinged floor plate, two-position bolt-locking safety, button-rifled custom tapered barrel, and corrosion resistant Armor-Tuff coating. Options include a Canyon or Kodiak Rogue camo, or a Charcoal Grey AG Composites’ stock. This rifle continues the NULA tradition of offering the pound-for-pound most accurate bolt-action rifles made. You can read my full review of the Model 20S here.
Q Sugar Weasel 556
In the James Bond movies, Q was a secret branch of the British Secret Service that devised all the cool tools and weapons Bond relied on. In the real world, Q—Q Firearms—creates cool tools and weapons you can actually buy and own. Their Sugar Weasel is one. It's an AR15-patterned semi-auto in 5.56 NATO with a 1 in 7 twist barrel. It comes standard with Q’s excellent trigger, a threaded muzzle, and their Cheery Bomb muzzle device that interfaces with their superb, 9.2 ounce, Jumbo Shrimp suppressor. It also has a mid-length adjustable gas system that allows you to optimize performance and precision. This carbine is less than a yard long and weights in right at 6 pounds. With its M-Lok handguard and full-length top rail, it offers all the modularity you’d expect from a coyote killing AR15. It retails for $1,799.
Ruger 77/22 Bolt-Action Rifle
In every genre of hunting there exists a small group of individuals who are specialists. They’re not there to whack 'em and stack ‘em; they’re there to demonstrate the highest form of the art of hunting. They slip in and make their kill. They don’t need target rifles because they are field marksmen who know how to shoot. They don’t need fast-stepping wonder cartridges, either, because they know how to hunt and get close to their prey. They’re pros who want a pro's rifle. Ideally sized for the 22 Hornet cartridge, the Ruger 77/22, with its weather-resistant Green Mountain laminate stock and stainless-steel constructions, fits the bill perfectly. It’s accurate, reliable, compact, and the 22 Hornet cartridge will not rip unrepairable holes in a coyote’s pelt. It goes for $1,349, but you may be able to find it for less.
Related: The Best Rifles for Any Budget, Tested and Reviewed
Browning X-Bolt 2 All-Purpose
This is a brand new rifle from Browning for 2025 that's built on the new X-Bolt 2 action and is fitted with the new X-Bolt 2 stock. With the action, Browning has added an additional bolt-guidance surface for smoother operation, and a new trigger that is very good. The new stock is fully adjustable for length of pull and comb height, but Browning neatly hides all the adjustments inside the butt stock. What sets the All-Purpose apart from other X-Bolt 2 rifles is the ultra-short 16.5-inch barrel with a threaded muzzle, and the new high-capacity Plus magazine system. This makes for a very compact rifle with an overall length of only 36 inches. Available chamberings include 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Winchester, but the best for coyotes is the 243 Winchester version. The new X-Bolt 2 All-Purpose retails for $1,180.
Ruger American Gen II Ranch
When we tested the Ruger American Gen II last year, we were very impressed with every aspect of the rifle. It shot fantastically well, and everything worked just like it was supposed to. The Ranch version of the Gen II is a shorter, 16-inch-barreled version that feeds from various types of detachable magazines. The rifle is also available in quite a few chamberings, and the 22 ARC offering is a great choice for coyotes. This Ranch model has all the features of the regular Gen II, including an adjustable stock, adjustable trigger, and a Cerakote finish. It’s also only 37 inches long, comes standard with a threaded muzzle, a radial port muzzle brake, and a three-position safety. All of this makes and a retail price of a little over $700, makes the Gen II Ranch one of the best values when it comes to dedicated coyote rifles. You can read my full review of the Gen II here.
Mossberg Patriot Predator Bolt-Action Rifle
You can take this rifle home for about $500. It comes with a camouflaged synthetic stock, a five-round detachable magazine, a fluted barrel with a threaded muzzle, a Picatinny scope rail, and an adjustable trigger. Additionally, Mossberg coats all the metal surfaces with corrosion resistant Cerakote. Chambered for the 22-250 Remington, it has the reach to tag a song dog at distance, and while it’s not the lightest bolt-gun you can buy, it only weighs 6.5 pounds. This makes it a good choice for open-country hunting where you have long walks between calling locations. And it's suppressor ready. Bottom line: the Patriot Predator offers a lot of bang for your buck.
Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15, 16-Inch
In some instances, a semi-automatic rifle in the AR15-pattern is a better option for coyote hunting. This is especially true when multiple coyotes come in on one set. There are three cool things about the Bear Creek BC-15 with the 16-inch barrel. First, this rifle retails for only around $400, Second, you can get it chambered for the 6mm ARC, which is a great long-range option for a semi-automatic. And finally, this modern sporting rifle has a right-side charging handle, which makes it much more user-friendly. Bear Creek rifles come with a basic stock and handgrip, but they’re affordable and given the modularity of the platform, great base guns to build on. So, if you like a semi-auto and you want to spend as little as possible for a good dog gun, this is a great choice.
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