I use a Ruger SR22.

Ruger Mark II, 4 1/2" barrel. Very accurate.

My comments are going to get into dispatch a little bit, which seems to be a touchy subject on the internet with some people - which I can understand - but I remember when I was first starting out, it was actually impossible to find a good answer on calibers for this purpose and I actually think it was a detriment to me as a beginner. I think it’s sort of important to address. If it’s going to be an issue, the mods can delete this comment and I won’t protest. At the time, I knew a lot of guys were using .22 WMR (let’s just call it a 22 Mag) for coyotes, I didn’t have a 22 Mag but I had a 22 (.22 LR) and I figured - how big can the difference really be. So I took the standard 22 out in the beginning.

Now. Maybe a standard 22 is just fine for some eastern and southern coyotes, they’re a lot smaller and I’ve trapped on the east coast, too. But out west they’re pretty big dogs and I had a very negative experience using a standard 22. I’m not talking about one bad experience, I’m talking about one full season with multiple dispatches and the 22 was not enough punch and I knew I needed to plus up to a 22 Mag.

Long story short, I now own the above revolver and LOVE it. It’s the Heritage Rough Rider (4.75” barrel, there are multiple options), it retails for $209 now but I got it for $179 a few years back, and it has interchangeable cylinders for both standard 22 and 22 Mag (price comes with both cylinders). I now carry the one revolver with both cylinders, and rounds for both. What I’ve found is that the standard 22 isn’t big enough to put a big coyote down quick, and the 22 Mag is too much gun for raccoons, etc. I like to run mixed lines and always will, which is why I carry both cylinders and use the appropriate one for the respective critter. The 22 Mag is perfect for coyotes - dispatches them quickly, quietly, and ethically, which is what we should all be aiming for (and I know we do). If I catch a coon or something similar, I swap cylinders, toss in a standard 22 round and it also gets the job done quickly and effectively. I love this gun, it’s a phenomenal little revolver, looks great, runs great, and is a fair price for what you’re getting (even with the small price increase over the years) and I’ll always have it handy.

I grew up in bear/cougar country and if I was running lines in the backwoods and was concerned with bear protection, this is not the option. I carry a different handgun when I’m hunting. This serves a different purpose and most of my lines are on Ag land within 400-500y of my truck, at most. I highly recommend it.

Again, I know we avoid dispatch talk like the plague around here and if I’m out of bounds, I apologize. But, truly, when I was a beginner and was trying to figure out what to use - there was almost NO info at all on it, I made the wrong decision, and I had some awful experiences using standard 22s on big western coyotes and - never again. This is a great handgun at a price point that I think is more than fair, I love carrying it, and it works phenomenally well.

Thank you for everyone's input. Concerning dispatch I have been using 22 shorts for fifty years------dang that makes me sound old ---- don't take this in a wrong way but it is imperative to put that 22 short in exactly the right spot my grandfather taught me to create a visual x from eye to ear left to right right to left. A 22 short there works good . I know they are more expensive but I like the low noise level AND they have worked many hundreds of times for me. Again in large predator country I do not carry a 22 then its a 357 with a few low power loads in pocket for dispatch

I recall when I went with dad, all he ever used was 22 shorts.

As noted above, I have been carrying a 22 mag this year, but I'm going to disagree with Ryan, a 22 mag is totally unnecessary for coyotes, in fact it is unnecessary for their larger brother, the wolf. I have had excellent success with a regular long rifle on both and have used longs on coyotes with good success, though I have not used shorts I would not hesitate to use them with solids on coyotes.
I have hound hunted my whole life and carried a Ruger single six with swappable cylinders for many years, then switched to a Rossi Circuit Judge rifle, also with swappable 22lr/22mag cylinders. I like the option of switching cylinders, and prefer the magnum for cougars, although again with proper shot placement and a good round the long rifle will work fine. And while it wouldn't be my preferred self protection gun, I would not hesitate to shot any animal in North America with the 22 magnum, were it legal, it is an absolutely deadly round that performs much better in the real world than the ballistic numbers on paper would indicate.

I suspect Ryan's problem with 22 long rifle was the ammo he was using, some of the ammo I have tried over the years just does not perform well.

That’s quite possible and, actually, I don’t disagree with you. 22 Mag has always seemed like it was overkill but it does put them down in short order and I’ve always been pleased with the results when it comes to hide damage, entry/exit, etc. And once I found something that worked, I just continued using it instead of searching for a better standard 22 round.

If you have suggestions for better standard 22 rounds to use in this occasion, I would be interested in hearing your opinions as I’m always trying to expand my options.

If anything, the experience opened me up to the world of 22 Mag, which I actually really like now, and I do enjoy that revolver with swappable cylinders.

I know a government trapper that uses a 22 pellet gun. Bout like a 22 short. He kills 500 plus coyotes a year. MANY with a 22 pellet rifle So 22 short is plenty IF proper shot placement is made

I have dispatched several coyotes with my .22 short Beretta. Big boar coons have harder skulls than coyotes and I have killed loads of them with it.

I wore out 2 H&R revolvers and got a Smith and Wesson last. It's wearing just fine and shoots any .22 just fine form CB's to .22 long rifle. I have a small Pheonix .22 pistol that fits in my pocket I have used but it needs hot loads to cycle reliably. Shorts and subsonics work fine in the smith revolver.

It's so bloody when skining if shot in the head.

I've got a 25 caliber pellet rifle I've killed a ton of bobcats with. Hadn't shot it in years, since the scope on it broke. Just put a new scope on it yesterday and sighted it in this morning. Maybe I'll pack it and dispatch a wolf with it, just to say I did.

I use a Ruger 22/45 because it is super simple to take apart.

I use the Glock44

I use a $114.00 heritage 22LR pistol. Bought the 22 mag cylinder too in case I catch something big. Go with the shorter barrel one like 4 3/4 inch.
Shorter barrel will not drag in creek water. You cannot beat these for the price. Drop it in mud no big deal. Or even loose it no big deal. Accurate to 15 yards maybe 20 with right ammo. MD

Only thing I shoot anymore are skunks.
Everything else gets a Ketch All Pole or a Death Ray.

Pistol update. The old ( 1959) new to.me high standard sentinel 22 with a 3 inch barrel loaded with shorts dispatches coyotes nicely. And is great to pack in a pancake holster.

I have a Browning BuckMark. It's old. Shot it enough to have to replace the firing pin. LoL! That's a lot of dead predators and a lot of fun target shooting ! LOL!

I'm amazed the Smith and Wesson airlight 317 in 22lr hasn't came up. Its is a great option. Light and very accurate.

May be the 800$ price tag. I have other smith's but the 2-300 $ revolver makes sense bumping around in a pickup or 4 wheeler for me