While tinkering with his Ultimate Coyote Rifle series, the builder behind this gem dove deep into a budget-friendly showdown that pits the unassuming .22 ARC cartridge against pricier contenders like the 6.5 Grendel and 22 Nosler. What started as a casual comparison quickly snowballed into a revelation: the .22 ARC, Hornady’s sleek 2022 brainchild designed for AR-15 platforms, punches way above its weight class for varmint hunting. With ballistics rivaling heavier hitters—think flat trajectories out to 400 yards, sub-MOA accuracy from a 16-inch barrel, and recoil that’s gentler than a stiff breeze—this cartridge turns a standard AR into a coyote-slaying machine without breaking the bank or your shoulder. At around $0.80 per round for factory ammo, it’s a fiscal no-brainer compared to the Nosler’s dollar-a-pop premium, making precision predator control accessible to the everyman shooter.
For the 2A community, this isn’t just a rifle build; it’s a masterclass in democratizing high performance. In an era where anti-gunners demonize assault rifles and ammo scarcity still haunts us post-pandemic, the .22 ARC embodies modular ingenuity—chamber it in your existing AR lower, slap on a budget optic like a Vortex Crossfire II, and you’re dropping yodel dogs at dusk without needing a custom upper or deep pockets. The implications ripple outward: it bolsters the case for versatile, lightweight platforms that excel in real-world scenarios like ranch protection or population control, where overkill calibers waste ammo and energy. Critics who scoff at varmint rounds miss the point—this setup proves ARs are tools of precision stewardship, not Hollywood fantasies, reinforcing why we fight for the right to innovate without government meddling.
Picture this on your next night hunt: a suppressed 16-inch Faxon barrel, Aero Precision receiver, and a Geissele trigger humming in harmony, delivering 62-grain ELD-Ms at 2,750 fps for ethical, one-shot stops. The builder’s budget blueprint clocks in under $1,200 total, challenging the notion that top-tier coyote rigs demand six figures. As supply chains stabilize and .22 ARC adoption surges (thanks to Ruger and CMMG jumping aboard), expect this to spark a renaissance in subsonic predator loads and lightweight scouts. For 2A patriots, it’s a rallying cry: build smart, hunt hard, and keep the Second Amendment firing on all cylinders. Dive into the full build details and start your own—coyotes won’t know what hit ’em.
