it just doesnt make since, the only thing i can think of is that there are way more deer hunters than yote hunters and if you had everyone in the woods with rifles it would be a lot more dangerous, possibly more hunters getting injured or hunters not being careful and shooting houses or equipment,
Funny because we were just talking about this at work the other day, guy at work came up with more people in the woods, and the distance the round will travel even after impact, seems logical to me, but who knows. That being said he is all about using .223 for yotes, I personally am going to test out 8mm mauser when the deer hunters clear out, have heard they work well for it from others. BTW a friend of mine used a mosin, had decent luck with it but quit using it for an unknown reason, guessing the nasty recoil though.
I think the .17HMR is often overlooked for larger varmits such as coyotes. As someone else said, in Indiana (or atleast the southern half) you aren't going to get those 300-400 yard shots very often...especially at night! Most shots are going to be 200 yds or less (atleast in my experience). The .17 can be a deadly weapon even for larger animals if the shot is placed correctly. Keep in mind that even light winds can affect these shots at longer distances. I love the .22-250 & .223 also, but pretty much the same as far as the wind. When I go, I usually take a couple guns. A 12 gauge for real close shots, .17HMR for mid range shots, and either .270 win or .25-06 for those longer shots. Just my 2 cents...