243 and coyote load

[LKEYES]

I am looking for a good 243 coyote load to run in a Remington Varmint Special. I have been shooting the 105 VLD but there was a big hole in the back from shooting a female in the chest at 280 yards last weekend. It would have been a $40 dog, but only got $20 cause of it. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Or maybe I should just pack my 22-250 instead? Thanks for the help.

 

[GSPV]

There are two ideas.

The first is to shoot a FMJ and drill a small hole straight through. It's not very exciting, some are going to run off screaming their head off, but it does what it does 100% of the time. Never varies. Pick any FMJ bullet and go.

The second idea is the violent expansion, no exit hole idea. Sierra 55, 70 or 80 Blitz(King) or 60 HP. Speer 70 TNT, or Hornady 58, 65, or 75 VMax. Push 'em hard. Exciting, anchors them on the spot. Will occasionally blow a huge exit hole. Shoot the yote lengthwise when you can.

I don't mess with the hides, so I shoot the Sierra 85 gr HPBT. Blows them up.

 

[LKEYES]

Okay, I'll give those a run if I can find them around here. Thanks for the help

 

[expiper]

Keys,,,,dont forget to try any good BT bullet backwards,,,,you have the benigits of FMJ but have bullets that usually shoot more accurately and you allready have sittin there on the shelf....I have used this method for turkey loads since the 60's,,allowing the use of deer rifles to turkey hunt,,,and use reduced loads,,,but for varmints/coyotes use full power,,,remember the BC is changed with the base of the bullet foreward ,they are very similar to round nose ballistics,,,,shoot them at 100-200 and see what your come up/drop is,,,,Roger

 

[wyoming .260]

Look for 55 gr Nosler varmagedons also , the hollow point version do not penetrate very far and are explosive. bonus is they are cheap.

 

[LKEYES]

Keys,,,,dont forget to try any good BT bullet backwards,,,,you have the benigits of FMJ but have bullets that usually shoot more accurately and you allready have sittin there on the shelf....Roger

Alright, I'll bite. Does that really work?

 

[scope eye]

You are a braver man than me, but I am really glad you asked.

Dean

 

[GSPV]

Look for 55 gr Nosler varmagedons also , the hollow point version do not penetrate very far and are explosive. bonus is they are cheap.

Dang! Knew I missed something!

I'm not surprised at the 105 VLD giving a large exit hole. Really, I would have bet on it. I'm a bit surprised that you have a fast enough twist to stabilize it.

My 243 likes the 70 VMax pushed by 46 gr of H414. That is a max load. Start low and work up. No yotes with that load, but several crows and two racoons. The crows just blew up. The racoons were like a sack of jello.

 

[5spd]

55g nosler CT or 58g vmax in the .243 does the trick every time, wont blow holes even at 3886 fps, unless its a gut shot.

 

[LKEYES]

The 105's I run with 48.5 of Retumbo and mag primers and shooting well inside of 1/2 minute. It was the first load I tried when I picked up this rifle last winter and very pleased with it. The 105's have been clocked at 2884, with an ES of only 6 on a 6 shot string. The saving the coyote thing is new to me, but for what they are giving for a good dog this year I thought I would start saving them.
Thanks for all the suggestions and I'll see what I can find on the local shelves.

Levi

 

[scope eye]

I agree with 5sp those 55gr Nosler purple tips 58Vmax's, and would add 60gr sierra HPs to the mix, my load for those mentioned is 48 Varget or RL15 just aim and shoot, and don't worry about drift or drop, plenty of energy at they other end even @500yd+, I tried those 55gr Barnes Varmint Grenades, and I think they put to much emphasis on the grenade part, I am only saying that since I saw they results on a ground hog and a couple porcupines, no false advertising there as far as the grenade part goes, LOL I am not going to try them on a coyote, I am going to stick with what works and not take the chance, on eliminating one just because I wanted to try something, just so you know I am running a 26" 12 twist mcgowen, I am not sure about how that load will work in the more common 9.25 twist.

Thanks Dean

 

[dkhunt14]

Keys,,,,dont forget to try any good BT bullet backwards,,,,you have the benigits of FMJ but have bullets that usually shoot more accurately and you allready have sittin there on the shelf....Roger

Alright, I'll bite. Does that really work?

Yep it works. {Poor mans turkey bullet) I think it is even showed in the Old Speer reloading manuals. Along with the loads for it.

 

[LKEYES]

Keys,,,,dont forget to try any good BT bullet backwards,,,,you have the benigits of FMJ but have bullets that usually shoot more accurately and you allready have sittin there on the shelf....Roger

Alright, I'll bite. Does that really work?

Yep it works. {Poor mans turkey bullet) I think it is even showed in the Old Speer reloading manuals. Along with the loads for it.

That is awesome, I'll have to do some digging around and see what I can find

 

[johnmyers]

80gr Sierra Blitz is a sleeper. You don't hear much about them but they are a really good varmint bullet. Have shot yotes with them in a 6-284 and dropped them on the spot with no exit and they are very accurate. Used to shoot them in a 243 for pds and they worked great.

 

[6xcshooter]

55 gr sierra blitz king 44gr varget 3900 to 4000 fps

 

[AckleymanII]

We killed a lot of coyotes in the 70's, 80's, and early 90's in Mexico. Bullet of choice was the 60g Sierra HP with a max load of Win 760 for that rifle, tiny, tiny groups, very small exit holes if any...no runners or spinners.

If you are so inclined for a heavy bullet, then the 80g Berger Hp with a max load of IMR 4064 was the ticket, exit was the size of a half dollar...dead dogs even when shot in the stomach.

 

[searcher]

After reading the comments about the Nosler 58 VMAX'es, my rifle wouldn't shoot anything much under 3/4" until I tried the 58 VMAX - then the 58 ZMAX - which shoot the same (same bullet I believe) but only cost $60.00/500. In my .243 with Reloader 15 - 1/3" groups is the norm in calm they do blow up. For saving the pelts - use the Varmint Grenade if shooting past 75 yards. Beyond 75 or 100 yards it is very seldom you get an exit wound. The 'yotes look like they got hit by lightening. To top these out - I added a custom-fit clamp-on muzzle brake so I can spot my own hits on even smaller critters. Got it online from Witt Machine & Tool. Got tired of waiting 4 months from our local gunsmith. Worked so good, I also put one on a light-barreled .223 as it would rock me off my sight picture when the scope was up to 30X and going way, way out. not anymore!!