Best 39-40 grain bullet in .20 for coyotes

[Goofycat]

I want to use my .20 Cooper VarTarg for coyotes, but have loaded only 32-grain V-max bullets that have been used solely for ground squirrels. I have not used the rifle for coyotes and read somewhere on the site (can't relocate the thread) that the slightly heavier bullets would be appropriate for coyotes. I checked the Sierra Bulletsmith spec sheet and notice that the only 39-grain bullet Sierra offers in .20 caliber is the Blitzking, which IIRC is a bullet that is a fragmenter and not a penetrator. I have used blitzkings for ground squirrels successfully, but I don't think it would be a good round for coyotes because it was designed to frag, not penetrate. The same holds true for Vmax and Nosler Ballistic tips.

So... what bullet brand should I look for in a .20 caliber bullet weighing 39-40 grains that is reasonably accurate and would be appropriate for coyotes?

 

[MarcH]

I have a .20 practical and have found Berger 35's and 40's to be very good bullets for hunting, don't fragment and expand well.

 

[Silverfox]

The 39 gr. Sierra BlitzKing has been the bullet I have used on coyotes for the last three years. I have not had any surface wounds, no coyotes have run very far and if they do run, they are dead on their feet--no follow-up shots have been necessary. The 39 gr. Sierra has been very easy on the fur too.

If you are still afraid to use the 39 gr. Sierras, then the 35 gr. FBHP Bergers are an excellent coyote bullet too. They just have a lot lower BC than the Sierras.

 

[jo191145]

The fragmentors will work just fine as long as you use enough velocity.
Bergers are the toughest 20 cal fare going. Want tough? Berger 35 or 40 is your choice.
Yes the BC is not great. A touch of work at the range and they'll make up for the low BC with accurcy.
Velocity is still key in the 20's. they'z got to be movin.

 

[Goofycat]

...but if the B.C. is far lower on the Bergers, wouldn't it slow the bullet down in comparison to the Sierra? And since we want speed, and if the Blitz is a good penetrator, why not use the Blitz? I had always thought the Blitz was bullet that was more of a fragmentor than a penetrator, so I had kind of tossed aside any plans to load up some Blitzes. I am going to be shooting these bullets in a 1:12 twist barrel, so I see no problem getting the right spin on bullets in this weight range.

Berger offers a .20 caliber in 40-grain called the "Match Varmint BT." I don't understand what a G1 (0.225) vs. a G7 B.C. (0.115) that they list. The Sierra Bulletsmith rep just told me that the B.C. of the Sierra 39-grain (#1039) is 0.287. It has a plastic tip and, as such, is somewhat of a fragmenter if it hits bone. So.... it seems that we have here a contest between a bullet that has a flatter trajectory (the Sierra) vs. a bullet that penetrates better, but has a more curved trajectory due to its lower B.C. But, at closer ranges (say, up to 250 yards), are the differences in the trajectories of these two bullets that important?

http://www.bergerbullets.com/Products/Varmint%20Bullets.html

 

[jo191145]

First off let me say this. I'm not a hunter. Silverfox and I have both been using the 204 since its inception. I kill paper and eggs. He kills yotes and P-dogs. If he says the 39bk works on yotes you can believe him. Lots of other folks had splash issues. I think velocity is the key for the bk to penetrate before exploding. The bk is a fragmentor. Like any projectile use enough velocity and it will penetrate before fragmenting. Silverfox has been known for years to not be afraid of velocity.
Same goes for me. Paper and eggs do not require velocity but if thats where I happen to find winning accuracy thats where I'll be. Found a few slow accuracy loads in my time and I'll use them too. Eggs die easy.

I'd say out to 300 yds and maybe more BC does'nt mean a whole lot. Granted a Ballistics chart will show you differences. In the world of short range Bench Rest (100-300yds) theres not much discussion on BC. Intrinsic accuracy of the projectile is key. In my ppc will I switch the custom bullets of unknown BC that agg .1-.2 for a high BC pill that aggs .2-.3. Nope. The gain in BC is negated by the accuracy potential. Now if the higher BC pill shoots more accurately than the low BC pill its a no brainer. JMO

Silverfox obviously knows a whole lot more about the terminal effects of various 20 cal pills than I.

 

[Goofycat]

Thanks, Joe. It looks like the only way I can compare the two is to go out to the range and do some shooting. I went out to my bullet drawer and---Voila!---there was an unopened box of 39-grain .20 Blitzkings that I didn't know I had and don't even remember buying them. I'll pick up some Bergers and do a comparison with my Pact chronograph. I'll publish the data after I put it all together and will compare what I come up with to the data listed in the www.6mmBR.com info page for various .20 caliber rifles and their loads.

 

[Goofycat]

Just spoke with Todd Kindler on the phone. With the .20 VarTarg, he likes the 39-grain Sierra Blitzkings, loaded with H4198, starting at 16.0 grains of powder, and working up to around 3,400-3,500 fps. He said that this velocity is more than enough to kill coyotes at 300-plus yards. His book lists a muzzle velocity of 3518 f.p.s. at the top end, using 18.8 grains of H4198, working up from 16.0 grains. He is familiar with the killing power of the .20 VarTarg, using this formula. Other powders listed are Vihtavuori N-130 and N-133, plus Reloder 10X. I will use H4198 since I have a fair amount of it available.

In case there are any shooters not familiar with Todd's book, "The Terrific Twenties," it is available from www.woodchuckden.com, and is well worth having.

 

[ND shooter]

Have used Blitzkings and V max in 20 tactical on coyotes and they were dead very quick. Never at 300 yards though. Around 3500 fps. FWIW