I have had very good results with my 6.5x47 and the 123 A-max. This bullet is a bomb as far as I can hit them. As said before 130 Bergers just zip right through. 
Regards, Paul
www.boltfluting.com
Regards, Paul
www.boltfluting.com
Best LR Bullet/Cartridge for Coyotes
- Thread starter sscoyote
- Start date
I ran a 22-250 shooting 52gr berger varmint flat base bullets they would drop like a rock everytime.... waiting for barrels to come in for a 22-250AI and 6xc right now... ive still been very happy with the berger varmint bullets.... but i have a tendancy to run bergers in everything....
Beyond 600 yards.....I vote for 243 Win using classic load of 85 gr Sierra GameKing with IMR 4064. They go down fast. Most of the time my shots are within 600 yards so I just stay with 223.
22-250 AI, Put Lights Out 800 yrd. 75gr A-Max over H 4895. Have a P.O. Ackley Blight 6mm-284, That Sure Likes The Berger 88gr,and 95gr Molly.With IMR 7827. as one on Here Said a 25-06 Would be good Also. There are TOOOOO MMMMMMeeeeeeaaaaaannnnnyyyy Choices. My Head Starts to Hurt. I Would Have To Stay With The 22-250AI, My Self. Bullets Up To 90gr From Berger! Whats Not To Like ??? Good Shooting In What Ever You Take Take to The Field.
God Bless
God Bless
Catshooter
Your not the first person I have heard that has had poor results with the 30 cal AMAX bullets on thin skinned animals. If you have not been too soured I would like for you to try some the other AMAX bullets in 7mm 6.5mm and 6mm. For what ever reason that I have No idea why. The 30 cal AMAX on coyotes do not work very well, while others in 7mm,6.5mm, and 6mm work like the hammer of thor.
To the OP.
Coming from the Dakotas we have ALOT of coyote scare'ers in our state. The shots keep getting longer and longer as the yotes are very skidish. Most hard core hunters in my area are now shooting the 6X284's straight 6.5X284, 6X47L. Just about anything with a lot of horsepower in the 6mm and 6.5mm. Barrel life is short but in a hunting rifle it will go several seasons unlike a match rifle.
My choice after loosing a couple Yotes at under 200 yards with a 223/50gr is a 243 AI with 95gr Berger VLD's screaming along at 3300+fps. Type that into your ballistic program.....Flat,Fast and deadly.
Best of luck to you.
Russ T
Your not the first person I have heard that has had poor results with the 30 cal AMAX bullets on thin skinned animals. If you have not been too soured I would like for you to try some the other AMAX bullets in 7mm 6.5mm and 6mm. For what ever reason that I have No idea why. The 30 cal AMAX on coyotes do not work very well, while others in 7mm,6.5mm, and 6mm work like the hammer of thor.
To the OP.
Coming from the Dakotas we have ALOT of coyote scare'ers in our state. The shots keep getting longer and longer as the yotes are very skidish. Most hard core hunters in my area are now shooting the 6X284's straight 6.5X284, 6X47L. Just about anything with a lot of horsepower in the 6mm and 6.5mm. Barrel life is short but in a hunting rifle it will go several seasons unlike a match rifle.
My choice after loosing a couple Yotes at under 200 yards with a 223/50gr is a 243 AI with 95gr Berger VLD's screaming along at 3300+fps. Type that into your ballistic program.....Flat,Fast and deadly.
Best of luck to you.
Russ T
There are many smaller rounds that will get the job done and not cause you to sew for days at a time. I have never seen a bullet that turns off critters like that 338 bullet and I once had a 50BMG. The damage made is just amazing. I do not skin the coyote I shoot as it is hard to sew what is not there.
WyleWD
Silver $$ Contributor
22DASHER said:
+1
My favorite for coyotes is still the 220 Swift, but agree that the 6xc or 6x47L or 243 are GREAT choices in an 8,9 or 10 twist barrel and the appropriate bullet for what ever twist you choose . Personally I believe that when coyote hunting you should get em well within range or the chances of a miss = a wised up skittish coyote you'll maybe never get a shot at again. JME.
WDsnert
Silver $$ Contributor
I cannot offer much as far as large numbers of coyotes, but have had these experiences which surprised me:
All large eastern coyotes:
22-250, 55 grain Vmax, 400-450 yards, 2 different yotes...dumped them with chest hits, they fell right there, spun and spun and when I went to pick them up they were gone, huge blood trail into standing corn and no, I did not go in to recover a PO'd coyote.
22-250 at 400 yards, as above. Broke spine first shot, and the yote took off dragging downhill across a pasture field on front legs, made it almost 75 yaards before another shot anchored him (single shot 40X)
357 Herrett, 180 grain SP, 95 yards. One between the shoulders (sitting facing away) and DRT. 35 caliber hole in, 45 caliber hole out!
7MM Rem Mag, 150 NBT, 350 yards. First round hit forward, breaking front shoulder. Flattened him. Then he pulled self up on two legs and was trying to move off. #2 went thru the head.
What I am saying is these were solid hits with bullets mentioned and all on BIG eastern dogs and i have been surprised at the tenacity of these yotes.
Then I watch video of hunts with 223 etc and those dogs die like lightning hit them. That has not been my experience, and no, they were not poor hits...
FWIW
Snert
All large eastern coyotes:
22-250, 55 grain Vmax, 400-450 yards, 2 different yotes...dumped them with chest hits, they fell right there, spun and spun and when I went to pick them up they were gone, huge blood trail into standing corn and no, I did not go in to recover a PO'd coyote.
22-250 at 400 yards, as above. Broke spine first shot, and the yote took off dragging downhill across a pasture field on front legs, made it almost 75 yaards before another shot anchored him (single shot 40X)
357 Herrett, 180 grain SP, 95 yards. One between the shoulders (sitting facing away) and DRT. 35 caliber hole in, 45 caliber hole out!
7MM Rem Mag, 150 NBT, 350 yards. First round hit forward, breaking front shoulder. Flattened him. Then he pulled self up on two legs and was trying to move off. #2 went thru the head.
What I am saying is these were solid hits with bullets mentioned and all on BIG eastern dogs and i have been surprised at the tenacity of these yotes.
Then I watch video of hunts with 223 etc and those dogs die like lightning hit them. That has not been my experience, and no, they were not poor hits...
FWIW
Snert
I've smoked a gang of em waaay out in a hayfield with my 25/06 using 87 grain Sierras. That was when it was all I had. I would tear em up too bad closer, so I bought a 220 Swift. I used that for years.
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
I have hunted coyotes for a long time. A coyote can be one of the hardest animals to hit and put down for keeps. When you skin a coyote out, there is not much of a body, so your target is small. Over the years, I have tried a lot of wild cats, bullets to improve on the killing effect as the distances increase.
One thing that is certain, if your bullet does not open up pretty much on contact, a coyote may flip and flop till he figures out that he is not dead, then he is gone! I have shot coyotes with bullets that did not expand and they never flinched, they just kept standing there!
So, two things to remember, speed kills, and nothing is more important than shot placement. A hit behind the diaphragm often guarantees the coyote will run off at ranges of 400 and beyond.
So, in my quest to humanely kill coyotes and collect some hair, I tried the following with great results:
22/250 AI, 26" 12 twist, 55g Nosler BT at 4100 and the 60g Berger at 3700.
243 Custom, zero to minimal freebore, 26", 12" twist; 80g Sierra Blitz at 3400+
6 Rem custom, zero to minimal freebore, 26" 12 twist, 80g Sierra Blitz at 3500+
6 Rem AI, zero freebore, 14 twist, 26"; 70g Nosler at 4150 fps
257 Weatherby, zero freebore, 10 twist, 26", 100g Nosler BT, 3850 fps
7 STW, 25 1/2", 9 twist( Sendero set back and rechamber), 120g V max, 3850 fps
Hunting partners shot some duplicates of mine in 243, 22/250 AI(many guys), 6 Rem, 257 Weatherby. Other guys shot 6/284 with the 85g Sierra BTHP screaming, 30 Gibbs, and 308 Winchester with 30" barrels loaded HOT with 110g Sierra's.
If I had to pick the two favorites, mine would be the 22/250 AI with the 55g Nosler's at 4100 and the 6Rem AI with the 70's at 4150, these are two idiot proof cartridges to work with.
I have a friend that I respect that lives where there is a lot of wind. He shoots the 22/6Rem AI with the 80g A max at 3600...glory!
What seems to complicate the idea of a perfect coyote rifle is that 40-60% of the time, you are shooting at a coyote while his is at the walk, trot, or dead run. So, velocity cuts down on your leade required, and the bad hits too far back in the body or an outright miss 3 feet behind the animal. With a lot of speed, you will more often than not, dump the coyote right on the spot from hydrostatic shock. Time and time again, we saw the effect of less speed=less shock.
Very often, a coyote is in sight, and gone within several seconds. So, this is where flat shooting really pays off.
I would like to add that the vast majority of coyotes that I have ever shot were within 80-125 yards in the terrain that I hunted in. It always feels like you have harvested a real trophy to get one that hangs up way out there, usually a call wise or Dominant coyote.
Hope this helps
One thing that is certain, if your bullet does not open up pretty much on contact, a coyote may flip and flop till he figures out that he is not dead, then he is gone! I have shot coyotes with bullets that did not expand and they never flinched, they just kept standing there!
So, two things to remember, speed kills, and nothing is more important than shot placement. A hit behind the diaphragm often guarantees the coyote will run off at ranges of 400 and beyond.
So, in my quest to humanely kill coyotes and collect some hair, I tried the following with great results:
22/250 AI, 26" 12 twist, 55g Nosler BT at 4100 and the 60g Berger at 3700.
243 Custom, zero to minimal freebore, 26", 12" twist; 80g Sierra Blitz at 3400+
6 Rem custom, zero to minimal freebore, 26" 12 twist, 80g Sierra Blitz at 3500+
6 Rem AI, zero freebore, 14 twist, 26"; 70g Nosler at 4150 fps
257 Weatherby, zero freebore, 10 twist, 26", 100g Nosler BT, 3850 fps
7 STW, 25 1/2", 9 twist( Sendero set back and rechamber), 120g V max, 3850 fps
Hunting partners shot some duplicates of mine in 243, 22/250 AI(many guys), 6 Rem, 257 Weatherby. Other guys shot 6/284 with the 85g Sierra BTHP screaming, 30 Gibbs, and 308 Winchester with 30" barrels loaded HOT with 110g Sierra's.
If I had to pick the two favorites, mine would be the 22/250 AI with the 55g Nosler's at 4100 and the 6Rem AI with the 70's at 4150, these are two idiot proof cartridges to work with.
I have a friend that I respect that lives where there is a lot of wind. He shoots the 22/6Rem AI with the 80g A max at 3600...glory!
What seems to complicate the idea of a perfect coyote rifle is that 40-60% of the time, you are shooting at a coyote while his is at the walk, trot, or dead run. So, velocity cuts down on your leade required, and the bad hits too far back in the body or an outright miss 3 feet behind the animal. With a lot of speed, you will more often than not, dump the coyote right on the spot from hydrostatic shock. Time and time again, we saw the effect of less speed=less shock.
Very often, a coyote is in sight, and gone within several seconds. So, this is where flat shooting really pays off.
I would like to add that the vast majority of coyotes that I have ever shot were within 80-125 yards in the terrain that I hunted in. It always feels like you have harvested a real trophy to get one that hangs up way out there, usually a call wise or Dominant coyote.
Hope this helps
Seems like the 22-250 ackley with 55 grain BT at 4100-4150fps has been a top choice. I would agree with that for coyotes from 100-500 yards. I have one set-up like that and it is an absolute laser. Killed a bunch of coyotes with it.
However, sscoyote said he wants one set-up for the longest possible ranges... I don't consider that 22-250 AI an ideal set-up for sniping yotes at the longest possible range. Do I consider it the best all around gun for 99% of your shots, yes absolutely, that's why my 22-250AI never leaves my truck.
On the other hand I feel like there are better cartridges for beyond 5-600 yards. That is why I suggested the above 6x47L shooting 105's at ~3100+.... IMO, build both.
However, sscoyote said he wants one set-up for the longest possible ranges... I don't consider that 22-250 AI an ideal set-up for sniping yotes at the longest possible range. Do I consider it the best all around gun for 99% of your shots, yes absolutely, that's why my 22-250AI never leaves my truck.
On the other hand I feel like there are better cartridges for beyond 5-600 yards. That is why I suggested the above 6x47L shooting 105's at ~3100+.... IMO, build both.
Well if it's a rig purpose built for taking anything at long range, it's hard to beat the 338 Lapua and 300 gr pills for their ability to buck the wind... But you better get some more thread for stitch'n them yotes:
My purpose built 'any-range' coyote rig is a 6mm ART40... The semi-auto works well for running shots, quick follow ups, and when multiples come in... If they hang up at range, it's good out to about a 1000 yards. Furthest kill so far with it was 749 yards, but I really try to get them as close as possible. I shoot 105 gr AMax's at 2850 fps and 87 gr VMax's at just under 3000 fps.
My purpose built 'any-range' coyote rig is a 6mm ART40... The semi-auto works well for running shots, quick follow ups, and when multiples come in... If they hang up at range, it's good out to about a 1000 yards. Furthest kill so far with it was 749 yards, but I really try to get them as close as possible. I shoot 105 gr AMax's at 2850 fps and 87 gr VMax's at just under 3000 fps.
sscoyote said:
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