Predator Hunting with Sierra TMK's

[SWRS]

Looking for any first hand experience with the expansion of .224 69/77gr Sierra TMK's. I am a seasoned Coyote Caller that has always ran very fast varmint bullets in slow twist guns with great results and reliability. However, I have recently switched to a fast twist 22CM and am trying to choose a good predator bullet that will expand similar to a varmint bullet. Sierra TMK might fit that bill? I would be running them between 3400-3600fps in an 8 twist. Anybody with experience with busting Coyotes with these bullets please chime in. Thanks.

 

[K22]

My 8" twist Tikka, 223 Rem shoots the 60 Vmax bullet well under 1/2 moa w/ H4895. Haven't tried it on game yet but I believe it will expand well since they're designed to be a varmint bullet.

I'm running them at considerably less velocity (i.e. 2900 f/s) than listed in your post. At the velocity you've listed, I have to believe they would expand quite well.

 

[msalm]

I’ve READ of the 69gr TMK worked really well on coyotes, sizable exit wounds. Don’t remember where I read it but there was a post on this site.

 

[std7mag]

Possably not too fur friendly.
Sierra Varmint & BlitzKings do well in 25 caliber.

 

[JayBeeYou]

Have a couple of coyotes and deer shot with the 77tmk. Absolutely devastating to the chest cavity and had a quarter sized exit on all the deer with crease/lung shots. My impression was may not exit on a shoulder shot as it expends alot of mass and energy fairly quickly. On coyotes it is not fur friendly (large to omg sized exits) but anchors them pretty darn hard. This is all out of a 18"AR, with the 77 tmk it does damage above it's weight and caliber expectations.

 

[SWRS]

@JayBeeYou Thats what I’m hoping for the 69TMK as well. I shoot mangy desert dogs that don’t call for fur friendly bullets. I’m looking for hard humane kills.

 

[JayBeeYou]

Havent shot the 69tmk's but I would expect slightly less penetration and even more quick expansion. Should be nasty medicine for song dogs as my best guess with the 77tmk experience. Best of luck and make sure to post your experience as I would be interested.

 

[Bocephus]

Chalked up several with the 69TMK in a 223. Close stuff can be pretty nasty if you’re peeling them. Hit a shoulder or have a raking shot and you’re probably going to need a few stitches.
But for big dogs, shooting fairly long and in the wind, they’re my first choice.

 

[284winner]

Looking for any first hand experience with the expansion of .224 69/77gr Sierra TMK's. I am a seasoned Coyote Caller that has always ran very fast varmint bullets in slow twist guns with great results and reliability. However, I have recently switched to a fast twist 22CM and am trying to choose a good predator bullet that will expand similar to a varmint bullet. Sierra TMK might fit that bill? I would be running them between 3400-3600fps in an 8 twist. Anybody with experience with busting Coyotes with these bullets please chime in. Thanks.

At those speeds with a 69TMK, you'll lose the hide. The exit hole will be UGLY.

 

[xswanted]

Looking for any first hand experience with the expansion of .224 69/77gr Sierra TMK's. I am a seasoned Coyote Caller that has always ran very fast varmint bullets in slow twist guns with great results and reliability. However, I have recently switched to a fast twist 22CM and am trying to choose a good predator bullet that will expand similar to a varmint bullet. Sierra TMK might fit that bill? I would be running them between 3400-3600fps in an 8 twist. Anybody with experience with busting Coyotes with these bullets please chime in. Thanks.

I’ve ran a lot of heavy 22s for coyotes over the last few years. ND coyotes, through late winter so thick hides.

I have not shot the TMKs personally but an acquaintance of mine has had good luck with them.

His experience, like mine with 75-80 grain bullets, when they are ran hard from an 8 twist barrel, 3350 and above you’re going to have much higher chances of wrecking fur than if they are slower.

A 75 Berger from a 8 twist barrel at 3450 is like a bomb going off. Softball exit holes.

However that same bullet ran 3300 or slower is pretty easy on fur and still is ballistically impressive to 600-700 yards.

I know speed and those big bullets are intriguing but it’s not needed for a lot of shots, especially if you’re saving fur.

 

[AckleymanII]

I love wrecking fur, the more fur flying, the better off I am, and we call this "humane kills".

22/243 AI, 14 Twist, zero freebore, 26", 60g Sierra at 4000-4100...very humane. In fact, this load just blows a coyote up.


I have skinned my last coyote, until I kill a black one.

SWRS, if you run the 77 TMK you should be in the 3400 area with minimal damage as the yardage increases.

 

[Quickoz]

How does the 60gr TMK compare to the 53gr Varmageddon?

 

[AckleymanII]

Oz, I shoot the 60g hp due to twist rate. I shot some 60g TMK in a 22/204 and they are very explosive at 3450 on crows....my only targets. 60g TMK are crow chunkers.

 

[SWRS]

My go to pup exploder for years was a 6mmAI pushing 75gr vmax 3900. 14 twist

 

[AckleymanII]

Yeppers! 80g Blitz at 3800 also with the 6 AI, and the 60g Sierra at 4400!

 

[Quickoz]

Oz, I shoot the 60g hp due to twist rate. I shot some 60g TMK in a 22/204 and they are very explosive at 3250 on crows....my only targets. 60g TMK are crow chunkers.

Cheers mate.
Yeah I'm going to a 13T so probably wont be able to run the 60gr TMK anyway. And theres none in Australia anyway. Haha.

 

[1lessdog]

I shot the 69 gr TMK in my 6 MMAI 1 - 14 twist. I seen no difference in fur damage as the 55 gr Blitzking. If you have a solid body shot 90% of the time no exit. I was pushing the 69 gr at 3875 fps and the 55 gr at 4250 fps.

 

[AckleymanII]

OZ, the Sierra 60g HP works in 14 twists very well for me at velocities of 3400+ in my experience.

 

[STOMP442]

I have shot a few coyotes with the 95TMK out of a 6BR. So far results have been about 50/50 some exit violently and others don't. I have also shot one coyote with a 6.5 Creedmoor and the 130TMK that surprisingly didn't exit just puffed him up like a balloon. All depends on how you hit them.

 

[Yote Hunter]

I have shot a few coyotes with the 95TMK out of a 6BR. So far results have been about 50/50 some exit violently and others don't. I have also shot one coyote with a 6.5 Creedmoor and the 130TMK that surprisingly didn't exit just puffed him up like a balloon. All depends on how you hit them.

I have expressed very similar results probably less than favorable killing performance in a 6 mm AR Turbo using the 95 gr 6 mm TMK. Lost several hit coyotes with no blood trail and recovered coyotes showed no damage just pass throughs. They ran like they weren’t hit and had to really look to find the exit.