Tough coyotes or not enough gun?

Been following this pretty close as I have a .243 and like it alot. I'm curious as to what you all would recommend for the person (like me) who doesn't reload.

Would a larger (say 100gr) bullet do less damage on the pelt that a lighter bullet?

Thanks!

UB
 
I guess there is no perfect round for the coyote yet. It's just here in Ky. each and every shot opertunity is highly prized and hard to come by. I want that fur in good shape but I certainly don't want to take a chance on loosing the dog altogeather. I'll take your advise GC and go back to the heavier bullet when using my 243. May try those 87 grainers. Wish someone would make a autoloading 243-12 guage combo, lightweight, fast-handling,and affordable. The perfect coyote gun for us easterners! Ya, right! I Wish! LOL. Thanks for the info GC, and thanks to sleddogg for starting this post. kyray.
 
Hi Guys - my coyote load has been the same since Sierra released the bullet. Stiff load of 4064 under a Sierra 85 grain BTHP "Gameking". It is the bang-flop load of doom, and not nearly as devestating as imagined on fur. I'm not a strick fur hunter, but save the big ones, and they come out nice.

It has serve me well as a whitetail gun, and I have shot alot of them, and never lost one with this load. But it is on the light side for whitetails, but I'm bowhunter above all else, so the .243 seems like cheating when I'm deer hunting. :eek:

GC, I talked to Pruson off line, and guess what we talked about /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Unclebuck 300, let me answer that question for you. Remington is currently producing a factory load for the 243 in a 75 grain bullet. It is a Remington version of the V-Max, it is a boatail bullet that is very-very accurate. I haven't yet been able to duplicate it's accuracy with a reload. "Remington Premier Accutips, 75 grain " you won't regret it.

I know of at least two or three BAR 243's that shoot ragged one hole three shots groups with these bullets. They penetrate and turn the insides to jelly.
 
Hey Sleddog,
Take a look at the .224 #1375 60gr. Sierra's. They shoot real good & it's a HP. I like to push 'em with 23.5 grs N135 VihtaVuori powder.
My AR likes them.
CTR
 
Thanks Pruson...

I wish I had the time to reload like you guys but work makes it impossible. Think the hotels wouldn't like me hauuling that in..lol.

I'll have to pick some up and give them a try at the range over the weekend!

UB
 
Sierra just released this year a 65gr GameKing, bullet #1395 I think, for .224 diameter. Anyone tried this on a coyote, yet? I want to try it in my 1:7 twist AR.
 
Due to circumstances too involved to explain here I have done most of my coyote hunting with a lightweight 308 bolt action carbine.

It's pure poison for coyotes and I can't fault it one little bit except in the recoil department. Recoil doesn't bother me much but since many coyote shots are running shots, the necessity for quick follow up shots is a serious consideration.

That has led me to my conclusion that next year I'll be carrying a "GC special" in the piney woods of north Florida.

Yep... My conclusion is that the Browning BAR lightweight carbine in 243 Winchester with a camo stock is the ultimate coyote rifle.

My choice of bullets will probably be the 87gr V-Max but I won't rule out a 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip as a viable candidate and the 85gr Partition might not be a bad choice either.

I know that some of you are probably rolling your eyes at my choice of the Partition but almost every coyote I've killed with a 308 has been with a 150gr Partition and it's a magnificent BANG-FLOP bullet/load with minimal hide damage on both sides.

I've never had one fail to open up, wreak massive internal destrucion, and leave a small exit hole in the hide.

Now if I could only get Davidson's or someone like that to convince Browning to make a run of short action FULL camo (barrel and action included) lightweight carbines. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Here it is in long action and supposedly they didn't make a short action version.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=27986641

By the way... Has anyone seen the new BAR's? The Shorttrac sounds interesting to me and it's a good bit lighter than the lightweight carbine.
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=002B&cat_id=031&type_id=219

Someone mentioned the loud report of the 243 in a carbine. They're certainly RIGHT! If I were near homes/civilization (I hunt almost exclusively in a 550,000 acre National Forest) I'd certainly be looking at a long 24"-26" barreled 300 Whisper for smaller sound signature.

$bob$
 
I am not against a 243 and have seen them in action quite effectively. Yet, where I perform most of my ritual killings being comfortable that the death slug doesn't continue on to perferate another live body is very important. SW Ohio is is just too populated for a 243 to be my "go to" gun. I was raised on the 222 Remington and graduated upto the 223 for practical reasons. I know from personal experience to never aim for the front leg using the SXSP bullets. But placed in the chest cavity death is assured. Keeping ricochets to a minimum is my absolute first priority! Thankfully I have never lost a dog I've shot yet and hope I don't. That said, I don't have access to much of the "Big Woods" GC and Sleddog work and if this were the case I believe I would be a happy 243 shooter, too. As it is, though, I am content to wrap my fingers around the pistol grip and absorb the springy recoil feeling that is so enjoyable when I squeeze the trigger.
 
Fellows I'm not selling anything here. Some of ya'll ask and I'm telling you my thoughts and experiences. We all have to "work out our own salvation." I have respect for the smaller .22 centerfires. They'll work just fine for a lot of coyote killing. My personal situation is such that I feel the need for an extra margin of power and the .243 BAR fills the bill to perfection. It is louder than some smaller cartridges, but heck in my hunting places, who's going to hear it? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
The loudest gun I ever shot was my short barreled Howa 22-250. Might have stuck with the 250, but my ears were killin me after every hunting shot.

I actually find the .243 easier on my ears. :eek: But admittedly both are loud.
 
I think the .22-250 has quite a crack to it from a 22" or less barrel. A 16" CAR .223 has a certain snap to it as well, especially firing controlled burst full auto. I've fired silenced .223 rifles and they sound about like a .22LR handgun. Of course, that's on the black list for hunting purposes. The .221 Fireball from a long barrel might be a real good compromise for noise and performance. Me? I just bang away with my 20" .243. Shooting at game I don't notice the blast. And on the range I always use protection!
 
Well folks this thread has me re-thinking my
rifle choices for coyotes. Many moons ago,
I used 12 ga. slugs, and buckshot, and .22 LR,
as my predator/varmint choices growing up
in Wisconsin's northwoods. I used these
firearms, because that is all I had. After
many years of not having time to predator hunt,
I am slowly working my way back into it, and
this time around, I have a much richer set of
firearms to choose from. I settled on my
AR-15 carbine, because it is fast, and accurate.
As of yet, this gun has not got a shot on a
coyote, but last weekend, I shot a crow with
some 55 gr. Nosler Ballistic tip hand loads,
and I came away from that wondering if this
bullet has enough punch for coyotes. The
crow was red mist, but upon examination,
it was pretty obvious this bullet exploded
on the crow's rib cage. It made a mess of the
crow, but I believe this would have been a
dead on it's feet running coyote. Not what
I want. I have a sweet Tikka WH, in .25-06,
but this would not be a good trotting coyote
at 40 yards gun(5.5-16.5x Nikon on it), or a
hauling butt outa here, coyote gun, so that one
stays on the rack. I do have a BAR LW Stalker,
in .308 Win, set up as a heavy timber northern
whitetail shooter, and after this discussion, I
am thinking that box of 125 gr CT Ballistic tip
bullets, in the reloading room just found a
purpose.

I think as a back up plan, I had better get
to work on some 125 gr. .308 Win loads, for
the BAR. This gun does shoot sub MOA groups
with Barnes 130 gr. XBT loads, and being a
deep penetration bullet, might not be the
best choice for a dog round...But then again
it would be very fur friendly. Regardless
of what I end up with for coyote loads, I
want to thank you all for this thought provoking
discussion. This weekend, I will be taking
the BAR for a walk, instead of the AR-15...
Now I have to get some more white vet wrap
for the BAR!

Squeeze
 
Coyotes do not die easy, they are very tough! Ask anyone that has trapped or snared them. Having said that, any animal dies hard when using the wrong equipment or in the wrong hands. A 22-250 is the ultimate coyote gun IMHO, kills them dead and saves on fur. Fur damage has always been a priority and always will be. Can't imagine shooting a well furred critter knowing that you are going to blow a huge hole in it.
 
mainekiller /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif - People hunt coyotes for many reasons, and fur is not a big consideration for me. I will skin a big dog, and even with the .243 they are O.K. for my needs.

I don't trap or snare, as its illegal here in Ma. If it was legal, I'd get some lessons from the best trapper I know SiverfoxPa. I just want them down as fast as possible, and even though I know the runners will die, I don't relish the thought of an animal I've shot suffering a lingering death. That makes me feel terrible when it happens.

I have a good amount of experience killing dogs in New England, so my experience in tight woods with the .224 calibers are not precieved experiences, they are fact.

If I was hunting out West, where the shooting was more open, and less frantic, I would choose a .223 or 250 before the .243 every time.

Squeeze - you .223 will kill coyotes like lightning on a chest shot. If you are confident to hit them there every time that .223 is all you will ever need /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif But, if your shooting coyotes in a thick wooded area, where shots are quick, and angles tough, you may want to be carrying that stalker :eek:
 
Even if you hunt coyotes for other reasons besides fur, I think it is a waste to throw away a winter prime coyote. This is the same dilema most trappers have. They want to trap and catch animal but they don't know how to take care of the fur. They try to sell ruff skinned or in the round and they get very little money.

Regarding eastern yotes and hunting cover. My area is very open and the 22-250 is ideal. I also care about the hides. I'm not trying to start a rift with you or anyone else, these are my opinions for my area and reason for hunting yotes. What do you do with your coyotes? You can probably sell them in the round.
 
Scouting, Setting, Baiting, Catching, Killing, Skinning, Fleshing, Stretching, Combing and Selling a coyote... $6.00

Pulling the trigger on a called up coyote and leaving a mark that turns a fur buyers stomach.... PRICELESS

Do it how you want... as long as people sell coyote hides for $6 then coyotes will be worth $6.
 
I shoot a savage bolt action 223, using a 55gr ballistic silvertip winchester shell. I have had very little problem loosing animals. I not only hunt yotes with this combo, but use it for deer also. I have found this combo to be very effective with a shot placement above the shoulder where the neck and main body joins. Granted it is not always an easy shot to get, but if you decide thats the only area you will shoot, then you can usually find the oppurtunity. I have killed a great number of animals in this way in the last 7 or 8 years.

I may have to pass on a few animals that others would throw lead at but I am out for a clean kill, and do not like needless suffering. (God knows theres enough suffering in the world without me taking pot shots)

I hope this helps and I wish you good luck always.
 
As far as the fur goes, right now you would be selling a rubbed hide which is worthless on the market and drives the price of coyote even further down. That's not in our best interest. Find an alternative way of selling those hides if you like but please don't go to the fur buyer with them.

I think there are just too many factors which come in to play in choosing the right caliber. Noise level, bullet construction, you name it.It all depends on where you live and how hte landowner will take it. Big game bullets do have a tendancy to ricochet if we are not careful and are not suitable in some areas.Sometimes I hunt the outskirts of small towns where the 22 mag is a must whether I like it or not.Noise level can be a factor to others. Just be sure you think about the sport as a whole when you make your choice. Jimmie
 
mainekiller -
Even if you hunt coyotes for other reasons besides fur, I think it is a waste to throw away a winter prime coyote. This is the same dilema most trappers have. They want to trap and catch animal but they don't know how to take care of the fur. They try to sell ruff skinned or in the round and they get very little money.
Click to expand...
Its like largemouth bass fishing. Its a sin to eat one in most hardcore bass fishermans eyes, as it all about catch and release. I'm all about catch and eat :eek:

Shooting a coyote, and not skinning him is of no consequence to me. Like I said above I keep a few a year, and thats enough for me. My business. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I started out in the coyote calling game to kill coyotes. I kill them for my own reasons, and own beliefs based on what I see happening around me. My only responsibility is to kill them cleanly and quickly. Thats what this post is about.
 
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