Coyote 243 Bullet Choice

B

beavis

New member
Im new to coyote hunting, but I been varmint hunting for several years now. The longest kill on a groundhog was right under 400 yards. The places i got to coyote hunt this year offer shots a little over 600 yards. I bought a remington sps varmint in 243. I replaced the factory stock with a HS Prescision Varmint stock and got the trigger adjust down to 2 pounds which is very crisp and does indeed break like glass. I have it topped with a bushnell banner 6-24 and leupold rings. I was wondering what bullet choice would be good for coyotes at longer ranges. Im a big fan of sierra blitzkings and would like to give the Nosler BTs a try. I was thinking of using the 70grs in either one. But i would like to hear opinions on my set up and bullet choice. Im open for all opinions on bullet choice. Do coyote hunters prefer velocity on just energy because I hear alot of coyote hunters use the higher weight bullets with slower velocities. The reason i thought about the 70grs in because my velocity would be around 3400fps. Any ideas or opinions is appreciated.
 
I like both the 55s and the 70s for coyote hunting. The 75 Vmax is another great bullet along with its bigger brother the 87 Vmax.

Currently I'm shooting the 70 NBT because I ran out of 55s... I've been impressed with the performance on coyotes, and the accuracy out of my 6mm Rem.

You really can't go wrong with any of the plastic tipped bullets 55-87 grains... whatever your gun likes best... that's what I'd shoot.

Here's a dog from last week that took a 70 NBT right in the "exit" at 309 yards courtesy of the 6mm Rem. This would have been a tough task for a .22 centerfire... but the big 6 handled it well, and the dog went down on the spot.

WeldDog.jpg
 
80 gr boat tail spire points 37.5 gr imr 4064
don't know the speed and don't care its the most accurate i found in my rifle.
been killin coyotes with that load for 19 years
 
i have been using the 75 gr. vmax with great success.
and lately i have tried and like the hornady 95gr. sst i have shot my last 4 coyotes with this round, it started out as an experiment i have fired 4 rounds at 4 coyotes from 100 to 225 yards and they dont go anywhere.
my best though is still the 75 gr. vmax i still have a few 95's left though i am gonna use up.
my Tikka like the 75gr vmax loaded with 42 gr. H414, very accurate in my rifle.
 
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+1 on the Hornady 58gr V-max. i've been shooting it for three yrs through my Ruger M77 and am very pleased with the performance. i kill more coyotes with a shotgun here in alabama, but all my rifle kills with the 58gr. V-max have been one shot kills with small entry and no exit wound. also have taken a couple of whitetails with this round at 150 and 200yds. both were one shot kills, small entry and no exit. some guys on this forum say they've had some pretty nasty exits with this round when they've hit bone, but i havent had that problem myself. last Thanksgiving morning i shot a large male at 65yds in the shoulder. broke both front shoulders, but only a small entry and again no exit wound. it's a very accurate round out of my rifle. if yours shoots it well, i think you might be pleased with this round. good luck and let us know what works for ya.
 
Hey there Bevis.
I use Federal's Premium V-shook with a 55gr Nosler BT because like you I want the ability to shoot and hit a coyote at 300+ yds. You are asking the right questions since your terrain has areas where you said you might engage a coyote up to 600 yds. Energy is a function of bullet mass and of velocity. I chose a lighter bullet because I want to avoid the drastic bullet drop of an 70, 80, 85, or 100gr bullet. From Federal's downloadable Ammunition & ballistics catalog, here are some fun facts.

At 300 yds the 55gr Nosler BT will drop 3.7 inches (from 24" barrel) while the 95gr Nosler BT drops 9.7" and the 70 gr drops 6.2"

So if you want to avoid a difficult holding high over your target with a heavier bullet, I recommend the speedy and light 55 gr.
 
i shoot 55 grain ballistic tips also.i have a bait pile in my front field which is 375 yards from the deck. prone position with a harris bipod, i hold the crosshairs on the back of coyotes and it smacks them dead almost everytime. the rig is a savage model 116 weather warrior in .243 with the accu-trigger set to it's lowest setting. winchester factory loads seem to be doing just fine for me, so far.
 
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