I see alot of questions about fur friendly calibers. My question is why get a non friendly caliber just to download it to be fur friendly? I am sure some like to reload would be one main reason. But if do download what was the purpose of buying that caliber? I am having second thoughts on the 22-250 I ordered now. I would like a fur friendly caliber strictly for saving pelts. Now I am trying to figure out,why did I buy the 22-250 and not the 204? Maybe cause I read alot of how fur friendly the 22-250 when reloading. Then I am thinking if do down load to be fur friendly,would the performance be the same as the 204 without reloading for that caliber. And could the 204 be loaded to perform as a stock 22-250 rnds. Anyone understand what i am saying here?
Fur friendly
- Thread starter DLD158
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Lonnie
New member
I think more than the caliber, it is the bullet that you shoot. Some are much better at being fur friendly than others but when you find the right combination of powder and bullet and velocity, it is amazing the accuracy and good results you can get. It can sure take a lot of work though but there are some guys on here that can knock a lot of time off your efforts. I love the .22-250 but I must say that it was much easier to get the .17 Rem fur friendly than the 250 but I got some good advice early in the .17 Rem loading and did not have to learn it all by trial and error like I did for the .22-250. The harder part of the .17 was getting a load that dropped them in their tracks. Had lots of runners till I got the right bullet.
Originally Posted By: LonnieI think more than the caliber, it is the bullet that you shoot. Some are much better at being fur friendly than others but when you find the right combination of powder and bullet and velocity, it is amazing the accuracy and good results you can get. It can sure take a lot of work though but there are some guys on here that can knock a lot of time off your efforts. I love the .22-250 but I must say that it was much easier to get the .17 Rem fur friendly than the 250 but I got some good advice early in the .17 Rem loading and did not have to learn it all by trial and error like I did for the .22-250. The harder part of the .17 was getting a load that dropped them in their tracks. Had lots of runners till I got the right bullet.
I agree with Lonnie. I might add that the 204 shooting a 40gr. bullet gives nothing up to a 22-250 shooting a 50gr. bullet until they both reach the 500yd. range. Hard to believe, but true. In my standard distances, 20 to 50yds. a 204 with a 35gr. Berger is just super. Then again, my 17 Rem. with a 25gr.hp match, Berger, Nagel, Genco, H-G, has a habit of making Coyotes DRT without ruffling a feather.
Now as for the 223, 22-250, and 220 Swift, I believe the Sierra 55gr. sp Gameking #1365 has been one of them main choices as a fur bullet. But as with any of them, shot placement is critical.
I agree with Lonnie. I might add that the 204 shooting a 40gr. bullet gives nothing up to a 22-250 shooting a 50gr. bullet until they both reach the 500yd. range. Hard to believe, but true. In my standard distances, 20 to 50yds. a 204 with a 35gr. Berger is just super. Then again, my 17 Rem. with a 25gr.hp match, Berger, Nagel, Genco, H-G, has a habit of making Coyotes DRT without ruffling a feather.
Now as for the 223, 22-250, and 220 Swift, I believe the Sierra 55gr. sp Gameking #1365 has been one of them main choices as a fur bullet. But as with any of them, shot placement is critical.
Originally Posted By: LonnieAnd by the way, my brother hunts with a .204 and most of my hunts with him, he has to shoot a coyote twice to anchor it. He shoots factory Hornady vmaxs. Every gun has its limits.
Plastic bullets were not made for fur harvesting. If I were shooting factory loads I would use HMS's with the Berger bullet or maybe Win. with the 34gr. hp.
I have not had a runner using Berger 35gr.hp's.
Plastic bullets were not made for fur harvesting. If I were shooting factory loads I would use HMS's with the Berger bullet or maybe Win. with the 34gr. hp.
I have not had a runner using Berger 35gr.hp's.
drhart
New member
I've kind of changed my theory on fur friendly calibers over the years. When I first started shooting coyotes, I was using a 243. It was pretty hard on hides. I tried FMJ bullets and got lots of runners and then sometimes, it would hit a bone and tear them up just as bad as soft point bullets.
Next I went to a 22-250. I found that velocity would almost always tear big holes on the exit if the bullet went through which most of them did. I started loading it down to a lower velocity and using less fragile bullets. I used to like the Nosler solid base bullets. They would got through the coyote but leave a manageable exit wound if the velocity wasn't too extreme.
I then tried a 223 and also liked the Noslers at about 3000 to 3200 fps. Much faster and I started getting a lot more ugly exits.
I tried a 17 Remington. That was the first caliber I got bullets to blow up inside and not have an exit wound on a regulaar basis. I thought I had found the answer and it was my favorite calling rifle for several years until accuracy dropped off from a shot out throat. I would get an occasional runner that was hit good and the bullet didn't perform quite a good as it should have. I have a 17 Remington upper ordered right now from Specialized Dynamics and am anxious to try the Berger bullets in it.
Right now, my go to caliber is a 204 with Berger bullets. Most of the time, I don't get an exit and when I do, it is normally not too bad. I will say that no matter what caliber or bullet you shoot, once in a while you will hit one just wrong and it will do a lot of damage. Anybody that says they never have any damage with any bullet or caliber combination either hasn't shot very many coyotes or is embellishing the truth.
Looking for the best caliber and bullet is part of the attraction of the sport. Just keep experimenting and enjoy.
Next I went to a 22-250. I found that velocity would almost always tear big holes on the exit if the bullet went through which most of them did. I started loading it down to a lower velocity and using less fragile bullets. I used to like the Nosler solid base bullets. They would got through the coyote but leave a manageable exit wound if the velocity wasn't too extreme.
I then tried a 223 and also liked the Noslers at about 3000 to 3200 fps. Much faster and I started getting a lot more ugly exits.
I tried a 17 Remington. That was the first caliber I got bullets to blow up inside and not have an exit wound on a regulaar basis. I thought I had found the answer and it was my favorite calling rifle for several years until accuracy dropped off from a shot out throat. I would get an occasional runner that was hit good and the bullet didn't perform quite a good as it should have. I have a 17 Remington upper ordered right now from Specialized Dynamics and am anxious to try the Berger bullets in it.
Right now, my go to caliber is a 204 with Berger bullets. Most of the time, I don't get an exit and when I do, it is normally not too bad. I will say that no matter what caliber or bullet you shoot, once in a while you will hit one just wrong and it will do a lot of damage. Anybody that says they never have any damage with any bullet or caliber combination either hasn't shot very many coyotes or is embellishing the truth.
Looking for the best caliber and bullet is part of the attraction of the sport. Just keep experimenting and enjoy.
yoteduster
New member
i use a 243 with 55 gr bullets i use, I'm not worried about the fur cause i trap my fur. i hunt yotes,fox, for fun on the off season now i run a 90 miles trap line in 2 states an 3 counties so i stay busy all winter when for is prime . So theres no point in me saving fur when i hunt it in the summer it ain't worth nothing, antways.
lyotehunter
New member
i use bergers in my 178.rem,223,22-250 i have saved my fur all of my 40 plus years of hunting coyotes.had a lot more sewing before bergers.sierra and haonady 52 gr.HPBT match were fairly friendly. but the 17 really did the trick for me
jcfd2201
New member
While I am not big on being fur friendly as the pelts here are not worth the work it takes, I hate blowouts none the less. I think that bullet choice and velocity is a major factor as well as shot placement.
I started with a 22-250 and it definitely put holes through both sides. I switched to a .223 and while it was much more fur friendly it wasn't a DRT (dead right there) round. I went to a .243 this year and tried a variety of bullets ranging from the TNT to the V-Max. I finally found the Sierra Blitzking in a .70g and it works. With good shot placement I have had very few if any blowouts and only one yote wasn't DRT and that one only made it 20yds.
I think that there is a combination of things that make a rifle fur friendly and you just have to come up witht he right combination.
Caliber choice
Bullet type
Bullet weight
Bullet velocity
Avg range of shots
Shot placement
Just my two cents and since I hunt contests, I care more about having a yote run off then I do about the holes. I prefer the larger caliber and heavier bullet but still hate to make a mess of a yote. The .243 with the Sierra Blitzking is the combination I found that works for my rifle and my goals.
I started with a 22-250 and it definitely put holes through both sides. I switched to a .223 and while it was much more fur friendly it wasn't a DRT (dead right there) round. I went to a .243 this year and tried a variety of bullets ranging from the TNT to the V-Max. I finally found the Sierra Blitzking in a .70g and it works. With good shot placement I have had very few if any blowouts and only one yote wasn't DRT and that one only made it 20yds.
I think that there is a combination of things that make a rifle fur friendly and you just have to come up witht he right combination.
Caliber choice
Bullet type
Bullet weight
Bullet velocity
Avg range of shots
Shot placement
Just my two cents and since I hunt contests, I care more about having a yote run off then I do about the holes. I prefer the larger caliber and heavier bullet but still hate to make a mess of a yote. The .243 with the Sierra Blitzking is the combination I found that works for my rifle and my goals.