Favorite Caliber in AR for Predators

champ198

Member
what is your alls favorite all around caliber for predators. im talking Fox, bobcat and coyotes that don't damage hide but still lays them DRT
accumulating parts for an AR build still and needing to get a barrel next.
 
That is a really tough question, because there are rounds in all of the choices that will blow out a hole.

I personally would trade the DRT effect and some sewing for spending time looking for an animal.
(meaning that i can sew up a bullet hole faster than looking for a dead one from a round that is fur friendly)

I personally feel that your best options are 204 and 223. IMO
Plenty of guys i know that send in fur, say 204, and just as many say they stopped using those because it's not as fur recovery/friendly as they thought they would be compared to the 223.

It also comes down to distances you are shooting. if you don't shoot more than 300 very often these would both work.

I like my 223 and use 53gr vmax bullets (1:9 twist). I hate looking for them and most of the time don't have to go looking for a runner. Usually within 25yrds if they do run. I have found that even on Grey Fox, cats, and coyotes shot at more than 50yrds aiming mid body broadside works best. (use a shotgun inside that) I miss the ribs and the Vmax drops them. They don't blow out, and no sewing when fleshing. (the insides are all jello though) If shooting face on, i aim high neck so that the bullet doesn't hit between the 2 front legs, i try to hit an inch below the top of the back (the low neck/chest are is the one place that if you hit it seems to blow out often, and skinning is a pain when the front leg or armpit is blown out/off, easily doubling the skinning time)

I also do everything i can to not do head shots (unless i am using my 22lr pistol at 5' in the ear for a wounded not yet dead animal) Head shots with any AR caliber will make skinning and fleshing take longer. (your going to be scraping bone off the hide, and washing and cleaning the fur more, and skinning around the eye's is harder when they are popped out)

I like a can of sawdust, and trash compactor bags. The sawdust soaks up the blood in the bag, then the trash compactor bags don't leak, and a spray of flee and tick killer in there as you tie it closed for the ride back to the house takes care of the bugs. I also toss the bags in the freezer for a week min. to make sure the little bugs freeze and die. We have confirmed cases of bubonic plague here. I would rather not mess with that if i can.

Good luck and hope this helps.
 
I have to agree with Tbone on this, there are a LOT of variables. There really isn't a one shot fits all kind of caliber that is going to do what you are asking. Coyotes are tough. Bobcats and foxes have thin skins. Put those together and you are really not going to get one shot DRT's on coyotes AND be fur friendly.

I prefer the 17 Remington for fur and my 6.5 or .308 for anchoring coyotes. We have had experience using the .204 but again, we use different bullet weights for the different predators. 45gr SP's for coyotes and lighter HP's for bobcats and fox.

I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear, but like Herectic said, the only one shot DRT fur friendly caliber is head shots. Sadly I think that you are going to need to change out uppers. That or be disappointed when you blow a good fur apart. Yes, you can take down a coyote with a 17 Remington, I have done it, but like Tbone said, if you don't make a perfect shot then you are going to get runners and spend time looking for them.
 
I've been running my 6.5 grendel for 2 years and like it...alot. I feel it gives me a greater range in the big open fields I tend to hunt. My second go to would be a 204 ruger
 
Plain jane 223. The bullet selection is massive. If you cant find something to work from 30gr-90gr. You got a problem.

Over the years ive narrowed my calibers down to just 3.
223
243
308
These will do anything that needs to be done on the North American Continent.

The bullet options are massive for these 3 choices.
 
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For an AR not wanting to dmg pelts? Get yourself a 204 and use the Hornady 32gr superformance.

Super flat shooting, and every yote I've shot was DRT. Never any pelt dmg either.
 
I sell fur and have been for about 15 years. Started out with a 223, and still use the same rifle. I tried numerous different bullets in the early years, but once I started using 55gr vmax, I never tried anything else. Broadside shots on coyotes at under 75 yards often exit, but the hole is manageable. Further than that I almost never get exits. Straight on shots are the best, entrance hole, never an exit and they never run. Even when they do run, it is rarely more than 50 yards and that is usually when the bullet exits. I get maybe one or two runners per year, not due to caliber or bullet, but poor shot placement.
I have shot them with just about every caliber I own, but find little reason to use anything but the 223. With that being said, I am working on putting together a 17-223 that might do a little less damage with smaller entrance hole it also should be a little easier on the occasional fox or bobcat. Time will tell if the 17-223 is just another caliber or has any benefit.
 
I vote for 6x6.8 or 243lbc choose a bullet and run it. For bolt action I'm trying out a 22-243 pushing 75g amaxes 3550.
 
Anyone using a 6.8? If so what bullet do you prefer in that caliber? I'd like to run 60 grain VMax in my 223 but I don't reload and the rifle doesn't seem to like the factory loads.
 
Originally Posted By: NE223Anyone using a 6.8? If so what bullet do you prefer in that caliber? I'd like to run 60 grain VMax in my 223 but I don't reload and the rifle doesn't seem to like the factory loads.

My favorite rifle (AR platform) is a 6.8. The Speer 90 grain TNT is my go to bullet for varmints.
 
Originally Posted By: champ198what is your alls favorite all around caliber for predators. im talking Fox, bobcat and coyotes that don't damage hide but still lays them DRT
accumulating parts for an AR build still and needing to get a barrel next.
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What a few guys are already saying in above Posts . .204 is not my personal cup of tea, but I am smart enough to recognize . For years now the .204 has a Huge loyal following for a reason, both Boltaction and AR15 .
If I was going to center my goals on fur salvage it would be ( imho ) top-choice . It spanks Coyote hard, I personally (with surprise ) have seen .204 reach out there down range & accurate . And .204 just has to much shooter support and load data to pass it up as the easy one to build for Fur conscience .

For daytime coyote I personally always just shoot .308 win. . for same reasons I said for .204 (except fur ) .308 win. is to easy no-hassle not to pass-up . but it is a lot of juice not Fir friendly, especially when impacting anything under 150 yard for sure .
If you Handload, I would also consider these 2 Calibers AR for loading a pro-Fir friendly bullet & load . . it really hard to beat the 6.8spc for good 'all around' AR-15 Cal. with a big following of guys also . Or you can do about the same performance with the .25x45 and with no hassle about changing-out Bolt and Magazine for the 6.8spc choice .
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6.8 SPC II for me.
I've used factory ammo 110gr V-Max, 110gr PTS, 95gr TTSX with good results.
Will be using Federal XM68GD 90gr Gold Dots and Cavity Back 105gr MKZ's this year. The MKZ's will be loaded with Accurate 2200 powder, CCI #450 primers, Hornady brass. Can't wait to get them loaded and try them out.

For my .223 I use 60gr V-max with H322 powder.
 
If we had many foxes I'd be shooting a .17 caliber. Once you throw those in the mix it gets a lot harder to not tear some hides up without having the other run off. For coyotes and bobcats a .223 has done fine for me. If you reload the 60gr. Sierra Varminter is a hard bullet to beat for saving fur. If not Fiocchi 50. grain V-Max or Hornady 52gr. BTHP. I've never shot a fox with any of those but I'd imagine it'd rip a good sized hole in one. But on the plus side it wouldn't be hard to find and sew up.
 
We really do well with the 17 calibers for fox, cats and coyotes. Majority of our shots are less than 200 yards and most are less than a 100 yards, so the 17's work well. We use the 243's for the coyotes when hunting the larger field but typically have more fur damage.
 
I like the 6.8 but i use the 120 grain SST and 105 grain Cavity Back Bullets. They are nasty on coyotes. Not fur friendly in the least.
But i did take a couple coyotes with the Speer 90gr TNT and they did really well.
 
I'm just loving my 223 AI 9-twist, and actually my buddies straight-up 223 8-twist barrel even better probably, with the old DPMS VLD magazines and testing the longer, heavier polymer-tipped TMK's and ELD's out of it for longer ranges. My current 9-twist favorite all-around bullet is the 69 TMK (will be testing the 73 ELD-M this year though), my buddy with his faster twist is shooting the 77 TMK/80 ELD-M very well, and shooting predators way out there very effectively so far.
 
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