Best 22 cal bullet for saving hides

Timgunner

New member
I’m just getting into coyote hunting and I have two guns that I’m thinking of using. Both are 22 caliber. The first is a Remington 700 custom 223 1-8” twist with a 20” barrel. The second is a Remington 700 custom 22 creedmoor with a 20” 1-8” twist barrel. I have been shooting the 88gr eldm out of my 22 creedmoor and I’m worried it might blow out a big exit hole? I’ve been loading 50gr varmagedon bullets in the 223 for prairie dogs. I want the longest effective range possible but I also want to save as much hide as possible. Is there a good bullet that is proven to not ruin hides? It’s not exactly the best time to find ammo or components but I want to be able to keep a look out for what works best.
 
53vmax is awesome, highest BC in its weight class and super fur friendly in the 223.

IMO its going to be hard to find a truly fur friendly bullet in the 22creed.
 
I’d go with a52-53 grn hp. Years of shooting crows I saw that hp bullets would fold a crow. Bt’s and lead tipped bullets would turn them into pinwheels. Pieces everywhere.
 
Having a bullet that performs well at 500 yards and not risk blowing big holes at 50 yards is something that I haven't been able to find. You will have to compromise on either close range or long range performance. If the 88gr eldm shoot well I would still use it on windy days or stands that I was likely to shoot more than 200 yards. I'll shoot my 223's at 500-600 yards for fun but know I'm not good enough to shoot the small (40-50gr) 223 bullets 500 yards at coyotes in 10 mph+ winds. I'm just not good enough to judge the wind drift. A coyote at 400 yards with a 10mph cross wind is in real trouble if have time to set up with a high ballistic coefficient bullet.

Most of the time I compromise long range performance and use a smaller bullet. I don't go out trying to take long shots at coyotes when I'm calling them. If I think I can get a 50 yard shot, I'll let them continue to come in. Occasionally I'll take long shots on coyotes at 300+ yards but most of the time I take my chance of being able to call them in closer instead of taking a long shot.
 
Been shooting the 53gr Vmax in my 9tw Hart barreled 223AI since they first came out and couldn't be happier with how they shoot as well as perform on yotes.
 
Twist rate also effects terminal results, fur damage with the same bullet out of 8t or 14t could be very different. Even same twist in 2 different rifles may not result in the same fur damage. I like max spin for varmints where mist and pieces are desired. For fur I want 1-3 inches of penetration for Fox, 2-5 for coyote. This may require bullets running at the slow end of their twist requirements. For me with 12 or 14t @ 22-250 tough to beat a Nosler 55 BT when you may take 300+ yard shots and want to save fur. I almost always take head shots on sleepers 225 yards and closer.
 
Thanks fellas, I’ll give the 53gr vmax a try and see what happens. I’m not a very good caller and the coyotes that I’ve called have hung up on me sometimes way further out than I expected. The closest I’ve had one come in was about 200yds with hand calls. I’m going to the electronic call and try using one of those decoys that flops around to see if that will get them in closer. Maybe I’ll just go with a friend and one of us can shoot the 223 up close and the other can shoot the 22 creed at dogs that hang up out there.
 
A bullet I have had great luck with on coyotes and saving fur is the Sierra 55 gr BTHP (#1390). I have been shooting it out of my 220 Swift for years. It is my "go to" bullet in that caliber.
 
The Hornady 75gr bthp match is a dandy coyote bullet, it'll raise cain ifn you hit bone though.
You want it dead; holes punched the rib cage if you pick yer shots.
 
Hornady 52gr BTHP or Sierra Varminter 60 grain hollowpoint are the most fur friendly yet lethal bullets I've had experience with out of the .223.

Nosler 55gr. E-Tip is a pretty good bullet too but I've experienced more runners with those. But can't remember ever losing any because they didn't run far.
 
53gr Vmax for sure.

B23 - I’m right there with you! I’m shooting 53gr Vmax out of my 223AI and they are screaming, plenty of punch and I’ve not had any fur trouble with them. I’ve shot a few and hit the shoulder, and it’s blew a hole.. Go figure lol

But I’ve had awesome luck with Noslers too. I’ve killed over a dozen at 450ish and DRT.
 
My opinion Vmax are garbage, I've never ruined so much fur or seen so much splash damage and runner's, they wont handle bones.

65gr SGK have been amazing, no splash damage, quarter size exit no matter where you hit, fox or coyote. Vmax turned up to hit coyotes hard will destroy fox or bobcat. The sierras are much more accurate for me also and they hit like a brick instead of a soft vmax grape.

I lost I Flickr password or I would post some pics, I've got pic of a coyote I shot, it was quartered towards me at 30 yards and the vitals were behind the shoulder, the coyote ran 300 yards spraying blood all over itself from a a knicked artery from a 53vmax that landed on the coyote exactly where it should and the splash damage was horrible. I've got another pic of a red fox I made a bad shot on the move, I hit the fox in the spine first and as it was spinning I hit it in the rear leg then the head, three bad 65gr SGK on a small fox and no hits could be seen except the exit of the rear leg.

If I wanted to survive getting shot with a 223, vmax would be my bullet of choice. Soft weak varmint bullets can perform neat tricks with perfect shots but overall they're soft and weak, they're a handicap that normal hunting conditions..... like bones, will be defeated. And if you're shooting 30 yards or 500 they are going to have completely different terminal performance.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerMy opinion Vmax are garbage, I've never ruined so much fur or seen so much splash damage and runner's, they wont handle bones.

If I wanted to survive getting shot with a 223, vmax would be my bullet of choice. Soft weak varmint bullets can perform neat tricks with perfect shots but overall they're soft and weak, they're a handicap that normal hunting conditions..... like bones, will be defeated. And if you're shooting 30 yards or 500 they are going to have completely different terminal performance.

A 53 gr V-Max is my bullet of choice, but then again, I only use them to shoot prairie dogs out west. That bullet would not be my 1st choice when hunting Coyotes though. I did have 1 opportunity to take a coyote with one of my .223's shooting that bullet. We were out P. Dog hunting and stopped shooting for lunch. About 20 minutes goes by and my friend starts pointing a mentioning a coyote he see's out in the field chowing down on a few dead dogs. I jumped on my rifle and anchored him with a shot to the skull-diddley!

Select a bullet/caliber combination depending on what your hunting. When I go out hunting coyotes here in Minnesota I grab my 6.5 Grendel with a 120 gr Nosler Spitzer BT or a Sierra's. If I'm shooting one of my .223 it will be a slightly heavier bullet.
 
I’ve shot Nosler, Berger, Barnes, Hornady, and Sierra at coyotes out of my 223AI and my swift both. I’m a nosler fan by choice. But if you’re not reloading, a 53gr and 55gr Vmax have done well for me. I’ve never heard anyone call them garbage.

I can promise you, just about any BT or HP bullet will eventually tear a hole. You can’t always get the perfect shot, that’s obvious. But I’ve hunted coyotes with the best of them, and I’ve seen plenty of bullets blow holes in fur. It just happens.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerMy opinion Vmax are garbage, I've never ruined so much fur or seen so much splash damage and runner's, they wont handle bones.

65gr SGK have been amazing, no splash damage, quarter size exit no matter where you hit, fox or coyote. Vmax turned up to hit coyotes hard will destroy fox or bobcat. The sierras are much more accurate for me also and they hit like a brick instead of a soft vmax grape.

I lost I Flickr password or I would post some pics, I've got pic of a coyote I shot, it was quartered towards me at 30 yards and the vitals were behind the shoulder, the coyote ran 300 yards spraying blood all over itself from a a knicked artery from a 53vmax that landed on the coyote exactly where it should and the splash damage was horrible. I've got another pic of a red fox I made a bad shot on the move, I hit the fox in the spine first and as it was spinning I hit it in the rear leg then the head, three bad 65gr SGK on a small fox and no hits could be seen except the exit of the rear leg.

If I wanted to survive getting shot with a 223, vmax would be my bullet of choice. Soft weak varmint bullets can perform neat tricks with perfect shots but overall they're soft and weak, they're a handicap that normal hunting conditions..... like bones, will be defeated. And if you're shooting 30 yards or 500 they are going to have completely different terminal performance.

My experience in a couple of hundred coyotes could not be more opposite.

Over the last 23 years of coyote hunting I have tried numerous bullets. Mostly in 223 but also in 22-250. I have never seen the "splash", ever! I have made some poor shots that opened up coyotes like a zipper, but that has less to do with the bullet than the shot.
I have killed coyotes with 55gr vmax at 30 yards, where I got an exit wound, to 612 yards. I have killed dozens between 350 and 500 yards, but most of my kills are in the 150 yard range. I have lost an occasional coyote, but its pretty rare. I have used no other bullet in the 22-250 or 223 going back to about 2005, and I have zero reason to try something else at this point.
I sell fur, fur buyers complained about the 22 cal entrance wound, so I switched to a 17-223. No more complainnts from the fur buyer.

The fact is, most people talk about saving fur, but maybe save and skin one every now and then. When you start selling a dozen of the best hides every year for real money, you find out real fast what works and what doesn't.
 
A bullet I've found to work well in everything, my 222 Rem, 223, 5.6x50R Magnum and 22-250's ia an old timer that was the goto bullet for fur hunters a while back.

Speer 52gr Varmint FB HP #1035 accurate and rarely exits.

222 Rem
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223
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5.6x50R Magnum
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22-250
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