223 40 gr Vmax /coyote

12 year old post! Still valid conversation I guess.

Out of my 204 ruger I had too many runners and splashes with V-max bullets on our northeast coyotes. 35 grain Bergers and 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips are my bullets of choice for coyotes in that caliber. Even the 32 gr NBT performs better than the 40gr V-max on our beefier coyotes. I’ve never taken one over 300 yards with my 204’s and really prefer them to be 150 and in.

With fur prices where they are I’m less concerned with damage and more concerned with DRT. I recently stepped up to a 243 running 75gr V-max. Only killed 2 coyotes with it before our season closed but both were knocked off their feet with authority. No splash and no exits. Looking forward to next year to get a bigger picture of performance.
 
hunt0168 said:
12 year old post! Still valid conversation I guess.
Click to expand...
It sure would be great if posts over 1 year old would have a warning pop up before they could be replied to. Most of the time old posts are brought up I don't think the person that is replying to the old post realizes they are bringing up a real old post.
 
I have to agree if someone is posting in an old post the subject might be still relevant and the years have added experience with the subject.
 
The whole reason for striving to keep the data base was to have all that valuable information available. Old posts can still be very relevant today. As to the question of the 40 V-max, I think one will swear it is the best bullet they have ever used and another will swear equally that it is the worst. Speed, shot placement, and shooting conditions all factor in. If you try to drive a bullet through the shoulder, then a V-max might not be the best choice. If you shoot standing coyotes and are willing to wait to tuck that V-max in just behind the shoulder or center punch them, it will be devastating. V-max, at least in the 40-50 grain range, seem to get much better penetration when not driven to hyper-speed.
 
DoubleUp said:
V-max, at least in the 40-50 grain range, seem to get much better penetration when not driven to hyper-speed.
Click to expand...
This is my thought as well. I’m not a handloader and my experiences with them were with the 204 Ruger Hornady Superformance ammo. Once I used the Berger 35gr and NBT 40gr I never had a reason to revisit the V-max in other slower loadings.

I know the original post relates to 223 V-max 40gr and those may react differently altogether? I’ve never used them personally.
 
They work pretty good out to 3-350.

Used that bullet exclusively from a 222 @ 3500 and 223 @ 3800 on dogs for a calling/truck rifle. Never had any issues with the bullet doing its job as long as I did mine.
 
LOL .... such an old post. But I'll play too.

All of my 223s shoot a bit heavier bullets much better. I load 60 VMax for all of them, along with some 60 Partitions for hogs. As for the wind factor, that's up to the individual shooter and their perceived talents. I know how much wind I can read and handle and when to wait for a closer shot (I'm in Texas .. it's windy). In calm conditions I'm confident out to 200 yards. The last several coyotes I shot were DRT with the 60s.

Also, I can load the exact same load for both the Partition and the VMax. Makes life at the reloader much easier.
 
hunt0168 said:
12 year old post! Still valid conversation I guess.

Out of my 204 ruger I had too many runners and splashes with V-max bullets on our northeast coyotes. 35 grain Bergers and 40 grain Nosler ballistic tips are my bullets of choice for coyotes in that caliber. Even the 32 gr NBT performs better than the 40gr V-max on our beefier coyotes. I’ve never taken one over 300 yards with my 204’s and really prefer them to be 150 and in.

With fur prices where they are I’m less concerned with damage and more concerned with DRT. I recently stepped up to a 243 running 75gr V-max. Only killed 2 coyotes with it before our season closed but both were knocked off their feet with authority. No splash and no exits. Looking forward to next year to get a bigger picture of performance.
Click to expand...
I agree with you on the 204. I live just north of you in South eastern Ontario and the 204 is not a great drt round. (It's my last choice out of all my riggs.) It does well on anything smaller.
I have used the 75 vmax a lot out of my 243 and it puts them down hard. You are going to love the difference in performance. My load is running 3350 fps. Out of a 24" 8 twist. (After market barrel.)
 
I have never understood why guys have had such difficultly killing coyotes with the .204 Ruger. I have killed hundreds of coyotes with one, and very very rarely have they moved from where I shoot them. That almost exclusively with the 35 grain Bergers at 3900 fps. For coyotes out to 250 yards its a wonderful cartridge choice.

Good Hunting Chad
 
Last edited:
Utahcaller said:
I have never understood why guys have had such difficultly killing coyotes with the .204 Ruger. I have killed hundreds of coyotes with one, and very very rarely have they moved from where I shoot them. That almost exclusively with the 35 grain Bergers at 3900 fps. For coyotes out to 250 yards its a wonderful cartridge choice.
Click to expand...
For me personally, I never had “difficulty” killing coyotes with it. After switching to Berger or NBT bullets it kills them just fine when the bullet goes where it’s supposed to. I have had to be a bit selective on frontal shots because I’ve had some unrecovered animals if shot placement was a little left or right. Quartering towards shots are definitely a no go for lack of penetration.

I love the caliber for what it is. If you’re saving fur and selective with your shots it’s a great round. If fur doesn’t matter and you’re doing control work, a bit more bullet and more energy on impact will DRT them better.
 
I guess it is what it is. I am no more selective with my shots with my .204 than with my .22-250AI and 60 grain Bergers. I don’t shot them any differently.

I will say I limit my shots to 250 yards with the .204 whereas I will poke out to 400 yards on occasion with the Ackley.

Bigger holes and further shooting distance is the only difference between the two. At least that’s been my experience…

Good Hunting Chad
 
The 204 kills coyotes, it just doesn't do it as well as my other choices. I use a 40g berger going at 3800, can be pushed faster but the accuracy degrades. I do like the 39g bk's, but finding them right now (at least up here)
20211206_061917.jpg
is very hard.

I have also used the 32g vmax going 3890. It did work well out to 160 yrds on called coyotes.
The above pic is the heaviest I have taken to date, distance was 210 yards.
 
Utahcaller said:
I guess it is what it is. I am no more selective with my shots with my .204 than with my .22-250AI and 60 grain Bergers. I don’t shot them any differently.

I will say I limit my shots to 250 yards with the .204 whereas I will poke out to 400 yards on occasion with the Ackley.

Bigger holes and further shooting distance is the only difference between the two. At least that’s been my experience…

Good Hunting Chad
Click to expand...
IDK buddy? Just posted my experiences as well. If it’s working it’s working. Can’t argue with results and you’re apparently getting them. I wouldn’t do anything differently if I had the same results.
 
Wonder what that bullet would do to the hide? Guess it depends on why your shooting the coyote in the first place. never have gone hide hunting for them, simply don't shoot many. But I recall one I shot with my 6.5x06 years ago. Little over a hundred yds and shot just behind the shoulder. Killed it right there and very little hide damage. I suspect it was the bullet. Being a 140gr bullet, I'd guess it was to tuff and the coyote to small to get the bullet to upset to much. Talked to some guys stopped here a few years ago and they were shooting 223's with 50gr SX's. They said the bullet's go in and didn't exit. But, picking up the dead coyotes was like lifting a bag of water. Pelt damage was minimal with no exit.
 
Klebanoff said:
I killed a 6 point buck at 300 yards with a neck shot with a 40 grain Vmax .223 bullet. Of course it’s definitely not a deer bullet, but if I did that I can’t imagine you’d have a problem with it on coyotes.
Click to expand...
I hope the OP found out what he needed to know TWELVE YEARS AGO when he posted the question.
 
Back
Top