.243 as a yote gun

I was out yote hunting yesterday with my 243 and I got one on the other side of the river I was hunting. I was using 100gr federal blue box and when that bullet hit I heard the smack from 200 meters away.
 
No practical experience but I can't see why .243 wouldn't work just fine.

Now I'm waiting for the usual culprits to chime in that one needs a 300 WSM for yotes. ;)
 
Calum said:
No practical experience but I can't see why .243 wouldn't work just fine.

Now I'm waiting for the usual culprits to chime in that one needs a 300 WSM for yotes. ;)
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300wby is better...

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B-78 said:
I have a 6mm Rem that I use for coyotes if I know the shots will be 400yds+. Otherwise I use my 204s 90% of the time to minimize pelt damage. It really irritates me when I hear people saying they don't really care about the hides. In fact in MB. it is illegal to waste or abandon any part of a fur bearer. I kind of relate it to people who only shoot deer for the horns and waste the meat. I buy a new rifle and scope every year with the money I get from selling coyotes so the more money they bring the better quality package I can buy.
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some of us are farmers just trying to control pests to protect our livestock. Don't really like wasting a pelt but have to time/interest/skill in preserving it!
 
thunder ridge said:
some of us are farmers just trying to control pests to protect our livestock. Don't really like wasting a pelt but have to time/interest/skill in preserving it!
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I understand the protecting livestock need. I live next door to a farm that has 700 sheep and 100 head of cows. If the nieghbor phones and says he has a coyote in the yard I come over to shoot it no matter the season. I have shot alot of coyotes that weren't prime and you could do nothing with the hide. At this time of the year I reach for the 204 to preserve a prime pelt if I can. The 243 is very capable of killing a coyote but then so are alot of other cartridges if blowing a big hole in them is not a concern. I know the 243 is the smallest rifle you can use for deer in some parts of the country and if I could only afford one rifle it would be the cartridge I would chose. As far as wasting a pelt, there are lots of people around who will take a prime coyote pelt if it doesn't have a big hole in it and the decent ones will even offer you something for it. All you have to do is ask around and find out who the local trappers are.
 
Head shot work best for saving a pelt for a rug. Head shot deer does not wast any meat.
A .338 WM will turn a coyotes head inside out and the hide is just fine.
 
My favorite cartridge for sure. Deer fall as fast as the coyotes, the coyotes just have bigger holes in them. Deer with a 80gr PowerShok and the coyote with a 87gr V-Max. Head shot with a .223, minimal damage.
Kim
87gr V-Max
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80gr PowerShok head shot
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.223 headshot
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80gr PowerShok
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finstr said:
I agree with what you're sayin, but in Ontario the fur quality is a cross between groundhog and rat. That's if they don't have mange! It's a vermin control thing here mostly as the human population (and their fluffy little pets) are at risk of predation.
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I agree. Our Ont. yotes are on the large side too, I find my .243 doesnt destroy my pelts any unless I shoot them at shotgun range, then its a bit much
 
I use 58gr z-max (very similar to vmax) backed by 41.5 gr of H4895. Shot one last week at 177 yds and there was no exit wound. I hit it straight on in the boiler room, back legs were still in place when I shot it, no exit wound. I use a vanguard S1 with 4-12X leupold and it works wonders. Lots of fun on gophers too!
 
I use 75gr vmax on my yotes. I love them so much I just purchased 10 boxes (100ct each). With RL-17 I'm getting 3627fps. Pretty darn fast for a 243 mid weight bullet. Havent had any pelt damage yet. One small entry hole and zero exit. Mind you I haven't shot one closer than 100 yards. I'm sure any closer than that it would rip a huge hole in them.
 
i use .243, close up it is messy, better to use a shot gun up close. I find at 100 yards and beyond its not much different than the .22s as far as pelt damage. Big wind drift improvement over the .22s tho
 
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I have been using 62 gr. Barnes Varmint Grenades for a while and have had great success as far as not having any exit the animal on coyotes and I even got a badger last fall with them. They kill very quickly as well! Here is a picture of the badger, only an entry wound at about 80 yds!
 
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