223 FMJ heaviest bullet for 1:7 twist barrel?

I Dont Care About You said:
Have you ever shot a coyote with a heavy match grade bullet?
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I've shot lots of Coyotes with match bullets, weighing 50 grains to 77 grains. Most, unless they hit a shoulder or spine pass right through without expanding at all.

Even FMJ bullets can and do cause pelt damage if they hit bone and tumble.

Any good lung shot will drop a Coyote very quickly and they can usually be easily recovered, unless they manage to get into a culvert or some other hole.

I had one that managed to get about 5 meters into a round bale stack and get jammed in head first.

The rancher had a long ''boat hook'' on an aluminum handle and managed to get it out.

The pelt was ruined in the process but he didn't want it left in there.

That was the last time I shot one beside a hay shed.
 
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Wendell said:
Have you?
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No, because they are a crappy choice for a light skinned animal like a yote. I did shoot one with a 150gr 308 and that sucker ran away like I had completely missed. Didn't leave a drop of blood on the snow. The farmer found the dead coyote 150 yards away in the spring.

A friend once tried a 22 Middlestead with 80gr match bullets on yotes and we ended up with three wounded animals in 4 shots. THAT was NOT a fun experience.
 
I have three top coyote caliber combinations.

#3 - 17 Fireball. Impressive killing power with no exit. Good for pelts

#2 - 308 Win w lightweight varmint bullet (110 VMax and 125gr Ballistic Tip). Instant kill but gigantic exit holes.

#1 - 243 Win with 70gr Ballistic Tip. Kills like the hammer of Thor. I swear the yote was smoking after the bullet hit.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
No, because they are a crappy choice for a light skinned animal like a yote. I did shoot one with a 150gr 308 and that sucker ran away like I had completely missed. Didn't leave a drop of blood on the snow. The farmer found the dead coyote 150 yards away in the spring.

A friend once tried a 22 Middlestead with 80gr match bullets on yotes and we ended up with three wounded animals in 4 shots. THAT was NOT a fun experience.
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Where did you hit them? I've seen gut shot Coyotes run off over the horizon before.

A friend of mine shot one with a 6mm/223 with light hollow point bullets and hit it a few inches back, missing the lungs. Range was less than 150 yards and conditions were very cold but calm.

We never did find that animal and we searched.

I saw the bullet impact the side of the animal and the subsequent puff of snow on the far side. Not a drop of blood and the bullet in the snow, other than the rifling imprints, could have been reloaded and shot again.

IMHO, there is about a 4 inch square section of the animal that is ideal to shoot, if the shooter wants the pelts. Otherwise, take out the shoulders and it's not going anywhere.
 
MY favorite bullet is a heavy match bullet in my 223, it hits them hard and I dont think Ive ever seen them pass through. Ive tried them all, well except fmj which Ill never use on yotes.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
I have three top coyote caliber combinations.

#3 - 17 Fireball. Impressive killing power with no exit. Good for pelts

#2 - 308 Win w lightweight varmint bullet (110 VMax and 125gr Ballistic Tip). Instant kill but gigantic exit holes.

#1 - 243 Win with 70gr Ballistic Tip. Kills like the hammer of Thor. I swear the yote was smoking after the bullet hit.
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That puts you both sides of 223, so implies that the right 223 bullet should be very devastating. There are so many less-appropriate choices in such a popular caliber though!
 
It’s been a long while waiting but finally got my 223 build done. Mounted a Leupold mark 4 16x on her. Got some 55gr, 62gr fmj to shoot along with some federal premium 73gr Berger open tip match to shoot. Will do some reloading of lapua 77gr otm later when I get my reloading bench set up. Got lots of brass now so just need to hit Cabelas and get some projectiles like you all suggested to try in reloads. What other gun shops are around Edmonton? Thanks for all help & suggestions.

Otokiak
Leduc, AB
Canada
 

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Otokiak said:
It’s been a long while waiting but finally got my 223 build done. Mounted a Leupold mark 4 16x on her. Got some 55gr, 62gr fmj to shoot along with some federal premium 73gr Berger open tip match to shoot. Will do some reloading of lapua 77gr otm later when I get my reloading bench set up. Got lots of brass now so just need to hit Cabelas and get some projectiles like you all suggested to try in reloads. What other gun shops are around Edmonton? Thanks for all help & suggestions.

Otokiak
Leduc, AB
Canada
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P and D always had a great supply of bullets from various manufacturers
 
For 223 on yotes, I'd look at a 45gr VMax or something similar. You want fast, lightly constructed and a polycarbonate tip to initiate expansion.

I'm a big fan of the VMax and Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. I've shot a lot of varmints with those two and the terminal performance is never less than impressive.
 
Otokiak said:
It’s been a long while waiting but finally got my 223 build done. Mounted a Leupold mark 4 16x on her. Got some 55gr, 62gr fmj to shoot along with some federal premium 73gr Berger open tip match to shoot. Will do some reloading of lapua 77gr otm later when I get my reloading bench set up. Got lots of brass now so just need to hit Cabelas and get some projectiles like you all suggested to try in reloads. What other gun shops are around Edmonton? Thanks for all help & suggestions.

Otokiak
Leduc, AB
Canada
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Nice looking rig! Have fun working up a load. With 80 grain bullets you could do a 1000 yards with that. Mines a 1-8 twist and it can ring the 8” gong at 800 meters if I do my part.
 
Rhino rpr said:
Nice looking rig! Have fun working up a load. With 80 grain bullets you could do a 1000 yards with that. Mines a 1-8 twist and it can ring the 8” gong at 800 meters if I do my part.
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Thank you. I’d like to see how far I can stretch her out … have a field at a friends farm but would have to range it to find out length of the field. This is going to be a fun rifle to learn with.
 
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