.308 Coyote round?

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ginnz

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100 miles north 100 miles south, manitoba
Hi guys!

First off, i wanna say thanks to all the guys who have helped me out here, especially gpracer, who sent me some 60 grain and 62 grain bullets just to test in my 1:12 twist weatherby .223! awesome guy! i learned alot and didnt have to buy a full box to to try 'em out!

Now, down to business. I do alot of coyote hunting, and have been mostly using a .223 until now. The problem where i go is, almost all of the 'yotes are traned to full run to about 7-800 yards, then stop when they feel safe.... there all gun shy already. So i just picked up a .308 for the long range 'yotes. (I have a leatherwood M-1000 scope on the way for this as well)

I'm wondering what the best bullet, and weight would be for smacking 'yotes from 600-1000 yards? (I dont figure on taking too many 1000 yard shots). I'd say the majority of the .308 shooting will be in the 700-800 yard range. I see some stuff on guys using huge bullets for the 1000 yard stuff! like 175 gn SMK for ranges BEYOND 6-700 yards, and 168 gn for ranges inside of 600.... Wouldnt a lighter weight bullet, like a 150 gn be a better choice for the longer ranges?

Im going to need to develop a load for all around use, as the ART II scope uses a cam to adjust for elevation for a given load, and has to be set up using the data of that load..... so for the most part, ill want to use the same load for almost all long range shooting....

i have great sucess loading for my .223, but i can tell already reloading for the .308 is going to be much more challenging, and more involved, and in the end, more fun!

so what do you guys think? 175 gn SMK's? I gotta go to cabellas soon and get dies, powder, primers, and bullets.

any recommendation's on the powder i should get? and here's a big question, ive been using the LEE RGB die's for the .223, but there's no crimping die. So, should i get a different die set with a crimping die for the .308, or is the RGB 2 die set good enough? this is something i've been wondering about.

alot of questions, but i know you guys can help!

TIA,
Ginnz.

ginnz.
 
175gn SMK with ~44gn of Varget, COL about 2.9, this will get to your target
For 1000 yards you will need 35-40 min of elevation from a 100 yard zero, make sure your scope can do this

No real need to crimp
 
600-800 yards leave a lot of time for things to go wrong on a target as small as a coyote. A little gust of wind or slight movement on the coyote's part as you pull the trigger could be the difference between a clean hit and and miss or worse a marginal hit that only wounds the 'yote and he runs off to suffer and die in the brush. I know its a only coyotes but I think a hunter, no matter the intended target or game, has the duty to make as clean kill as humanly possible. There's a lot of room for mistakes at 600+ yards. If you do take those long shots at game I hope you put in many many hours of practice before hand.

All this is just my opinion of course. If you can make those shots have fun and good on ya! :)
 
Hey Ginnz... don't get sucked into the high velocity loads for distance shooting... you need a stable high BC bullet... I like the Sierra HPBT 168's with a load of 46 gr. of Varget... very stable out of our .308's... but then I would never shoot at an animal at 7-800 yards out... even a coyote, too easy to shoot off a paw or tail... there is so little room for error in extreme shooting. I know that some have little love for coyotes and maybe its just me... I love to kill them... but I HATE to wound them... or anything for that matter. I get no joy from a "wounding -loss." Good luck with your yote hunting.
 
Pick any of the bullets that are successfully used by target shooters (e.g. various 155s, 175s, 185s), and use any of the proven loads that go with them.

Shooting a coyote at 700-1000 yards will be fairly challenging. You'll need a rangefinder. If you are not already an experienced long range shooter, you'll need to become one. You might consider taking up long range target shooting, most of what you learn there will be quite useful for long range hunting.
 
thanks guys,

so i'll get the Lee RGB dies then. Varget powder, and Sierra 168's then to start out. And as far as going out and hunting, I will be doing a hell of of alot of practicing before i even bother....I have an area of unlimited space to shoot in less than a mile from home. ;-) I'm pretty experienced at 500 yard shootng with my .223 already, and have done quite a bit of 600m shooting with the .308 years ago.... I know this is gonna be alot of fun.

thanks guys.
ginnz.
 
Your setup is a good way to get some good accurate .308 ammo right off the bat.

There is something you should know about the Sierra 168 Matchking though. It is a fine short and medium range bullet but it turns out that it has a dynamic instability - somewhere around 900 yards, more or less, they'll suddenly open up the group size. This may or may not matter to your shooting plans, but it is something good to know ahead of time. BTW this has nothing to do with the bullet weight being 168 grains, other 168s do not have this problem (e.g. Lapua 167s, Hornady 168 BTHPs, Hornady 168 Amax, Berger 168 VLD, etc).

Shooting a .308W out to 600 yards and even a bit further is a piece of cake. Thrown powder charges of Varget, in a good piece of brass (e.g. Win or Lapua), full length sized, will do you wonders.

In order to get good accuracy from a .308W at 800 yards and beyond, you need to start to worry about velocity consistency from shot to shot, etc. (if you don't do this, your group will be larger in the vertical direction)
 
rnbra-shooter said:
Pick any of the bullets that are successfully used by target shooters (e.g. various 155s, 175s, 185s), and use any of the proven loads that go with them.

Shooting a coyote at 700-1000 yards will be fairly challenging. You'll need a rangefinder. If you are not already an experienced long range shooter, you'll need to become one. You might consider taking up long range target shooting, most of what you learn there will be quite useful for long range hunting.
Click to expand...

I think fairly challenging is an understatement,that is one hell of a shot for the average guy.Absolutely agree with you on the long range target shooting suggestion for sure.
Most people,myself included,are surprised at how far even 300 yards is when paced off.Targets become pretty small pretty fast at longer ranges. If your target is not the stationary kind and instead has four legs and is mobile,things become complicated real fast when trying to connect on them without having long distance shooting skills and the necessary combination of rifle,scope and load to be successful.
 
rnbra-shooter said:
Your setup is a good way to get some good accurate .308 ammo right off the bat.

There is something you should know about the Sierra 168 Matchking though. It is a fine short and medium range bullet but it turns out that it has a dynamic instability - somewhere around 900 yards, more or less, they'll suddenly open up the group size. This may or may not matter to your shooting plans, but it is something good to know ahead of time. BTW this has nothing to do with the bullet weight being 168 grains, other 168s do not have this problem (e.g. Lapua 167s, Hornady 168 BTHPs, Hornady 168 Amax, Berger 168 VLD, etc).

Shooting a .308W out to 600 yards and even a bit further is a piece of cake. Thrown powder charges of Varget, in a good piece of brass (e.g. Win or Lapua), full length sized, will do you wonders.

In order to get good accuracy from a .308W at 800 yards and beyond, you need to start to worry about velocity consistency from shot to shot, etc. (if you don't do this, your group will be larger in the vertical direction)
Click to expand...

We've never shot the Sierra 168's beyong 600 yards, so I can't speak to instability at 900 yards... but it is the best bullet we tried out to 600.
 
The Sierra 168 was designed as a 300 yard bullet. It has a wimpy boat tail because that is easier (cheaper) to make and a boat tail does not matter at close range.

Wind drift is an issue with the 168 beyond 300 and the bullet does not work well at long range.

Sierra has solved this problem. They stuck a longer boat tail on the 168 and called it the 175 MatchKing. Anyone who likes the 168 will love the 175.

The 175 is an excellent all-purpose bullet. So is the 155 Sierra Palma bullet. If I was you I would buy a box of both and see which one worked best in my rifle.
 
bjmurata said:
I think fairly challenging is an understatement,that is one hell of a shot for the average guy.Absolutely agree with you on the long range target shooting suggestion for sure.
Most people,myself included,are surprised at how far even 300 yards is when paced off.Targets become pretty small pretty fast at longer ranges. If your target is not the stationary kind and instead has four legs and is mobile,things become complicated real fast when trying to connect on them without having long distance shooting skills and the necessary combination of rifle,scope and load to be successful.
Click to expand...

well i can appreciate that.... and i understand. I have been shooting my .223 at 400 and 500 yards quite a bit recently, and have no problem getting 4" groups at 500.... my vertical is much tighter than the horizontal, as the wind is harder for me to dope than the "up and down".... ;-) After 500 yards, it just starts to drop too much.

Ganderite said:
The Sierra 168 was designed as a 300 yard bullet. It has a wimpy boat tail because that is easier (cheaper) to make and a boat tail does not matter at close range.

Wind drift is an issue with the 168 beyond 300 and the bullet does not work well at long range.

Sierra has solved this problem. They stuck a longer boat tail on the 168 and called it the 175 MatchKing. Anyone who likes the 168 will love the 175.

The 175 is an excellent all-purpose bullet. So is the 155 Sierra Palma bullet. If I was you I would buy a box of both and see which one worked best in my rifle.
Click to expand...

thats good to know.... i was actually looking at trying the Speer 168 gn. BTHP Target Match, i might pick up a box when i go to the city tomorrow. I have a Dr. Appt. in the city tomorrow and thought i'd hit cabella's to get my reloading stuff for .308, i was gonna get Dies (Lee RGB), Varget powder, Federal primers, Case trimmer/pilot, and Bullets. what you guys think? the Speer 168's would be a good place to start?
 
In the testing I did the Speer 168 was nearly identical to the SMK, and appeared to share some of the same challenges. They both got really unpredictable past 600m. Inside 600 they were great, as has been mentioned.

If you find some 155s or 175s as suggested grab them, you won't regret it.
 
ok, I'll go with that! I'll see if i can find the 175's.... in the end, wouldnt the 155's be a better shooter at the long ranges though, drop wise? although i'd tend to think the 175's would buck the wind better....

and im just looking at choices, and another has caught my eye, the Hornady 178 gn BTHP. their 39.99 for 100.... Hmmm, i wonder.... ;-) after finding some info on the hornady's at another long range site, i've decided to pick up a box of them and try them out, a number of guys are saying they are doing excellent up to 1000 yards. and the price is so much better, apparently there only 29.99 for 100 in the U.S.... here their 10 bucks more. go figure.
 
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ginnz said:
ok, I'll go with that! I'll see if i can find the 175's.... in the end, wouldnt the 155's be a better shooter at the long ranges though, drop wise? although i'd tend to think the 175's would buck the wind better....

and im just looking at choices, and another has caught my eye, the Hornady 178 gn BTHP. their 39.99 for 100.... Hmmm, i wonder.... ;-) after finding some info on the hornady's at another long range site, i've decided to pick up a box of them and try them out, a number of guys are saying they are doing excellent up to 1000 yards. and the price is so much better, apparently there only 29.99 for 100 in the U.S.... here their 10 bucks more. go figure.
Click to expand...

I really liked the 178 Hornady Match; they are a good bullet and shot great in my factory 12 twist.
 
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