The 35 grain Bergers are by far my favorite round for coyotes. Drop them in their tracks, and haven't had one exit yet.
Coyote cartridges what have you used what is your favorite?
- Thread starter Jayph
- Start date
I found the cartridge I would use when hunting Coyotes depended on the area and the prevailing conditions at the time.
I was hunting coyotes for several Dairy Farms, Feed Lots, Ranches, and some small farms.
Conditions varied from river bottoms to higher mountain valleys.
The river bottom hunts were the most tedious, and shots were seldom over 200 yards, so I used the 223rem or 22-250.
Around the feed lots, I used a 22 Hornet with 35 grain hollow point bullets, which were pulled from 22 WMR cartridges. They were called "Speer TNT" and I had a tough time sourcing the bullets in that weight for reloading, other than from loaded cartridges.
I needed a bullet that expanded explosively, but wouldn't exit and ricochet, or heaven forbid, hit a commercial animal.
For the high "plateau" areas, where there were several ranches and Dairy Farms, shots could be as far out as 400 yards, which isn't difficult, other than mirage, howling cross winds, and bright sunlight reflecting from snow, etc.
One of the problems I ran into, especially during calving time, there was often an audience. Missing wasn't an option.
One hunt I was on, the wind had torn the roofs off several hay sheds, barns, and houses the day before. It was still blowing, but with much less intensity, with spells of calm.
Coyotes don't like wind much and only venture out in it if they have to, for food, or they're chased out by something. They hug every bit of cover and protection available, such as ditches, ravines, willow brush, fence lines where the vegetation has grown, whatever.
I was using a 223 rem when I first started hunting those conditions and set up a target at 400 yds to see how much wind would deflect the bullet. There was about a foot of snow, so impacts were quite visible with a spotting scope. Slogging through a foot of hard crust snow, is not a pleasurable experience, no matter how young and fit you are.
25km Wind drift on a 55 grain 223 cal bullet at 400 yards at 3200 ft elevation was right around 5 feet. To much to figure in "Kentucky Windage" holds for consistent hits.
I tried a 243 with 65gr Vmax, but there was still more drift than I was comfortable with.
Next on the list was a lovely Voere 308Win, which shot flat base 150grain, fmj bullets very well. It worked very well, cut the deflection from the wind down to 5 clicks on my scope's windage turret for a 400 yd shot, in 20km wind. The only issue, those fmj bullet just kept right on going, and this rifle didn't like light, explosive bullets.
I finally settled on four different rifles to cover the conditions I was hunting. This wasn't as tedious or confusing as it sounds.
I knew the day before which area I would be hunting, and the conditions likely to be presented.
My Coyote battery included 22Hornet, 22-250, 260 Rem on a 700 Remington, with a factory Varmint barrel, with 95 grain Vmax, for hunting from hay sheds and off the tops of hay stacks, Tikka T3 Lite, with 95 grain Vmax, for walking the covered areas hunts.
If you are hunting different conditions, you need different rifles/cartridges.
I was hunting coyotes for several Dairy Farms, Feed Lots, Ranches, and some small farms.
Conditions varied from river bottoms to higher mountain valleys.
The river bottom hunts were the most tedious, and shots were seldom over 200 yards, so I used the 223rem or 22-250.
Around the feed lots, I used a 22 Hornet with 35 grain hollow point bullets, which were pulled from 22 WMR cartridges. They were called "Speer TNT" and I had a tough time sourcing the bullets in that weight for reloading, other than from loaded cartridges.
I needed a bullet that expanded explosively, but wouldn't exit and ricochet, or heaven forbid, hit a commercial animal.
For the high "plateau" areas, where there were several ranches and Dairy Farms, shots could be as far out as 400 yards, which isn't difficult, other than mirage, howling cross winds, and bright sunlight reflecting from snow, etc.
One of the problems I ran into, especially during calving time, there was often an audience. Missing wasn't an option.
One hunt I was on, the wind had torn the roofs off several hay sheds, barns, and houses the day before. It was still blowing, but with much less intensity, with spells of calm.
Coyotes don't like wind much and only venture out in it if they have to, for food, or they're chased out by something. They hug every bit of cover and protection available, such as ditches, ravines, willow brush, fence lines where the vegetation has grown, whatever.
I was using a 223 rem when I first started hunting those conditions and set up a target at 400 yds to see how much wind would deflect the bullet. There was about a foot of snow, so impacts were quite visible with a spotting scope. Slogging through a foot of hard crust snow, is not a pleasurable experience, no matter how young and fit you are.
25km Wind drift on a 55 grain 223 cal bullet at 400 yards at 3200 ft elevation was right around 5 feet. To much to figure in "Kentucky Windage" holds for consistent hits.
I tried a 243 with 65gr Vmax, but there was still more drift than I was comfortable with.
Next on the list was a lovely Voere 308Win, which shot flat base 150grain, fmj bullets very well. It worked very well, cut the deflection from the wind down to 5 clicks on my scope's windage turret for a 400 yd shot, in 20km wind. The only issue, those fmj bullet just kept right on going, and this rifle didn't like light, explosive bullets.
I finally settled on four different rifles to cover the conditions I was hunting. This wasn't as tedious or confusing as it sounds.
I knew the day before which area I would be hunting, and the conditions likely to be presented.
My Coyote battery included 22Hornet, 22-250, 260 Rem on a 700 Remington, with a factory Varmint barrel, with 95 grain Vmax, for hunting from hay sheds and off the tops of hay stacks, Tikka T3 Lite, with 95 grain Vmax, for walking the covered areas hunts.
If you are hunting different conditions, you need different rifles/cartridges.
Last edited:
Trimmer 905
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
In southern Ontario,we're limited to calibers no larger than .275 for all small game hunting. One or two regions in the western part is limited to .243. Shooting across wide open pastures at long range requires bullet weights with a bit of heft,but,they need to be frangible. Ballistic tips are excellent for pest destruction where pelt retention isn't an issue. Turns Coyotes into pink mist.
The 6.5x55 will reach out further than the 22-250, with much fewer "windage" issues, if you hand load it to its full potential in a modern rifle.
I used 42 grains of Varget over CCI 250 primers, under 95 grain Vmax, for 3200fps from the 260 Remington, with 26in bbl, and 47 grains of W760 (h414) over CCI 250 primers, under 95 grn Vmax for 3000fps, from my 22in bbl, Tikka T3, 6.5x55.
Yotarunner
CGN Regular
- Location
- Eastern Alberta
20 practical. (Essentially 204)
Both 32 and 40 vmax worked well and was great on fur. 32's have a tendency to splash now and then with the higher velocity so shots had to be chosen carefully.
222. still have and love this one. 40gr vmax going 3000fps dropped coyotes hard out to 300 with next to no damage whatsoever. Fun to spot hits in the scope and isn't very loud if you knock your earpro off.
223. Shot all manner of bullets and never had much issue but compared to others it's boring and the rifles I had never stuck around.
22-250 sad I sold this one as it was a phenomenal coyote rig. 50vmax @3800 fps hit like a ton of bricks and although it caused a few holes now and then it was quite good on fur as long as the bullet went where intended.
220 swift. My current custom coyote rifle. Once again 50gr vmax at 3800 ish fps hits really hard and doesn't make a mess. If I get to shooting runners and taking marginal shots it can get a bit messy but boiler room shots anchor them with no issues.
6mm creedmoor. Big heavy target gun that gets packed around as a tractor and bait gun. 105 Berger hybrids. I find 6mm a bit overkill especially when fur is involved. Few different bullets I have tried tend to take the insides and throw them outsides. Now and then the Berger's zip through with no mess but if fur ever becomes valuable again the 6mm is going back to target duty only.
Both 32 and 40 vmax worked well and was great on fur. 32's have a tendency to splash now and then with the higher velocity so shots had to be chosen carefully.
222. still have and love this one. 40gr vmax going 3000fps dropped coyotes hard out to 300 with next to no damage whatsoever. Fun to spot hits in the scope and isn't very loud if you knock your earpro off.
223. Shot all manner of bullets and never had much issue but compared to others it's boring and the rifles I had never stuck around.
22-250 sad I sold this one as it was a phenomenal coyote rig. 50vmax @3800 fps hit like a ton of bricks and although it caused a few holes now and then it was quite good on fur as long as the bullet went where intended.
220 swift. My current custom coyote rifle. Once again 50gr vmax at 3800 ish fps hits really hard and doesn't make a mess. If I get to shooting runners and taking marginal shots it can get a bit messy but boiler room shots anchor them with no issues.
6mm creedmoor. Big heavy target gun that gets packed around as a tractor and bait gun. 105 Berger hybrids. I find 6mm a bit overkill especially when fur is involved. Few different bullets I have tried tend to take the insides and throw them outsides. Now and then the Berger's zip through with no mess but if fur ever becomes valuable again the 6mm is going back to target duty only.
Killbillc68
Regular
- Location
- Dawson Creek BC
I just copy what the legend Less Johnson does. 22-250 52 bthp although if I was just starting out, I might go 22 Creedmoor.
Maybe I should just zero a bit further.
That same load killed my first buck too. I just use HP for yoters instead of SP.
Its an m98 , but still has a reich eagle on the action....so not to modern.
Modern enough to handle my loads.
