"I only shoot for fur"

G

gobigorgohome

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Super GunNutz
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Saskatchewan
Let's start a talk about shooting for fur. And I'm not talking about the guys who shoot coyotes and leave them in the field for given them away. Guys that go out calling/shooting and skin and process their own fur. What do you shoot, what rifle, what caliber, what load and how does it work.

I own a few coyote rifles, 22 hornet, 222 rem, 17 rem fireball, 220 swift and 243 win. But my "go to" is always my 222 rem. 52gr Berger FB varmints loaded with 19 gr of 4198 they come out @ 2850 fps. Slow, but hardly ever exit. Tikka model 595 left hand in 222 rem. vortex crossfire 2 4-12x44 with BDC reticle. Here's an early season one I got, managed right around 100$ USD for this one. I shot it last October.



What's yours!!
 
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I used to shoot a Krico .222 but have gone .223 in the last few years. Was using Hornady SPSX at just under 3k to keep the jacket on.

I haven't sold anything for a couple years but with prices where they are I am going back to work next fall and laying in a line.
 
I have had very good luck this year with the nosler ballistic varmints in the 223. The 55gr's pushing only 3140 fps. No exits on most of them. Not the fastest but none ran away either.
 
Not really a fur hunter here...but I took one in November at 15 yds with a 35 Whelen/250 gr factory load. Was a nice clean through and through, cleaner than any I've taken with the 22-250's or 243's lol.
 
Savage 340 in 222 Rem when calling (sometimes 17HMR for close in head shots) and I skin and put up everyone that has value. I trap also then its a 22 short out of my Mare's Leg. 222 loaded with 50g V-max dont exit. I have become a good sewer also.
 
First pic is from December 2016 using my Sako 22ppc. This was a great hunt! Had a dog wander through and out of the field that I was calling with my e-caller in about 5 minutes after setting up. So I had to cross over into the next field behind me to hand call him back from 300plus yards. Funny how fast they come in when they hear the call. Ended up shooting him at 45 yards after barking at him to stop. There was a small hole in the neck about the size of a quarter with no exit hole but man was it ever a messy skinning job. The bullet made a complete mess of his skull... Not sure how much powder from rote, but was using h322 and sierra 40gr.

View attachment 101499

Second pic was with my Browning xbolt 204ruger at 125 yards with another neck shot. Not sure what happened here since I was using a bipod, and the 22ppc was freehand with front view. CFE223 and 39 BK didn't make such a mess...

Jan 2017

View attachment 101501
 
gobigorgohome. i like your setup as mine is quite alike. the gun i keep reaching for these days is the tikka t3 in 222. im pushing a 40vmax with only 18gr of 4198. so far i have yet to have a problem with making a mess of the fur provided i didnt mess up the shot.


i have been doing some testing with what was built as my long range gopher rig and have been amazed so far as to its fur friendliness. 20 practical 40gr vmax at 3650. with the following picture was one of the few instances that i shot a new years pup before the fur started getting good. mid sept this guy was getting a little too friendly with a local sheep herd. even with the smaller than average coyote i had no mess or fur loss.
 
52 grain Berger Varmint match in Kimber 22/250. 34 grains of IMR 4895 for a bit over 3800 fps. There's the odd big hole at close range, but as distance stretches a bit results are perfect.
A slower and super accurate load for the 22/250
Is 29-30 grains of 3031 and a 52 ish grain bullet. It was the Remington custom
Shop test load once.

32 grain Berger in custom 204 M700. About as many close range blow ups as the 22.250, kills about the same at
Close range. Effectiveness drops off fast as velocity decreases.

22 American Eagle HP works great if they are already tied up.
 
52 grain Berger Varmint match in Kimber 22/250. 34 grains of IMR 4895 for a bit over 3800 fps. There's the odd big hole at close range, but as distance stretches a bit results are perfect.
A slower and super accurate load for the 22/250
Is 29-30 grains of 3031 and a 52 ish grain bullet. It was the Remington custom
Shop test load once.

32 grain Berger in custom 204 M700. About as many close range blow ups as the 22.250, kills about the same at
Close range. Effectiveness drops off fast as velocity decreases.
 
Shooting a light 40 gr Vmax from a 223 Rem usually results in no exit. Also shooting them head on in the chest usually results in no exit wound as well.
 
Here's a few other guns I am attempting to make "fur friendly"

I had a left handed 220 swift assembled by Go Ballistic Gunsmithing in Star City, SK. I am not too certain on how it'll be as I have no intentions of slowing down the bullet at all. But I've been expirementing with varget and accurate 2700 using 50 and 53gr vmax, 52gr Berger varmints and targets and 55gr nosler varmageddons. I'll have to wait until fall to see how this one goes.




As well, I shot this coyote 3 times at 160 yards with my 243. 62gr Berger FB Target bullets with 36gr of imr 4895. They were slow @3300 fps. Messed up on the back leg shot, but still managed 112$ USD at auction this fall for it. Rifle is a savage model 110 LH with a vortex diamondback 4-12x40 bdc. Drop mag.



Last but not least is this thing. I got it as a coyote gun and it really didn't anchor them well, I worked a load to try on fox, but with the market tanked I haven't even touched a fox since acquiring this.
Rem 700 sps varmint left hand in 17 rem fireball. 17.2gr of bench mark and 25gr hornady HP bullets. Around 3850 fps (my gopher load comes out cranking @4050 fps). Coyotes would die at 200 yards or less but 95% of the time run off a few hundred yards before dropping. As this gun doesn't ever get shot I tried a "scorpion" optic on it. This is by far the worst piece of glass I've ever owned! Lol

 
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