Opinions on caliber for coyote?

KodiakHntr said:
I’ve run a couple into black bears, and a buddy shot a big whitetail a couple falls ago in my back yard with that bullet.
And I’ve run them through maybe a couple dozen coyotes.

Performance is erratic at best, as they hold together harder than an Amax or ELD m. From what I’ve seen, if you are going to use those, you really need to hit bones on entrance to get secondary shrapnel into the lungs. They’ll definitely penetrate, but expansion is suspect for me.

You are painted into a corner with the 1:9 twist there. I shot a lot of stuff with 75 Amax’s via my Montana as a 223AI 1:9 and it worked pretty reliably. As a 1:7 twist 223AI however, it is a whole new cartridge when it comes to performance. Twist rate makes a huge difference in terminal ballistics.

Your best bet is a rebarrel to 1:7, or sell it to me and I’ll rebarrel it.
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I didn't like it for whitetail either...not that I tried it for long.

The 69gr TMK be go-to for a 9 twist?
 
Gcola said:
I am looking into a gun for coyote hunting. Am leaning towards a .243 with a smaller grain bullet to also have capability for deer hunting, but looking for opinions from those who have experience coyote hunting. I am also wanting to make sure to keep hide and fur damage to a minimum.
Thanks
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I’ve shot coyote and deer with a .243. I’ve even used it for rabbit, but it messes up the meat a bit depending on the load. The Varmint rifles do a good job of filling the gap between rimfire and big game I think. Also, with far less recoil than a .308 or 30-06 you can really focus on shot placement and follow through for that second round when it’s needed! It will make you a better marksman.
 
Joel said:
I didn't like it for whitetail either...not that I tried it for long.

The 69gr TMK be go-to for a 9 twist?
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You give up too much performance with the 9 twist, unless you are at an elevation where you can stabilize 73 ELD m or 75 Amaxs. Moly might get enough velocity bump to spin them if you are on the bubble.
 
KodiakHntr said:
You give up too much performance with the 9 twist, unless you are at an elevation where you can stabilize 73 ELD m or 75 Amaxs. Moly might get enough velocity bump to spin them if you are on the bubble.
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Kodiak, would you happen to know at which speed the 73gr ELD-M stops being big game capable/too slow to expand properly?
 
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Wherever you are hitting 1800 fps impact speed. Thats my personal velocity threshold. From a 7 twist barrel. I feel that twist rate is incredibly important and makes a huge difference on terminal performance.

If you are suffering a 1:9, then you are likely going to want to keep impact velocity higher, or at least understand that you will see reduced terminal effects.
 
KodiakHntr said:
Wherever you are hitting 1800 fps impact speed. Thats my personal velocity threshold. From a 7 twist barrel. I feel that twist rate is incredibly important and makes a huge difference on terminal performance.

If you are suffering a 1:9, then you are likely going to want to keep impact velocity higher, or at least understand that you will see reduced terminal effects.
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Thanks! No 9 twist barrel here thankfully. But it is a 16". Was wondering where that puts me for a hard limit. Now I know!

But, def agree that the faster twist helps em work better.
 
Gcola said:
I am looking into a gun for coyote hunting. Am leaning towards a .243 with a smaller grain bullet to also have capability for deer hunting, but looking for opinions from those who have experience coyote hunting. I am also wanting to make sure to keep hide and fur damage to a minimum.
Thanks
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A good buddy uses a 22 creedmore and loves it. Or a .223 is good for coyotes
Good luck man
 
Gcola said:
I am looking into a gun for coyote hunting. Am leaning towards a .243 with a smaller grain bullet to also have capability for deer hunting, but looking for opinions from those who have experience coyote hunting. I am also wanting to make sure to keep hide and fur damage to a minimum.
Thanks
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Well if you’re wanting to protect the pelt I would say a .243 is probably a bit much.

We use .204 and .223 with a 40gr Berger HP. Seems to do the trick.
 
pathfinder76 said:
There are very clear winners here.
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It is never clear, it is always a balancing act; no one perfect cartridge, but there are a bunch that can be utilized consistently with satisfactory results. There are those who have the skill to get satisfactory results out of an other's less than ideal cartridge.
 
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FatCatsDad said:
Think I'll start a "Is 17 HMR under rated for black bears" thread .

LOL, that should get at least a couple guys to comment about their kill shots at 700 yards
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That would save me a lot of reloading time. Better get me one of these. BTW, I had one, and found it marginal on Ground Hogs past 100; had to make a lot of second shots. Back to the 6.5 x 55 85-90 gr.
 
KodiakHntr said:
SD doesn’t have anything to do with velocity or momentum. And to be fair, SD is pretty much meaningless as an indicator of anything in this day and age.

To answer your question though, around performance goals…. I don’t really view it like that, in either way. When I used mono’s a lot, I expected to be able to drive a bullet through a few feet of bones and tissue to get to organs. All I cared about was a hole through organs and a busted shoulder to limit mobility. After it did that, I didn’t care if it exited or not. I caught enough X/TSX/TTSX from 264wm/7wsm/280AI/300ultra to know that you can’t ever count on an exit, but it will probably occur. Usually. Mostly. Sometimes.

What I find with stuff like the Amax/ELD m from fast twist rifles is I can drive a bullet through a few feet of tissue and bones to the organs, but there is a bigger permanent wound channel and stuff falls down within feet of the hit. I don’t need an exit. Stuff is laying right there.
That said, I got exits on 2 bull moose and a bull elk with 88 ELD m’s. This years bull elk died MUCH faster than last years bull elk, with the same presentation and shot angles. Difference being last year's bull was shot at half the distance with a 300 wm and a 180 gr soft point, and it didn’t exit.
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Sectional density by itself doesn't have anything to do with velocity or momentum. But a heavy for caliber bullet will have more sectional density, greater penetrating power and generally longer and higher BC depending on shape.

That was .224 ELDM out of a .223? Not a heavily constructed bullet, but out of.223 with a little range it seems it was in the velocity range it needed to be. You're shooting through the shoulder first?
 
tactical lever said:
Sectional density by itself doesn't have anything to do with velocity or momentum. But a heavy for caliber bullet will have more sectional density, greater penetrating power and generally longer and higher BC depending on shape.

That was .224 ELDM out of a .223? Not a heavily constructed bullet, but out of.223 with a little range it seems it was in the velocity range it needed to be. You're shooting through the shoulder first?
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I’m not really interested in arguing about SD, but it’s pretty much meaningless. All bullets of the same weight and caliber have the same SD. Bullet construction and composition are much more important, but guys sure like to toss it out there.

88 gr ELD m, from a 223 Ackley Improved. You can’t push it fast enough to compromise bullet integrity from a 223 rem, and probably not from a creed either for that matter.

And yes, breaking shoulders going in and going out.
 
CV32 said:
Its important to note that the provision in sect 107(14) of the Wild Life Regulations in NL uses the word "or", rather than the word "and" :
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Agreed, my statement could have been inferred that a 90gr bullet was OK for big game in say a 243 but it is not as you noted... However I do mean the restrictions are all inclusive of 243 min cal, 100gr and 1500lbs or shotgun slug >=20ga....
 
That looks more like those bullets zipped through without having time to expand.

I've shot yotes w 30 cal 110gr VMAX and the exit hole was an honest to gawd 4" diameter. The yotes insides were just blood soup. :eek:
 
KodiakHntr said:
I’m not really interested in arguing about SD, but it’s pretty much meaningless. All bullets of the same weight and caliber have the same SD. Bullet construction and composition are much more important, but guys sure like to toss it out there.

88 gr ELD m, from a 223 Ackley Improved. You can’t push it fast enough to compromise bullet integrity from a 223 rem, and probably not from a creed either for that matter.

And yes, breaking shoulders going in and going out.
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I don't disagree with any of that.

Heavy for caliber bullets working over a narrower velocity works.

Going slow enough, hard to beat lead alloy.
 
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