I just but to gether a DBMS rifle it has a 1-9" twist 16" bull barrle SS and i was wondering waht the efective range would be on this I was planing on taking out Yotes with it. I toped it with a quick discoct scope bases one scope is a 4x40 Buck master with tac turets and the other is a bushnell elite 4200 6-24X40mm with Mill dots and tac turets... I want to try and shoot 50-500 yards with it... and was thinking of using 55gr SP or 60gr HPs ( Not realy thinking of keeping the yotes) dose any one have any Ideas on the accuracy out at long range with a short barrle......

The US Army Marksmanship Team hits the standard silhouette target at 500 meters with their M-4 carbines having 14-inch barrels. You can expect to do as well. I would estimate a high percentage of hits on a coyote at 300 and 400 yards easily. Test: Take a gallon milk jug and see if you can pop it at 300 yards. Shouldn't be a problem. With a 10-40X scope set at about 30X, I was popping a one-liter soda bottle damned near every shot from 300 yards. That's 1 moa. Shots were from a good rest and sandbag set-up. 16-inch DPMS barrel, 1:8 (might have been 1:9-- can't remember) twist, handloaded ammo, light crosswind.

The Army Marksmanship Unit is using a 20" "Service Rifle" (AKA Match prepped M16A2 clone) and single loading 80gr bullets at the 600yrd line. They are also shooting at a 10 ring that is 12" in diameter. A large coyote has a vital area about half that size. I.E. the 6" X-ring (No one on the AMU is consistently shooting all X's at the 600yrd line and they do it for a living)

Your rifles effective range with the right ammo and proper range estimation / elevation adjustments is a little over 400yrds. However, you will be pushing the limits of the ammo and your personal skill to make humane kills at that distance.

A few suggestions:

At those ranges with a 1-9 twist and only a 16 inch barrel, shoot the highest ballistic coefficient bullet your barrel will stabilize. Start with the 69gr Sierra or 70 gr Berger vld as a sure bet, then try some 75-77 gr bullets and see if your rifle will handle them. (Forget about shooting 50-60gr bullets in a short barrel .223 at extended ranges)

Get a good ballistics program to plot your trajectory and then double check them on a known range. Keep a log of your "come ups" and "wind dope" and practice, practice, practice, before you attempt to shoot an animal at extended ranges. (Wind was blowing my 80gr Berger VLD's 36" left at 600yrds during the National matches at Camp Perry in 2001)

Get a good range finder and use it when hunting coyote. Your bullet trajectory will look like a rainbow after 250 - 300yrds. Knowing the exact range will be the difference between a clean kill and a miss or a wound.

Good Luck

Put a good scope and a bi pod on those match A2s and I would bet they could place there shots into the x ring and smaller more often then not.

Remember matchs have lots of rules and regulations to make it "fair".

I personally like to make the odds in my favor.

p dog shooter,
I don't disagree, but the difference between the men and the boys shooting prone at the 600yrd line isn't a steady hold and a good sight picture, it's knowing where the wind will take your bullet before you fire the shot.

Me and the rest of the "also ran's" tend to adjust for the second shot.

However, the "nine ring" on the rifle range doesn't leave a wounded animal in the field.

I've been shooting coyote's with the .223/5.56 since '70. I have used barrels from 16" to 26". I also shoot HP (Master classification) and can tell you there is no correlation between 600 yard SF stage and field shooting coyote. One is at a know distance on a fixed target that does not move and you have wind flags and other shooters to rely on for windage. The other will move, is at unknown distance (best to use a range finder and then it is difficult to range on a coyote at 600 yards with most of them), you will have confusing signs of wind and the kill area (heart/lung) is very small and elusive at long range. I have pulled off a few (very few) long range shots on coyote from 350 to about 500 yards with a .223. All of them were with bolt guns and the coyote was mousing which gave me plenty of time to sort things out. Of those long range shots I took I killed about 1/3rd of the coyotes, wounded a couple more and just plain missed most (you can cut an awefull lot of fur on a winter coyote and not hit meat!).

Having learned my lesson I seldom will shoot past 300 yards anymore on a coyote with a .223 unless I have a long boltgun and the conditions are perfect". I use a 20" barreled AR as my calling rifle and with 55 gr BT type bullets it is very effective to 300 yards. I have also used shorter barreled gas guns but found them effective to 250 yards. What I do on a call these days is carry the AR or M1 Carbine (very effective to 150 yards with right load) and a M700 22-250 if longer shots are possible. The M700 sits beside me on a bipod in case of the long shot. The AR wears an EoTek and is very quick close in and out to 300 yards with the 1 moa dot. The M1 carbine wears it's original sights and also is very quick when coyote comes in fast or appears out of nowhere at close range.

Bottom line is you have a fine 250, maybe 300 yards und the best of conditions, coyote rifle. Don't excede it's capability and got gawd sake don't over scope it with a crew served scope. Keep it simple and it will serve you well.

Larry Gibson

I agree with Larry Gibson.

I also shoot Hi Power, and I have some friends that have shot their AR's at 1000.

It is one thing to be shooting at aper, another at an animal.

Also I would not shoot Match bullets at coyotes, they will not do as much damage as a bullet designed for hunting.

I would shoot either Nosler Ballistic Tips, or the Hornady V Max or TAP bullets.

I also think 300/350 yards is about right for max range.