What would be a good bullet that I can use on Coyotes when hunting for pelts that will stop them quickly with the lease amount of damage to the fur? I am shooting a 1-12 twist 26 inch heavy 22-250. So I am basically loking at anything between 40gr to 55 gr tops. Maybe a 63gr but I have not had a chance to see how the barrel stabalizes the 63gr bullets.
I use the Remington 55 gr PLHP. I buy them bulk and love the price. They don't usually exit and never at close range. The pelt prices here in Missouri the last few years have been so poor I simply put them on a brushpile. They're not worth the headache I usually get from skinning them(fox and mink also give me the headache). I am shooting an older Browning 'Lightening bolt' in 22-250 and tried everything to get it to shoot a decent group.. It likes the PLHP's and I've found several other rifles that also like them. I'm switching to a Remington M722 in 244 (slow twist) for coyotes this fall. It loves the Sierra 75 grain flat based HP's.. I also am working with a Ruger N0.1 in 6mm Remington and the 85 Gr HPBT.. Beautiful bullet, if I can get the rifle to shoot it well. Any 'soft' 50-55 grain bullet will kill well in a hot 22 and stay inside the 'yote most of the time...
Posts: 49 | Location: central Missouri | Registered: 23 June 2003
Never shot a coyote but as far as red fox goes, 50 or 55gn VMax will do the business. I spit 'em out of my .22/250 @ 3603fps and unless I've hit the spine in the neck, I'm often left searching for the impact point.
I can't get even 58gn bullets to stabilise so 60s are way out but who needs 'em?
Posts: 360 | Location: Sunny, but increasingly oppressed by urbanites England | Registered: 13 February 2001
I shoot a Ruger M77 Varmint/Target and use 50gr balistic tip bullets from sierra or hornday use federal 210 primers 36gr of varget powder this gets me half inch groups at 200yds. but this is a hot load. you should start with less powder somewhere around 34.5gr of varget and work your way up. Varget is a product of hogdon powder
Just about every coyote I have shot with a 22-250 had an exit hole that looked like you could drop a softball in it. The problem with a fmj is often the coyote doesn't know he's dead for quite a while. And recovery is hard if there's any sort of contour to the ground you're hunting. I never got around to trying it but I often thought that dropping my velocity down around .223 speed and shooting a sx bullet might work. With the bullet blowing up inside the 'yote. ?????
Posts: 2037 | Location: frametown west virginia usa | Registered: 14 October 2001
quote:Originally posted by Embalmer: What would be a good bullet that I can use on Coyotes when hunting for pelts that will stop them quickly with the lease amount of damage to the fur? I am shooting a 1-12 twist 26 inch heavy 22-250. So I am basically loking at anything between 40gr to 55 gr tops. Maybe a 63gr but I have not had a chance to see how the barrel stabalizes the 63gr bullets.
I would shoot a 50-55 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip or V-Max. These do not exit thus leaving only one hole (typically). Sometimes the boat tail will make it through to the other side and leave a small hole. Shoot them in the chest and you'll be fine. Avoid neck shots or you'll leave a huge exit hole, ditto head shots.
Now I shoot coyotes in Wyoming and up there they are big and furry (cause it's damn cold there in winter and the wind blows 30-40 mph almost constantly). This makes for the some of the best quality pelts south of Canada. Our taxidermist prefers to only have to deal with one hole and if you've an accurate enough rifle, it's not a problem. Some use FMJs but then you ALWAYS have two holes to deal with. Coyotes are tough regardless. Even with a good, well placed shot they may walk a little. A poor shot will result in an animal that goes a long ways before it drops.
In a .22-250 a 50 gr. NBT or V-Max bullet is plenty heavy enough to do the job and you can push it very very fast in that rifle. See which one is the most accurate and use it with confidence. A well hit coyote isn't going anywhere and if you get them close (say under 200 yards), you'll likely get all four paws airborn. Just keep the bullet well within the margins of the animal toward center. If he's sideways to you then just whack him behind the shoulder like you would a deer. He'll drop like a rock.
quote:Originally posted by Embalmer: What are the size of your exit wounds on all the above mentioned bullets?
I remember one exit wound that was a doosey. I called in 2 yotes while laying prone on a small hill west of Laramie. My partner was about 100 yards east of me and did not see them approach. They were about 75 yards out coming right at me. I put my 6.5x20 right on the lead dog, it had a reddish coat but was not rubbed at all. I worried that shooting it in the body (it was facing right toward me) might result in a bad exit wound so I shot it in the neck hoping the bullet would pass through without too much damage. Well, lets just say that my partner, upon seeing fur pieces on the snow about 50 yards from the animal said, "Who, this isn't going to be pretty." I only got $10 for that one (I would have gotting $20-$25).
Last year I called one in for a friend while hunting Antelope west of Elk Mountain. He'd never shot a coyote and since we were hunting Antelope, was using a 7 Mag. Up there they don't get called all that often. We watched him go into a band of willows along a creek bank and proceeded to setup about 100 yards from the bank. Said coyote had spooked a herd of Antelope about 30 minutes earlier busting a stalk that we had been attempting. We were not expecting much when I started to call but sure enough, he came running right at us like the hungry bastard he was. I simply said, "Curtis, shoot the son-of-a-bitch."
Curtis was sporting a newly minted Remington M700 BDL in 7mm Remington Mag and was shooting 100 gr. Sierra HPs. He aimed right at the center of the animals chest. When he moved into position to take the shot the coyote stopped. Curtis squeezed and the bullet hit home. Ok, now were' talking a 7mag, the distance was maybe 75 yards, can you imagine a bigger blow up scenario than that? What do you think happened? How big an exit hole do you think there was?
The bullet hit the coyote exactly where Curtis was aiming. It sent the coyote into the air and backwards, cartwheeling as it flew just above the sage brush. I was expecting a huge mess but instead I discovered only one small hole in it's chest. I had to know what happened to the bullet since it did not exit. I gutted the coyote (a bitch) and discovered that not only had the bullet not exited it did not even make it into the lower abdominal cavity. It fragmented after the initial hit and only the vitals contained behind the ribs were destroyed.
So, if you can keep a fragmenting bullet in the animal you should not have an exit hole. Hunting is all about bullet selection and placement. Use a very soft bullet like a Nosler Ballistic Tip or Hornady V-Max and you should only have one hole.
Now, I have another friend who uses a 300 Win on antelope with Nosler 125 gr. BTs. I would probably predict that no matter where you hit a coyote with one of these, it would be unlikely to remain in the animal and the exit wound would be akin to a prairie dog getting pierced by a 40 gr. Sierra Blitz bullet at 50 yards from a .223. He says he only goes for head shots on antelope but the few (many) times he's had to go to shot placement preference #2 he's created holes big enough for one to chuck a football through.
Well, I am lucky enough to live where there are way too many damned coyotes! We shoot lots of them with everything from a 17 Remington to a 7mm Weatherby Mag, etc. etc. ( Some people I know shoot more than 200 a year!!!)
My all time favorite coyote bullet is a Sierra 22 caliber 50 grain spitzer. This bullet shoots darned well in every 22 caliber rifle I ever tried it in. (except for a few of mine that have had WAY too many rounds down the tube, had to move to 55 grain bullets in those)
This bullet darned near never exits and if it does the exit hole is pretty small. It drops coyotes and bobcats like a bolt of lightning.
If I was looking for a predator getter, this would be it!!!
R F
Posts: 1220 | Location: Hanford, CA, USA | Registered: 12 November 2000
Hey guys , great input on fur loads , how do they do on bobcat ? I am looking for a good load for my 22-250 for cats and coyotes that will not shred them . Any help would be appreciated .
Posts: 5 | Location: Montana | Registered: 28 July 2003
Well, I just tried the Nosler Balistec tip 55gr this week end and I must say, they kill like nothing else. But then they also take half the animal with it when they do. So the Balistic tips sure as hell aint good for fur. But if you just want to kill something dead as can be really damn fast they are your ticket.
Full power loads in the 22-250 are very destrucyive on small game.If you want to save pelts try some reduced loads with H-4895 powder in the 22-250. Reduced loads shoot very well in the 22-250 and take small game with ease out to 150 yards.
I have shot a few with Sierra Blitzkings, in both 50 and 55 grain from my 22-250. A 50gr into the neck at 120yards didn't exit, nor did a 55gr into the chest at the same range. I did have a small exit hole with a 55gr in a marginal hit once, about the size of a quarter. Apparently, a piece of the bullet exited. The BK really blew up inside but could hardly find the entry..small blood shot was all. INSTANT death on the two...fell over like a 2 legged chair! ha
the Noslers with the solid base tend to blow through leaving large exits, as posted by another. The new Speer 55gr TNT may work well, but the 50gr TNT will blow fist size holes on ENTRY!! Far too fragile for 22-250 speeds and coyotes, but are pure hell on rodents!! LOL
[ 10-05-2003, 02:43: Message edited by: Oregon Born ]
Posts: 40 | Location: California, USA | Registered: 24 July 2003
Over the years taking 40-70 dogs/season, i've found a lot of good fur bullets out of the big .22's, but when Sierra introduced their 40 gr. High-Velocity HP # 1385 in 1984, it turned the .22-250 into a 4000+ f.p.s. cartridge, and put the .223 close as well. Then the 40 gr. Nosler, Hornady, and finally Sierra (again). I'll never look at anything else for a .22 cal. fur (coyote, that is) bullet again. Bobcats are a different story though. You're going to be hardpressed to find a big-cased .22 that'll work on both @ high-vel. As good as the .22's are for fur though, the .17's (and .20's) are better... but not by much.
The best Fur bullet I have found so far,for the 22-250 is the 35gr V Max Hornaday with 34grs of H4895 behind it,clocks in at just over 3800fps in my 4 different rifles,I also use 25grs of H322 in the 222 and 223 with the same bullet results. Shots have been from 10yds to 300yds, bullet enters and have not exited on the 76 yotes so far this year. One thing to remember is DO NOT hit any heavy shoulder bones or you will be sewing for a while,after 35+years of killing these varmints, and have tried all bullets made for 22,24,25,27, 7mm and 30 cal. rifles, this is the best thing I have found next to the 52gr HP(big hole)Speer bullets. I had to reduce the above load to this level untill I got these little Atom bombs to reach the targets in one piece, in my rifles. Have been shooting this load for the last 4 years and have been very pleased with the results, you might want to work up a load and try them. Thanks, Don.
Posts: 46 | Location: Lovelock,Nevada | Registered: 04 May 2003
quote:Originally posted by nvreloader: The best Fur bullet I have found so far,for the 22-250 is the 35gr V Max Hornaday with 34grs of H4895 behind it,clocks in at just over 3800fps in my 4 different rifles,I also use 25grs of H322 in the 222 and 223 with the same bullet results. Shots have been from 10yds to 300yds, bullet enters and have not exited on the 76 yotes so far this year. One thing to remember is DO NOT hit any heavy shoulder bones or you will be sewing for a while,after 35+years of killing these varmints, and have tried all bullets made for 22,24,25,27, 7mm and 30 cal. rifles, this is the best thing I have found next to the 52gr HP(big hole)Speer bullets. I had to reduce the above load to this level untill I got these little Atom bombs to reach the targets in one piece, in my rifles. Have been shooting this load for the last 4 years and have been very pleased with the results, you might want to work up a load and try them. Thanks, Don.
I came here to post a question and I open up the forum and someone has just beat me to it!
I happen to have a new (for me) 22-250, 26 inch barrel, and a bunch of 35gr V-Maxs.
Your saying small entry and no exit so long as you don't hit any large bones? Where would you suggest aiming on something such as a fox? The neck?
Wildcat, I'm afraid you'll have one helluva mess if you shoot a fox in the neck with a 35gr Vmax. I'd hold out for broadside shots and put it right behind the shoulder. On frontal shots, aim for the base of the neck and try to put it right dead center.
Fringe shots,shoulders and neck shots should be avoided like the plague. Ofcourse I've never used a 35gr Vmax before but the priciples are the same with any highly fragile bullet and trying to save fur.
Chris
Posts: 200 | Location: Belle Plaine, IA USA | Registered: 09 July 2001
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