This is what I have available that I think is most fragile.


I don't need any ricochets.


Which is best coyote medicine out of AR 223
platform shooting across open pasture land?

Are you planning on selling the fur or just shooting them for population control? Either bullet will work just as good as the other in terms of effectiveness. Either one will leave a nice size hole in the animal, especially at shorter distances. If I had to choose one,I would go with the one that shoots the best from your rifle.

Not worth saving now, but I really would like something that did NOT blow a big hole out of the hide on the backside for use a little later on.

Again I need a bullet that will come apart and not go zinging off into the distance.

Maybe some 50 grain SXs here some place, at least I had some in the past.

If worse comes to worse I have a 222 bolt gun available.

kind of sounds like you want a magic bullet. A bullet that comes apart will usually blow a fairly large size hole in something as small as as coyote. If you are trying to save the fur you might want to adjust your hunting tactics. Using TSX's from an elevated position should dump all the pass throughs into the ground. I have been using TSX's on coyote for a while now. They put the animal down fast and dont mangle up the pelt.

Look at the Barnes bullet selection s.

I found with a .223 that either 35 or 40 gr V'max's will seldom exit on coyotes. Much depends on your range of shots. IF under 200yds, use the 35's, over that the 40's. Due to light wt and rounder shape the 35's lose velocity fast and go erratic. The 40's hold accuracy much better further out.

Good luck,
George

In a general sort of way, anything with plastic on the nose is going to blow some big entrances. Oh, someone will know of a exception but we kill hundreds of coyotes. My favorite hide saving bullet is the 52 grain Berger Varmint match.

Now here's another way, and you can laugh if you want. Ordinary whitebox Winchester 45 grain JHPs are about as good as it gets if your rifle will shoot them. Nothing is perfect all the time, but most of the hides will be most of the time.

45 gr V-Max

The Vmax is thinner skinned than the NBT but if I were looking to minimize fur damage I'd use your .222 bolt gun and the Hornadys SX you mentioned....

Thanx one and all.

I should add that I also have 55 Speer SP, 50 Rem SP, 55 Rem SP and now I am not going to be hunting in flat open country with houses relatively close.

Shots will b from the end of the barrel, to about 250 yards.

Louis, I have had good luck on fur with the 50 NBT, dime sized exits.

You will find the heavier bullets will exit and blow bigger holes on the exit side. Use the 40's and run 'em fast and you'll do just fine.
I had lots of damage with 50's and 55's in my .223. Hit one in the ass at 15-20 feet that hopped up on the trail in front of me on the way out one night. Found the perfect mushroom under the hide of the shoulder, full length almost. Ran under the skin once it came out of the body cavity half way up the ribs. Just a "once fluke" though. That was a 55gr C/L.

I doubt a 40gr would have killed it though.

I blew a head clear off except for 2" of skin on top the neck with a .243 60gr at 60yds once. No saving that hide! .223 was in the shop getting a new tube at the time, that was all I had for varmint guns at the time.
Wish you well,
George

I found the 40 gr. Balistic Tip or the V max works as well as anything else..just a hole going in and mush inside and no exit is the rule, but there are exceptions..A head shot will always make a mess..try for the lungs is the best shot. Angle shots work real well..I have used the bullet in the 222 and 223 and the 22-250..sometimes you just get a lot of damage, mostly when bone is encountered...Ive tried solids and they may or may not work, they don't always kill well and you may loose the animal..I don't recommend solids in that a damaged fur by a soft bullet sells for more than no fur because one used a solid.

I have also used the 60 gr. Hornady HP or SP, a load Ive used on deer for years..It works well enough on coyotes and bob cats, sometimes you get an exit but it will be nickel or dime size exit and can be sewed up or patched and you don't get docked much, if at all...

I have limited experience with the Winchester White box 45gr. It shot well from my 1:9" Twist but not as good out of the 1:7". It didn't exit the last coyote I shot with them. Put her down quickly.

If you are concerned with exits then you could look at the Barnes Varmint Grenade or MPG bullet. They will not exit at all and will be devastating on your intended target.

What is the twist of your AR? The twist is what determines the weight of the bullet, If your gun is a 1-14 or 1-12 or maybe a 1-10 you can shoot them light bullets.

1:12, 1:9, 1:8.

They both shoot great out of the 1:12 platform which is what I will use.
As an aside it will allow standard military green tips to go sideways at 25 yards and key hole.

I just want minimum fur damage and NO ricochets at one site I will be hunting.

I like the 45 grain Speer semi spitzers made for the 22 Hornet for bullets that generally don't make big holes or bounce when they hit the ground. Not a "cool" as the more modern bullets but good just the same. I don't know how they would run in an AR though.

Palladin8 mentioned the Barnes Varmint Grenade. If you shoot inside 200 where your velocity is still high, they will come apart inside, deliver all of their energy and no exit no ricochet. However and this is important. If you shoot a long shot where they have slowed down enough not to disrupt and come apart, they act just like a solid. No Bueno. Close shots you can't beat em.

A light fast bullet is where your thinking is, and it works most of the time...Your question is one that cannot be stated flat out as there are so many varibles, but the 40 or 45 gr. varmint bullets have the best record as they normally don't damage the hide, on occasion if bone is hit it gets messy on the entrance hole. A solid is disaster preparing to take place and the animal escapes with the small bores.

A large caliber such as the 35s and up will give a caliber size hole on both sides and a fairly quick or instant kill on varmints with solids or heavy weitht softs. Most folks don't use big bores on varmints for whatever reason, its actually a good option on body hits.