Best bullet for coyotes outta my .243?

[PNW EOD]

65 grain V-max... Shot it for years, haven't found anything better for me or how I hunt.

 

[Just cut]

I also hunt in Oklahoma so I know what you mean about the wind. I have been using the 140 eld match out of my 6.5 creedmoore and the 75 eld match out of my 22 Grendel,coyotes drop in their tracks when shot with either of these.

 

[jjmp]

lots and lots of great 243 bullets,no ive not tried them all, most of mine have 1/10 twists,but my Ruger American is 1/9 tw like em both fine , was watching the Dartman76 & the Neighbor on youtube shooting coyotes wow they can shoot,Dartman uses a 338 laupa and Neighbor uses a 243 in a Savage Heavy bbl stock rifle, and datmans is also a Savage, Neighbor used V-Max 80 grainers, both used huskamaw scopes,bothlive in Canada,saw a newer vid and they switched to NF scopes now and Neighbor upgraded to a 300 w-mag custom rifle .sorry for sidetrack but watch Neighbor shoot his 243 WOW just saying Impressive ... any one know if their Members here ? it be nice to talk bac n forth with them , Cheers

 

[elmerkeithclone]

I want to take John Whidden coyote hunting with me. He can shoot them stinking smart ones that hang up out there at 600 yards. They laugh at me!

 

[jjmp]

try some shooting supports ,you know like the black powder guys use,or better yet make them yourself,old golf clubs work great but cut the clubs off they are lite and the rubber handles wont scratch or scar your rifle stocks, have you seen the home made shooting sticks that they use in Africa,one for standing and a short one for sitting would cover lots of hunting , thks

 

[elmerkeithclone]

try some shooting supports ,you know like the black powder guys use,or better yet make them yourself,old golf clubs work great but cut the clubs off they are lite and the rubber handles wont scratch or scar your rifle stocks, have you seen the home made shooting sticks that they use in Africa,one for standing and a short one for sitting would cover lots of hunting , thks

I just bought a set at Bass Pro but they are jet black. I was going to paint them white but haven't yet. Think I'll get another set and paint them tan. The only problem with painting them is that it takes a while for the stink to wear off. I'm pretty sure coyotes would pick right up on that paint smell! I have used camo target arrows as shooting sticks in the past. My biggest problem is doping a 20-30 mph cross wind at long distances and here on the prairie that danged wind is always blowing!

 

[jjmp]

Ok ,paint them and leave them outside to dry n sun bake , can you practice at 300 yds at a range ,reload manual shows bullet drift at many ranges and in 10 mile an hour jumps , picture a wet coyote, body's always smaller then fur , good talking to you , for every one yu shot you'll save two adult deer and 5-7 Fawns , if I can help you further pm me here thks shoot straight ,Regards

 

[jjmp]

3 posts above I meant to say 87 grain V-Max BC .400 sorry

 

[elmerkeithclone]

Ok ,paint them and leave them outside to dry n sun bake , can you practice at 300 yds at a range ,reload manual shows bullet drift at many ranges and in 10 mile an hour jumps , picture a wet coyote, body's always smaller then fur , good talking to you , for every one yu shot you'll save two adult deer and 5-7 Fawns , if I can help you further pm me here thks shoot straight ,Regards

Here in Iowa everything is divided up into mile sections of land with a road on every side. It used to be that after a snowfall I would drive around right at day light and find a fresh set of tracks. then I would circle that section looking fro tracks coming out. If there were none coming out then I would set up with my spotting scope and try to find that rascal laying out of the wind. If that didn't work. I would grab my 243, dress up in my whites and follow those tracks ever so cautiously. I spent a lot of hours crawling on my belly trying to sneak up on those curled up and sleeping yotes and had pretty good success at it too. Rarely did I ever have to shoot over 200 yards.

Those were the good old days. Coyotes have adapted and very seldom lay out in the open anymore. Also I have gotten older and that ending up a long ways from the truck isn't as much fun as it used to be. It used to be that might bump a coyote that wasn't the one that I was tracking and that could open up a whole new can of worms. I might end up all day roaming three or 4 sections of land after those things. it was a hoot too. I knew every farmer for miles and if I got too far from the truck I would usually just stop at the first farm house and get a ride back to my truck. The rides back to the truck thing still work if I had the stamina to get that far from the truck. Since I don't have that youthful bounce in my step anymore I have taken up calling. The calling has been met with very little success. Enough success that I won't give up. Besides I am out in nature being part of it and watching the sun go down. Sometimes I just set up on a travel corridor with the wind in my favor and hunt them like deer. I have killed several doing this. They are usually completely unaware of my presence when I touch the trigger and they start spinning in circles biting at whatever just bit them.

I think you hit the nail on the head....I need more practice at long range in the wind. I have a very good 300 yard range but it is in a very protect spot on purpose. The hills and the pine trees block the wind for the most part. I am going to have to do some long range shooting across an open beanfield and there is one on every corner.

I'll keep at it....what else is there for an old guy to do? Bar hopping coffee shops and swapping lies isn't for this old coot. I have to keep my face wind chapped to be happy!

 

[jjmp]

Elmer, I think yur doing just great , Thk you for yur great post ,Iowa is a great Friendly state used to fish where yrs back with a good friend , hunted coyotes one time in winter had a blast , we all age , loose friends,and it's not fun getting older n old . My Moms 82 & she loved your post !!! Tell us what rifle you shoot & bullet weight , what yu think of a 200 yd zero ? Less drop at 300 little hi at 100 , do you reload ? I've never shot them 87 V max's but shot 65 V max fast n accurate ,loaded some 75V max's & their spzs shot ok ?always liked the Speer bullets also , guess I'm a target shooter mor then hunter ,we tried calling them here in Wis yrs ago but it didn't work cause we were dummer then the Educated Wiley Coyote , shot one two deer seasons past with my muzzle loader , Congrats on staying out of the bars mor Bs there on Tv commercials , got two 243 rifles one ruger american ss/syth/compact 1/9 twist shoots 1moa biggest groups ,2nd a used savage md110-s that was rebarreled with a ss/ McGowan bull bbl shoots wonderful and somebody put savages old Silhouette stock on it , it's stimpled inthe forend and on the swelled hand grip , great talking my Friend!!! Regards jjmp

 

[elmerkeithclone]

Elmer, I think yur doing just great , Thk you for yur great post ,Iowa is a great Friendly state used to fish where yrs back with a good friend , hunted coyotes one time in winter had a blast , we all age , loose friends,and it's not fun getting older n old . My Moms 82 & she loved your post !!! Tell us what rifle you shoot & bullet weight , what yu think of a 200 yd zero ? Less drop at 300 little hi at 100 , do you reload ? I've never shot them 87 V max's but shot 65 V max fast n accurate ,loaded some 75V max's & their spzs shot ok ?always liked the Speer bullets also , guess I'm a target shooter mor then hunter ,we tried calling them here in Wis yrs ago but it didn't work cause we were dummer then the Educated Wiley Coyote , shot one two deer seasons past with my muzzle loader , Congrats on staying out of the bars mor Bs there on Tv commercials , got two 243 rifles one ruger american ss/syth/compact 1/9 twist shoots 1moa biggest groups ,2nd a used savage md110-s that was rebarreled with a ss/ McGowan bull bbl shoots wonderful and somebody put savages old Silhouette stock on it , it's stimpled inthe forend and on the swelled hand grip , great talking my Friend!!! Regards jjmp

I am still shooting 58 grain VMax bullets at about 3800 fps. I am zeroed about an inch and a half high at 100 and that zero will swing a softball that I have tied to a rope out to 300 by shooting right at it. I loaded about 500 of these 3 three years ago so I probably won't run out anytime soon. I am at my office right now so don't have my manual with me but the powder that I use is IMR 4320 and I'm thinking it was 44.5 grains...real close to whatever is listed as max on Hodgdon's website. The gun is a beat to heck Remington 783. It wears a Leupold 3x9x50 scope and the whole thing scope and all was painted flat white back when the 783 first came out. I paid $275 for the rifle new and got a $75 rebate. The perfect candidate for a behind the seat knockaround truck gun. However after I developed the above load and it was shooting 1/2 inch groups it became my go to gun. James Wayne FireArms in Texas sells Howa 1500s on gunbroker. They recently had the Howa with the Hogue stock listed with a buy now price of $329 so I bought one. It is sitting in the gun safe waiting to be zeroed in. Last night my wife went to an old lady's church social so I made the 5 mile trip to Brownells fancy new store just to look. There an the shelf was a brand new "Winchester model 70 Coyote" When I read the numbers on the barrel and it said 243 I felt my heart skip a beat....it skipped another beat at the $1000 dollar price tag. In the winter between coyote hunts I cut and sell firewood to stay in shape and give me some fun money. I have a couple of my best customers that wait until they get their tax refunds to pay me. If that rifle is still there when the money comes home then I'm going to own it if not then it wasn't meant to be. I am going to try the 87 VMaxes in the Howa soon just to see how they do out to around 400 yards.

I have owned a lot of guns in my life but can't remember ever paying a grand for a gun however I went to bed with that Winchester on my brain. I'm a simple man and these days most of my guns have been passed on to my son, son-in-laws(and there are 3 of them) and my 7 grandsons. Heck I am so simple that I shot 40 pheasants last fall with a H&R single shot shotgun. I have an over and under and a couple of nice pump guns but that single shot carries so easy and I have a very good bird dog. Neither the dog or the pheasants seem to notice that I am using a 100 and 25 dollar gun. Pheasant hunting is leisure time where I take coyote hunting very serious. I may just be talking myself into that fancy Winchester.......I'll let you know!

 

[Capt RB]

100v and the 87's worked very well for me 3320 in a 243. My ai would shoot them faster however around 3380 they shot small. Very good in wind and they pound when they hit

 

[jjmp]

Elmer, nothing wrong with what you loaded 3800 is cracking ,your zero's spot on,and hitting your softball at 300 gives you a Green lite to burn fur, loaded 500 smart man, nice that your rem 783 is working out so good for you,self cammoed another nice touch,that 3x9x50 leupy is a nice scope had one yrs ago kinda still miss it, 1/2 inch groups even more to smile about, Congrat's on your 1500 Howa,im sure she'll shoot fine also, its a great stock that Houge,bought one stock for my Mauser 98 -30/06 that a good friend built for me. Wow Brownells 5 miles from you, knock on wood!!!, good eye's to see that Coyote Winchester 243 sitting there so quite like, it truly is a Beautiful rifle,very nicely thought out and ready to satisfy its new owner, everything ive ever read about them was always Positive and their great shooters . Congrats again for making firewood, yes very Smart healthy and a great way to keep fit and make some happy spend coin. i'm a Wishin that DAT Coyote 243 rifle comes to live in your Safe! cant think of a better place she'd like to live .......... glad your gonna try them 87-v maxs, critter's beware, and I think that Howa's ready to Rock.....400 yds cake walk !!!, you know your a natural born story teller! you should write some hunting stories, this forum is always looking for new Writer's, just saying . it makes my heart happy when you tell us about your Family and passing your rifles to them, that's soooooooooo AUSOME,your aGreat man my Friend!!!! your also living proof that we all can do more with less, Congrats again with that old tom single shot 12 ga, that's shooting!!! wowser! ,and a great bird dog, your anything but simple ....''Your living Rite!!!! and I hope you live to 110 yrs young. again I thank you for us all here ,Regards jjmp

 

[elmerkeithclone]

Elmer, nothing wrong with what you loaded 3800 is cracking ,your zero's spot on,and hitting your softball at 300 gives you a Green lite to burn fur, loaded 500 smart man, nice that your rem 783 is working out so good for you,self cammoed another nice touch,that 3x9x50 leupy is a nice scope had one yrs ago kinda still miss it, 1/2 inch groups even more to smile about, Congrat's on your 1500 Howa,im sure she'll shoot fine also, its a great stock that Houge,bought one stock for my Mauser 98 -30/06 that a good friend built for me. Wow Brownells 5 miles from you, knock on wood!!!, good eye's to see that Coyote Winchester 243 sitting there so quite like, it truly is a Beautiful rifle,very nicely thought out and ready to satisfy its new owner, everything ive ever read about them was always Positive and their great shooters . Congrats again for making firewood, yes very Smart healthy and a great way to keep fit and make some happy spend coin. i'm a Wishin that DAT Coyote 243 rifle comes to live in your Safe! cant think of a better place she'd like to live .......... glad your gonna try them 87-v maxs, critter's beware, and I think that Howa's ready to Rock.....400 yds cake walk !!!, you know your a natural born story teller! you should write some hunting stories, this forum is always looking for new Writer's, just saying . it makes my heart happy when you tell us about your Family and passing your rifles to them, that's soooooooooo AUSOME,your aGreat man my Friend!!!! your also living proof that we all can do more with less, Congrats again with that old tom single shot 12 ga, that's shooting!!! wowser! ,and a great bird dog, your anything but simple ....''Your living Rite!!!! and I hope you live to 110 yrs young. again I thank you for us all here ,Regards jjmp

I had to deliver a load of wood down the road to the west a short piece this morning. As I went by Brownells on I80 I couldn't help but notice that the parking lot was clear full. That meant that somebody with a thick wallet might be fondling the Winchester with a notion of making it a safe queen. I delivered the wood and then beat feet to Brownells. My long haired Harley Davidson riding, tougher than nails Vietnam Nam Vet Buddy Gary is a salesman at Brownells and he was on duty. He came down $75 on the gun and now it's mine. I did have some chores lined up for this afternoon but putting a scope on the Winchester takes priority. Then I'll clean the bore and be ready to sight it in. Maybe after church tomorrow I can break it in!