The Perfect 6 mm Coyote Bullet??

[Jason D. R.]

here is my deliemma. I am using the 95 gr BT in .243 Win, great bullet performance on 'yotes, but I am longing for something faster and flatter shooting, BUT I also want to save pelts. Which leaves out the smokin' 55 grain BT. What is the perfect coyote bullet to hit those dogs at 400 yards, but still be able to skin the dogs you shot at 30 yards? I know some of you out there have tried just about everything, I want the do it all bullet.

Note: usually don't have time to dial in on 400 yard 'yotes

 

[screech]

I shoot the 87gr. vmax out of my .243. It is not the laser like tragectory though and I cant get anything lighter than this to shoot good out of my gun. my friend shoots the 70gr. bt but it tears very large and gruesome holes in pelts but looks cool in the snow.

 

[Waltech Jim]

Your asking a lot of a bullet to work the same at 30 yards and at 400 on yotes.

Years ago when I was using a 243 for yotes I had pretty good luck with the 70 Gr. Speer TNT. I didn't try that bullet at 30 yards though. Most shots were 75 to 300 yards and IIRC I didn't have any pass-throughs or splashes.

They might work for you.

Jim

 

[biff's reloading]

carry a shotgun with 4buck for anything under 75 yards. then you can shoot something like the 70bt for longer ranges. if you are fur hunting, you either need less gun, or you need to use FMJ's and learn to track i guess..... the big 6mm is awful hard on plews

 

[Coyboy]

Jim, them are definetly Wisconsin dogs, same dirty color as the ones I often get. What part of the state you in?

 

[coupalr]

A friend of mine is using the 60gr Berger and he hunts coyotes to make money and is serious about limiting pelt damage. He says very few shots come out the other side of the yote and he has shot nearly 40 in the last month.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

The 55g BT might actually be what your looking for...They are so fast and flat shooting its unbelievable sometimes, add to the fact there made lightly and you have a 55g bomb going 4000-4100fps. On closer shots, you'll get a pretty nice size entry if bones hit, you'll think its your exit. On longer shots, you might get an exit, but very rarely. The bullets just to little and fragile going to fast. It breaks up more then anything. I've shot a few yotes with the 243 and the 55g's and had the above results. I would stick with a 70g or even better yet the 80g BT. They would tend to leave bigger exits though as there SD is just a tad higher and there built a little thicker. I would go ahead and give the 55's a try, and if those dont work, you might just give the sierra FMJ a try.

 

[bigpoppa]

I have some Sierra 70gr. Blitzking and 85gr BTHP that I am waiting to reload with some Varget-anyone shot these before in .243?

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I"ve shot the 85g bthp version. Very accurate bullets. Would be a great dual purpose bullet IMO. I've never shot anything with them though as I dont hunt with a 243 much and when I do, its got Nosler BT's that go.

 

[Waltech Jim]

[ QUOTE ]
Jim, them are definetly Wisconsin dogs, same dirty color as the ones I often get. What part of the state you in?

[/ QUOTE ]

Coyboy,

I am near Park Falls.

That pic is not the best because it was scanned. It was taken before there were any digital cameras. That was the best night I had. I was baiting near a river and would stay up all night long when the moon was full and watch the bait. A guy can't do that today. I can't tell you the thrill of watching a coyote work his way across a snow covered field in the moonlight, put the little red dot on his chest, squeeze the trigger and watch him pile up in his tracks. I am fortunate to have lived at a time when I could do that.

That is about the last time there were any coyotes in this area. The most evidence I see of coyotes (today) is in wolf droppings if you know what I mean. After many hours of scouting I have found 3 tracks within a 15 mile radius of my house. I spotted one this winter and tried to stalk him as he was quite a distance from me and a truck went by on a town road 1/4 mile away and he decided to start packin' the mail and I think he is in the next county now. He was also BIG and no doubt very smart. By far the biggest yote I have seen in years.

PM me if you want. Maybe we can get together for some hunting or fishing.....??

Sorry for the thread hijack 'yote buster. Good luck with your mission.

Jim

 

[Jason D. R.]

Thanks for the help guys. I know I am asking a lot from a bullet. I like the accuracy I get from my sierra 70 gr hpbt load, but explosive on close dogs. I like the bullet performance of 95 gr bt, but I have missed a few dogs from the drop of the bullet, I guess my lack of ability to judge the drop. I just want something flatter. Thought I would ask you guys to see if I wasn't thinking of a bullet that would be the answer to my deliema.

 

[keithcandler]

Yote hunter, I shot a slug of yotes with a 243......

using all kinds of bullets. The thing is that if you hit a rib on the off side, it is probably going to tear a hole in the hide that you are going to have to sew up.

One poster mentioned the Berger 65, that is the last bullet that I would use. I made my own bullets for a long time and the J-4 jacket will blow up on the hide if you are pushing it too fast and are too close. I had many shoulder blow ups using a 65g Bullet shot at 3700 fps. If you slide them inbetween the ribs, you are ok, but who wants that?

The Sierra 60 in the velocity range of 3600 fps does a good job without destroying the hide, I used Win 760 and most rifles will love a load between 37.5-38.5g.

Another bullet that really does a good job is the (in several Rem 700's) 100g Hornady SPBT loaded with (IMR or H) 42.0g of 4350 or 45.0g of IMR 7828 with 9 1/2 touching the lands. This load dumps a yote hard at 300 and big deer also if you need to.

Of course, you will have to try them in your rifle and see what works.

Now I shoot a load of 42.0g of IMR 4350 with an 80g Sierra Blitz boat tail. It puts a 2" hole in the off side and yote is DRT. I hope that I never have to skin another yote.

Good luck!

 

[blancoman]

70gr. Sierra MatchKing,BTHP but its not really a hollowpoint. Bullet tends to stay together, it will exit but damage is minimal unless you hit a bone. Hornady Amax is a killer but damages the hide too much. Biggame powder. Never could find a good load for Varget out of the 243. Varget is my choice for 308 and 06 but Big Game Powder is in love with my 243. Look for a load over at handloads.com

 

[keithcandler]

Blancoman, I could not get Varget to group with several bullets......

in the 243, well an inch was Not what I would call grouping. I shot the 70,75, and 80g bullets, and as a matter of fact, I could not get it to group in the 22/250 either. I shoot the Sierra 80g Bltz with 42.0g of IMR 4064 with a Fed 210 in Win brass in my 700-243 and it chews a ragged hole, great accuracy at 300 and blows big holes in yotes.