Too much horsepower for coyote?

[ridgewalker]

Well, I use to hunt for fur and did pretty well with a 22-250 and 50gr Sierras. But if your just controlling, or want to hunt off season to stay in practice, I'd use the same load you use or big game. Don't change a thing. Put the shot in the boiler room and you'll get it done.
That said, I'm heading to Africa in Sept for Cape Buffalo and some varmints...caracal, genet, serval, jackal, etc. I'm only taking my 375 H&H. My PH said to bring Hornady DGS for the varmints. It will punch a hole right through that's big enough to do them in. Hope he's right.
Good luck in your quest!

 

[Blwebster]

Sierra also makes a 100gr Varmint bullet...

Im also wondering if something frangible would do the job well?

if you want to cut it in half it will do fine. Too frangible for those wanting the pelt.
Either go with a really tough bullet like the 140 gr Sierra spitzer or get yourself a .223 or .243 and read some of the articles on this site.

 

[wackinandstackin243]

I view my rifles, scopes, and ammo just like I do having financial dealings with people or fidelity with a spouse. It takes years and many good deeds to gain real trust. It only takes one bad deed to lose trust forever. Shooting coyotes with your normal big game load can only build trust. Switching to a load way lighter than intended and rezeroing before big game hunting isn't going to gain any trust. Every year we all hear stories of somebody who missed because they used different ammo or were trying to zero the night before season in the wind.

 

[Blwebster]

I view my rifles, scopes, and ammo just like I do having financial dealings with people or fidelity with a spouse. It takes years and many good deeds to gain real trust. It only takes one bad deed to lose trust forever. Shooting coyotes with your normal big game load can only build trust. Switching to a load way lighter than intended and rezeroing before big game hunting isn't going to gain any trust. Every year we all hear stories of somebody who missed because they used different ammo or were trying to zero the night before season in the wind.

yes I have been there in the early years too, and there is nothing wrong with shooting coyotes with whatever you can. I had thought that you wanted to know more about saving pelts. I mentioned the Sierra Spitzer 140 grain because years ago while working for the BC Fish and Widlfe Branch, I was asked to reduce coyotes in an agricultural area.
That winter I shot 87 of them with my 7mm Remington Magnum and another 34 with my .243. In the 7mm Rem Mag I used those Sierra bullets and tried to aim for lung shots. Most of the time the exit hole was only around an inch unless it pushed a rib hard in which case the rib tore a hole in the pelt that I was easily able to sew up.
With the .243 on the other hand, 70 gr. HPBT MatchKings worked fine with shoulder or head shots. More spattered holes though, than the 7mm Rem mag gave me.

It was not until I moved into the Northeastern part of BC to work that I got a .22-250.
Lots of light bullets worked just great in the few days there was little wind, but that is not what it is like here...so back to somewhat heavier bullets helped, and taking fewer long shots but calling them into brushy area from out of the river bottoms they tend to travel in here during winter. For that I used light fast bullets and lung shots...cannot recall for sure their numbers or names but likely Blitzkings...again, Sierras as that what the stores sold here. Too much choice these days!

Good hunting.

 

[gj]

Forget preserving a pelt with any bullet other than a very light and very very fast bullet such as a 30 grain approaching 3700- 4000 FPS range , anything else will leave a big hole to stitch up , or provide a poor kill such as match and FMJ bullets.

30 35 and some 40 grainers pushed very fast will not exit but turn into a shot gun inside and provide instantaneous death !

With bigger calibres over the .224 area/ range, your goal of preserving pelts cannot be accomplished

Even .243 is to big to preserve pelts.....

 

[wackinandstackin243]

The area you hunt in can determine what is maximum for fur. In Colorado I used 70 gr matchkings in a 243 with no problems. I went to eastern New Mexico it tore them apart. The guy I hunted with said another hour or so east of there the coyotes got even smaller with more delicate fur.

 

[gj]

The area you hunt in can determine what is maximum for fur. In Colorado I used 70 gr matchkings in a 243 with no problems. I went to eastern New Mexico it tore them apart. The guy I hunted with said another hour or so east of there the coyotes got even smaller with more delicate fur.

Matchkings are match hollow points ,slightly better than a full metal jackets with zero expansion !
Delicate fur ??????
FMJs and match HPs blowing up fur,,,, or just punching holes ?
Oh i forgot you Colorado guys smoke pot !

 

[wackinandstackin243]

A match king coming out of a 243 at 3400 + fps behaves different than it does out of a 308 at 2700 or less. Yes, out of a 308 a match king has little to no expansion (I have personal coyote experience with these too) but at 3400 bullets do expand. I've had very few exit wounds and have used that bullet on coyotes for at least 15 years. I have real world experience with this load, it sounds like your knowledge came from a book or magazine article.

Believe it or not fur is a little tougher in areas where temps get below zero and never get above freezing during the day. The time I hunted Eastern New Mexico it was getting above 60 in January. Fur is different, trust me. I've never touched marijuana in my life

 

[gj]

A match king coming out of a 243 at 3400 + fps behaves different than it does out of a 308 at 2700 or less. Yes, out of a 308 a match king has little to no expansion (I have personal coyote experience with these too) but at 3400 bullets do expand. I've had very few exit wounds and have used that bullet on coyotes for at least 15 years. I have real world experience with this load, it sounds like your knowledge came from a book or magazine article.

Believe it or not fur is a little tougher in areas where temps get below zero and never get above freezing during the day. The time I hunted Eastern New Mexico it was getting above 60 in January. Fur is different, trust me. I've never touched marijuana in my life

What grain was that match hollow point?

 

[wackinandstackin243]

I used the 70 grain hpbt matchking. I know match bullets don't seem like the logical choice, but I knew I wanted to use 70 grain bullets and that's what I found at the local store. The gun agreed with them and they weren't hurting the fur so I stuck with them. That being said I also use 6.5 140s and 308 168s. THese heavier bullets at much lower velocity have completely different results. However a little 70 grain 243 going at high velocity doesn't exactly punch through without expansion. As far as I can tell it has always performed similar to any other varmint type bullet. The only fur damage I ever had were belly shots and any caliber bullet combo will do that.

 

[gj]

I used the 70 grain hpbt matchking. I know match bullets don't seem like the logical choice, but I knew I wanted to use 70 grain bullets and that's what I found at the local store. The gun agreed with them and they weren't hurting the fur so I stuck with them. That being said I also use 6.5 140s and 308 168s. THese heavier bullets at much lower velocity have completely different results. However a little 70 grain 243 going at high velocity doesn't exactly punch through without expansion. As far as I can tell it has always performed similar to any other varmint type bullet. The only fur damage I ever had were belly shots and any caliber bullet combo will do that.

Not true those little 30 grainer extreme double HPs .223s are traveling at 3700+ FPS they disintegrated to ity bitty pieces and kill dirt dead by Hydrolic shock.

And back when pelts paid money it was a nice bonus Price for no holes,,,, + the fact of not ever having to sew up an exit hole.

 

[wackinandstackin243]

What did I say that's "not true"? I've been saying the exact same thing about 243 70 grains. They are traveling so fast they explode internally, have the same shock factor, and it was very rare I had an exit wound. Especially when calling them in I preferred a chest shot facing me. I also had the same results with 52 gr match kings in a 22-250.

I have a different 243 that I have shot Federal blue box 100 gr and handloaded 95 gr ballistic tips in and there has always been an exit wound. So to answer the original question about too much horsepower for coyotes, my own personal experience is that somewhere between 70 and 95 grains in a 243 must be the limit if preserving fur is the objective.

 

[bassrods]

I have shot Coyotes for over 60 years and with many calibres, one thing I have found is.. You get more pass through with side shoots and bullets over 70 grains of all calibres..
But a front or rear shot may not pass through with 70 grain hollow points or less..

 

[Wanfalt1]

I am with you on this one. I have yet to have a massive hole in a coyote with a heavy for caliber bullet. Not my first choice for poor placement. I do that!!!!!!!!!!!! but small holes in and out. 6, 6.5 and 7.