What high BC 223 coyote load for 500 yards?

[sscoyote]

Well said. I have used a number of bullets on longer range coyotes out of the AR (and in fact wrote the article u mention), and of all i've used, the best overall for distances out to 500 yds. was probably the 65 Sierra Gameking. This last lot of JLK LD's was harder than the 1st and am having to meplat uniform them to get acceptable performance to 400 or so. That bullet sure shoots accurately and consistently though.

 

[700tactical]

thank you very much sscoyote i was hoping you would see my thread. from the article it looked like you had tryd several of these bullets but didnt talk much about them. i looked at the 65 sierra SPBT and was interested but nobody had really shot them so i was lacking info.
thanks everyone,
Ethan

 

[Rabbiddog]

Kinda light for 500 yds but look at the 53 gr vmax has a fairly high BC they shoot great thru my AR with a 1-9 twist.
My question though is why would you shoot a coyote at 500yds when you can call em into less than 100?
Not to offend I'm sure you have a plan.

 

[700tactical]

well thats a good question but since everyone and their dog has got an electronic caller around here and im just getting into the calling thing so the coyotes are call shy and i dont plan on shooting a coyote at or beyond 400 everyday im just saying that i want to put a load together that will work good for the 200-350 yard shots and the occasional 500 yard shot. And i like to shoot for fun so i set up coffee cans at lond range and shoot them on nice days. and no offence takin.

 

[twobears]

Hope you got a good dog to follow them up, they go along way after shot. The last 7 have run 50 to 175 yds after shot with vital shots, heart lung shots. Two coyotes quaterin in to me werent found, were shot under 200 yds.I was shooting 55 gr spire points. thinking bout trying nosler B T .Good Luck

 

[scottyd2506]

One of the things you may want to consider is bullet expansion at that distance. I recommend asking people's opinions about which of the recommended bullets will expand sufficiently to prevent pass throughs. Would be better to anchor a coyote rather than have it run off. Getting a second shot @ 500 yds on a running "dog" is not an easy task.

Chuck Smith

I had my NE .223 rifle for years, 1:9 twist, 22" bbl single shot.. just a few weeks ago, loaded up some berger 70 Grain VLD's with a .370 BC est around 2800 fps with 24 grains of H4895, max load was up to 26 grains but gun was hard to open in 95 deg weather, should buck the wind very good.

Don't let anyone tell you a .223 will not kill coyotes. just a few posts up some guy's dad killed a coyote at over 500 yards with a wimpy .22 mag
Those guys swear by this weakling .22 mag, killing power on coyotes, and a ,223 is like a .30-378 Weatherby magnum IMP., compared to a .22 mag being a .30 US carbine .

The reason .223 is not as effective in the military is because of the enemy hyped up on PCP sometimes, and the FMJ ammio does not expand, if the Army used Ballistic tips in the ,223 they would be way more deadly, but Geneva international laws prohibit the uses of them.
a 30 lb coyote is not the same as a 150-200 lb man either

the .223 is plenty, and with those heavy pills will go way out and drop those dogs.,

let us know how they shoot.


.
22-250 will have more fps velocity, but under 300 yards no coyote is going to tell a difference, and 90% of 22-250 have the 14 twist, so a 1:9 223 wil stailize the heavy bullets better for long range power and wind bucking.

 

[GonzoK34]

I've used several difference rifles in 223/5.56 in long range varmint hunting and various shooting matches. Bullet stability at long range is critical due to wind factors. I've been in Texas on a couple of hunts. The wind factor is the most critical. Foot pounds of energy also apply.
The 223/5.56 beyond 400 yards is lacking in energy and wind drift. I've experienced hunting conditions where a larger caliber would have been the better choice.
I've since built several rifles that overlap in increments based on shooting conditions.

They are: *223 Weatherby, 6.5 Grendel AR, 243AI, and a 7-08 for coyotes out to 700 yards and in between. Better all around efficiency and DRT dogs.

I was recently given a *Weatherby Mark V, 223 as a gift. I tuned the trigger, installed bases, scope rings, and a Vortex 2.5-10x44 PST. It's a fun rifle and very accurate to 400yds conditions permitting. It's a 1-12, 55grain VMax 3100fps.

 

[scottyd2506]

I've used several difference rifles in 223/5.56 in long range varmint hunting and various shooting matches. Bullet stability at long range is critical due to wind factors. I've been in Texas on a couple of hunts. The wind factor is the most critical. Foot pounds of energy also apply.
The 223/5.56 beyond 400 yards is lacking in energy and wind drift. I've experienced hunting conditions where a larger caliber would have been the better choice.
I've since built several rifles that overlap in increments based on shooting conditions.

They are: *223 Weatherby, 6.5 Grendel AR, 243AI, and a 7-08 for coyotes out to 700 yards and in between. Better all around efficiency and DRT dogs.

I was recently given a *Weatherby Mark V, 223 as a gift. I tuned the trigger, installed bases, scope rings, and a Vortex 2.5-10x44 PST. It's a fun rifle and very accurate to 400yds conditions permitting. It's a 1-12, 55grain VMax 3100fps.

but everyone claims the 22-250 can kill coyotes at 500-600 yards, yet the .223 is worthless. I know the 22-250 has 400 fps more velocity, but the standard 1:9 twist will stabilize the 70 VLD out of a 223, the 1:14 standard 22-250 will handle4 50-55's at 500 yards the 223 ballistics are either the same of better because of the 1:9 twist and heavy bullets. my main long range coyote rig is a 25-06 and 115 Bergers at 3100-3200 fps, no range limit other than my eyes. lol

 

[tmfisher57]

I shoot a 60gr. Nosler ballistic tip out of my Bushmaster Predator model AR. It puts the smackdown on dogs!! I've shot them from 15yrds. to 507yrds. and the results have been the same. .223 is my favorite coyote caliber, but if not hit right they (coyotes) will run forever. A buddy of mine shot one under 100 yrds. with a 30-06 and that sucker ran up over the hill. We figured dead dog up on top so we hiked up there about 300 yrds. and as far as we could see (in a mowed wheat field, so pretty far) there was no dog!!! Gotta hit em' good no matter what you shoot!!

 

[scottyd2506]

I shoot a 60gr. Nosler ballistic tip out of my Bushmaster Predator model AR. It puts the smackdown on dogs!! I've shot them from 15yrds. to 507yrds. and the results have been the same. .223 is my favorite coyote caliber, but if not hit right they (coyotes) will run forever. A buddy of mine shot one under 100 yrds. with a 30-06 and that sucker ran up over the hill. We figured dead dog up on top so we hiked up there about 300 yrds. and as far as we could see (in a mowed wheat field, so pretty far) there was no dog!!! Gotta hit em' good no matter what you shoot!!

Sound Advice, you I can tell have hunted many times, yes, I've known people to shoot them and they run.. I have not killed enough to know, the 300 win mag and 25-05 I use are deadly, but my friends friend shot one with a 25-06 using 75 V-maxes and it kept running, he is a great bench shooter, but live animals he misses a lot or bad shots.
and the 25-06 is a huge varmint round, I seen Coyotes almost cut in half by this round. but good shiot placement is important.

I think my 223 with the 70 Berger VLD at 2968 fps (prob 2900 in colder weather) will be fine, and buck the wind good.
it is a New England firearms Handi Rifle, and shoots 3/4 to 1 inch groups untill the junk Simmonds scope went bad... I am on a quest to make a low $$ rifle shoot 1 inch at 100 and avg. going to get a Nikon 6-18x40 mil dot soon for it.

I already have my 25-06 that last week shot one group and it was 1/2 inch at 200 yards 3 shots.
a good placed 223 in a 1 inch group gun ii just as good under 350 yards

Can't wait to get it shooting (after I get new scope next week).

 

[tmfisher57]

Yeah, I had a New England .223 and it was an awesome little truck gun. I worked up a load and it was shooting just under a minute @ 100 yrds. My best friend was in need of a varmint/ coyote caliber and for his birthday I gave it to him with the dies and load data. He has killed a ton of dogs with that little single shot rifle. I believe the one I had a 12 twist barrel, came with paperwork saying not recommended to shoot over 55 grn. bullets. It loves 50grn. V-Max's, the dogs don't!!!

 

[window licker]

i have used the 75 grain amax with the .223 past the 600 mark on prairie dogs, expansion was evident at that distance. I dont think the 1-9 will be enough to stabalize the amax, it will be apparent rather quickly if it isnt. you will have the energy to kill at 500 with the the 223 however a cold bore hit in the wind on a 6 inch vital is a whole other matter. there are a ton of sub moa rifles out there but fewer first round hit sub moa shooters at the 500 and beyond distances.

 

[heathbaker]

I have the same rifle and it shoots clover leafs groups with 68grain hornady hpbt and h322. Drops coyotes but leaves massive wound channels. Took one out in colorado a few weeks ago at 450. My go to round in the sps tac. is 60 grain nosler boat tails with 23.4 grains of h322. it also pin holes and drops em deader than last years grass.

 

[scottyd2506]

well thats a good question but since everyone and their dog has got an electronic caller around here and im just getting into the calling thing so the coyotes are call shy and i dont plan on shooting a coyote at or beyond 400 everyday im just saying that i want to put a load together that will work good for the 200-350 yard shots and the occasional 500 yard shot. And i like to shoot for fun so i set up coffee cans at lond range and shoot them on nice days. and no offence takin.

Come to find out my .223 NE has a 12 twist, so the 70 keyholed at 50 yards, all over the place at 100.
They would have made a great long range coyote load.
To be honnest though, the best bullets are thin skinned ones like the Hornady Vmax, Sierrra Blitzking, Speer TNT and Nosler Varmit Ballistic tips.
Berger Hunting VLD's are ok, they have thin jackets, but not as thin as those real varmint bullets.
And most the time the Bergers will do ok, but other times can pencel through and dog runs off 20 miles.

I switched from those 70 VLD to 55 Hornady Vmax bullets in my .223, gets around 3100 fps.

the Best one is the new 53 grain vmax, has a boattail and a bc of like .290 (good for a .22 cal)

at 400-500 yards the 70 Berger might have more speed, but the fradgile Vmax will still expant/blow up inside of dog.
even with less speed and energy, I'd bet the 53 Vmax would have more % kills than the 70 Berger even at 500 yards. Bullet performance sometimes beats out numbers, now for deer sized animals, the VLD's usually always expand.

Run off are VERY VERY rare with Vmax on coyote in any caliber from 22 centerfire on up, same for the other ultra thin jacket bullets,