coyote round for .243

sks · February 21, 2008, 11:42 PM

We are going to Texas to do some coyote shooting soon and I was wondering what a good coyote round would be in .243. I have never shot coyotes and have zero experience with this. The gun I have is a Remington 700 .243 with a Leupold 3x9.

All opinions appreciated.

Thanks!

Buzzcook · February 21, 2008, 11:55 PM

You'll be fine.
Just use the rounds that are most accurate out of your rifle.

castnblast · February 22, 2008, 12:09 AM

My answer is more of the same...any and all rounds...I whack em w/ my 22-250 and 50 or 55 gr, although any in that cal will whack em good. If you are going to keep the pelts, I'd go heavier and stay away from ballistic tips, etc, or try to get a head shot. If you are just going to blast, pick you poison and have at it...

trooper3385 · February 22, 2008, 12:15 AM

Unless your hunting for the furs, use whatever. I shot coyotes with everything from a 223 to 300 win mag.

Yithian · February 22, 2008, 12:44 AM

If you're hunting for furs, use a soft point or FMJ.
If it's no big deal, and you can afford it, use Hornady V-max bullets.
Stop into any Walmart that still sells ammo and they can special order you some.
If you use the V-Max, do not expect small holes. They explode about one inch under the hide, like a grenade.

Art Eatman · February 22, 2008, 10:29 AM

Generally, lighter is better. I have found that the Federals with the Sierra 85-grain HPBT give me as tight a group as my handloads with that bullet: About 3/4 MOA, easily. And they spread coyote innards over maybe a half-acre. Ruinacious.

No reason the 55-grain or 70-grain bullets wouldn't work equally as well. I got lazy and quit the 70s, just using the 85s for anything from deer on down. I found that the 55s do horrible things to prairie dogs, though.

Art

kenjs1 · February 22, 2008, 10:34 AM

Art- me too in my 6mm. 85grain hpbt (handloads) ought to shoot flat enough and hit hard enough way out there.

tyrajam · February 22, 2008, 10:42 AM

I load 65gr v-max in my 6mm, they are very accurate, but pretty messy! Just loaded up some 70gr nosler ballistic tips, can't wait for the snowstorms to stop so I can try them out.

sks · February 23, 2008, 12:29 AM

Well we have no interest in the fur except to see it fly, so that won't be an issue.

Thanks for the posts. I'll try to take a mixture of different bullet weights and see what happens. Our trip is in May and if I remember I'll post the results.

Thanks again,

Art Eatman · February 23, 2008, 09:35 AM

sks, be sure you write down whtever different points of impact you get for each bullet, for a given point of aim at sight-in. That way, you don't have to keep messing around with scope adjustments.

Art

sks · February 23, 2008, 10:21 AM

Good thought Art. Thanks for bringing it up. We will be a friend's ranch and also hunt some exotic deer so I'm really looking forward to it.

February 21, 2008, 11:42 PM	#1
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: Williamsburg, MO Posts: 944	coyote round for .243 We are going to Texas to do some coyote shooting soon and I was wondering what a good coyote round would be in .243. I have never shot coyotes and have zero experience with this. The gun I have is a Remington 700 .243 with a Leupold 3x9. All opinions appreciated. Thanks! __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

February 22, 2008, 12:09 AM	#3
castnblast Senior Member Join Date: July 2, 2006 Location: Corpus Christi TX Posts: 1,148	My answer is more of the same...any and all rounds...I whack em w/ my 22-250 and 50 or 55 gr, although any in that cal will whack em good. If you are going to keep the pelts, I'd go heavier and stay away from ballistic tips, etc, or try to get a head shot. If you are just going to blast, pick you poison and have at it... __________________ VEGETARIAN...old indian word for bad hunter

February 22, 2008, 12:44 AM	#5
Yithian Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 719	If you're hunting for furs, use a soft point or FMJ. If it's no big deal, and you can afford it, use Hornady V-max bullets. Stop into any Walmart that still sells ammo and they can special order you some. If you use the V-Max, do not expect small holes. They explode about one inch under the hide, like a grenade. __________________ Pondering the differences, terminally, between the V-Max and the A-Max.

February 23, 2008, 12:29 AM	#9
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: Williamsburg, MO Posts: 944	Well we have no interest in the fur except to see it fly, so that won't be an issue. Thanks for the posts. I'll try to take a mixture of different bullet weights and see what happens. Our trip is in May and if I remember I'll post the results. Thanks again, __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

February 23, 2008, 10:21 AM	#11
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: Williamsburg, MO Posts: 944	Good thought Art. Thanks for bringing it up. We will be a friend's ranch and also hunt some exotic deer so I'm really looking forward to it. __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

February 21, 2008, 11:55 PM	#2
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	You'll be fine. Just use the rounds that are most accurate out of your rifle.

February 22, 2008, 12:15 AM	#4
trooper3385 Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2005 Location: South Texas Posts: 814	Unless your hunting for the furs, use whatever. I shot coyotes with everything from a 223 to 300 win mag.

February 22, 2008, 10:29 AM	#6
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Generally, lighter is better. I have found that the Federals with the Sierra 85-grain HPBT give me as tight a group as my handloads with that bullet: About 3/4 MOA, easily. And they spread coyote innards over maybe a half-acre. Ruinacious. No reason the 55-grain or 70-grain bullets wouldn't work equally as well. I got lazy and quit the 70s, just using the 85s for anything from deer on down. I found that the 55s do horrible things to prairie dogs, though. Art

February 22, 2008, 10:34 AM	#7
kenjs1 Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 129	Art- me too in my 6mm. 85grain hpbt (handloads) ought to shoot flat enough and hit hard enough way out there.

February 22, 2008, 10:42 AM	#8
tyrajam Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2007 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 467	I load 65gr v-max in my 6mm, they are very accurate, but pretty messy! Just loaded up some 70gr nosler ballistic tips, can't wait for the snowstorms to stop so I can try them out.

February 23, 2008, 09:35 AM	#10
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	sks, be sure you write down whtever different points of impact you get for each bullet, for a given point of aim at sight-in. That way, you don't have to keep messing around with scope adjustments. Art