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Hunting & Fishing AR bullet for coyotes...

Barrel Nut

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 2, 2008
270
16
Oak Ridge, TN
Loading up coyote loads for my AR. Starting with the 60 Vmax. Anyone have experience with that on coyotes? Other projectile suggestions?
 
much like the Vmax's .. if not caring for skinning Pelts . don't forget the Speer TNT's in the AR, for 'severe impact' on the Coyotes . good accuracy also .
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Thanks for the help. I do not plan on keeping the pelts, just want to make the coyotes dead. I'd just like to recover them to show the farmer that I am hunting on. So DRT is the only goal.
 
I have shot several coyotes with the 50 gr Vmax at 3100 out of an AR. No exits and just a .22 hole going in. They do put a big hole in bobcats though.
 
Ive got a friend that uses the 60 gr vmax with no complaints and hes only getting about 2800+ out of a 16" barrel, I use the 55gr vmax, speer or hornady 55gr soft point and my new load that I havent shot one with is the 55gr varmageddon
 
Thanks for the help. I do not plan on keeping the pelts, just want to make the coyotes dead. I'd just like to recover them to show the farmer that I am hunting on. So DRT is the only goal.
you'll be happy with with them. I personally would look as well as at a 77 grain or something really heavy too.
 
75 grain BTHP from Hornady shoots great and wrecks the coyotes:
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In 5.56 the 77 SMK will kill but not put down all of them in time to recover. They run 50-150 yards with good hits. Go lighter weight/construction.

The 77 SMK is an excellent deer bullet due to deer offering more resistance. They seldom go far at all. Odd but true.
 
I used Nosler 55gr BT on yotes but have just loaded up 5ogr ZMAX for sagerats. I suspect they will be fine for yotes also.
 
If you're going to run a poly tipped bullet, nosler has a better jacket design over Hornsby with the smaller bullets. The base of the jacket is thicker. I've also used the Sierra 52grn match with good success. The Sierra tipped smk are good too.

Xdeano
 
60 gr Vmax is my favorite coyote bullet out of an AR. It drops them like a truck landed on top of them. Don't hit major bones and the exit wound isn't too bad (Dime to Nickel sized).
 
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if we are saving fur, we like the Hornady 52 gn match bullet. Stay off the shoulder and its usually just a pin hole entrance....
 
There are also 69 gr SMK's. No experience on coyotes, but they are very accurate and lighter than the 77's.
 
IMHO, lighter bullets work better to drop yotes right there. 55 NBT and 50 AMax have both worked well for me. A 22-250 or even a 243 loaded light/fast would work better if you have one.
 
I really planned on the AR and was thinking of the 50-60 grain bullets. Wondering if any in particular was better at lightening strike kills than the others. I have recently considered my .257 Rob. Ackley with Some 85 gr. Ballistic silvertips that I really have no other use for. Still the goal is to be able to collect the carcass without having to track it down. DRT. I would still prefer the AR and have a pretty accurate 60 VMAX load. But if 3400fps of ballistic silvertip is a better medicine, then I am open to that too.
 
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Just went 17 for 17 here. 223 rem.
Loading 40 gr.Blitzings , 24.5 gr. H322 , 2.250 oal. , Lapua brass , cci br2 primer , full length resize , .002" shoulder bump back , thru RRA Predator Pursuit. Pin hole going in , full energy release , only recover base of bullet no pass thru. Minimal pelt damage.
 
The Sierra game kings 55gr hollow point boat tails do a job on coyotes. I believe they are 1390's. Ballistic coefficient sucks, but they shoot really well in everything I've shot them in. I rarely use my 223, but my dad loves these bullets and kills alot of dogs with them.
 
I shoot 75 ELD bullets in my Tikka. They do a good job if shot placement is good. I also have some 62 grain BTHP that mid south sells in bulk that I’m going to start trying out. The 75 Amax seemed to be a better killing bullet than the ELD but it still works. I’ve just seemed to have more runners than with the AMAX of the same flavor.
 
I have a friend that has had great success with the 70 Berger's. I'll be switching to them this year as well
 
Another bullet thats overlooked is the 69grn tipped smk (tsmk). And the 77grn tsmk. I use the 77tsmk in my 22-243 and it's wicked. I thing the 69 would be good at mag length.

Xdeano
 
I used the 60 v max this year in a 16" AR, 16" Ruger bolt rifle and a 22" Tikka. All 8 twist barrels. I ran a slow load thru these rifle at about 2800 fps. It was like a light switch shutting them off. Had 1 coyote go 20 yards, had 1 loss. I hit the shoulder. You could easily hear the whack with the suppressor and he ran like nothing was wrong. Spotter said it looked like a solid hit but in all honesty who knows. That was out of 60 or 70 coyotes shot this season. Most looked like a .17 Remington shot coyote. 22 caliber hole in and no exit. Most just dropped in there tracks. I couldn't believe how consistent it was. Just stay off big bones. I have ran the 69 TMK also after the loss. I'm only about 15 coyotes into it but it has been very consistent and everything dead so far within 20 yards or less. I'm still looking for the shot to hit the shoulder like the one I lost. It seems to give a pretty consistent exit between a nickel and quarter size exit.
 
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Shameless plug here, but I have some Sierra 65gr BTSP GameKings (#1395) that I'm selling, and I've heard excellent things about them with regard to yotes. ;)
 
Any bullet will kill a coyote. i use 55gr Hornady sp and 75gr Hornady hp,