243 and coyotes

[trapfool]

First post and question here.
I just acquired a 243 and am looking to shoot coyotes with it . It is a rem 788 that seems to like bullets in the 70 -90 gr. wheight. The 65 gr v-max and the 87gr v-max both are terrible on hides. Softball size exits on 5 coyotes.
looking for another lightwhieght bullet that is fur friendly and will still put them down drt
thanks Dave

 

[RW6mm]

Thanks for your post.
I have shot teh 6mm (.243 cal.) since 1975. I traded in teh 22-250 once seeing teh wind blown bullets shoot more than a foot off in a moderate gale.

I loaded teh 6 with a full dose of 4350 and the 87 gr. spire point. ~~ i went through many rolls of "dental floss" on hundreds of coyotes~~. Coyotes shot at 20 yds. received same damage as those shot at 400. I often told myself to shoot them in them high in the belly......just so as to miss the shoulder bone on the exit side. Not pretty sometimes, as I remember one 'cyote stand there and gobble up 6 feet of his intestines before streeking off. It was getting past dark, so I came back next morning and fouind him very dead 80 yards from impact. This happened several times over the many winters.

I did go to using H-380 and magnum primer with a couple grains less than max. The 87 spire pt. shot just as true, if not better than, as with the max load of 4350. Bullet exits where noticable less, but hey, I am now an 'expert hole sewer'!

I have just this year loaded teh 65 gr V MAX and took one coon shot running away, hit in the rear hind quarters a little low. The bullet fragmaented just under the hide, traveling forward leaving several fragmenting holes between the fron legs. I needed the 22 pistol to head shoot it to finish it off. The ol' 87 spire point would have done the coon in with no holes at all and dropped him dead.

Another mangy coyote came in to 17 yds. and the 65 gr. poked through him ( no hair at all) right through the heart/chest, leaving a 2 inich exit hole. I have only been out since Janurary, so have little experience with the 65 gr or any other "new" bullet elswise.

I have shot some factory 80 gr. spire poiints that also leave a triangle hole for needle and thread. Factory loads just do not group in the 6mmRuger #1.

I was wondering if the 87 VMAX would perform better?? i dunno. I shot targets with teh 70 Gr Nosler Bilistic Tip with several receipies of VArGet but could not get a decent grouping at all. The 65 VMAX shot extremely well with near MAX velocities. I came down 3/4's grain just to save on pressure and wear on brass.

I AM AS ANXIOUS AS YOU TO LEARN OF A modern 243 Hide Load to shoot flat to 250 yards and group tightly. gun)


In the old days I also caarried a .223 in a Rem 788. Yes it was a tack driver!! I shot teh 50 gr. Super Explosive Spire points...but quickly found the 55 gr Super Xplosive to do teh job 'proper'. Many repeat shots occurred with the little 50 grainer, or else the coyote just got up and ran off after being down several seconds to dissapear.

Lets hear it for a HIDE LOAD for 243 coyote getters out there.

 

[dogbuster0006]

I've had good luck with 75gr hp as long as you miss the shoulder and the spine. No exit on frontal shot and if they do exit on a broad side shot is mostly a fragment and leaves a tiny little hole.

 

[roninflag]

i have good luck with both the 60 sierra hp, and the 70 balistic tip. how much do you get for an average coyote hide?

 

[dstark]

I shot a couple coyotes with the plain jane factory loaded Federal blue box 80gr sp and had quarter sized exits on both. Maybe 2 dogs isn't enough for a good representation of performance but just my experience.

 

[stomp442]

In my experience the 243 is not pelt friendly regardless of bullet weight. Works great if you want dogs dead though. The wind drift numbers are really close between the two calibers in fact if you were to run the 53gr vmax out of that 22-250 at 3700 or close to it you will meet or exceed the wind drift numbers of that 87gr hornady spire point bullet and be very pelt friendly.

 

[dogbuster0006]

I have yet to shoot a dog with the 58gr vmax from my 243 but it shoots **** good and moves at 3900 fps I'm not sure it'll be pelt friendly but will for sure lay the smack down.

 

[1tonpower]

I shot a ferrel cat at 350 yards with a 70 g NBT and the bullet did not exit

 

[trapfool]

Thanks for the replies
I guess the search continues.
I chose a 243 over a 22-250 because of the 24 cal rule here in Colorado for big game.So I get a dual purpose gun. But so far all I am getting is very dead but ugly coyotes.
there has to be a magic combo out there for a fur friendly 243.gun)
Keep em coming I am listening.
Gonna try a 70gr matchking and see how they shoot, if they group well I will give them a try on coyotes.

 

[azdesertdog]

i like the sierra 75 hp with imr 4350. as far as fur friendly depends where you hit them.
i also shoot 70 smk they do a great job!

 

[westcliffe01]

Maybe you need to try some heavy jacketed target bullets ? Ideally poke a small hole through both sides. But you do have to avoid bone. I am shooting Berger 95 hunting but they really wreck them (3200fps) and I have not seen if the target bullets will be better. I did get some target 105's since for several months last year that was all I could get. I just doubt you would be able to shoot the 105's from a factory rifle (mine is a 26" with 1:8 and Ackley chamber).