.308 coyote round?

[Chrisvierling]

I was thinking of .308 150 grain fmj boat tail round to shoot coyotes with. Anybody know what this round would do to coyote? Or if anybody else shoots them with a .308 and has a preferred round let me know!

 

[Michael Courtney]

A few years back I tried a 150 FMJ as a fur saving load. The first varmint that happened along was a fox rather than a coyote. Another hunter recovered the fox about a mile away and reported that the bullet penciled through with minimal damage. With no expansion, there are a lot of places you can hit a coyote that won't create enough damage for a quick recovery compared with an expanding bullet.

If you are shooting more for predator control than fur, I'd go with a rapidly expanding bullet like an AMAX or ballistic tip. If reducing fur damage is a priority, I'd recommend a Barnes X bullet for reasonably quick kills and not too much damage.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Chris, if this is for that 1-12 twist barrel you have, try the 155 Hornaday Amax. You should be very happy with this bullet.

 

[Chrisvierling]

sweet Ill have to give it a go! What do u think of the fmj though? I'm not to consearned with fur quality but at the same time i don't really want two separate pices of coyote

 

[rdsii64]

First, an FMJ may not be legal to hunt with. Assuming that in your area the are, they are still not a great idea. Coyotes may be hard to hunt but they aren't hard to kill. Pick any center fire caliber you feel comfortable with and put the bullet where it needs to go.

As far as using a 155 grain amax on a coyote, it will kill it grave yard dead. Just be ready for large exit holes. The last time I saw a coyote shot with a 30 caliber amax the damage was not fit to post on a public forum.

If you don't hunt fur, "run what you brung" and start whack'n dogs. If you want to save the hide, My vote is for a 223 and a 50 grain vmax or nosler ballistic tip.

 

[LDHunter]

I've killed a few coyotes with 308 150gr Partitions because that's what I had in my rifle when I spotted the coyotes and the bullets went in like a typical 30 caliber bullet and exited with a hole about the size of a silver dollar and the coyotes expired right on the spot. In the last few years I've switched to 150gr AccuBonds with similar performance.

With any expanding 308 caliber lead core hunting bullet you should have a very quick kill if you hit a coyote anywhere in the normal kill zone. Some of the faster expanding bullets might make more of a mess and leave a bloodier carcass with a bigger exit hole but your kill should still be very swift and sure.

I would seriously discourage ever using FMJ bullets on any animal ever. They are very dangerous and usually illegal. They also have a reputation of not killing well due to no expansion in most game and unless they tumble in the animal they usually pencil through leaving a wounded animal that sometimes may not expire for days.

 

[mmh]

I shot a coyote at 350 yds. w/ a 180 gr. Hornady SST. Small entrance wound, but fairly large exit wound.

 

[xdeano]

I had good luck with the 155g lapua.
Xdeano

 

[ShootnMathews]

I shot one coyote with my 7.62-54R. Very similar to the 308. I was using a 150 grain Nosler Bal. Tip. Coyote was dead on impact. Bullet cut both front legs off and left a 4-5" exit. 100 yard shot. 125 grain BT s work great also.

 

[Grumulkin]

Be aware that a coyote can go quite a ways before going down. If there is brush for it to get into, you're unlikely to find it. I shot one with a 22-250. Judgeing from the entrance and exit wound, it was a heart shot. That coyote went about 300 yards at high speed before it went down and that was with expanding bullet. The only reason I could see the whole thing was because the field had been harvested.

You also don't need to worry about a coyote being in "two pieces" with any bullet you choose to use out of a 308 Winchester.

 

[Blwebster]

I was thinking of .308 150 grain fmj boat tail round to shoot coyotes with. Anybody know what this round would do to coyote? Or if anybody else shoots them with a .308 and has a preferred round let me know!

I have shot a lot of coyotes, many with the .308 Winchester, but using Sierra150 grain spitzers, and calling them in. Some bad pelt damage was the normal thing, however side on shots actually did not create as much mess as one might think. More common were large torn hide holes that i just stiched up with a needle and thread before stretching the hide and cleaning it up.

Shot far more with a compact little .222 Remington, and always got decent prices for those...enough to pay off my pickup in those days.

Had a tack driver .22-250 hb Rem that i used for several years as well, but there were a lot of torn hides using it, and given our winter winds in northeastern BC, i always felt i had to stay with a bit heavier bullet.

I would recommend something like a .222 or .223