What's your caliber of choice, for coyotes?

[shaneman153d]

I may have missed it but I didn't see a 223 AI. I recently built one an I am very impressed.

It gets close to the 22/250 and will hustle the 45 to 50grain bullets 200 ft/sec faster than the
stock 223.

It is easy to fire form and will still fit and feed in the AR type rifle.

J E CUSTOM

I don't know much about the AI calibers, is it a BR type casing? They make 6mm PPC uppers, I've always been tempted but what a PITA.

Did you ever consider a .223WSSM? It's a little hotter than a 220 Swift (which is hotter than a 22-250), and you can get 8" twist uppers from Oly Arms and Dtech customs. Should be able to sling 80gr pills, which look about like a 1/2 A model rocket with the fins cut off. Same OAL as a .223

I've got an upper in .243WSSM and a 1/8 twist, just haven't put much time into it yet.

 

[J E Custom]

I don't know much about the AI calibers, is it a BR type casing? They make 6mm PPC uppers, I've always been tempted but what a PITA.

Did you ever consider a .223WSSM? It's a little hotter than a 220 Swift (which is hotter than a 22-250), and you can get 8" twist uppers from Oly Arms and Dtech customs. Should be able to sling 80gr pills, which look about like a 1/2 A model rocket with the fins cut off. Same OAL as a .223

I've got an upper in .243WSSM and a 1/8 twist, just haven't put much time into it yet.

Yes as a matter of fact I have a 223 WSSM and it is a scorcher (The 40gr ballistic @ 4400ft/sec+)

The WSSMs are tough on barrels and the 223 AI is not + it will fit in the AR platform that is the
reason I recomended it.

My 223 WSSM is built on a 1 in 15 twist Lilja 3 groove and is very accurate and is not tough on
bullets.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Don Ward]

Our "go to" gun is a 243 with 105gr VLDs. Not the best choice if you are putting fur up, but it really messes with their plan when they hang up way out there.

Low recoil, makes a fantastic deer & antelope round and has filled more than a few elk tags when the situation called for a light recoiler.

Is there a bad coyote caliber?

 

[Chas1]

Don Ward, 243 good for you. It's a dandy of a round, one of my favorites. First round I ever used way way back when I hunted deer in upstate NY and reloaded. Enjoy.

 

[coyotezapper]

17 Fireball and 30 Kindler Gold or Berger 25 target
Tactical 20 and 40 Berger BT
223 Rem and 52 Amax

 

[shaneman153d]

Yes as a matter of fact I have a 223 WSSM and it is a scorcher (The 40gr ballistic @ 4400ft/sec+)

The WSSMs are tough on barrels and the 223 AI is not + it will fit in the AR platform that is the
reason I recomended it.

My 223 WSSM is built on a 1 in 15 twist Lilja 3 groove and is very accurate and is not tough on
bullets.

J E CUSTOM

Yeah I hear ya. I want one to shoot the 80gr pills for better downrange energy, and less powder used (=greater bbl life). Sounds like you built yours for speed!!

Sounds like your WSSM is not an AR, you know it will fit right?

 

[J E Custom]

Yeah I hear ya. I want one to shoot the 80gr pills for better downrange energy, and less powder used (=greater bbl life). Sounds like you built yours for speed!!

Sounds like your WSSM is not an AR, you know it will fit right?

That's exactly what it was built for. (Speed).

I took a different approach and put a 1 in 15 twist 3 groove barrel on it and so far it was a good
move.

I wanted to get as much speed as possible with good accuracy. I have not reached max loads
yet and expect it to exceed 4500 ft/sec with the 40 grain ballistic tip (Have not tried the 35 grain
yet).

It has pushed the 69 grain to 3942 ft/sec with no signs of pressure or loss of stability with
the slow twist, But I would be surprised if it would handel bullets any larger.

It has been a fun project and has exceeded any expectations I had.

The 223 AI was built for coyotes and with 200 ft/sec more velocity with the lighter bullets it
will work in the AR platform and Fire forming is straight forward with accuracy well under
1 MOA with 223 ammo.

I am not a big fan of wild cats but this one just made sense.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Chas1]

JE, any chance the 40gr or better yet the 35gr might not hold up at 4500+fps?

 

[J E Custom]

JE, any chance the 40gr or better yet the 35gr might not hold up at 4500+fps?

So far I have not had a problem with the 40s at 4400+ ft/sec .I have not exceeded 4500
ft/sec with the 40s but I am going to try unless I see signs of pressure or accuracy loss then
I will stop.

When I first posted on this project I received some good advice on bullets and found it
to be true.(40grain Ballistic tips have a heaver jacket that the heaver ones) and chose a
slow twist rate (1 in 15) to help the bullets hold together.

After I reach Max with the 40s I will test the 35 grain BTs to see what happens to them at
extream velocities.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Chas1]

Keep us posted, it will be neat to see how many fps your able to push the 40 and 35 before you reach maximum velocity from the cartridge and bullet combo.

 

[ba19500]

I've shot a lot of coyotes with a .243 and 30/06 and prefer the .243. Thought about a 22/250 the next time around but the .243 will kill a long ways off and with the 55 gr bullet matches the 22/250. Just keep coming back to it. I must have 800 .223 brass cases but keep talking myself out of it. Only need one.

Hard to find a LH varmint bolt gun in 243 though.

 

[MikeMurf0505]

If you dont give up looking, you cant NOT find one.

 

[ba19500]

If you dont give up looking, you cant NOT find one.

Mike

I'm always trying to figure out a way to find one. Nobody makes a medium weight contoured LH BA .243 that I know of. The SPS Varmint doesn't impress me, needs too many alterations. Building one is the only way I guess, or wait.

 

[MikeMurf0505]

I can tell you I wish I had built the 25-06 I am shooting now.
It is a good gun, accurate and all but I cant shoot neck sized cases out of it and it took forever to get it the way I want and make my rounds hit.

If I had it to do oevr again, I would get a used Model 700 and have Kevin at Montour County Rifles make me a trued up piece of art.

Good luck.