308 coyote loads???

[Big JJ]

I currently load 150 gr Barnes TSX for deer in Cali. ata round 2600fps.
Consistant MOA (100 yards) with this load.
Looking for a couple of good coyote loads for my 308win.
Shooting a Remington bolt action model 788.
I would like somthing that can reach out and touch them at 300 yards.
I am thinking along the lines of a Barnes 110gr. at about 3200 to 3400 fps.
What do you guys think?

 

[helotaxi]

The bullets that you're using for deer will do better at longer range than the lighter bullets will.

 

[Big JJ]

I was thinking that I would need to go with a lighter, faster and flatter shooting bullet.
I am not sure that I need a 150gr bullet to take down a dog.
Also thinking that 3200 to 3400 fps and 110 gr bullet will give me the flatter shooter without all the recoil.
I am sure the 150 gr will work but it does start dropping alot after 200 yards.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Like said above, the bullet you are using is probably better than a 110gr bullet. 300 yards isn't all that far so I wouldn't worry too much about a flatter shooting round. All you need to do is zero your scope for 200 yards and @300 yards the drop will be just a hair over 4". With a drop of only 4" all you need to do with a 300 yards shot is aim at the top of the back and you will hit vitals without any scope adjustments.

 

[Swampman]

I agree with what helotaxi and ArchAngelCD said.
The trajectory of your bullet will be consistent and is easily compensated for, increased wind drift from a lower BC bullet is neither.
Are you required to use nontoxic projectiles in the areas you hunt?
I ask because I wouldn't consider Barnes "X" bullets as optimum for 'yotes. (or any other varmints, aside from hogs)
They're a little prone to overpenetration and ricochet, not to mention the price.
The main reason I use light bullets for coyotes is the fact that they're usually the quickest opening and least likely to overpenetrate or ricochet, not for any perceived ballistic advantage.

 

[helotaxi]

This sounds to me like an excuse to buy another rifle in .22-250 or .243 and load up some Barnes Varmint Grenades, Nosler BT Varmint Lead Free or Hornady NTX. Those bullets are a heck of a lot cheaper than the X-Bullets, shoot fast enough in the above cartridges that wind isn't a factor at 300yds unless you're in a hurricane and recoil is considerably less than the 110gn loads in the .308.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Try the lighter bullets. If recoil is still an issue, use a .243 or .223.

 

[Big JJ]

Yes I live in the Cali central valley on the edge of the Condor lead free zone.
I hunt in and out of the zone so I thought that for simplisty I would just load one lead free bullet for coyote and one for deer.
My objective in the end is to develope one load for deer, one load for coyote and in the future one load for bear, all in the same 308 rifle.
It seems like the best all around caliber so I thought it should be possible to do this and I was actually wanting to avoid buying another rifle.
Please keep your recommendations coming if you think of anything that can help me with this overall objective of using one rifle for all types of hunting.

 

[45lcshooter]

110 308 is a good varmint, I've reached out to 400 yrds already for varmints with it. Not the perfered cartridge for varmints but will work out well.

 

[helotaxi]

The 150 will do better in the wind. "Flat" shooting is overrated and at 300yds not really worth considering. As expensive as the Barnes bullets are, I'd just stick with a single load. The 150gn will work for everything you've mentioned including bear.

 

[rcmodel]

Back years ago when I used a 30-06 for a coyote rifle, I finally settled on 125 grain Nosler Ballistic-Tip bullets.

They shoot better in the wind then 110's, and are explosively destructive on coyotes as far as you can see them.

rc

 

[helotaxi]

However, they are not lead-free...

 

[Swampman]

Big JJ:
I know they're not the lightweight alternative that you're looking for, but have you considered either of these?

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/76...in-hollow-point-flat-base-lead-free-box-of-50

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/41...grain-frangible-flat-base-lead-free-box-of-50

I don't know how the BCs on these bullets compare to your current 150 grain deer bullet, but I would think that they'd be pretty close.
Assuming that your rifle shoots them well, either of these choices should be less likely to overpenetrate or ricochet, in addition to being far more terminally effective on yotes than any "X" bullet. The prices are a good bit lower as well.

With any luck, one of these bullets will have the same POI as your current deer bullet. It's kinda nice when you don't have to change your scope settings every time you hunt something different.

Much as I try to keep up with how I have the scope zeroed on my Remington 700 AAC SD, occasionally I'll forget to log in my settings (or forget to bring the log entirely) and my first shot will be about 14 inches high or low at 100 meters, depending on what ammo I'm shooting and whether the scope was left zeroed for subs or supers.

Keeping things simple is usually the best policy if the objectives that you're trying to meet don't demand complexity.

If you're worried about the recoil level affecting your accuracy, consider installing a good muzzle brake, a Sorbothane recoil pad, a mercury recoil reducer, or all three.

 

[James2]

I have hunted many kinds of critters over many years. My recommendation: Work up an accurate load for your rifle, then shoot, and shoot some more until you know what it will do. No use confusing the issue and messing up the point of impact by changing bullets/loads.

Now the other option of getting a new rifle in a caliber more suited to varmint hunting is OK too. Nothing like an excuse to get a new rifle. Even if you do, the first still applies.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Back years ago when I used a 30-06 for a coyote rifle, I finally settled on 125 grain Nosler Ballistic-Tip bullets.

They shoot better in the wind then 110's, and are explosively destructive on coyotes as far as you can see them.

rc

I agree, before I bought a .223 bolt action rifle for varmints I tested light bullets for the 30-06. I tried a lot of 110gr bullet but settled on 125gr bullets instead.

 

[Swampman]

.257 Roberts Improved?

Except for that bear thing....

And honestly, it'd probably be fine for that as well...but then your .308 is fine for coyotes too, everything in life involves trade offs...

At least try the 150 grain frangibles, with any luck, you can have your cake and eat it too!

 

[Ky Larry]

I have a load for my CZ-550 Varmint .308 using a 140gr Nosler HP. I haven't had a chance to try it on Coyotes and ferral dogs but it should be bad news for them. I've gotten great accuracy from 150gr Hornady Spire Points in .308s. This bullet would work well on 'yotes and deer.

 

[gamestalker]

yes, lighter bullets will fly faster, but they will also slow down faster because they have a lower BC. But even though they do not maintain as flat a trajectory as do heavier bullets, I do prefer using them, but for a selfish entertaining reason, they make yotes explode every where.

I shoot yotes with 90 gr. HP from my .270 win, and for the 7 mag I either use a 100 gr. HP, or 110 gr. TNT HP. Velocities exceeding 3600 fps to as high as 3800's. You should see what happens to a yote when they get hit by one of those grenades, KB! it doesn't do much for gaining popularity with the trapper friends my Son has, I can tell ya that.

The best effect I had was when I shot one using the 90 gr. HP's in my .270 win. that was standing at the very top of a hill about 200 yds. away and directly under a large tree. When my Nephew and I climbed the hill to see what happened to him all we could find was blood and fur every where, that is until finally my Nephew felt blood dripping on him and looked up only to find the yote smeared in pieces across the under side of the tree branches, litterally smeared! It was soo cool, wish I would have had a camera with me that day.

So I vote you go with light weight HP's, that is unless your wanting to sell the hides.

GS

 

[Swampman]

Becauser of legal reasons the Op has to have a lead free projectile for the areas he hunts.

JJ - Have you considered sabots?
My luck has been kinda uneven with them, but if your rifle likes them and you keep the bore thoroughly decoppered, you can get accuracy that's plenty good for yotes at 300 yards.

I've got a .308 that'll shoot inch and a quarter five shot groups at 100 yards with .224 52 gr Sierras in a J&D sabot. Velocity is just under 4000 fps.
http://jdcomponents.com/prices/prices.html

RMR has a good deal going on some nontoxic 50 grain .224 OTMs.
http://www.shop.rmrbullets.com/product.sc?productId=62&categoryId=7

 

[Big JJ]

Great info guys.
Swampman has it right about the total lead free thing here in Cali.
If I get checked by a game warden and I have any bullets that are not lead free I get a ticket and they can take my gun.
Being as I hunt from the valley floor and into the zone I have to go lead free.
I think I am going to try the 2 new loads just to see how they shoot out of my rifle.
Barns list loads for their 110gr tsx (coyote)at over 3500fps and he 200gr tsx (bear) at over 2300fps.
I will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks for sharing your time and knowlege.

 

[41 Mag]

When my oldest grandson got it into his head at 3 that he wanted to shoot himself a hog, I went through quite a bit of research on the lighter bullets in .308 diameter. HE started with the reduced loads using the 125gr BT, but as he got a bit older I bumped up his load as well as the bullet weight to the 130gr TTSX.

I have to say that IF I were in your situation, I would look seriously at that one over the lighter ones. You can get some pretty snappy velocities with it, and definitely does a number on yotes, deer and feral hogs.

My .308 is in the form of a Ruger Compact with only a 16.5" barrel so I am usually off normal velocities by around 250-300fps regardless of the loads. At least with that 130gr Barnes I could get it up into the 2850's pretty easily. Recoil isn't much more than a .243 either which is a plus since the whole thing loaded up hunt ready only weighs 6.5#.

I would give it a hard look along with some RL-15 or H-4895.

 

[rsrocket1]

I spent a little time a couple of years ago trying to develop a good 3000+ fps load for my .308 788 using Hornady 3005 short jacketed 100g bullets. Worked up loads from 10g Unique (1700fps) to 37.5g Reloader 7 (2825 fps) and 47g H335 (3030 fps). As you get to 3000 fps, the kick of the rifle starts to approach standard 150g bullet loads.

The 788 is ~1 MOA accurate with 150g and 168g bullets with a huge load window. The only thing that changes from 38-43g H335 was the impact point. The groups simply stuck together as the load changed. That's a good feeling.

I used both Hornady 3005's and Xtreme plated 110g m1 carbine bullets seated .25" deep (the length of the short jacket on the Hornadys). The pistol powder loads shot great with 1-2 MOA. When the velocities went up, the groups opened up until at 3000 fps, I would have been better off with a shotgun shooting 00 buck at 100 yards. Even at 50 yards, the bullets barely stayed on paper (8-1/2" x 11"), but they punched the cleanest holes I've ever seen.

I was hoping to make a varmint load as a companion to my 20" AR, but I'll just stick with that or get a bolt action .223.

I did find an excellent low recoil, inexpensive plinking round for the .308 however.