V-max & coyotes

[xtarheel]

Shot my second 'yote with a 60 grain v-max on Friday. This one from a measured 175 yards with my TC Contender carbine in .223. Don't use this bullet if you want the pelt. This one I shot head-on in the right shoulder. No exit hole but the entrance wound was the size of a silver dollar. The one before was a broadside, real nasty exit hole.

If you want to stop them right now this is the ticket. If you want the pelt, try something else. Any ideas for other than a FMJ for saving the pelt?

 

[rcmodel]

Well, something much lighter then a 60 grain may not give an exit hole.

I'd try 45 or 50's.
They will generally blow up inside and stay inside.

Can't say for the entrance hole though.

If you go FMJ, a lot of them will run off and die somewhere else with marginal shots.

rcmodel

 

[John4me05]

A lighter Vmax will still blow up the entry wound. My pick would be a good SP tip. Something with great expansion in a short distance. Somethign that will destroy the inside but wont fully open on impact..

 

[MCgunner]

I know a guy that hit a deer with one.....

 

[jeepmor]

My BIL has taken ~20 coyotes this season with V-max rounds out of his 22-250. I think it was 50 or 55 grain bullet, not certain though. He said the holes are pretty big and his uncle actually commented on sewing the hides up before sale.

His uncle shoots hollowpoints in 22-250. BIL took some of his Uncle's rounds and they did about the same amount of damage to the critter.

I've tried all flavors at the range, but have yet to shoot a coyote with any of them this season.

 

[brian923]

xtarheel


what do you use as a recipe for the 60 grn v-max. i have some, and want to load them, but realy dont know where to start. can you help me?? thanks brian.

 

[xtarheel]

Brian:

Worked up to 27gr of Varget. Real accurate and no pressure signs.

 

[redneck2]

Have you read the Coyote Gods website? They use .17 Rem exclusively.

Maybe 40 grains if you want to stick with the 22-250.

 

[moosehunt]

I use 35 gr V-Max out of my hopped up K-Hornet. They work real well. I've gotten out past 200 yards, no exit, tiny entrance, dead on impact. Then I shot one at 10 feet. Still no exit, tiny entrance, dead before he hit dirt! I don't know, but I'd guess these tiny pills would work well out of some of the heftier .22 cartridges.

 

[xtarheel]

Sounds like I should get a .17 Remington Barrel for my Contender. I see where Fox Ridge Outfitters lists one.

 

[K3]

I used a 60gr VMax on a bobcat thos year. Entrance hole a little bigger than a quarter. No exit. Muzzle velocity was ~2600fps. Range was ~80 yards.


As an aside, what's the going rate for hides? 'Yotes, and bobcats 'specially?

 

[moosehunt]

Depends on size, grade, location acquired, condition, stretching/drying quality. Easiest place to get a general idea is in Fur, Fish, and Game, on your newsatnd if you don't subscribe.

 

[CB900F]

Fella's;

Who cares about the hide? I sure as hell don't, I just want dead coyotes. The instrument of choice here is a 6mm Remington, 75 gr V-Max, 46 grains of IMR4350, Winchester cases, & CCI primers.

There are a couple of excellent reasons for using the larger caliber and bullet. I'm shooting on the Rocky Mountain front range, the wind blows. No, you don't understand, what most of you are calling wind, we call a gentle wafting breeze. Let's not have this degenerate into a wind argument either. You don't shoot during hurricanes & tornados which will have worse conditions, but also aren't a normal condition. The wind here blows a lot, both in duration and velocity. Heavy bullets help counteract that.

Then, since I don't give squat about saving a pelt, the heavier V-Max does tend to penetrate a little more before it dumps energy, ensuring a kill even if the hit is marginal. The results are spectacular. Which brings me to the gratification aspect. I really don't like coyotes; did I mention that? Blowing large holes in them just makes me feel good.

900F

 

[Specialized]

Try the new Black Hills 36gr Varmint Grenade bullets. They're in the red box, and the two coyotes I've shot with them (one head shot, one broadside lung shot) went in and didn't come out, but SERIOUSLY scrambled their new owners' innards. The head shot was bleeding out of every orifice (at least on that end) but there was no exit wound. The lung shot was ugly, too -- when I hung that one by his leg tendons, he looked like a keg of blood with a hole in it for about 3-4 minutes. I didn't open him up after I skinned him, but there's very little sewing up to do on that pelt.

I was using 50gr V-Max rounds (Black Hills Blue Box) and had the same problems you had with the 60's. Everything ended up with a brand-new, very large poop chute on the opposite side from the shot. And I don't sew that well.

By the way, the rifle is a Browning A-Bolt II Micro Hunter in .223 Rem (1:12 twist), with a 20" barrel, and a Timney trigger spring that brings the trigger pull down to 1lb, 12oz. Shoots like a dream! You can carry it all day, too -- it's light as a feather.