Newest victim calling

[trappincoyotes39]

Here is a nice male called and shot at 180yards love those Amax bullets and this load is not a fur load for sure LOL!

[bobwendt]

good job. I doubt he went to far with a hit like that.

[lb]

So, is that an entrance on the right chest, kind of a surface splash? What AMax are you using? Caliber, weight and velocity? LB

[trappincoyotes39]

LB that is a 52 gr Amax at 3760 fps from a 22-250. He dropped like a rock and his shoulder blade and inner workings where messed up bad. It was both enterance and exit combined, he was facing rigth at me and I had the cross hairs dead center of chest he moved just as I pulled the trigger so caught him alittle off center on the chest and then must have hit some shoulder bone. He wa standing on the edge of a draw and I heard the splat but thought he may have rolled down the draw, but he was laying right where he stood.

[FWS]

52 gr Amax at 3760 fps

It doesn't take too many $200+ bobcats till a guy realizes just how much he needs a .17 ;D

Those polycarbonate tipped bullets are not good fur bullets no matter the manufacturer, too much penetration.

I've had good luck with Calhoon Dbl. HP's, Bergers, Sierra Blitz (lead tip) and Hornady SX out of my .222 on cats and coyotes.

[Wiley]

It doesn't take too many windy days or misses due to an inability to penetrate grass blades to figure out that a .17 is not enough caliber for most serious coyote men that work open country.


~SH~

[Wiley]

37,

You need to tape the shine on that gun or go all out and spray paint it like you did the barrel.


~SH~

[richc]

It is not the plastic tip that makes those big holes in coyotes. It is rather the bullet construction. If you are serious about killing coyotes and saving the fur, you need a stongly constructed bullet. Bullets marked as "varminter", "Blitz King", "SX" etc. are designed to blow up on small varmints like prairie dogs. Using these bullets on coyotes is asking for large entrance wounds. I don't use a .224 caliber anymore but when I did, the Sierra 55 grain "Gameking" was my favorite. Serious coyote rifles begin with the .223 Remington, but I prefer something with a little more whomp and stomp. I use mostly a .257 Ackley. Most of the coyotes I have shot with this rifle fell to a 100 grain Sierra "Pro Hunter" travelling 3200 fps. I haven't tried my new load on coyotes yet, but it is an 85 grain Nosler Ballistic Silver Tip which moves out at a hair over 3600 fps. This one probably won't be fur friendly, but I am betting that there won't be many runners after they catch one of those little screamers in the boiler room.

[FWS]

Bullets marked as "varminter", "Blitz King", "SX" etc. are designed to blow up on small varmints like prairie dogs. Using these bullets on coyotes is asking for large entrance wounds.

At 22-250 velocities but out of a .222 they work rather well.

But my interest is in cats, not those stinky old coyotes. ;D

[lb]

Actually, my position on bullets is well known. I do not have a problem with other opinions, but ultra high speed, light bullets are not for me.

I agree with Scott about serious coyote men hunting open range and the seventeen caliber. I also agree with Rich Cronk, a heavy constructed bullet sees less runners than what might have happened in the photo, if the aim was one minute of angle to the left, or he may have moved a fraction of a second sooner. I am positive that a heavier bullet anchors an animal "more better."

Cats? Might be an argument there?

However, what is shown in the photo is why I use a heavy for caliber bullet on all predators, and I get a reliable exit and a dead animal. One hole in and one hole out, easy to fix, no runners and no surface splash.

(this bears repeating)
I do not have a problem with other opinions, but ultra high speed, light bullets are not for me.

Good hunting. LB

[trappincoyotes39]

LB broadside fairs much better I still get a nice exit hole, but I have not seen much problems with this load and the coyotes I have shot with it, while it hasn't been 100 coyotes I like the round I have, runners are few and far between and this one went not 1" fell in it's tracks. I have shot a few in the neck closer range 100 yrds or less and they do a number and they drop like a rock. I'll try and blow this up and repaste as this isn't really surface splash.

Wiley I'll get to the camo after I get done calling for the summer, tape it up nice and give it a nice paint job. I love the laminated wood though LOL to bad it wasn't a real dull laminate.

LB tried but can't figure out how to get it to zoom to forum can with my photo software but PB resizes it everytime not showing the closeup, but it was more than just some torn up outer flesh, you could see the inner workings and alot of it was just mush. If he had any kick left in him I would have seen a leg in the air. This fella just folded, I know your concern with just massive outside trama and no penetration but I do get penetration with this load really well and I am confidant in any shot of 200yrds or less as being on the money as I shoot at this range quite often. This rifle/load can shoot tighter groups than my caffine shakes allow I know that LOL!

[richc]

trappincoyotes37,
The coyote in your picture appears to have caught a bullet in the shoulder bone. I don't know of any bullet that will not cause fur damage now and then, especially after striking bone. You did good, no need to show anybody anything other than pride in your success as a coyote hunter.

[FWS]

I love the laminated wood though

I've bought 2 of those Rem. 700 laminate varmint stocks on Ebay, on for about $60 the other about $80. It's a nice stock for a calling rifle.

They can be had cheap enough so don't feel bad about painting it. ;D

[FWS]

Cats? Might be an argument there?

There is, and after 30 years of shooting cats I'll say the .17's are the best for preventing fur damage. A 22 centerfire with a very frangible bullet at a lower velocity like 3000-3100 fps generally wont exit either.

Next rifle poject will be taking a CZ 527 Varmint in .17 Rem. and having the barrel set back and rechambered to .17 Mach IV.

Most of my cat shots are at under 200 yds. and it ain't open country, it's brushy and steep.

[richc]

We don't have an open season on bobcat here yet. If I were targeting bobcats, a .223 Remington and a 55 grain Sierra Gameking would be my combo of choice. It ain't so much the exit wounds that are biggest problem with itty bitty frangible bullets. Surface blowup would be my big concern, but I have seen mighty big exit wounds in my time also. I tried 85 grain Nosler ballistic tips on texas coyotes one year. Football size exit wounds ain't pretty. That was with a .25-06. I once shot a nebraska coyote with a 70 grainer out of a .243---what a mess.

[trappincoyotes39]

Thanks Rich most of my coyote "gunning" is spring/ summer control work and not concerned at all with hide quality, just dead coyotes. I used to shoot a 25/06 with 100gr nosler bal tips and it did a nice job on fall/winter coyotes some damage but most was very livable damage as long as you didn't get heavy bone.

[FWS]

Surface blowup would be my big concern,

Cats are a bit 'softer' than coyotes and I've not seen that happen with the .17, it's a pinprick entrance and a chest cavity of mush. I get close to the same thing with the .222 and the highly frangible varmint bullets.

[richc]

trappincoyotes37,
Yep, the 100 grain Nosler ballistic tip is designed for deer sized critters and works very well on coyotes at .25-06 velocities.

[lb]

Yeah, I agree. I have used that 100 gr. Ballistic Tip on coyotes for years. Works for me.

Good hunting. LB

[Wiley]

Like so many other topics, there is many variables that lead to bullet selection and performance. I have found antagonisims between bullets that perform on coyotes (anchoring them) and bullets that perform on paper (accuracy). All of the ballistic tip bullets I have used (Nosler, Hornady, etc.) end up with coyotes painting the grass after the shot before they go down on many occassions (not all occasions) when bullets hit between the ribs.

It took me quite awhile before I was able to find confidence in observing the body language of the coyote after the shot and listenening to the sound of the hit rather than waiting for the coyote to go down before I concentrated on coyote number two. Bullet performance will vary depending on whether your bullet found it's mark between the ribs or through the ribs on either side of the body.

The beauty of the ballistic tips is that they usually group quite well and the bullets hold their shape when being chambered in and out of the gun during calling.

As far as performance, the Sierra and Nosler "boattail" soft point Spitzers performed the best on coyotes from an anchoring standpoint. Most coyotes laid right where they were hit instead of painting the grass but they were not as accurate as the ballistic tips. Catch 22!

Pelt damage did not seem to vary much between the ballistic tips and the soft point "spitzers" of days gone by. If your bullet found it's mark between the ribs, particularly during entrance, you got by with less fur damage. Facing shots are always more prone to fur damage and always risky at longer ranges. Broadside shots allow for more wind drift.

Pelt damage is not a priority in ADC work. We want them dead but I still lean towards the .22 calibers for fur hunting.

I still think if a person is looking to combine long range accuracy with the least fur damage your best route is .222 or .223 which is also not too much gun for fox or bobcat either.

In hindsight, given the choice of one caliber and one bullet for most critters in most habitats, I'd pick the .223 with a ballistic tip bullet and not second guess myself on shot placement based on sound and body language. In other words, I'd listen to the sound of the bullet when it hits and how the coyote reacts rather than waiting for the coyote to go down before concentrating on coyote #2.

A coyote that is shot in the lungs between the ribs with a ballistic tip bullet (broadside shot) will usually make one or two sideway jumps while biting at it's side then take off running.

A gutshot coyote will usually start spinning in tight circles. I know instantly that I need to hammer it with a second bullet when I see this before it takes off running.

Only experience will teach you to listen to the sounds of the bullets finding their mark and observe the sights of coyotes reacting to certain shot placements with certain bullets.

Keep in mind that most of my shots are 100 - 200 yard shots. That will not be the case in other areas of the U.S. with heavy timber or thicker "rabbitat".


~SH~