# best .243 load for coyote



## .243hunter (Dec 28, 2009)

Hey...was wondering what load would be best for my .243 on coyotes. I plan on saving the pelt, so minimal damage would be great. Right now i am shooting some sierra 60 grain varminters. I also have some 75 grain hormady v-max. Are these okay bullets for yotes.


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

I would go for the 75 gr. I use 85 gr Sierra Varminters with 35 grains of 4895 powder. I have used the 60's, 58's, 75 I went back to the 85's. My 243 likes the heavier bullets. With this load I get very little damage at all distances.

Any of the ones you have will work, don't know about damage. Check and see which one your gun shoots the best. Good Luck


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## jerry hunsley (Jan 20, 2006)

.243hunter, My gun like the 70gr. ballistic tips. loaded with 41grs. of Varget. It is a standard 700 Rem. with Laminated stock and heavy barrell. It is the best shooting rifle I have ever had. It isn't pillar bedded, the barrell isn't even floated. Shoots like a dream right off the shelf. Another funny thing about it is, I'm getting some throat erosion and it likes the 70gr. bullets seated .020 off the lands. Well now to keep the same .020 , I have seat my bullets further and further out. I talked to a friend and he told me to start moving the bullet farther off the lands and try and find another sweet spot. I did that and found another sweet spot at .090" . Here is a target I shot when it was new and it still shoots like a dream. It is nice to know you have a gun that can kill a long ways out there.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

I was shooting 85g Sierra HPBT's and soft points, bot killed coyotes very well with decent pelt damage. I tried some of the 62g Varmint Grenades, I have about 60 left in the box, I shot a half dozen coyotes with it and It is NOT a predator bullet, it fragged on the outside and had a huge splash. I've tried the 87g Sierra Match, they're a pretty good bullet. I've tried the 87g Vmax, it did a decent job at killing but left a lot of carnage. I then went to a 95g Berger match, they didn't stabilize in my 1-10" twist, so I sent them back and picked up a box of the 90g Berger Match. They were great on coyotes. The reason why I started to up my bullet weight was the fact that a slower bullet wouldn't be so violent on impact, just because the velocity was down, but I as still getting similar drop because the BC of the bullets started to increase. The 90g Bergers were like Lightning. I have wanted to try the 90g Lapua Scenars also, but didn't get time.

xdeano


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

I use 85g Sierra HPBT' game kings. I have found them to be an exellant bullet for every thing from chucks to deer. I push them with IMR 4350 at about 2800 FPS.

 Al


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

60 gr sierra or 58gr v-max. we have had good luck with saving pelts with these. 70-85 gr. pills caused me a lot of damage. also, don't use the 95gr berger vld if you want to have light damage. i use them in my 243 ackley (granted, velocity is higher) and the last dog i busted with it was at 450 yards. much damage. i will be spending a good amount of time with the needle and thread. i would like to know if anyone has experience with the berger 65 gr. boat tails.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I just started reloading this last year and have developed a load shooting 87 grain Hornady BTHP behind 39.2 grains of Win 760 powder. Two deer kills were DRT through the lungs and I have two coyotes to the load also. One was a 120 yard head on shot in the brisket. Bullet size entry and no exit. The other coyote was the same yardage and a head on shot but I hit it wierd and had to put another one in him on the ground and so I threw that data out. So I am still seeing how the fur damage goes. Next I am going to experiment with the 85 Grain Sierra BTHP. As you can see I am trying to find a deer/coyote combo round.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

Fall guy just make sure they are the game kings and not the match kings. I think you will like them.

 Al


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Yes they are the Gamekings. I got one box of 100 of them. I was thinking since they are only 2 grains difference from the Hornady ones I am shooting now a good starting point would be to load them up with the same powder charge I am using and just see how they group...it is 39.2 grains of Win 760. Is this a safe starting point? According to my loading manual it doesn't look dangerous or anything.

Two reasons I am so anxious to try them is that people really talk up the Sierra 85 BTHP and also in Grand Forks Scheels and Cabelas carries that bullet but to get my Hornady 87 BTHP I have to go to Fargo to get that. That is a pain in the ***.


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

i would not be concerned with substituting an 87 gr bullet for an 85 gr. if your load is hot enough for it to make a difference, you are probably well past maximum already. if you ever mess with 17 caliber stuff, you will have to be real precise. but in the 6mm bore, such a small change will go unnoticed.


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