# 223 grain



## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

what is a good grain bullet to use for coyote hunting with a .223 and should it be a ballistics tip or hollow point or just a full metal jacket to preserve fur?


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

Well the Grain will depend on the rifle's rate of twist. Standard wieght is 55gr these shoot well from a 1-14 to 1-9... the slower your twist the smaller bullet wieght you can go, the tighter the heavier you'll need to go. Best advice I can give ya try different wieghts and figure out which works best for your rifle.

As far as bullet type... Its varies as well... I personally use either 60gr Hornady V-max or the favorite... 64gr Winchester Power Point. You'll want some type of expanding bullet so you can eliver as much conetic energy to your target as possible the key here is a quick clean kill... the FMJ... dont use it Genva Convention Accords may state that anything but a FMJ is in humane... but thats for a limited wound channel in personnel (increased survivablity) our goal is to create a rapid large wound channel for a quick death! Therefore a frangible bullet is warranted.

BT (Ballistic Tip) type bullets... basically a thin walled hollow point with a poly tip to increase its BC. Some thinner walled than others and a very rapid expansion (although some say the tip doesn't do anything to help expansion... one would think that the poly tip being pushed into the hoolow cavity would aid expansion... but some argue this point and will say its only for BC)

SP (Soft Point/Spire Point) Type bullets... Now not all soft points are the same some a built for rapid expansion... others a built for pentration, plus expansion. most all your smaller caliber SP bullets are built for rapid expansion.

HP (the Hollowpoint) Type... will work but not the beat unless its thin walled... Most of these you will find are a HPBT hollowpoint boattail for target/match shooting... while great for long range shooting... not the best for a game type bullet!

FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) Leave this round for pinking/target shooting.. and military applications 

Hope this helps some... Others I sure will chime in and give their imputs


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

Hey nutt Ive used Sierra 55 gr varmiter and they just rolled them over BIG THUMP! but didnt go all the way through. The ones I skinned out looked like a big bruised was showing through the rib cage it tells me the bullet ruptured violently apon entry they work great. Right now Im using 55 gr Combined Technology and its basically a ballistic tip design only coated with lubalox and data from Nozler says the tip is what initiates expantion and from what Ive been gathering the result on coyotes is BANG FLOP! I have yet to get a coyote with one...Ill tell you when I do.


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

> Right now Im using 55 gr Combined Technology and its basically a ballistic tip design only coated with lubalox and data from Nozler says the tip is what initiates expantion and from what Ive been gathering the result on coyotes is BANG FLOP! I have yet to get a coyote with one...Ill tell you when I do.


I have used these the Nolser BT is a exremely rapid expansion bullet as the wall thickness of the bullet is thin! They are a quite bit more exposive than the Hornady V-Max. If your looking for pelts I wouldn't recommend these bullets as they do tend to leave really big holes! This has been my experience with them. as well as my old hunting partner shooting a 22-250.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

hey varminthunter Ive always tought that the 22-250 is hitting them pretty dam hard anyway from all the footage Ive seen even though it a fantastic rifle...... What are "you" using to launch them Ballistic T's with? just want to know cause Im using a .223 at around 3000 fps.


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

My pet load for the BT are 60gr bullets backed with 25.5 grains of Hogden BL-c2, Winchester SR primers. Cornographed @ a lil over 3400fps.... of course this is out of a 26" barrel...

Cronographed Remginton factory ammo, 55gr SP from a standard 20" AR then in my 26" AR to see how much difference there is with 6" more and it averaged about 200fps faster.

If I'm after pelts... the good ol 64gr Winchester Power Point in the bullet of choice... once again backed with 25.5 grains of BL-c2. (this is the most accurate load out of my rifle, for hunting rounds that is...) I would say 60% of the time no exit with this combo on yoties I have downed. First 1 ever dropped with the Power point was a front shot between each shoulder and she dropped where she had stood... no exit @ all! the 64 grainer had expended all energy into her for a quick clean kill and just and just a 22cal entry wound.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

the reason why i asked was I had one get up from being hit with a 50 gr hornady SPXS I tracked it to its den, but I don't put my limbs in dark holes with gnashing teeth. Ill have to try these 55 BTs out now that Im sighted in for them. Where was the big hole in the yotes you shot was it entry or exit?.....


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

the Nolsers.. they were fairly big.. 6 or more inches on the exit... the Hornady VMax... ranged from about 1" to 3" exit... the few Power Points that have exited about an inch.

buddy took a shot on a running yotie (about 110yrds)... was shooting a 40gr Nosler from a 22-250 he hit the right elbow the bullet then entered just behind the rib cage... exited by completely removing the rear end of that yotie. There was no feasible way to tell what sex the yotie was.... the 40's crono'ed @ a lil over 4300fps.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

yeah thats a little harsh. I still plan on getting a 22-250 barrel for my H&R to extend my shooting distance, but in the meantime this .223 will have to do...... I don't belive it is as harsh as the 22-250 but a .223 pushing a combined tech bullet is still a step up in bullet performance.... soon I'll have all three barrels that I need to complete my ultimate coyote rifle the .204 the 22-250 and this .223....and maybe the .17 rem if they come out with one....


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

i just picked up some 45grain hollow points. High velocity, 3640 fps or somethin like that...where do you guys find the nolsers and vmax's


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

I get most of my bullets and reloading supplies at Sportsmans Warehouse, but if you don't have access to to a place like that I recomend Cabelas they carry all the popular bullets, but powder and primers you will have to pay hazardous shipping....


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> I had one get up from being hit with a 50 gr hornady SPXS


I was calling, and a friend smacked two out of three with Hornady SX and they both got up and run. I knocked the second one with a 50 Vmax from my 223.

My favorite bullet in my 223 was the Spear TNT. After recrowning the rifle it doesn't shoot them well anymore. Now I shoot 40gr Ballistic Tip and 50 gr Vmax. Fox absorbed all the energy from the TNT and it had no exit. Since I started with the Ballistic Tip fox have mange, and I have not shot the few I have seen..

In my 22-25- I use 40 and 50 gr Ballistic Tip. I have shot a number of coyote with the 40 gr at 4200 fps and none exited.

Fox are very thin skinned and you can tear the hide while skinning, but coyote you can get away with a lot. Don't use the full metal, they just don't have enough shock to put a coyote down. I once shot a coyote with a full metal 243 at 25 or 30 yards only to have him run a half mile. Then I had to use a soft point to settle his hash.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

I think those 50 SX are for the red mist crowd who shoot alot of PDs.... not good on that particular yote, but I only shot one with that bullet and wasn't happy with the result.....I read somewhere that the 55 and 60 grainers have no problem penetrating the scapula....


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I don't shoot many soft points anymore, because the polymer typed bullets have so much better ballistic coefficient. My 223 with Vmax have trajectory nearly as flat as my 22-250 shooting 52 grain match. When I shoot the match in my 223 and then the V Max the Vmax hit 20 inches higher at 500 yards. I determined this shooting five shots each at a six foot length of butcher paper.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

Ive got this coyote/fox silhouette. I had a friend cut and weld for me. It has a articulated leg in the back made of rebar to prop it up. I painted it is best I could to match a coyote. I set it up at various distances, but no further than 250 yrds. The vital area is 3/4" thick to withstand repeated impact of no bigger than .223 I see no use to go beyond that distance, since 250 yrds is a stretch anyhow. It works great and camos in at the shooting range pretty good. Nobody can see it sitting out in the sage brush, so ppl dont even know what Im shooting at....If you can get one made they work pretty good for practice at unknown distances....


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## killadoe (Dec 12, 2005)

Sounds like a good target,


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

nutt, I finally got a coyote a couple a days ago with the Nosler Combined Technology bullet from my .223, as I mentioned earlier I loaded them to an estimated 3000fps. The yote came over a ridge close to where I set up, she was about 50yrds, facing me head on, but very close to my down wind, so I centered the recticle on her chest and hit her right in the chops. The bullet went into several peices that had enough energy to continue on into the neck . OH yeah! she went "BANG FLOP!" alright, but any bullet would of done that, so this would not really represent a true test of the bullets pentration to ie. behind the sholder, but the extent of the damage shows it would be plenty for any vital shot placement. I have never hit a coyotes near the head before. If I thought earlier what that might mean for the skinning process I would of waited for a broad side shot, since she was too close to my down wind, but close enough for a brisket or head shot. In the heat of the moment I could'nt resist...Nice very pale and silvery colored female coyote....Geeez! its no wonder I cant see them...


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

nice....i bet seein her at 50yds really hot the heart poundin!


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

I was surprised, but I wasn't shocked the excitement built up afterwards cause it all happened so fast. It was sweet since I flubbed up alot of shots earlier in the season at some bigger and more educated yotes this one just took the brunt of my education I suppose. I found alot of sign that indicates they have a diet of birds as there is alot of them around pheasants, grouse, chukers, blood, feathers, tracks, you name it. I finally got me a Verminator's Psyco Tweety today and on the way home I messed around with it and can make an awsome pheasant in distress sound rapid chuckles, leading up to bird screams. I cant wait to try it.


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## nutt (Jan 17, 2006)

let me know how it goes.


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