# Best .22-250 bullets for saving fur



## hagfan72

*Most fur friendly .22-250 bullet offering?*​
V-Max1331.71%BTHP1331.71%BTSP819.51%FMJ717.07%


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## hagfan72

OK, I want to know what everyone's EXPERIENCE has shown them concerning what bullet tears fur up the least. Softpoint, V-Max, hollowpoint, etc. This winter will be my first year at trying to sell fur, so I need to get a few pointers from you experienced guys. And no, I do not handload, and no, I am not going to change calibers.


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## spentwings

No expert here when it comes to killing anything but prairie dogs with
the 22/250, but I'm going to try a recommended reload of Speer 52-grain H.P. over H-4895.
For a fur friendly factory load the same fellow recommends the 55-grain Remington Power-Lokt H.P.


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## hagfan72

So far, i think i am going to opt for a BTSP, because nobody seems to really have any experience as to what bullet seems to wreck fur the least.


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## iwantabuggy

I responded to your poll with FMJ. It IS the fur friendliest bullet...period. It is also the bullet that is most likely to have your yote run away only to die later. I prefer to make a hole, as long as it is dead. Sewing is not that hard.


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## Jaybic

I guess I disagree about the FMJ thing to some degree. I would rather have one small .223 40 gr Vmax hole that 2 small FMJ holes. Its gonna go thru on almost every occasion and the Vmax from a .223, at least in the coyotes I have shot(usually head on)is not. I do agree with you that the I think the FMJ is the worst possible choice for a coyote hunting bullet tho. Wounded game, and ricochet. Both are bad. And your right. a little sewing never killed anyone. Just my thoughts I guess.

Jaybic


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## hagfan72

So you're saying, based on your experience, that a 40 gr V-Max .223 will not exit the coyote? Or JUST if you take head-on shots? Also, my problem is, I will be using my 22-250 and factory loads. LIke i said over on another forum, I guess I will just have to experiment. THat means more days afield and more shooting. POOR ME!!!


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## Jaybic

Hanfan72,

The 40gr vmax that I shoot is a handload with 26.6gr h335 chronoed at about 3250-3300+/-. I am certainly no expert but I have shot maybe 15-20 coyotes over the last 5 years with this load and as hard as I try, with shots ranging from 25yds to my longest which is 310yds, I cannot remeber having an exit hole on a broadside shot or a head on chest shot either one. With the head-on chest shot its hard to even find a bullet hole sometimes and the broadside shot is often bullet size or maybe as big as a dime.

On the other hand, with my 22-250 shooting the same 40 gr vmax over 37gr of varget, I have only shot 1 coyote and he was 100yds running and I hit him high and opened him up pretty good. I just have not had a chance to shoot one broadside or better yet, head on standing still with my 22-250 and see the results. I know there are lots of guys on this site that swear by the Vmax and probably know alot more about it than I do but its my experience that get 1 small hole in and no exit.

I am going to use my 22-250 more this year and try 40s/50s and 55 gr vmax and hopefully I will learn somthing and post it here if that helps. :beer:

Jaybic


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## hagfan72

Thanks a bunch for the info. Now, since you handload, is it possible to tone down your 22-250 loads to more closely mimic your 223 performances? And, if you did, would you consider selling some to me? hehehe Hopefully, come this next March, you and I can compare a lot of notes on how different bullets affected 'yote pelts.


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## LeviM

I have never had a .223 bullet exit a coyote. The biggest hole I have had in any coyote would be the size of your pinky. Not bad if you ask me


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## Longrifle2506

I use the BTSP, in particular, a Federal Premium 55 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, which is a bonded soft point. I don't really know why, but I have grown to like the soft point bullet the best. I have used ballistic tips and hollow points also, but BTSP is best.


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## hagfan72

Those Trophy Bonded Bear Claws are what my 7mm Mag loves the best. Now I am talking factory ammo, but i bet handloads are even better.


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## hagfan72

LeviM said:


> I have never had a .223 bullet exit a coyote. The biggest hole I have had in any coyote would be the size of your pinky. Not bad if you ask me


Well SHOOT, now i might just have to go out and buy me a rifle in THAT caliber. Can you tell i am all broken hearted at the prospect of buying another gun? hehehe I am going to try to see what the 22-250 in a 40gr Nosler Balistic Tip will do to them.

I have a Mini-14, but i would be better off trying to throw that damn thing at them rather than shooting them with it. THat is a spray-n-pray gun. 3-5" groups @ 100yds.


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## Jaybic

Hangfan72,

Yes, it is possible to slow them down to mimic .223 performance I think. Other guys on here might know more about it than me but I am sure that it can be done but I also think with the right bullet choice you can keep speed and still cut down on hide damage.

I know its not always possible but if you take head on shots that will help alot right there. I also think the little bullets like 40s go in and open up so violently that there is nothing left to come out the other side. I think you lose a little range using 40s as opposed to 55s in a 22-250 but thats the trade I believe.

As far as selling you some rounds goes, I guess its possible but is it even legal to ship them? What I would do is buy some Hornady 22-250 factory loads with 40, 50 and 55gr Vmax already on them and see how they shoot. You dont have to handload to get Vmax performance. I am not sure but Black Hills may also have Vmax loads you can buy over the counter. Or if that doesnt work and you can find someone to reload for you locally, I would be happy to send you my recipes for both .223 and 22-250 with bunch of different Vmax bullets.

Take is easy,

Jaybic


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## wolffhunter

I've been shooting Hornady's 40 grain v-max moly coated factory loads with alot of luck. I shoot a savage rifle with the accu trigger and man are those loads deadly. I have shot dogs out past 300 yds with only an entrance hole no exit. One ran 100 yrds but she was real easy to track, double lunged her. The bullet just breaks up inside. Have not tried the win balistic silertips yet, so cannot comment on them.


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## hagfan72

Thanks for the tip. When I get back from the sandbox, I will see how my rifle likes the 40gr. V-Max. Am also thinking about getting a .223 or a .204 Ruger. It will depend on if i ever get into handloading. Two daughters and a wife occupy a LOT of time ya know!!


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## Jiffy

Airforce, aren't ya.


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## hagfan72

You betcha!! If I were Navy, my quote would say something like, "Hotbunking, the feel of freedom!" Or if I were Army, well, I probably wouldn't be typing complete sentences. LOL J/K all you groundpounders and squids among us!!


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## Plainsman

> I am going to try to see what the 22-250 in a 40gr Nosler Balistic Tip will do to them.


hagfan72

I can give you an idea about that. One day huntin1 and I were driving around on a cold (-20) winter day looking for coyote tracks crossing roads. After that we would set up. A coyote ran across the road in front of us and stopped about 200 yards out. Now I am not a road hunter, but I'm not crazy enough to pass up an opportunity at a coyote either. I had 40gr Ballistic Tips pushed to 4185 fps. He went down like a lightning bolt had struck him. When we examined him he had a huge hemotoma under the skin on the off side. Blood and lungs had been pushed between the ribs, but did not exit the skin. I will give you three guesses what the little clumps were ten to twelve feet behind him and steaming in little clumps in that -20 cold morning air. No kidding.


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## Horsager

Plainsman said:


> I am going to try to see what the 22-250 in a 40gr Nosler Balistic Tip will do to them.
> 
> 
> 
> I will give you three guesses what the little clumps were ten to twelve feet behind him and steaming in little clumps in that -20 cold morning air. No kidding.
Click to expand...

"Used" mice/rabbits/pheasents?


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## Fallguy

Horsager said:


> "Used" mice/rabbits/pheasents?


LOL :rollin: :rollin: :rollin:


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## lyonch

I like all the talk about the 22-250 bullets and the opininons people have. I personally dont reload either and in my opinion i would rather sew a hole in a coyote pelt becuase my bullet killed him stone dead in his tracks than to watch him run off with little or no blood trail. I personally shoot 40 and 55 grain moly coated v-max bullets that hornady produces. They shoot the most consistent out of my gun. So would you like to sew a hole in a coyote pelt that you got bacuse your gun hit'em hard or think to yourself why did he run off i swore i hit him???


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## Fallguy

lyonch said:


> I like all the talk about the 22-250 bullets and the opininons people have. I personally dont reload either and in my opinion i would rather sew a hole in a coyote pelt becuase my bullet killed him stone dead in his tracks than to watch him run off with little or no blood trail. I personally shoot 40 and 55 grain moly coated v-max bullets that hornady produces. They shoot the most consistent out of my gun. So would you like to sew a hole in a coyote pelt that you got bacuse your gun hit'em hard or think to yourself why did he run off i swore i hit him???


Lyonch

Good point! I like the DRT coyotes too. Sewing isn't that hard really. :thumb:


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## hagfan72

Yes, another good point. But I would like to cut the number of holes i gotta sew in half down to one as opposed to two, if it is possible. :beer:


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## LeviM

Its personal prefrence, I myself would rather sew 2 small holes that one large one.


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## Jiffy

You guys actually pick them up?


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## hagfan72

Well YEAH!! You can't sell 'em if you don't skin 'em!


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## Jiffy

Actually yeah you can. You just don't get as much for them. :wink:


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## Goose Bandit

I have been shooting a 22-250 for many years. And have done a pretty good job on coyotes the last 10yrs. My bullet of choice is a 55gr Nosler Ballistic tip, shooting at just over 3750fps. I cannot remember ever seeing an exit hole, and the entrance holes are generaly small UNLESS a gut shot occours then it sometimes gets alittle messy. The fur buyer has always been happy with my furs because there is very little sewing involved. just my two cents!!!!


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## CoyoteBlitz

What is your guys' opinion on some good pre-loaded(bought from the sotre, i dont plan on gettin into reloading) fur saving cartridges for the 22-250. I am going to start saving for a Weatherby Vanguard 22-250.
:sniper:


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## Fallguy

Blitz

Good choice of gun. Those Vangaurds are good shooting. I have one in 223.


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## JeffinPA

I bought 500 of those HSM Orange box .223 50gr v-max from Cabelas. The ten or so red foxes I've shot with these have been real messy. Bullet smacks and leaves a grapefruit sized crater on the near side. Not very humane. It incapacitates them, but doesn't kill, and the fur damage is ugly. Been shooting them out of a 1:9 twist 18" AR. They are insanely accurate however.

What's really weird is that out of my .204, the 40gr v-max is wicked deadly, humane and reasonably fur friendly. I shoot red fox only, and an occaisional ****.

What should I do for my AR? Faster bullet? Heavier bullet? Slower bullet? Tougher bullet? I can't really go lighter due to the quick twist rate. Would a hollow point be even more destructive than the V-Max or the other way around? I'm leaning towards a heavier (in the 60+gr range) V-Max or Sierra HP, but look forward to your input.


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## barebackjack

My advice is dont worry about it.

Get some good shooting bullets, learn to sew, and kill coyotes with them.

To much of pelt damage is dependant on how the animal was hit, where it was hit, the position it was hit, the angle the bullet was at when it hit, etc etc etc.


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## WIdawg22

JeffinPA said:


> I bought 500 of those HSM Orange box .223 50gr v-max from Cabelas. The ten or so red foxes I've shot with these have been real messy. Bullet smacks and leaves a grapefruit sized crater on the near side. Not very humane. It incapacitates them, but doesn't kill, and the fur damage is ugly. Been shooting them out of a 1:9 twist 18" AR. They are insanely accurate however.
> 
> I live by that place that makes HSM shells, I bought some 55gr vmax, they are insanely accurate out of my gun, shot better than anything else i tried. For $16 a box I cant go wrong, I havent wacked one with it and now im wondering if I'm going to be gettting that same annihilation....


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## texasdeerhunter

use the v-max just dont shoot rabbit or fox with it, they're too small for those bullets.


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## kdog

jeffinPA,

If you shoot only red fox, it is going to be hard not to get a messy pelt with the .223 and 50 grainers. In my opinion, I would not shoot fox with the .223. I only use my .17 centerfire for fox (and coyotes), and save the .223 and .220 Swift for coyotes. The .17 centerfire with 25 gr hollow points is as fur friendly as I have found for fox - with long range capability.

Just my 2 cents, I hope it helps.


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## dkbigsky

This last year I shot 8 Coyotes with a 22-250 all with 55 Grain Vmax bullets 4 of them ran off badly wounded. I am thinking of going to 243 but really would like to stay with the 22-250. I like the way it shoots. 2007-08 year I shot 7 Coyotes and killed every one of them dead with 40 grain vmax was it a fluke or do 40 grain kill them a little better. I skin them all and the 55 grains did give me an exit hole although not a huge mess. The 40 grains only punctured one side. I was wondering what your experiences have been whether I should go back to the 40 grainers or stay with the 55's. My gun shoots ok with both.


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## Jaybic

Try the 50s once. Kills coyotes dedern a doornail. Me and couple buddies have had great luck in our 22-250s with them. I have also had real good luck with the 40s in my AR. Like you said. small hole in and nothing coming out. No offense, but but were the ones hit with the 55s hit good and hard where it counts? Those bullets, according to most fellas that shoot them, are pretty good at bang-flop'en them. Everyone that we killed last year with the 50s looked like he ate a hand grenade when we were skinning.

I think Bloodyblindoors shoots 55s thru a 250 and kills DRT but only he knows for sure I guess.

I have shot a couple coyotes with 55gr Noslers and one with a 55gr Sierra Blitzking and all three of those dogs tipped over right on the spot but they were all head-on chest shots.

Good luck, :beer:

Jaybic


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