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Post by 72camaro on Feb 15, 2013 8:07:24 GMT -7
I just seen some pictures of a .243 using the 58 grain V-max Super Performance Hornady on some coyotes, same ammo I've been sighting in with, not very pretty for the hides. Goes in small but comes out like a softball. 3925fps.
Am I going to need to move up to something bigger like a 70 grain and standard performance to be able to save the hides? What type bullet? V-max sounds like it may be too much.
As of now I'll probably use my 58's for the Rock Chucks in April, but for coyotes, what would you use in your .243 store bought loads? 9.25 twist. I think I've got mine down to around 1" at 200yds so the 58's work fine for accuracy.
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Feb 15, 2013 19:49:17 GMT -7
I just seen some pictures of a .243 using the 58 grain V-max Super Performance Hornady on some coyotes, same ammo I've been sighting in with, not very pretty for the hides. Goes in small but comes out like a softball. 3925fps. Am I going to need to move up to something bigger like a 70 grain and standard performance to be able to save the hides? What type bullet? V-max sounds like it may be too much. As of now I'll probably use my 58's for the Rock Chucks in April, but for coyotes, what would you use in your .243 store bought loads? 9.25 twist. I think I've got mine down to around 1" at 200yds so the 58's work fine for accuracy. 72camero, My hunting partner was shooting an AR15 Dtech 243 wssm. He was shooting an 87 gr. VMax. It shot well on paper, but it would do a one shot kill. It would exit, but it was not a big hole, most were 1/2 dollar size, not bad. Then he went to shooting a Sierra HP Match in the 85 gr range, and was having no exits on coyotes. I am not saying 100% no exits, it depends on how close the coyote was. But for the most part, no exits. I shoot a 22-250 rem. I am now shooting a 53 gr. Match HP Flat Base. No exits with them. Good Luck Gary |
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Post by 72camaro on Feb 18, 2013 12:39:24 GMT -7
I was wondering how the HP's would do. I love the flatness of the 58's but if the hide is all messed up, it doesn't seem like a good deal.
I may try to shoot a bit farther off to scrub some of the speed down? I know when they are called though you get what you get.
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Post by broper on Feb 19, 2013 6:15:36 GMT -7
I don't have a lot of experience with the .243 but I think you may have to use a little heavir bullet on coyotes if you don't want pelt damage. You just need to do some shooting and experimenting to find the right bullet.
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Feb 19, 2013 17:27:08 GMT -7
I was talking to another guy, he was teling me to try the Nosler Ballistic Tips in the 80 to90 grain sizes.
He is using them, it works good, it does pass through, but the exit is small, and the dogs just drop in their tracks.
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Post by 72camaro on Feb 20, 2013 21:39:46 GMT -7
I guess I'll look it up but aren't the V-max and the Ballistic Tips the same? If that is the case I would have thought the 58 V-max would be ok but I've seen pictures, lots of damage. The heavier bullet is a bit slower, probably around 800fps slower, I would think, but I do like the point and shoot aspect of the faster bullets.
How fast does the bullets go of your 22-250 with the 53 grainers? It seems like HP's are what you were thinking was the ticket regardless of speed?
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Feb 21, 2013 0:25:45 GMT -7
NO, Nosler B-Tips are made with heavier/thicker copper jacket, made for larger animal, for better penetration. Where the V-Max is made with a thin jacket, built for V - varmints, light skinned animals, made for "MAX" full expansion or explosive expansion. Therefore V-Max!
I load my 52-53 grainers in the 3400 to 3600 fps out of a Remington 700V 21" Barrel with a 1-14 twist.
A 55 grain bullet is the same weight in different makers of bullets, whether it is Hornady, or Nosler, or Burgers, or any other makers. Expansion/Explosion depends on the thickness of the jacket and the size of the Hollow Point hole, The bigger the hole, the more explosive the bullets are. As with the match grade bullets, the hole is very small, which means it will not expand so wildly, it will expand and expend all of it's energy within the animal, and not exit, usually!?
Now for the spire point bullet, it will just expand and travel on through the animal. Also with the spire point (lead tip) on a small animal, it may not even have enough resistance to expand at all, where on a deer size animal, it may only expand normally, and on a big animal like an elk or moose, it will expand completely and stop before exiting. These bullets are made for Controlled expansion.
I think the Sierra Match HP bullets are good stuff on coyotes. They enter, without exiting at normal shooting distance. I did shoot a coyote at 40 yards with the HP Match, the bullet entered the left side chest, went strough the coyote from front to back, the bullet made a small hole through and came out in front of the back flank, the coyote just fell over dead.
I also shot a coyote with Loren, with the HP Match, one shot, 312 yards, the coyote was quartering toward me, so that his left shoulder was right toward me, the bullet entered the just right of the front shoulder, the coyote made 2 spins and fell. No exit, one small hole entrance.
For 37 years I shot the Speer HP 52 grain flat base. I like that bullet, but it has a hole like a .45acp HP bullet, and it would open up coyotes badly. Ask Bob, he saw what they do to rockchucks, the one chuck I launched the into the air about 60 ft. and it was completely blown to pieces. Not a fur friendly bullet.
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Post by broper on Feb 21, 2013 6:00:41 GMT -7
Yeah, that was the best high flying act I ever saw a rockchuck do. Houston........we have launch!
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Post by wyocoyotehunter on Feb 22, 2013 12:48:00 GMT -7
Stickman, how do you like that 22-250 with a 21" barrel..A friend of mine cut off a Varmiter that length and liked it..but I have lost contact with him..Never had a varmiter with that short a barrel..most of my are atleast 26"...I have thought of cutting one off to 21" but never had the guts...
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Post by Eric on Feb 22, 2013 18:52:51 GMT -7
I once read an article that said the 21" barrel was the ideal length for accuracy. Something to do with the harmonics.. but that might have been caliber specific information.
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Post by 72camaro on Feb 23, 2013 7:35:12 GMT -7
When I get enough brass to start reloading I'll change bullets. I would think I could use the same bullet you are talking about that you use but a couple grains heavier and I would think the speed would be about the same, but just loaded for the .243. I think they also have factory loads for the Ballistic Noslers and I may have a look today. A bunch of people at my house right now and I may grab one of the son-in-laws and go take a look. My son-in-law from Idaho is at my house right now. He is also a member of the board on here but rarely posts.
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Post by silverback on Feb 23, 2013 8:43:19 GMT -7
Hello, Sorry I don't post much, but I love reading the threads daily. I have been shooting a 243 out of my tikka and it is the most accurate load I have shot to date. The 70 grain sierra blitzking behind 40.8 grs of reloader 15 is the recipe that delivers 1 hole 3 shot groups all day long. I love this bullet on coyotes, it passes through and leaves dime sized to quarter sized exit holes everytime, and I have killed a lot of coyotes with it. The farthest has been 358 yds, it was a bang flop, lots of yotes around the 300 yd range and they all are bang flops. I have only lost two coyotes from the round out of dozens and that was because they were low leg shots. With factory barrels it seems the 80gr and below were the only bullets that seem accurate in the tikka, the heavier bullets need a faster twist as mine is only 1 in 10. I have also shot a antelope buck on the run at 260yds with this round, hit him a little ways back so I did a follow up frontal chest shot and he hit the dirt. I shot a mule deer buck at 428 yds with it (I know that is stretching the to far to shoot zone) and he went about 50 yds and toppled over, the bullet stuck in the far side of the ribcage with no pass through. Summary, the mid range 243 bullets are awesome especially on yotes, i would not hesitate on a 500 yd shot with this round and not expect a bang flop. I was hoping to get a wolf with this round last year but I missed one at 125 yds after chasing him down in sheep country and taking an off hand shot while not trying to go into cardiac arrest. Going back up there this weekend and see if I can get some redemption. Lately for the last year or two I have been using the 204 and am in love with it, it is suppressed and I like it because their is no barrel lift at all and I can see the varmints drop, lightning fast and accurate I killed a yote arond thanksgiving at 380 yds and he only ran 30 yds, I hit him through the 4th-5th rib and it did the job.
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Post by 72camaro on Feb 24, 2013 9:51:17 GMT -7
I went looking at bullets yesterday and when I start reloading after I'm near through with the factory ammo I have I think I'm going to go with the Nosler 70 grain Ballistics. Looks good and I'd love to get the accuracy to a more consistant under an inch at 200 yds. I'm going to get a box of factory 70 and try it first and see if more accurate than the 58 grain Horndadys' Super Performance, which aren't bad for accuracy but I've seen a few bad hides after they hit, like a grenade. I believe I'm at 9-1/8" twist.
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Post by Timber Butte Outdoors on Feb 24, 2013 10:40:47 GMT -7
Stickman, how do you like that 22-250 with a 21" barrel..A friend of mine cut off a Varmiter that length and liked it..but I have lost contact with him..Never had a varmiter with that short a barrel..most of my are atleast 26"...I have thought of cutting one off to 21" but never had the guts... 72camero, I have been shooting the Rem700V for 40 yrs, this is the 7th or 8th (I have forgotten) one in that time, all of which were in 22-250. All my 700's have been cut off, because they are just to front heavy. Meaning the rifle is not balanced. It seems that with the 21" barrel is the right length to balance the gun. All my 700's have been calling guns, using them on shooting sticks or a bipod, or even off hand shooting, you don't have to worry about shooting low, because of barrel weight. I don't worry about shooting really long distances with it, because like I said, it is a calling gun primarily. Which means distances under 300 yards for called coyotes. But I do shoot rockchucks every chance I get. Last year we were shooting out to 450 yards on some chucks. But, then we start getting into good expensive optics, that is a whole other matter. As for accuracy, my gun will out shoot me everyday of the week. I haven't seen any loss of accuracy. I can shoot 5 shots in 3/8 inch at 100 yards, on a good day! Some people say that: with a short barrel you lose velocity. My loads are putting out around 3300 fps. plenty fast to kill stuff well. Coyotes and rockchucks can't tell the difference in 3300 or 3700 fps. I think these numbers are the optimum speed for any rifle in a varmint caliber. Gary |
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Post by 72camaro on Mar 3, 2013 8:42:53 GMT -7
I bought a box of 70 grain Federal Ballistic to try. I ran it through the Hornady Ballistic program and was surprised to find it had more wind drift than my 58 grainers, but the deal to change is to save the hide possibly better. Looked up a little bit more and the jury is still out on the Super Performance 58's as some swear by them and some say they do nothing but blow a hole out the other side. It will come down to me eventually going out to try them both.
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