Best coyote round?

[cgrubb1]

Who has hunted coyotes with an AR and what is the best load for them? I am trying to decide what upper I need and deciding between a 1:7 or 1:9 twist. Mostly use this for a varmit/home defense gun/plinking. Thanks for the help.

[WVBartMan]

Best round for coyotes is a 45 grain hollow point with a 1:12 twist on your barrel.

[Lockandload]

I'd go with the 1/9. It will handle most every bullet weight up to 69 grs. and maybe them. I have had good luck with the hornady vmax's 50gr-60gr, depending
on the distance you have to shoot.

[jgalt]

I've got (almost) the same question, so I'll piggyback on this one...

I too would love to hear bullet recommendations for coyote, but I've already got a 1:7 barreled gun & won't be getting a dedicated varmint gun any time soon. What are my options?

[TWR]

Best? Who knows. I have 2 1/7 guns and 1 1/9 gun that I shoot American Eagle 50 gr hollow points very well and they do a good job of killing them without destroying the occasional bobcat that I call.

I also like the 77 gr SMK's and a heavy dose of TAC powder.

50 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and Benchmark powder work well too.

Although I've killed with the 40 gr NBT I don't reccomend the lighter bullets and the WWB 45 gr hollow points might work, their are better options.

Alot of folks like the 60 gr V-max as an all around critter round, while I have a few, I've yet to try em. I couldn't get the Nosler 60 gr BT's to group as well as I liked in a 1/8 gun or my 1/7, 1/9.

Don't overlook any 55 gr soft point either, best? There ain't one.

Oh and my dedicated coyote guns are an M4 LMT and a Colt light weight carbine, I seldom use my 16" Colt HBAR anymore and I'll be danged if I buy a truck axle to kill coyotes with. Varmint guns are for shooting off a bench, coyote guns should be "alive" and easily portable. Just my opinion.

[kmrtnsn]

I have had good luck with 68gr. bthp from Black Hills. 1/9 or 1/7, no perceptible difference.

[JimmyB62]

I don't hunt for pelts and only shoot the nuisance animals that come around the livestock (or house looking for the smaller critters). The few I've had to shoot were done with 75 gr Hornady 5.56 TAP because that's what I had loaded and was sighted for. One broadside shot tore up the pelt pretty good on exit. On a different animal a downhill frontal shot just below the chin never exited. The performance was better than I expected on such small coyotes. I don't think any shots were more than 90-100 yards.

Probably not much help for dedicated hunters but it is a data point.

[hunterlar3]

I think it depends. Are you planning on saving pelts? If so, you'll probably want to stick with lighter bullets and a 1 in 9 barrel would be fine.

I don't think coyotes are very hard to kill if you place your shots well. I've killed a ton with a 17 Rem launching a 25 grn Berger. If you're taking long range shots ( 250 yrds and over ) there are probably better options though.

Right now I'm using a .223 50 grain Berger Match bullet in the AR. It has been preforming pretty well so far but I've only taken about 20 or so with this combo.

I've experimented a bit with different bullets and the Berger Match bullets have been the best I have come up with. They very seldom exit and I can't remember ever getting a splash impact.

If you're just killing then find a combo that shoots well in your rifle. Shot placement is paramount as coyotes aren't really very big. I'd stay away from FMJ as from what I've seen it doesn't drop them in their tracks very well and in the areas that I hunt, a coyote that runs 100 yrds can be a bear to find sometimes.

[Keesh]

Hornady's 55gr V-Max is a good choice, in my opinion.