.243 / 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip meets Coyote !

[Larry in SD]

and it wasn't a good meeting for the Coyote.

Just prior to Deer Season this year I aquired a new Ruger Stainless-Synthetic .243. I have it outfitted with a 4.5x14x40mm AO Nikon Buckmaster Rifle Scope.

When I bought this Rifle-n-Scope it was so close to Deer Season (and I didn't have any .243 brass on hand) I just picked up some Federal Premium Ammo that Fleet Farm had on sale. Since Deer Season is over I have rezeroed the Rifle-n-Scope with Federal Premium V-Shok Ammo loaded with the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips. Average Muzzle Velocity is 3271 (with quite low Extreme Spreads and Standard Deviations) and it really shoots great in this Ruger.

Well Christmas morning I ventured out Coyote Hunting. The wife had to work at the Care Center, so I figured it was the logical thing to do. I made 2 different stands and didn't even get a responce. At this point I drove over to Wheaton Minnesota to get a Cappuccino and a Breakfast Bisket.

On the way home I was driving over the DAM Road (which was never intended to be a road, but rather a dam) and noticed a Coyote mousing out in the meadow about a quarter mile from the road. I stopped and watched the Coyote for a moment or two, and throught what the heck.

I did about 30 seconds of my best impression of the Dying Rabbit Blues on my Sceery AP3 Jackrabbit Call, and all of a sudden this Coyote turned and ran straight for the road. All of a sudden he was about 250 yards away and coming FAST. I thought I had to either stop it or it'd get in the weeds, or take a running shot (which I am terrible at doing). I barked, and it just kept coming, so I barked again. I was about ready to bark again when it stopped.

The 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip hit the Coyote (a nice big male) right on the shoulder as he was quartering towards me. It was indeed a Bang - Flop and he never so much as wiggled. I went to retrive my prize, but got a huge surprise when I turned him over. Yep I had hit square on the shoulder and the off side wasn't a pretty sight. That 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip really opened him up, leaving a huge gapeing hole from the off side shoulder to the rear end.

No I am not disappointed (well maybe a little), but rather the point of the story is with this bullet it sure seems I do not have to worry about shot placement as I should end up with a dead Coyote without any tracking worries. I have a couple of buddies that are also Coyote Hunters. One is using 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips out of his .223 at 3581 FPS, and the other is using 50gr. Nosler Ballistic tips out of his .22-250 at 3550 FPS. Both of these guys have lost Coyotes with what they tell me were good solid hits (but without recovering the animal how do they really know).

At any rate it would appear that with the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip in the .243 I should not have to contend with that concern. Now on to my question, is the 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip out of a .243 going to perform better or worse under all conditions than the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip I am currently using?

Thanks

Larry

 

[NOSLER]

Larry-

If it isn't broke don't fix it.

The 55gr will obviously be cooking a bit faster, but with the results you had with the 70gr it may be unwise to change to a lighter bullet. It will most likely perform better than the 55grainer would under the same instances.

 

[Larry in SD]

Thanks

That is kind of what I was thinking, but just has to ask. The question came from the fact that once these factory loads with the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip are used up I am going to work up a load, and have been trying to determine if I am going to concentrate my efforts on the same bullet or try something different.

Thanks again

Larry

 

[R Flowers]

Larry, like the other fellow said, stick with the 70 grain bullets.

I have shot a few coyotes with a 6mm Remington and always had good luck with the 70 grain Ballistic Tip or the 80 grain Sierra Blitz.

I have a buddy who shoots LOTS of coyotes. He has been messing with a 243 WSSM and using the 55 grain Ballistic Tips but was not totally satisfied. He and my dad went out the other day and my dad was using a 240 Wby Mag with 70 grain BT's. They got lots of dogs that day and everyone my dad shot dropped like lightning struck them. Everyone my buddy shot with the 55's either ran off a ways or flopped around until they were shot again. He is convinced, he is going to the 70's.

I have tried the 55 grain BT bullets in my 6mm Remington and found better performance even on prairie dogs with the 70 grain version.

In regard to guys loosing coyotes shot with the 40 or 50 grain Ballistic Tips in 22 caliber, I agree with you completely. They only THINK they made a good shot. Either of those bullets in the right spot and you have one DEAD coyote!

R F

 

[longwinters]

Maybe just a thought. If you went to the Partition maybe you could salvage the pelts on your yotes. It is too bad that Nosler doesn't make the AccuBond in 6mm. I bet it would be a great bullet!

Long

 

[Larry in SD]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think this spring I'll just have to start working up a good load with the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

However for now I am going to just keep using what I have on hand, the Federal Premium V-Shok Ammo loaded with the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

Larry

 

[JD338]

Larry,

I used the 70 gr BT in a M70XTR 243 Win for woodchucks and competition. Try this load, it was the "club load" and shot well for everyone at the gun club who was shooting competition. It consistantly shot sub MOA for the 7-8 shooters that used a 243 Win.

243 Win
Nosler 70 gr BT
39.0 grs IMR4895
R-P Case
CCI 200 primer

This is not a Max load, but work up carefully.

Hope this helps you out.

Regards,

JD338

 

[Larry in SD]

Thanks JD I'll have to give that one a try.

 

[arnstein]

hi

i use this load in my steyr 243 win

Nosler BT 70gr
Brass RWS
Primer Fed. # 215
Powder IMR 4350 47,50gr
L6 (oal) 67,2mm
V0 1.065 m/s (3,490f/s)

this ist a hig end load

this is a 200m target

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/bc39b81b/0e57/__sr_/4c01.jpg?phfn33BBWyzykUvZ

 

[longwinters]

Arnstein,

Your English looks good enough to me

Long

 

[2ndtimer]

My favorite .243 load with the Nosler 70 gr Ballistic Tip was:

38.5 gr IMR-4064
CCI-200
R-P case
If I recall, it was only around 3100 fps, but was quite accurate and accounted for my longest shot on a rock chuck of about 400 yards. At that range, it didn't expand explosively, but the head shot (lucky, I admit) dropped it on the spot!

 

[designated harvester]

The max load of 47.5 H414 works well with the 70 NBT, I've had best results with Federal 210 and 215 primers.
I haven't used the 70 NBT since the 55 NBT came out. I've been loading 53 grs. H380, F210 primer for the 55 gr. NBT. Only downside is getting 53 grs. H380 into the 243 case.
Now that I have the 5th. edition Nosler manual I'm going to try H414 with the 55s. I've used the 55s on deer, coyotes, bobcats, jacks and hogs. Very happy with them. Killed a big boar last week with a 55 through the shield into the lungs. He did run about 65 yds before dropping. Found the bullet in the shield on the offside. Used a 6MM on the boar with 55 NBT at 3945 fps.
_Pancho