Coyote #39 down.

[nvbroncrider]

How does that 70BT treat the pelt's? I'm shooting that outta a 243 under 48 gr of 4350 i'm thinking i'm pushing 3700 as well. Dang sure a flat load the one I got this year was flattened before my rifle settled back on target never moved. What are you getting for pelts this year?

 

[DrMike]

mcseal2,

You're deadly on those coyotes! Congratulations on what is turning into a great year for you.

 

[YoteSmoker]

mcseal2, have you tried the Berger 35 HP bullet?

 

[mcseal2]

mcseal2, have you tried the Berger 35 HP bullet?

No, my rifle is a custom one twisted for the heavier bullets. I wanted the heavier bullets for a little more knock-down. I'm thinking of trying the 40gr Berger though, now that deer season ended today I will really get to playing with loads for the 204 and calling predators.

 

[mcseal2]

How does that 70BT treat the pelt's? I'm shooting that outta a 243 under 48 gr of 4350 i'm thinking i'm pushing 3700 as well. Dang sure a flat load the one I got this year was flattened before my rifle settled back on target never moved. What are you getting for pelts this year?

I'm pretty pleased, it very seldom exits and stomps them real well.

I don't know what pelts are bringing, they usually aren't that high here we are to far south. I give them all to a high school kid down the road that traps a bunch, I don't know if he has sold any yet or not.

 

[JD338]

mcseal2, have you tried the Berger 35 HP bullet?

No, my rifle is a custom one twisted for the heavier bullets. I wanted the heavier bullets for a little more knock-down. I'm thinking of trying the 40gr Berger though, now that deer season ended today I will really get to playing with loads for the 204 and calling predators.

Our deer season ends Jan 1. I will start calling coyotes Jan 2. :mrgreen:

JD338

 

[mcseal2]

mcseal2, have you tried the Berger 35 HP bullet?

No, my rifle is a custom one twisted for the heavier bullets. I wanted the heavier bullets for a little more knock-down. I'm thinking of trying the 40gr Berger though, now that deer season ended today I will really get to playing with loads for the 204 and calling predators.

Our deer season ends Jan 1. I will start calling coyotes Jan 2. :mrgreen:

JD338

Ours ended yesterday, just got my 6mm re-zeroed with the 70gr BT load and back in the truck.

 

[mcseal2]

Latest entry from my coyote records

12-20 Shot #44 while feeding by Poovey’s old house. Had a dead cow carcass west across the creek and I shot from by remains of the house over to it. The coyote was facing me with it’s head down chewing on a leg it had drug off from the carcass and I shot it with the 204, 40gr V-max. Shot it in the head at 289yds, right where I was aiming. Love the trajectory of the 204!

I emailed Nosler and Sierra today trying to talk someone into making a tougher high BC polymer tip bullet for us predator hunters using the 204. I'm up to 9 coyotes with mine and have had 2 splash hits already, one on a rib and one on a shoulder blade. I love this little rifle, but have to turn down a lot of shots I could take with my 6mm with confidence. I really think there would be a market for a tougher 40gr bullet with predator hunting growing like it is, and the AR platform becoming so popular for it.

 

[DrMike]

Good show on the yodel dogs. You're setting a high standard for us.

 

[JD338]

mcseal2

How about a 40 gr PT? That would be an awesome coyote bullet!

I really like the .224 cal 60 gr PT and I would use it as my offocial coyote bullet but the newer version won't stabilize in the 1:14 twist of my M700 VLS 22-250.
Darn shame, it is a great bullet. I did shoot one coyote a few years ago with the 60 gr PT, the bullet entered the chest and exited just below the vent. The song dog dropped at the shot.

JD338

 

[bullet]

Thanks guys, It has been a great season so far. I'll see how many more I can get before staring over on Jan 1.

Really cool, love it and good luck on getting more coyotes and more next year :mrgreen:

 

[mcseal2]

mcseal2

How about a 40 gr PT? That would be an awesome coyote bullet!

I really like the .224 cal 60 gr PT and I would use it as my offocial coyote bullet but the newer version won't stabilize in the 1:14 twist of my M700 VLS 22-250.
Darn shame, it is a great bullet. I did shoot one coyote a few years ago with the 60 gr PT, the bullet entered the chest and exited just below the vent. The song dog dropped at the shot.

JD338

I played with that 60gr in my old 223, it didn't shoot them great but they sure performed well. I'd love to see a 40gr PT, or better yet in my book an AB for the 204. I had my girlfriend pick my up 2 boxes of the Hornady 45gr factory loads to try. What I'm reading on that bullet is impressive, the guys shooting AR's on hogs are getting exit wounds on 200lb hogs, and they are supposedly working great on yotes too. I'll try to get zeroed with them in the morning and find a yote to test one soon. I just hate to go up in bullet weight and down in BC, and I love the trajectory with the 40gr bullets. It matches the speed of my 70gr load for my 6mm.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I would surely like to have a little bit harder bullet for the .204 Ruger. It has the speed and dorp numbers it just needs to hold together a hair longer.

 

[mcseal2]

I would surely like to have a little bit harder bullet for the .204 Ruger. has the speed and dorp numbers it just needs to hold together a hair longer.[/quoteIt ]

I've had a good run the last couple days with the 45gr Hornady factory loads. I shot them on paper Thursday and got a .7" group. I didn't have to change my scope settings at all from my 40gr V-max load, but the group was a little larger. Last night I spotted a coyote at 500yds with time to set up for a real steady shot and I spine shot him with the 500yd crosshair on my Leupold. He was # 45. Tonight I got done working at 4:15 and got into camo for a quick calling set. I got a coyote to circle into 125yds and took him through the front shoulders, instant kill. On the way home I spotted another at 210yds looking out from behind a round bale and took him quartering toward me through a front shoulder with an exit at the last rib on the off side, instant kill. The spine shot was hard on the pelt, but on the 2 today I had to look hard to find the entrance or exit. The ballistics on these aren't as good as the lighter polymer tip bullets, but the terminal results are impressive so far. I will shoot these until I have a reason to switch, and plan to load some to try to improve accuracy. These bullets are definitely tougher than any of the poly tip bullets. Another thing for me to consider is that although these are 300fps slower than the 40gr bullets they match the crosshairs in my Leupold VH scope based off 22-250 55gr ballistics well. I'm not 100% sold on them yet, but I'm not complaining either.

I'm pretty much sold on Stoney Point Rapid pivot bipods and thumbhole stocks also. I've taken alot of coyotes sitting or kneeling off the bipod and haven't been able to beat it for a balance of speed/precision for field shooting from these positions. If you need to stand or shoot offhand it pops right off also.
The thumbhole stock seems to make me steadier when taking any shot and especially in some situations. I have them on my 264, 6mm, and 204, the rifles I shoot alot. The biggest advantage for me, is that the thumbhole grip is low enough to allow a second contact point when shooting at times. If I am shooting over the hood of the feed truck I put my hand under the fore-end and let the grip rest on the hood for a very steady shot. If I'm shooting prone off a bi-pod I put my fist under the thumbhole grip for another contact point. Some people don't like the thumbhole for quick shooting, but I'm used to it and can't say it slows me down.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I would surely like to have a little bit harder bullet for the .204 Ruger. It has the speed and dorp numbers it just needs to hold together a hair longer.

I've had a good run the last couple days with the 45gr Hornady factory loads. I shot them on paper Thursday over noon and got a .7" group 2.25" high. I didn't have to change my scope settings at all from my 40gr V-max load, but the group was a little larger. Anyway last night I spotted a coyote at 500yds with time to set up for a real steady shot, and I spine shot him. He was # 45. Tonight I got done working at 4:15 and got into camo for a quick calling set. I got a coyote to circle into 125yds and took him through the front shoulders, instant kill. On the way home I spotted another at 210yds looking out from behind a round bale and took him through a front shoulder with an exit at the last rib on the off side. The spine shot was hard on the pelts, but the 2 today I had to look hard to find the entrance or exit. The ballistics aren't as good as the lighter polymer tip bullets, but the terminal results are impressive so far. I will shoot these until I have a reason to switch, and plan to load some to try to improve accuracy. These bullets are definitely tougher than any of the poly tip bullets.

I will buy and try some of these 45 gr Hornady loads for local coyote. Shooting a 0.7 inch group with factory loads is about what the Winchester Supreme's gave me on paper. If they buck the wind a little better and terminal results are one-shot kills, you may have found what the .204 Ruger needs to be effective on coyotes. I appreciate the tip, thanks for passing that on. Most of my shots around here are going to be 200 yards or less anyhow. This should work great.

 

[mcseal2]

I will buy and try some of these 45 gr Hornady loads for local coyote. Shooting a 0.7 inch group with factory loads is about what the Winchester Supreme's gave me on paper. If they buck the wind a little better and terminal results are one-shot kills, you may have found what the .204 Ruger needs to be effective on coyotes. I appreciate the tip, thanks for passing that on. Most of my shots around here are going to be 200 yards or less anyhow. This should work great.[/quote]

I have a 1 in 10 twist, but these bullets are supposed to be shorter than the 40gr V-max and stabalize in a 1 in 12. They won't buck the wind better because they have a lower BC and at 300fps slower a longer time of flight than the 40gr poly tip bullets but so far the terminal performance is enough better to make me forget about that. No problem on the tip, the more we can all help each other the better. Keep me updated when you get some results, and I'll do the same as I test them further. I'm going to go for 50 yotes before Jan 1 so I'll be hunting hard the next few days.

 

[Oldtrader3]

The 40 grain Hornady's shoot pretty well in my 1 in 12 twist rifling. The 45 grains are shorter they should be fine. The reduced velocity and BC at 200 yards won't bother me much either, it is only a loss of 0.030 BC between the 40 gr and 45 gr. They list the bullets as available for handloads. I will see if I can find them online.

 

[mcseal2]

Got # 48 half an hour ago at 270yds. He stopped and looked back on a terass top and I got him with the little 204. The 45gr entered 2/3 of the way back along the ribs and exited through the neck in front of the shoulder. It hit a rib going in and had a little bigger entrance wound, but a small exit. He dropped in his tracks. I'm really starting to like these bullets but I'm still only 4 yotes into testing them.

Should add I screwed up last night. I took my blue heeler along as a decoy and clipped my woodpecker decoy that flaps his wings to a bush also. I've taken my heeler along to shoot 3 yotes now, but all have come in from quite a way off and circled, making for longer shots. This one charged in and I couldn't see it until it was at 50yds coming for the woodpecker hard. Macy, my dog, saw him at the same time and growled and the chase was on! She thought he was close enough she should protect me and she ran him clear over the next hill. I think she is going to be fired as a decoy from now on, I'll stick to the battery operated ones. I'm going to go out again tonight and try hard to hit 50, I won't be able to hunt Saturday so we'll see what happens.

 

[DrMike]

Hey, it sounds as if you have a pretty good dog there if she is able to run those coyotes off. That .204 seems to be working very well for you. Congratulations on an excellent winter season. So does the count begin anew on January 1st?

 

[mcseal2]

Hey, it sounds as if you have a pretty good dog there if she is able to run those coyotes off. That .204 seems to be working very well for you. Congratulations on an excellent winter season. So does the count begin anew on January 1st?

Yep starts over Jan 1. I called in #49 and shot him last night at 80yds with the little 204, but didn't get anything else. This morning I was set up at daylight at the same place and called in another one that did the exact same thing. He was walking right toward me, then just as I got him in the crosshairs and was waiting for him to stop he smelled the blood from last night's dog and bolted. He made the big grass before I got a shot. Oops! If I'd have thought of that I'd have taken the moving shot, but I didn't think he would react like that even if he did smell it. Learn something new every day.
I can't hunt much tomorrow, but will have a half hour or so in the morning. I'll be trying to nail one somewhere.