Coyotes still coming to the Fox Pro.

[35 Whelen]

Checked the ice yesterday as its getting late in the season but its been so chilly here lately [more like March weather down in the high teens /lower 20s every nite. And was surprised to find I could NOT bring up water with my chainsaw,anywhere I tryed it all over the lake, here behind the lodge! I have a Husky chainsaw with an 18" bar and its over that everywhere. Not good blue ice of course but lots of it.
Anyway decided to ride up on the ridge and look for some fresh tracks and didnt take long to find one so parked the skidoo in under a spruce tree and started calling in in about 5 mins I see one coming up the skidder trail behind me. At about 150 yards I decided he was close enough to take him and slid a 70gr Vmax into him, and he made me, and started to twirl around, and I wound up hitting him a little far back, over the kidneys................ entrance hole is nothing but back side is definately graphic............
Medium sized songdog but has nicely colored thick fur on it, very prime.

Close up of the entrance hole.

And the OUTSIDE>

I am guessing that a few whitetail fawns may get to see the sunset now because of his demise??

 

[JD338]

Well done Earle.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

It definitely blew out a great chunk of coyote while exiting.

 

[FOTIS]

Nice!

 

[YoteSmoker]

What caliber rifle were you using?

 

[SJB358]

Very awesome Earle! You are tearing up the dogs this year! Way to go!

 

[Hegland]

Stack 'em up, man. Good work.

 

[35 Whelen]

Yote smoker. I used two guns a Ruger 77 in 243 at the house and a Ruger 77 in 270 with 90gr HP when I am out callin.
These Maine coyotes are pretty secretive and dont often show themselfs in the open . Here is a picture of a good one I caught in a #3 Sleepy Ck trap, a few years ago, that is in the 50lb class. People think this photo is photoshoped as they cant imagine coyotes can get this big. But it is real; and they get even larger, than this one. I fellow killed one two winters ago, about 40 miles from me, that weighted in at 63lbs.......................... they obviously have plenty of wolf blood flowin in their veins?

 

[SJB358]

Jeeze, that is a BEAST!! There has to be some wolf in that dog for sure!

 

[DrMike]

Meeting that fellow when out for a hike could certainly get your attention.

 

[Woodycreek]

Now that is a big yote! Any luck getting the 70gr BTs shooting Earle?

 

[35 Whelen]

Nope Woodycreek I cant seam to get anything to shoot the way I want it to. As many of you already know I am a huge fan of bullets that are shot at game and dont exit the other side of the animal. I have had the worst luck I have ever had last season and this one with bullets going right thru coyotes. Of course I usually recover the animals put I have huge hide damage on the off side and I want instant kills for the animals. The 70gr BT while a beautiful bullet whistle right thru them at 250 ditto for the 87gr Vmax and I am now getting the still same effect with these 75gr Vmax ??
So I am not sure if I am not getting enough velocity to get them to expand correctly or whats going on. The coyote in the first picture went straight down for probably 15-20 seconds and then regained himself enough, to get up and run about 30yds, and went back down again and couldn't get back up again but continued to struggle until I got there . Pretty much exactly the opposite of how I would like to have sent him to the great deer yard in the sky! Anyway with that said, I had great hopes that the Nosler Varmagetton bullet in 70gr would be so thin jacketed that it would become explosive when it entered them allowing ALL of the energy of the 243 to be released inside their body totally shocking the "you know what" to their central nervous system, and giving you those instant kills . As I have said here in previous posts the best bullet with history I had was I guess the Sierra Blitzking 80gr from my old house location it was 300yds and I shot dozens of them for years and had very few run offs or crawl offs....................... ALL of the bullets I have tryed in recent years have a high number of run offs and worse................. The 243 has plenty of power to dispatch any coyote but getting the transfer of energy into them has become a problem for us. The load I use is just 46grs of 414 at about 3300ish and on paper that looks like it should really get it on. In reality it is pushing these so called varmint bullets, right thru the animals.
Now some would say hey at least your getting them, but my response to them would be well not the way I would like to. I have to wonder if the 70gr Varmagetton bullet was ever actually produced as after months of posting asking for anyone that has actually ever seen or used one I still have never heard from anyone that claims to have shot them?????? I am guessing that something in the order of HALF of the energy from the 243 never got expended into this coyote??
I am also guessing that if that other HALF would have gotten expended inside him, no doubt would have brought so much extra shock to the animals nervous system, I would have had a good clean INSTANT kill here.
I just need to find a bullet with the construction, to basically explode inside the animal and transfer all the energy inside them. Anyone with an answers on what that bullet might be, I am all ears.................... how good they shoot, how pretty they are, what color the box is, how well they kill deer , or how cheap or expensive they are does not matter to me in anyway , just how many coyotes you have had instant kills with many times , thats what we are looking for???
I get that results with Hornady SST in the 270 and 30/06 with deer sized game and usually have no exit holes with angled shots. I realize there is a whole crowd of people that love a huge exit hole, and all that, And I dont really want to engage that debate on here,and I respect that theory. But if someone is having repeated success with a bullet from a 243, without blowing half of the backside out of them I would love to hear about it!

 

[YoteSmoker]

I would suggest giving the 58 or 65 v-max a try or the 55 b tip. Any of those should come unglued I would think. If they splash then a berger hp might be worth a shot. I use them in my 204. Tiny entrance, no exit and coyotes normally dead on impact.

 

[Woodycreek]

I was thinking the same thing about the 55 BTs. Should be able to get them going 3900-4000 FPS and keep them in yotes?

 

[SJB358]

It's a fine line from getting the heavier slugs to stay inside and then also, maintaining a light bullet on course with any wind.

That 58 grain VMax is supposed to be a heater. I have a buddy in Idaho, that swears by them for coyotes and they don't seem to blast through them either.

 

[Hegland]

I'd agree with the 55 BT or 58 V-Max. I have to admit I"ve never shot (or even seen shot, for that matter) a coyote with anything less than 80 grains, but all varmints I have shot with either of these out of a .243 has simply exploded.

Another option might be the new lead free BTs. Lightweight and plenty of splatter.

 

[35 Whelen]

Thanks for that Hegland, I have used the 58gr Vmax with startling results that bullet does expand correctly for a coyote at any distance out to 350 . However it has the same problem I had with all light bullets....................... and the main reason I shoot a 243 over a 22-250 that I had for years.
Because I am always set up with bait out on the ice of a frozen lake when hunting them in winter, I always face the problem of 20-30 kt winds and a high percentage of the time it can be a direct crosswind. If you run the numbers for the wind drift of a 58gr bullet at 300yds with a direct 20/30 knot wind you will soon see why I cant use them...........................
Also because these animals usually only come around at nite [and the older ones only on a DARK no moon lightlight nites] they almost ALWAYS only present me with a head on shot,[so I only have the width of their chest to play with for drift] No matter which way I position the bait; as they are constantly looking towards the house for danger; And many times are standing next to their deceased, brothers and sisters,aunts and uncles, while trying to get a free lunch. It is nature playing her part, as the first kills of the season, are relitively easy ones, but as you remove the foolish ones, from the gene pool what is left is much harder to kill. There is one huge male left here[50lber] that I have tryed for all winter, And I have seen him on very dark nites with night vision. I know he is there because I am using a Chamerlain reporter that senses motion that buzzes in the house on the reciever when any animal comes to the bait,But somehow, ever time I go upstairs, and slid the door back in the pitch dark ...........................no matter how quiet, as the door is lubed heavy with pure silicone, he senses me somehow,from 250 yds out, and blasts outta there, everytime. The only way I could ever get him, is to leave the door open in that room at night, until he showed up, and shoot him. Problem is there is a full bathroom, in that bedroom I shoot from, and it would freeze the pipes all up?????? Shoot a dozen a year opening that same door no problem but you wont shoot him that way! :x
Here is a picture of a 63lb yote............ they fella standing next to it is 6'3 and weighes in at 245
how many have you shot this size lately??? If you know of a bigger one I would love to see a picture of it!

 

[YoteSmoker]

That is one ginormous coyote! We have 25-35 lbers here on average and not much bigger. I can deffinitely relate to the wind issue though and am currently working on going with a long bullet in 25 caliber for this very reason and also to extend my shot possiblities. If it tears them up so be it. Otherwise they would get a free pass anyway.

 

[Woodycreek]

I wonder if the 105 Amax would get it done since those yotes are on the big side? They definitely would help with wind drift and may come apart inside the yote since they have a thinner jacket than the BTs?

 

[DrMike]

Good sized dog, Earl. Those Maine 'yotes are large critters.