Recipe for 6mm AI for coyotes....

[Accubond Believer]

Looking for a shortcut here, I have a great shooting 6 ackley improved, the 87 gr v max works awesome for cutting and quartering prairie dogs. The same load is also wonderful for destroying coyotes. Anyone out there have a favorite bullet for keeping prime fur without punching big holes in it?

Reloading is not a problem, it is preferred. I am going to have to do my own work up on load data so if someone could point me in the direction of a good fur bullet I would greatly appreciate it.

How do the 55 or 70 grain ballistic tips work for this purpose??

Steve D. the HP

 

[OregonCoyoteKiller]

Hi, I would suggest picking a bullet weight that matches your barrel twist. Im not sure if the 6 BT (ballistic tip) is for hunting or varminting. But not having an explosive bullet in 6mm on a dog will still do the trick.I have had great sucess with the BTs. I neck size only in my Ackley. Seems to work great.
Happy Hunting

 

[Accubond Believer]

O C K -

The 55 and 70 grain ballistic tips are for varmits the 95 is for hunting - according to my Nosler #5. The twist rate is 1-10". I already have a load which shoots a 3 shot group which you can cover with a quarter at 200 yards if the shooter does his part for the 95 gr. BT. I have taken one coyote with it facing straight on @ 130 yards. The bullet didn't exit. Wasn't sure if I got lucky on that one or if I already have the answer to my questions.

Thanks,
Steve D. the HP

 

[OregonCoyoteKiller]

Sounds like you have worked up a good load. What bullet weight did you pick. I would stick with that one as long as it shoot flat and fast enough for you. With my AI its zero is at 400yds , 6" high at 200yds . No hold over out to 400 is nice. Last time out I shot one dog at 234 ranged(head shot) and one at 370 ranged (body shot). Fun day.
OCK

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

If you want a bullet that does not exit a yote, try a 55g BT at around 4200fps. You wont get to many exits on that one, but you will probly get big entrance holes. If you want to try to keep the pelts as nice as possible, I would recomend Sieras FMJ bullet, or pick a tougher 95g or 100g bullet at a little lower speed. Varmint bullets at high speeds do what there suppose to do, tear big holes in things. I shot 3 coyotes over the weekend with my 220 swift and the 40 barnes VLC. I shoot them at 4,550fps. I shot a coyote at 50-60 yards, and then 2 at 210 yards. The bullet at 50-60 yards was put behind the shoulder, it did not exit. The ones at 210 did exit surprisingly. The first one standing, put on his shoulder and let one go. He dropoped at the shot and then thats when the 2nd took off running. I hit him 2 of the 3 on the run. The 1st coyote standing at 210 took a beating from that little 40g at 4550fps. It about blew his offside leg off completely. No saved pelt there. The 2nd yote that I shot running, I hit him in the guts and the but. Again, the gut shot left a hole as big as my fist on the exit side. I bought a box of the 55g FMJ's by Sierra and worked up a nice load. I will try shooting a couple yotes with them to see if ther performance is up to the task. Hopefully I dont lose any of them due to inadequate penetration. I have been told I need to hit some kind of bone, but we'll see. A 55g at 3900fps is hell on any yote.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Was re-reading my post and noticed an error. When I said lack of adequate penetration, I meant expansion. FMJ's are not known to expand. However a 55g at 3900fps on a yote should not be to tough of a task.

 

[JD338]

remingtonman 25-06,
If you hit heavy bones with any bullet at 3900 fps mv (impact velocity of +3000 fps), you are going to have a wicked exit wound.
I use a 50 gr BT in my 22-250 and shoot behind the shoulder. Exit wounds are the size of a nickel.

Regards,

JD338

 

[Accubond Believer]

Thanks for all the info. My current load is a 95 grain ballistic tip at almost 3300 fps. Zeroed for 200 yards - got a ballistic plex on top which works real well. I'm guessing that I could run 55 grain pills at 4000 to 4200 fps but haven't tried it yet. In reality the FMJ probably is the best bullet with no expansion and pencil holes on both sides. unless a bone is driven out the other side.

What is the expected barrel life on a .22-250 if you are in the 3900 to 4200 fps range? 800 to 1200 shots?? or am I way off base here? I don't have one but I have been looking recently.

Thanks again for the help and info.
Steve D the HP.

 

[OregonCoyoteKiller]

OK barrel life is expected to be what you have posted. I really dont konw for sure bacause I havent shot one out. I have a factory Rem 22-250 barrel heavy varmint contour, .870 at the muzzle, 24" lenth. On another note check out this link http://www.riflebarrels.com/ to Dan Liijas web site and download the borescope video of the Rem 700 take off vs. his barrel I was amazed. My gun is heavy to carry long distances. This barrel was bought off Ebay with only 20 rnds being shot through it. My barrel will easily shoot under .25" group at 100 and 1.5s at 400. I was actually expecting a 26" barrel. In load development I was intending on keeping velo. arround 3800-3900 fps to extend barrel life. I use mixed brass (I keep them separated) and mostly Win.brass. 55 gr Nos BTs, mag primers and my favorite powder is IMR 4064. After chronographing some of my loads I learned that my loads were 200-300 fps faster than the Nosler #5 estimate, and my barrel is 2" shorter than their claimed test barrel for 22-250 AI. So I ended up with some fast flat shooting loads and I figured I use them up. Once you have found your load unless you shoot a lot of squirrls and coyotes and paper, it will take you awhile to shoot it out even at 4000 fps. Anyway I am actually excited to shoot this barrel out so I can get a top quality one, definitly after watching the borescope video.
22-250 AI, Highly recomended.
OCK

 

[Accubond Believer]

OCK -
Thanks for the info on the 22-250 AI. On the prairie dog towns around here it is very easy for a couple of shooters to go thru a couple hundred rounds apiece in an afternoon. One of my 6AI's has a 7 weight 24" shilen barrel. I know what you mean about a heavy gun - it weighs +13 lbs. Really good for kids - no recoil. I started a notebook several years ago keeping track of each day a rifle was fired and the number of rounds thru it. It might surprise you how fast you get to the 1,000 round mark.

Steve D. the HP

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

1000 rounds is nothing to me. I practice with my guns at least 2-3 times a week. I go through about a 1000 rounds in each of my calibers a year I'm guessing, except for my 300 RUM which I have shot about 700-800 times in 2 years. However my 222, 220 swift, and 25-06 get plenty of use. I shot my old 25-06 3000 times in 2.5 years. I shot that barrel out and got me a new Winchester that shoots even better. Just think, when you load up 100 shells and shoot them, you do that 10 times and theres your 1000 shots. Doesn't seem like a lot anymore does it?