I have my varmint guns set up with close to 300 yard PBZ for all of them. I normally try to call the little coyote devils in to a range of 200 yards or less
(preferably about 50 yards!) before calling a shot but, I have a problem that may not be unique to some other posters.

I have a very productive hunting spot that I take my son and nephew, both 16, to hunt. I have allowed them to hunt it alone this year and after a few misses by them, we have a large group of very educated, very call shy coyotes. Now when I go to the spot, I dare not use a distress call of any kind and even howling is causing them to run to a spot about 500 yards down range and taunt me before they run away.

My .223, 22-250 and .243 loads are 55 and 58 grains and I am a bit concerned about having sufficient energy to make a clean kill past 400 yards plus doping the wind can be a bitch out that far. I have used my 06 at that range with a 110 V-max but the trajectory leaves a bit to be desired.

What caliber/load reccomendations do any of you have to reach out and touch that far? Would you lean toward a heavier .243? Stick with a 30 caliber with a higher BC and just learn the sight settings needed for that range? How heavy and fast can you get with a 22-250? ( The .223 is in the gunrack for this job)

Any insight and experience you can provide would be appreciated

243 WILL DO IT..HECK EVEN A GOOD 22-250 LOAD WILL....BUT WHAT DO YOU HAVE ????????

I'm sure someone in this forum will have some good answers for you on your 500 yd. dilema. In my opinion, you have enough firepower in either the 22-250 or the .243 to successfully bring down a dawg at that range.
Its obvious that you are a long range shooter since your guns are sited in for 300yd. zero, which I totally agree with. If I was faced with this choice, I would select whichever caliber I had the most confidence in to be able to make an accurate 500yd. shot. And I'm a bettin you know which one that is. Sounds like you're having alot of fun. Good shootin to you!--tr

Or you could just do what my brother-inlaw and I have done for years, while coyote calling. Have someone call and go sit 200 or 300 yards downwind and ambush them. Works great for us.

I do believe 1895ss does have a good plan. That ss must stand for sneaky sonofagun.--tr

moose2 wrote:

I do believe 1895ss does have a good plan. That ss must stand for sneaky sonofagun.--tr

Thanks moose2, it does work very well. Sometimes even better, depending on terrain, bush etc, with several shooters downwind.

We have the same problem occasionally of educated dawgs sitting out of range, almost teasing us or taunting us. We laser their distance around 600 yds which is perfect.

Several of us shoot 600yd benchrest, some 1000yd. A cartridge that has made its bones is the 6.5-284. And two of us have rifles so chambered.
While we have tried the 22 centerfires, the only effective bullets have been in the VLD series and anything lighter than 69grs lacks humane killing power by observation. 6mms take it to a higher level but the trajectories are more critical than with the 6.5s --- no problem if you have lasered the distance and know the drop/windage. 6mms are more practical in that several HB rifles are offered at reasonable pricesl; the same can be said of some decent HB 308s. Still not satisfied?

OK, now here is where we spend big bucks to go to the top of the list and that is with the aforementioned 6.5-284. Brass by Lapua or Norma. Bullets by Berger or Sierra. Dies by RCBS (of course!). If you contemplate a standard rebarrel job, it costs no more to go with this cartridge than any other. And, unfortunately, the more you pay for a barrel and gunsmithing, the more accurate things are likely to be.

So, it all comes down to how offended you are by coyotes sitting out there laughing at you? How willing to spend the bucks for the equipment and the time to learn wind reading? Now, if you do go forth, let me attest that it can be extremely satisfying to knock off dawgs way way out there and you can make some money side betting with your buddies that haven't seen the results. No longer are we calling, we are sniping. One shot, one . . . . . .

my .243 ackerly imp with an 87gr Vmax bullet would reach out and drop em at that range no probs - teamed up with a good range finder and spotter. Especially if all set up on a bench with a camo net around it!

Practice first at these ranges then go straight out of you can while its all vivid and fresh in your mind and just watch em coyotes expolde!

HI
243- 75 or 87 V-max. I would choose the 87 V-max

one you might want to try with a BC of .320 is the 77 Lapua

THe Speer 85 SPBT is the first of the .4 BC projectiles that I know about and it's a hunting bullet designed to expand in game another really good one and the one I would prolly choose is the Berger 88 LD.

Berger 95 VLd has a claimed BC of .524 at 3100 fps hard driven from a .243.
gives you approx +3.0 @ 100 for a 300 zero with about 9 inches drop at 400 and approx 1200 Ft-lbs of remaining energy.
Don't know what the expansion would be like at that range though.
Maybe try susing it out with some Factory 95 NBT's down the range and get a rough idea of your come ups for a 400 zero.
Put a quater inch M/S plate out at 400 and if the 95 NBT goes through it you will have enough grunt to drop a yote.

have a look here for some ideas
www.varmintsforfun.com/6mimpBAT.htm it's a bit more specialised but take a few hundred FPS of the velocity to get it back to standard .243 and you can see what you rifle is capable of- are you??

Just my ideas.
later
P

Thanks for the suggestions keep em coming! I have tried the Ambush techninique and it almost worked but the SOB happened to be out sunning in a different spot that day and busted me bad.

To quantify the long range kill question more. How much energy do you feel is sufficient for a humane kill? Some where in my head I got stuck with 10 Ft/lbs per pound of animal so a 40 lb coyote would need 400 ft/lbs from a good bullet that will deliver that energy to the animal. I normally kill uinder 250 so it is not an issue I have had to ponder.

I have yet to join the "500 Club", but I have come close a couple times. Once was a coyote at 490+ lasered yards with the .22-250 and 52g Match BTHP's runing 3578fps at the muzzle.

But my .257 Roberts has become my favorite coyote rifle. This morning I got one at 479 lasered yards with a 75g V-MAX running 3609fps at the muzzle.

After missing a shot at an estimated 350 yards, the next two both connected at the 479 yard range. The first was a 'Texas heart shot' that put the dog down momentarily, but it got up and started walking, presenting a broadside opportunity. I held 18" high again but even with front of its nose this time. The bullet hit the lungs - instant lights out.

Nice job at 479!

Quote::

Some where in my head I got stuck with 10 Ft/lbs per pound of animal so a 40 lb coyote would need 400 ft/lbs from a good bullet that will deliver that energy to the animal.

That particular bit of information was what Rick Jamison (used to write for Shooting Times and maybe still does) listed as his requirement.

Welcome SilverFox I hope you enjoy your stay

Dimitri

Ogre, I like the way you are thinking. I know they are just nasty old coyotes but I have trained my son and nephew to make sure of a clean kill and I want to make sure I have plenty of punch left when it gets out there. I will get one of the heavier .243 loads worked up and practice on some steel at distance before putting the lead after the fur.