SmallCaliberCentral

I sent an email off to Nosler, Hornady, and Sierra yesterday asking for someone to make a 40gr polymer tip boattail bullet with a good BC and tougher jacket. In may I built a custom 204, a Ruger M77 with a 23" 1 in 10 #3 Pac-Nor barrel and thumbhole stock I for calling and a truck gun on the ranch. I've taken 9 coyotes with my 204 so far with the 40gr V-max Hornady factory ammo, and have already had 2 splash hits. I also had a coyote in some heavy grass that I shot at twice under 200yds and I don't think either bullet made it through to the coyote. I love the trajectory of the 204, and watching hits in the scope, I just wish I could get a bullet with a little more penetration. Reviews I've read indicate that the ballistic tip and blitz king have the same issues as the V-max with splash hits. I'm picking up a couple boxes of the 45gr Hornady SP loads to try next, I've read good things about their terminal performance. I know that I will miss the speed though, the 40gr loads are listed at 3900fps on the box and these are listed at 3625fps. I head shot a yote yesterday with the V-max load at 289yds while he was chewing on a cow carcass, it's sure nice to be able to hold dead on a small target at that range. My other coyote rifle is a 6mm that shoots 70gr ballistic tips at 3824fps with superformance, so I'm used to yotes dropping instantly. I want to switch to the 204 anytime I think I may call in a cat, but don't want to lose coyoted doing it.

I don't know if others would be interested in seeing a bullet like this or if I'm alone. I thought maybe if enough of us predator hunters ask for a bullet like this someone will offer it.

You may want to try either the 35gr Berger or the 45gr Hornady in the 204R for coyotes. Most here who use it for dogs have had excellent results with the 39gr SBK also.

As the poly-tipped bullets are really intended for mass shooting of PD's and similar small varmints, you'll have a hard time convincing the major makers to offer a coyote-specific bullet when mega sales quantities are required for any degree of profit. The guys at Nosler and Hornady probably read this stuff and mutter to themselves "just use a 22-250".........

We've talked to the major makers about other specific bullet issues, and it always boils down to large quantity sales/profit.

My girlfriend is on her way home with 2 boxes of factory loaded 45gr Hornady's I got her to pick up after work. I also have a test load worked up with 39gr BK to try, but I haven't shot it yet. I'm also going to pick up some of the Bergers next time I get to Cabelas, probably this weekend.

You are probably right about them not making it. I want to shoot the 204 calling so I don't wreck cats like I did with my 243. I'm admittedly hard to please on bullet performance, I've tried many varietys through all my rifles before settliing on the accubond for anything the make it for. I've had great luck with that bullet on big game, and it opens fast enough on impact to deliver plenty of shock on varmints too. I'm looking forward to shooting the new 90gr through my 6mm in april. I don't think I'll have much luck talking Nosler into making a 40gr accubond for the 204 though.

Maybe one of these others will fit the bill for me. The 45gr Hornady sounds promising from the reviews I just hate to go up in bullet weight and down in ballistic coefficient.

Have tried 40 Nosler and 40 Berger in my 12 twist 204. Bergers wouldn't group good enough. Nosler's shoot excellent and hold together much better than the Vmax and BlitzKing. Keep in mind if they're real close you may have problems with just about any centerfire bullet, depending on where they're hit. Haven't tried the 45 Hornady's yet. They should be great for coyote. Good luck.

Don't give up too quickly on those 40g Bbergers. Both my .204s dialed in really well with them. The recepies are in the "Favorie Loads" thread. Of course, YRMV...

mcseal2 wrote: I don't think I'll have much luck talking Nosler into making a 40gr accubond for the 204 though.

Don't let that stop you! Tell them we HAVE to have it. The 40 BT didn't shoot all that great for me but I'd give a box of AccuBonds a try.

I'm going to try the 90 gr 6MM AB as well. My .243 shoots the 70 BT and 87 VMaxs into itty-bitty groups. I'd would be great if the 90 AB shoots close to the same point-of-impact, and as well, as the VMax. One bullet for predators and one for smaller whitetails.

I can't offer you a 40 grain poly tip bullet, but we do offer a 40 grain flat base bullet with a small HP and a good BC. We utilize a J4 jacket just like the berger bullets. We have had many customers use our 37 and 40 grain bullets on Coyote with good success. As with all our products we offer a Guarantee on the bullets. If you try them and aren't 100% satisfied you can send the remaining bullets back for a full refund. Just an option

Brad

Go with the 37gr. CRT bullets. Plastics are for Prairie Dogs and such.........IMHO of course.

I got a promising reply from Sierra, the rep said he thought I was right that there would be a market, asked a few questions, and said he would bring it to the table when they discuss new offerings. Nosler replied also, and said they keep track of requests and will try to make a bullet if they recieve enough customer requests.

I didn't know about the CRT bullets, if I'm not happy with the 45gr Hornady's I'll give them a try.

Thanks for the replys.

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 for the year. 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.

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. They have been watching her while I get the gun on them and it has worked good. 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.

mcseal2, in what part of the Country do you live? Sounds like the coyote population is plum crazy!

If you ever get a break from that great 'yote hunting, let us know how the 39gn SBKs do...

Wow, it sure does sound like great hunting grounds!

I just offered a whitetail outfitter to kill coyotes on his 2K acres. He was afraid that I'd mess up the deer hunting

Oh well, the search for good dog smakin' continues, LOL!!!

RAMOS wrote:mcseal2, in what part of the Country do you live? Sounds like the coyote population is plum crazy!

I live and work on a family ranch in Kansas. I don't think we have that many more coyotes than most other places, I just spend way more hours than most people out where I have a chance to see them.

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 yote 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.

Didn't get #50. I tried hard, but it just didn't happen. We were in a wind advisory today with sustained winds over 35mph, plus we had near record highs in the 60's, not ideal calling weather.
To top it off, I started coming down with a cold last night and had to keep coughing into my coat sleeve while calling. I'm pretty sure any yotes that could see me were laughing. It's ok, I had my chances and still had my best year ever. It makes my record that much easier to beat next time!