.243 for coyotes and grey fox what bullet?

[Deerhunter#1]

well I am getting into predator hunting and close to home I can only use rimfire so will use my 22 mag with 40 jhp for mostly red fox. That said I will be upstate PA hunting coyoted and greys and have a .243 that shoots my hand loads with 100 hor sp great with max load of h4350 at 2900 ft second. I loaded up some of the same bullet with h4895 and from start to max load they all shot really well. start load should be about 2600 ft second. Might even go a little lower as I can take it down to about 2300 with 4895 but will just have to see if accuracy continues. My big question is do you think I should be just using a lighter bullet as my main goal is to save pelts if I ever get one or do you think the 100 grain at the lower speeds will be good and almost act like a fmj and just plow through with a little hole which is what i am hopeing for? I have about 600 of these bullets which is a plus as i use them for deer also.  Or should i be looking at getting a 223 (Another gun)

[Oldshooter]

Hornady lists a 58 gr vmax that loaded with your 4895 will do between 3300 and 3700 f/s, 3700 being a max load. also a 80 gr fmj that can also be loaded with your  4895 powder. if ya want to save pelts.
 
My personal opinion would be to use what you have right now since with a "new" rifle you might have ammo problems right now.
 
the 100 gr sp loaded down might work for ya, if not then you can always get a new smoke pole, which i know is a painfull thought. 

[Deerhunter#1]

I was looking at the lighter bullets but the savage has a 1-9.25 twist so may be a bit fast for the under 65 grain bullets would probobly work better in the 10 twist .243 guns. I have a single shot hornet but a bunch of my shots with a rifle will be on night hunts so feel more comfortable with a bolt gun at this time for the situation. Have about 500 40 grain bullets that could also be used to reload the 223 that i am using in the hornet. Would love a bolt gun in a hornet but the few that are available are to expensive for my taste  but that ruger really looks nice. also have the 223 brass from range pick ups and primers. just would need dies and a gun. Man I am talking myself into it I think. Save the 243 for deer    Note to self dont give in the .243 is fine.

[cjclemens]

I use .243 on coyotes, sometimes. It tends to be hard on pelts, but I don't skin 'em. Even loaded light, I expect it's not gonna be too fur friendly. I load .223 for a Handi Rifle, and I use 45 grain Sierra Varminters. They make one small entry wound and no exit. If you have the resources, I'd recommend getting the .223. It might take some looking, but brass and bullets can be found. You just need a few to get ya started...

[pastorp]

For what you want to do a 243 is too much gun.  why not just use your 22 mag?

Regards,

[Deerhunter#1]

Yeah for my short range hunting 200 and under the 22 mag will be used locally. I just picked up a bolt action 22hornet for my main predator gun. Keep the 243last and 100the grain bullets for deer

[ironglow]

If you don't save the pelts, use what you have...  If you do save the pelts, the .22 mag should suffice, but now that you have it, the Hornet should do the job handily.
   You say you will be hunting upstate PA in order to use the centerfire..it then appears you normally hunt either NY or Ohio... so which one limits predator hunting to rimfires?

[Deerhunter#1]

I live in montgomery county pa which along with some other places in pa are rimfire and shotgun only. I have shot some red fox with my bow and will hunt them locally this year qith the mag but really want a grey which the majority are upsate with occassional sightings here

[guzzijohn]

Quote from deerhunter1:
"I was looking at the lighter bullets but the savage has a 1-9.25 twist so may be a bit fast for the under 65 grain bullets would probobly work better in the 10 twist .243 guns."


I would try the 58gr. I have a Savage 110 in .243 and it does not care if I put 55gr. 58gr., or 95gr. It shoots them all under an inch. ( I better watch myself I am starting to sound like Swampman on Remingtons.)
GuzziJohn

[stewmagoo]

I love some Sierra 75gr Varminters, loaded with 44.5 grains of IMR 4350.  Heck on pelts though.  Lol.

[ironglow]

  It seems like any .243, unless downloaded ..may be tough  on a hide within 2-300 yards.  I am surprised by some of the PA game laws.  Normally they are not so hard-headed as the powers-to-be here in NY are, but to hold you to rimfire there..and from what I understand, you can't even take a Ruger 10/22, a Marlin 60 or Savage 64 into the woods..  Is it correct that .22 autos are forbidden for hunting?

[Ladobe]

For what you want to do a 243 is too much gun.  why not just use your 22 mag?

Regards,

Have to agree with Byron... depending on the average range you would be shooting.   A 6mm can be hard on even coyote pelts unless at substantial ranges, thin skined fox worse.   Bullet choice and placement may get you by, but I wouldn't load down too far and loose the trajectory if the ranges are longer.   Here in the west my 24/25/26 wildcats for P&V were mostly for bucking strong winds, usually only shot otherwise from 400 or 500 yards out to whatever. 
 
I haven't been a 22LR/22MAG fan anymore since the 17RF's came out as they mostly replaced them.   But I've shot several coyotes and a couple of bobcat out to about 230 yards with my 17HMR's.   They got the job done just fine with one shot and no pelt damage - would have even farther, especially on fox from what they'll do on diggers well past that range.   The 17RF's are not my first choice for any predators, just what I had in hand at the time while doing other ADC varmint work for landowners that asked me to take out specific problem predators as well while shooting ground squirrels, jacks, badger, etc.  So your 22MAG may be your best choice if the ranges won't be real long in PA or in strong winds.
 

[D Fischer]

I've only shot one coyote with my 243, it was really messy! 75gr V-Max at close to 3500fps from a 20" barrel using H414. Thing goes off like a hand grenade! Bullet's come apart on paper at 200 yds, find jacket material all over the ground behind the target. If you want the pelt, sounds like you do, use the Hornet. If you want pelt's, velocity will not be your friend. You could load the Hornet with cast bullet's and do well to about 150 yds. The 22 mag would be a good choice also.