On the bigger calibers like 243, 25-06, 270, 308, etc etc etc, that carry alot more energy than a coyote pelt can absorb you can use a controlled expansion bullet designed for penitration (deer bullet) rather than explosiveness (varmint bullet). The controlled expansion bullet will give you an entrance and exit wound, but both are easily fixible. The wound is consistant from 100 yards to 500+ yards. And the rifle will kill at 100 yards or 500 yards equally well.
Kind of like with squirrels and the 22 mag. If I shoot them with a cci solid some of the energy is tranfered to the squirrel, making a small .224 hole in, .224 hole out, and the bullet travels down range. With a thicker jacketed HP (winchester silver box jhp) the damage is more, with a .224 hole in, dime size exit hole, with more energy transfered to the squirrel. Then take the remington premier or win supremes with their explosive varmint designed bullets, .224" in, 2+" out. Most of the energy is transfered to the squirrel causing extreme damage.
So, with any cartridge there are a couple things to keep in bullet selection. 1. how much energy does the bullet have, 2. how much energy you want transfered to the animal. Using a vmax in a 22-250, 243, 25-06, or holy moly 270 and you dump all of it's energy into a coyote, or atleast try. look at the following table comparing remington accutips:
-------------------------100 yds--200 yds--300 yds--400yds
223 50 grain -------927ftlbs--701ftlbs--522ftlbs--380ftlbs
22-250 50 grain--1188ftlbs-910ftlbs--689ftlbs--512ftlbs
270 130 grain---2335ftlbs-2009ftlbs-1721ftlbs-1467ftlbs
The 270 has more energy at 400 yards than the 22-250 has at 100. A coyote can usually take a 927ftlb hit from a 223 at 100 yards if you don't hit bone. So, at 200 yards the 22-250, with it's 910 ftlbs will do the same damage as a 223 at 100.
So, numbers wise, for pelt preservation I wouldn't put more than 1000ftlbs into a coyote and expect to have pelt. If you do most of your shooting at 50 yards, get a 22 hornet. Most of it at 200 yards, a 22-250. At 600 yards, the 270. This is for varmint bullets.
For controlled expansion bullets designed to penitrate, I don't think my winchester 270 130grain cpx1's have ever dumped more than 1000 ftlbs of energy in a coyote, so it works from 50 yards to however far I can hit him. A 243, 25-06 are in the same class. Same with a 7mm-08, 30-30, 30-06, 308, etc.
Even for a 22-250 a controlled expansion bullet isn't a bad idea for pelt preservation, although there aren't alot of 22 centerfire controlled expansion bullets to choose from, but there are enough you should be able to find something that works in your rifle.
All that said, my favorite coyote calling is with a 12 gauge. I like the coyotes close and the shotgun is easy on the pelt (3" #2 hevishot). But it's also the most challenging.
I hope this helps.
later,
scruffy
