Best 243 load for coyotes ?

Originally Posted By: Hayabusa1321Savage model 10 predator 24" barrel 70 grain nosler ballistic tips with 51 grains superformance for 3750fps.

They don't get up and run away.

Wow, that's a smoking load! Might hit 3800fps in a 26" barrel...
 
I shoot the 87gr Vmax (handloaded) in my savage 11 predator. I also shoot the factory win super x 80gr sp when I don't wanna reload. I was very surprised that the win 80's will consistently print in the .5-.7's at 100 and still Moa at 300.

Ive killed some using the 55gr NBT in a 243 but IMO the 243 is at best in the 70-90gr range as they shoot flat, buck wind and hit with authority.
 
Varget and an 87grn Hornady Vmax would be a great place to start. If you want to stay fur friendly avoid the shoulder for shot placement or shoot an 85grn pointed soft point from Speer or Sierra. There are tons of good choices for 243 but that is where I would start. I would load them with 34 to 36.5 grains of powder and see how they do. I bet your Savage will shoot them great, nice rifle by the way. I almost picked one of those up in 243 when they had the rebate.
 
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I’ve only shot Hornady American Whitetail 100 grr which were the cheapest on the shelf and was beyond impressed with the accuracy. I can’t imagine what this rifle will do once I start reloading. I’m also going to put a 4-16 power scope on it soon. It’s hard to see the tiny 2” circles at 100 yrds.
 
Reloading can be quite an investment....keep an eye out for quality used equipment from guys upgrading or moving on to something different. Took a little longer for me to get all my equipment and dies lined up but now that I'm doing it and finding the right load for the right gun it's very satisfying. I owe a lot of that to the guys on here. I'm currently reloading .243 as well. Did't find any factory loads to shoot 1" groups or under. Reloads are currently at .604" (did't measure but last night sighting it in with thermal I think it may have been under .500") with 70gr Nosler Ballistic tips and 41.5gr Varget. 1-10 19" KAK barrel on AR obviously. It can be a lot of trial and error!!! But PM has a classified section and you could sell or trade what doesn't work for you will be perfect for the next guy.
And not sure what you have for optic on there currently but pretty much proven that if you have a small target should shoot a smaller group.
Don't be afraid to ask anything... there is a LOT of knowledge on PM!!!
 
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I have the Bushnell Engage 3-9 that came on the gun. It’s a decent scope to start with, perfect for deer hunting but I want more power and will likely get a Vortex 4-16. I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I’m a grouse hunter and that’s where the majority of my money goes. Plus, they’re just coyotes.
 
I like the 58 gr. V-Max loaded to about 3,800 fps. Very good accuracy, shoot flat, and hit hard with seldom an exit for me in 2 different 243's. One is a Ruger and the other a Savage.
 
I'm shooting mollied 55gr Lead free ballistic tips at 4000fps with 43gr of Imr 3031. I cant tell you what it does on coyotes yet, but it turns rabbits into chunks at 100yds...
 
swampy- with a Hornady comparator you can determine how far off the lands you are loading your projectiles. you can harvest a lot of coyotes with factory ammo that shoots 1" at 100 yards. doesn't matter if it is 58; 70; 85; 100 or many others.
 
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50 grains Hogdon superformance powder, 70 grain sierra match king. 3620 fps. Savage 110 predator rifle 1/4" 5 shot group 100 yards.....very fur friendly if lung shot, any shoulder bone hits will be explosive.
 
87gr vmax with stabll 6.5 shooting 3300fps with bolt setup and 65gr vmax with 4895 shooting 3500 fps with an Ar setup. both shoot .650 groups
 
70 gr sierra matchking with an upper end load of imr-4064 worked great for me. Powder charge and seating depth varies from gun to gun so whatever you settle on will probably need to be tweaked for your rifle.
 
I have an AR 10 that would throw fliers using factory seating depths. Started playing with seating depth and crimp. It loves 20 thuo (.020) off the lands and a heavy crimp....primer and powder charges doesn't matter as it put 10 different charge weights, five shots each into 2's and 3's at 100 yds.

My Savage Impulse is not picky about seating depth but about bullet weight and a certain powder charge which I have to stay 2/10 grains either direction to stay within the accuracy node.

My Remington 700 with a CBI shoots everything around 1/2 MOA at 100 yds. In short, All guns are different, and you have to experiment/test what works best for each rifle.
 
Saving fur and the 243 really shouldn't be in the same sentence, it is a crapshoot(sorry) that you won't get a large exit or blow out if near the edges. Shooting them the long way with 55s, 58s and 60s seems to work. Centered 55 gr NBT Lead Frees have worked for me 62gr VGs left huge exits.

I'd just pick a accurate flat shooting bullet to kill coyotes and hope you get a few decent pelts. Sewing works for the ugly ones.

Good luck, good hunting

I've used all the bullets mentioned in my 6x45, 6mm-204 and 243. I abandoned the 243 as I found it to be too much gun for coyote pelt hunting. Even my smaller 6s don't go out when pelts are wanted. I am going to shoot the 75gr Speer HP out of my 6mm ARC this week for coyotes.

Just another thought. Scopes if your going through upgrade from your 3-9 I'd look for something with more FOV on the bottom end and more Xs on the top, Something like a 2-12, faster target acquisition on the bottom end for those ones that appear out of nowhere and a little more power for ones that want to hang up. Bet you'll find the bottom end much more useful than the top.

Boattails vs Flat-base, for a new loader flat-base bullets can be problematic. If you use them be sure to chamfer the inside of the neck, dies like Hornady seaters with a sliding sleave help keep the bullet aligned with the case mouth, when seating gently feels your way so you don't collapse a neck with a cocked bullet. Most of the bullets I shoot are flat-based, I like them.
 
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