20 cal coyote bullets, need real life experiences

From my limited testing today (first time out with the new upper) it looks like 35 gr bergers are going to shoot well. Didn't try the 40 gr bergers yet as conditions aren't good and I only have a few of them to try. Waiting for a better day, but I'm sure they will shoot well. I like the fewer exits with the 35's, but I like the bc of the 40's better. Running the numbers, 40's at 3700 fps totally kill the 35's at 3800 fps. By 100 yds it's all over, out at 300 you get 1" less drop and 4" less drift in a 10 mph wind.

I haven't chronographed anything yet, just pure speculation on that. Might squeeze 3900 out of the 35's, but it doesn't help much.
 
Check out the 45 gr sp. Its a tougher bullet and stabilize better than the 40 gr plastic tips. Killed a couple today with them. Bang flop. Hit the top of the shoulder on one and had an exit hole the size of a nickle.
 
Bought myself a Christmas present- a Sako in .204 Ruger. I went to the range and shot Hornady 32 gr. v max and 40 gr. v max. I will say the 32gr. made a much tighter group than the 40gr. I haven't yet tried it on any critters, but think that the 32gr. is what I'll use.
 
The superformance 40gr don't seem to group well out of my SD 204 Ruger upper they they kill coyotes dead. I shot one that was looking right at me at 53yds and it tore both lungs out. The exit hole was the size of a small football.
 
Update with my own real life experience today, a sample size of 1. The 40 gr bergers grouped the best and I got a chance to go out and test them this morning. Male coyote at approximately 120 yds, slightly quartering away. Held for the shoulder and it pounded him hard. No splash and no exit. He was so mangy I wasn't going to examine him very closely but the performance was impressive, drt with no hide damage. Sounded like a watermelon exploded when it hit.
 
Doubt much has changed. 35 gr Bergers are still my pick for exceptional accuracy and terminal performance. My 2nd choice are Nosler Ballistic Tips in 40 gr but even the 32 gr have proven effective on a small number of coyotes.

These are my picks for my 204’s which are both 12 twist. With a little faster twist, I would probably run 40 gr Bergers. I just couldn’t get them to group well in my guns.

Vmax didn’t perform consistently on coyotes for me. Had more runners, more damage, and more unrecovered coyotes with them.
 
Vmax gets pretty consistent negative feedback in 20cal so I’ll take those off the list.

Can anyone weigh in on the distance they would start to question the lethality with 35 or 40 grain bergers?
 
With heart/lung placement 400 yards is doable. From my experience (10 twist 20 cal barrels )the 40's are better past 300 yards. If shooting regularly past 300 I use my 22-250(55 gr NBT). I don't trust any 32 gr tipped bullet at close range, poor penetration.
 
Great feedback, thank you for that. In my 5 years of “serious predator hunting” I have only shot two coyotes at 230 paces. Other than those, a vast majority of my shots are 80 to 150.
 
I use 40gr NBTs and 39gr Speers in my open country 20P and discontinued Nosler 32gr HPs in my little 20P carbine. Really like that little 32gr HP, it shoots tiny groups and has killed coyote.from 20.to over 200 yards wish I would have bought a K instead of 400. So far it's been one bullet per.coyote, I just have to.ration them, no days at the range just killing preds.
 
Nothing wrong with an ARC, I just wish you had the option of a slow twist barrel. I thought seriously about building a slow twist 22.ARC but couldn't get it to feed decent in my Savage 10 action so I'm going 223AI. I already shoot a 22-204 slow twist. That speed range works well on predators.
 
204 AR said:
I just made a deal through the classifieds for a 20 practical upper, with a 1-10 twist barrel. I plan on using it for my latest coyote slayer. My request is to hear from those who use 20's on coyotes, what bullets they've used and how they perform. I want to hear positive and negative results to help me choose a bullet.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
204 AR said:
I just made a deal through the classifieds for a 20 practical upper, with a 1-10 twist barrel. I plan on using it for my latest coyote slayer. My request is to hear from those who use 20's on coyotes, what bullets they've used and how they perform. I want to hear positive and negative results to help me choose a bullet.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Having shot at least 100 coyotes with the 204 and recovering everyone here's my take. Hornady 24 grain NTX max range 250 yards drops them in tracks. Out to 350 yards a 32 grain Hornady works well and they die quickly. But if you're a one and done opt for a Hornady 40 grain V-max highest BC of any 204 round I believe and it flattens them . Now I know i'm going to hear about shoulder splashes and other malarky from some,my advice why shoot a coyote in a shoulder with a heavy bone there?behind the shoulder is where the biggest lethal target is on a coyote, about 7-8 inches in diameter and no risk of splashes. Now if you can shoot a neck shot is a 100% drt shot but only about 3 inches wide a head shot about the same,and a heart shot even less. I've went exclusively to the 40 grain v-max , now they're many decent loadings out there but this one has worked well for me.If you recover all your coyotes you're doing something right.The 1/10 twist is absolutely the best to have as it handles everything well up to 45 grains. I believe Thompson center is one of few who offers that in a factory barrel, that's what I shoot.
 
I have used the 40 gr Berger for years. I am very happy with performance, and they are everywhere right now. I just built a new custom with an 8 twist. Considered the 55, but the 40 shoots so well I will not change. I will build a faster 20 for the stupid amount of 55’s I purchased from Graff’s.
 
RisingSun said:
I have used the 40 gr Berger for years. I am very happy with performance, and they are everywhere right now. I just built a new custom with an 8 twist. Considered the 55, but the 40 shoots so well I will not change. I will build a faster 20 for the stupid amount of 55’s I purchased from Graff’s.
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Tell me about your shot distances, fur damage, powder selection and velocity with the 40s please
 
Shot distance- usually 100 or under called. Freebies are another story.
Fur damage is minimal. I don’t save fur. Fur prices are not worth the effort. If mink are not selling, good luck on a coyote.
IMR 8208 27 grains. Runs 3612fps out of 26” barrel. This load is over the Berger book but under Hodgdon load data. STD Dev is below 10 on this load. Gun info is below

Terminus Zeus action
McGowen 8 twist barrel
AG composite stock
Triggertech Diamond
Hawkins Hunter DBM
 
Would you build a 20P over a 204?? Components (brass) for the 204 are no longer an issue to buy, and it edges the 20P slightly in speed.
 
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