.45 colt rifle

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titegroup

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I know it's not a coyote rig,as I shoot .243& 22-250 for yoties but has anyone ever tried a big bore lever for close in coyote's instead of a shotgun. I'm aware you're aim must be finer, than a shotgun , I'm curious if anyone has tried this with say a 250gr. hornady xtp tip at say 1500fps. from a carbine lever action. I'm wondering if fur damage would be very much at all with such a heavy slug, I say xtp because I think a hard cast will just pass through. Anyone's experience to share would be appreciated. I will soon receive a Chiappa trapper / skinner .45 colt lever 16" barrel and thought it would be a light handy packing gun for the close in coyotes.
 
Well at least I got one reply, thanks for the opinion sandy. I know it seems like a weird ? and you're probably right about exit hole but maybe not as there's so much mass on a thin skinned critter it might just barely expand by exit .I have 250gr. rnfp cast slugs as well, but I think they might act as a FMJ , yet to be determined I suppose. I know fella's use this type of rig for hogs/ bear/ deer out to about 100yds. so I was just thinking it might work with light damage on close yoties by punching through with little expansion due to sheer mass. I'm sure someone out there has taken coytotes with big bore levers at some time or another, and I'd like to hear your results. Thanks in advance.
 
Just me, but a .45 hole from a cast bullet is just about the size of a .224 bullet that has expanded to double its original diameter. Catch a little bone some where on the trip through and there is that much more damage. I would give it a try any way.
 
I have shot some with a 44mag lever shooting both hard cast and 240 grain XTP's. unless you hit the shoulder they have just passed thru without much expansion.

drscott
 
Thanks drscott for your input, I was thinking along the same lines myself. The slug is so heavy and designed for a bit larger critter than a coyote that your observation has confirmed my hunch, that a yotie just isn't dense enough to expand these tough slugs by the time they exit. A.45 colt can almost be pushed to 44 mag. vel. out of a rifle from my studies. Just curious what range did you dump these yote's?
 
I've used revolver cartridges in revolvers and rifles on coyotes ever since I was a kid, and the 300grn XTP in .429" and .452" and XTP-Mag in .452 are some of my favorite bullets, whether in .44mag, 45colt, or .454Casull.

Like drscott mentioned, hit them in the soft stuff and the XTP's don't really start to expand, nice entry and exit. Quick enough kills though, since they're 44 and 45cal pills, after all.

Depending upon your velocity in the rifle, you may consider swapping up to the XTP Mag instead of the standard XTP.
 
Thanks all for your input, it should be interesting when the time comes. I'm waiting on the rifle varmint-terror so I not sure what the vel. will be, it will have 16' barrel/ 92 action with skinner sights on the barrel/ fiber optic on the front. I'm thinking 22 to 23 grs. of IMR 4227 for possibly 1500fps. I 'd like to try H-110 if I can find some.
 
I have used the a 41mag revolver on a few deer as well as a few yotes. My choice of bullet is the the Hornady 210he xtp and have always had great results and have yet to loose anything. Before I started with the xtp all I used was hardcast, also with excellent results.

I don't think you will have a problem killing with either choice. And pelt damage was not an issue either.

I just got a marlin 357mag carbine this past year and am hopeing to connect with a yote this season.

Nick
 
Originally Posted By: titegroupI know it's not a coyote rig,as I shoot .243& 22-250 for yoties but has anyone ever tried a big bore lever for close in coyote's instead of a shotgun. I'm aware you're aim must be finer, than a shotgun , I'm curious if anyone has tried this with say a 250gr. hornady xtp tip at say 1500fps. from a carbine lever action. I'm wondering if fur damage would be very much at all with such a heavy slug, I say xtp because I think a hard cast will just pass through. Anyone's experience to share would be appreciated. I will soon receive a Chiappa trapper / skinner .45 colt lever 16" barrel and thought it would be a light handy packing gun for the close in coyotes.

Yes I have done this, and even used my trapper on Pdogs. Your best bet is to use cast bullets. They do not expand, and if you use one with a gas check, you will not have leading. I did notice you stated something about 1500 FPS velocities. Are you planning on handloading? If so you will be much better off. The sights are probably going to be close for a 250 grain pill. The 300 grainers will raise the the POI. mattsbullets makes a 185 grain w/GC that can be pushed pretty hard.This will give a little flatter trajectory.
A 255 gr flat base or even the 260 grain w/GC from Cast Performance is a good bullet, and check out the recipes,,, I was thinking that it was ( about 20.0 grains ) of 2400 or 4227 that gave the best accuracy.
These bullets perform real good around 900-1100 FPS You will have the same size hole going out as you had going in. Believe me it will do the job. If you have your doubts and want to try something different,, the again go to mattsbullets and get some 240 grain hollow base lead bullets and reverse them for a crazy hollow point.
I have plenty of load info, if you want to PM me.
 
Originally Posted By: titegroupThanks all for your input, it should be interesting when the time comes. I'm waiting on the rifle varmint-terror so I not sure what the vel. will be, it will have 16' barrel/ 92 action with skinner sights on the barrel/ fiber optic on the front. I'm thinking 22 to 23 grs. of IMR 4227 for possibly 1500fps. I 'd like to try H-110 if I can find some.

Since you're looking to run "Ruger & levergun only" loads - if you're shooting short ranges, the XTP Mag might be your ticket (240grn or 300grn bullet). The 250grn and 300grn XTP's are a little softer - they're rated to 1600-1700fps on the spec sheet, but I've seen better results from the Mag's at 45colt Carbine velocities than I have from the standard XTP's. The standard's kill, but they're a bit soft if you're making contact with game at 1400fps.
 
Thanks for everyone's input it is helpful. Cherokee Tracker, good point about the gas check slugs as they can be pushed fast without leading, but I haven't seen any for sale as cast here in Canada. I think you folks in the states have much better availability to components than we have, but I do handload and have about 400-- 250gr. RNFP hard cast non gas checks that chrono'd 1065fps. out of my Chiappa 16" .45 colt with 8.0 gr. of Unique, and that's about as fast as I would shoot a non- gas check out of my carbine to avoid leading. Hence I would prefer to shoot jacketed at faster speeds, 1500 to 1600+ fps. If I can find some H-110 or WW 296 I will try them, for now I'm loading 23.5gr. of IMR 4227 with 250 gr. hornady XTP HP. to start , have yet to chrono them.
 


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