i killed 29 coyotes last year, over 25 of them were with a 55gr v-max out of a 223. i had 9 in a row drop in their tracks. only had one run further than 50 feet.
it is the only bullet i use on coyotes in a 223, and i have tried many others over the years.
even a poorly placed shot does a tremendous amount of damage and leaves a huge red trail in the snow. i cannot recall that i have ever lost a coyote shot in the body with a 55gr v-max.