Best coyote bullet for my Dan Defense 1in7 5.56 16” barrel?

[Ricky Bobby]

I’m currently setting up an AR for night hunting. Up till now I’ve only shot FMJs out of it at steel. What would be a good bullet/ammo to start with for coyotes out of it? Hopefully I can find something and get my night vision mounted and get the rifle dialed in so I can get to hunting. I appreciate any info to help speed up the process for me!

 

[Hellgate]

I would recommend ammo with the Hornady 60gr V-max or the Nosler 55gr Ballistic Tip.

 

[Tonester]

Do you reload? I’ve hunted dogs with 55grvmax, 60grvmax, 68bthps, 75bthps, and 77smks.

 

[Tonester]

I have owned a handful of DD rifles. They shoot all the bullet weights that I listed and well!

 

[arlaunch]

If you reload, you can still buy 69/77gr Sierra Match Kings from Brownells.

Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets are premium, top shelf bullets. They are also, hands down most accurate bullet i have ever fired.

The easiest bullets to get accuracy out of without any fuss for a new reloader, and in an AR15 is the Sierra #1390. That bullet is also a killer, like you would not believe.

You will find Coyote hunters like lighter bullets for the flatter trajectories. Range estimation in the heat of battle is difficult. You have to lob the 77's if not shooting from a longer barrel.

I have found 55's at around 3000fps, work great out of 16 inch barrels. I shoot my Coyote bullets out of 1/9 twist barrels though.

I have no idea how those would work out of a 1/7. Likely satisfactory+

 

[Shooter222]

My .223 has a YHM barrel on it and is 1-7 twist.
It shoots 75 bthp very well.

 

[JoeyJ]

There can be a difference between a good coyote killing bullet and an accurate bullet - you can have both but I doubt you'll find it much above 55 grains.

I have a couple AR's, one a 1:7 twist and the other a 1:8 twist - both have 16" barrels - both can shoot 69 to 77 grain bullets at or under 3/4" at 100 yards fairly consistent.

A couple years ago I shot at 2 coyotes in one day with the 77 grain Sierra Match HPBT made for 1:7 & 1:8 twist barrels and failed to put them down. My optic was the Aimpoint T-1 and I'm somewhat proficient with it offhand at point blank to about 200/250 yards. I think I cranked 3 at one and 2 at the other - I chalked that episode up to clean misses - after this summer, I'm thinking I probably hit them but with little effect on their running ability at Mach V speed. I'll never really know but I do know the 52 grain Berger will anchor a coyote and with a bad hit, the coyote will react to the strike, so you'll know at least he's hit and can follow up if you so desire.

This summer I tried the 77 grain for prairie dogs, as I was getting bug hole groups at 200 yards with the that bullet. The only way I could anchor a prairie dog with the 77 grain was to make a CNS strike or to put the round through both front shoulders and follow up with another round. A stomach hit wouldn't cause an "explosion" - just the opposite, the prairie dog would disappear down his mound.

52 grain Berger never failed - dead prairie dog.

The problem I find is finding a good load for a 55 grain or less bullet - doesn't matter the manufacturer of the bullet. Grouping under 1.5/2.0 inches is tough for my 2 AR's.

My best load with 52 and 55 grain bullets is with CFE223 on the very top end (and a slight tad more) off the on-line Hodgdon Powder reloading site - that load will shot bug holes at 100 yards. That particular load will ruin primer pockets after 4/5/6 reloadings. Doesn't matter the case - Winchester 4/5 reloadings - Lapua 5/6 reloadings.

My AR's don't like other powders with light bullets and it did cost me money and time to finally accept that fact.

 

[spotstalkshoot]

FMJ bullets tend to deflect off bone/hard surfaces. Neither of which make for a good hunting bullet, especially at night.

 

[Hellgate]

Joeyj,
You might consider drilling out the hollow points in your 77gr bullet. I do it on loaded cartridges on my drill press. You might shoot 1" groups instead of bug holes but that is still good enough and will more likely open up on the dogs. I was doing that as an experiment on the 53gr SMK and it hardly affected accuracy. I have since found a better bullet (60gr Vmax with Benchmark))

 

[AWS]

I shoot 52gr Speer HP's out of my AR. It doesn't take much to kill coyotes, you just need to keep the bullet in the kill zone, you also need a bullet that won't splash or pass through with out opening.. I personally like the 40gr NBT in my 22-204 for pelt hunting and the 52gr Speer in my 222 Rems. I shot a lot of 50gr NBTs out of my old 223 bolt-action.