I personally like a bullet that is a little more solid, so that if you hit a sholder joint (which happens frequently) or a hip joint, you will still anchor the animal. No doubt that the A Max is an extremly accurate bullet.
I opt for the Sierra 55g Spt, or the one that I really love is the Sierra 55g BTHP because they are so accurate in my rifles.
I must admit that I am not a huge fan of plastic tip bullets in a 22 caliber such as the 40g, and 50g bullets because of failures that I have seen on hitting shoulders. More often than not, when a coyote is charging in, you do have to leade the animal just like when shooting a flying bird, which makes shot placement impossible. Often a coyote is just not going to stop...no telling how far back in the body you are going to hit him.
What turned me off to the 50g Plastic tip bullets was once on a hunt, I had a coyote hang up at 300 yards. I had a very accurate 22/250 AI with a fast barrel on it with the 50g NOsler ballistic loaded at 4150 fps. I shot the coyote just off center of right betewen the eyes, right above the eye socket, the bullet did not go through his head! No doubt that if I had hit the coyote on the sounder blade, the bullet would have exploded. I have had splash wounds on the 50g NOslers which are a much tougher bullet compared to the 50g V Max. I have however never had any problems with the 55g Nosler Ballistic tips on coyotes, but the bullet will blow up on the smallest piece of straw or twig that it encounters. I have lost a few animals in fields where the straw was taller here and there.
There is not exact right and wrong way for you to choose a bullet that you want to shoot, you will just have to try some of this and that to see what you like. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes...you have to discover through trial and error what is best for you!
