I was reading a post by Byron South in the archives on the perfect bullet and the story of a couple of coyote shot with the 17 rem. that splashed and ran off came up. This was supposed to show I guess the failings of the 17. The problem with the stories is the bullet type and velocity were not given. If you use fragile bullets especially 20 gr.fragile bullets you will have problems far more often. The berger 25 gr. Match target has a fantastic record for drt coyotes with no exits. My point is this, far to often I see posts on bullet performance were people do not state exact bullet type or the velocity. Velocity is huge in any discussion on fur friendly bullets. I read a lot of carnage stories using vmax,yet I have had amazingly fur friendly results with 35 gr. Vmax with my hornet at 2800 fps. With rising fur prices I think more hunters will be looking for better fur saving bullets.But the best bullet will always be accompanied by a specific velocity at average calling ranges.Of course long range shooting changes everything.I remember seeing $75 fox turned into rubbish when a new 4x4 pickup cost $7000 and gas was well under $1. With all the new bullets there will always be people looking for a more perfect fur friendly load. The hunters with vast numbers of pelts under their belts that actually care about saving fur will have the best answers. Those answers will include specific bullet type muzzle velocity and even barrel twist.Have a good summer.
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The perfect bullet?
- Thread starter J.Mark
- Start date
I'm going to say something that I'm sure most people will disagree with.
I believe it's somewhat of a myth that exits, with most bullets affect fur prices. As a guy who has actually sent coyotes to auction, hundreds maybe thousands between my self, and a friend who has been doing this far longer then me, never have I had a shot, but sewed coyote grade as damaged.
Exits suck, sewing sucks, but the auctions don't seem to care so long as the animal has been properly sewed.
Those who disagree with me, can you tell me, have you actually shipped something that was sewed to auction, and had it come back graded damaged, or slightly damaged? Or is it your fur buyer that says so? I understand his point, sewing takes time, and he's interested in making as much as possible from your furs.
I suppose you really wanted an answer. My self, and everyone I shot with have had great success with plain old 50grn hornady soft point out of a 22-250. Kinda boring, I know, but they do work. No slashes, minimal exits, and minimal sewing.
I have also had good luck with 55grn nosler ballistic tips out of a 1 in 12 savage. These exit more then the soft point, but they don't splash even when hitting big bones.
And I have not had good luck with v-max. I find they have slashed, so have others that have used the same bullet.
That being said, of the dozen with big evil looking splashes from these bullets, none, I mean none graded damaged. They just needed to be sewed.
I believe it's somewhat of a myth that exits, with most bullets affect fur prices. As a guy who has actually sent coyotes to auction, hundreds maybe thousands between my self, and a friend who has been doing this far longer then me, never have I had a shot, but sewed coyote grade as damaged.
Exits suck, sewing sucks, but the auctions don't seem to care so long as the animal has been properly sewed.
Those who disagree with me, can you tell me, have you actually shipped something that was sewed to auction, and had it come back graded damaged, or slightly damaged? Or is it your fur buyer that says so? I understand his point, sewing takes time, and he's interested in making as much as possible from your furs.
I suppose you really wanted an answer. My self, and everyone I shot with have had great success with plain old 50grn hornady soft point out of a 22-250. Kinda boring, I know, but they do work. No slashes, minimal exits, and minimal sewing.
I have also had good luck with 55grn nosler ballistic tips out of a 1 in 12 savage. These exit more then the soft point, but they don't splash even when hitting big bones.
And I have not had good luck with v-max. I find they have slashed, so have others that have used the same bullet.
That being said, of the dozen with big evil looking splashes from these bullets, none, I mean none graded damaged. They just needed to be sewed.
Shot placement has alot to do with it. You watch some of the TV shows and they take alot of quartering shots to the shoulder. Bone and high velocity equal holes. I have killed quite a few vermin in my day and have let many escape due to bad shot angle. I perfer the chest on shot as the bullet stays in the body. Again shooting at running animals does nothing for the hide. I agree with Craig that standard bullets can help. In my 6mm remmy I use Hornadys 70 sp at moderate velocity and it id very fur friendly.
I worked for a fur buyer out of Grand Forks N.D. during the last fur boom. Glen, The buyer would stick his hand into the pelt and feel for stitches.He would dock big time if the fix was nasty.I got hired by him after selling him a bunch of blown up fox that fooled him.I learned to minnimize exits by using 85 gr. match sierra 243.The 243 was all I had except for my 22 mag.Most of the shooting was long range the 243 was most used.Those 85 gr.at 2900 fps made quarter size exits except when you hit bone.I am a 17 rem. fan now,but I also like my 222 and 22-250.There are alot of guy's like craig who have proved the 50 and 55 gr. sp bullets to be most reliable for killing without the splashes and mega exits you read all to much about with hyper expasion bullets.I know that the 17 rem.is far more reliable with the match target than with the varmint bullets.I know young guy's who finally make thier first kill only to find it in shreds,much to thier dismay.If someone has great success with drt coyotes and no exits with a new fancy bullet I still want to know about it.Its part of the fun of it all.
K-22hornet.
New member
In a 223wssm, 222remmag, 223 and 22 Hornet, the Vmax has given me the most splash wounds of any bullet tried so far. However, in 243, the 75gr Vmax has been outstanding, with no splash and shots from 10yds to 450yds.
Overall, a good old softpoint has been the most fur friendly bullet I've used.
In on-coyote performance, the Vmax and Btips are more dramatic, where the coyotes get all stiff and tip over like an ironing board.
With a softpoint, the front-end goes down first, then the back-end and then maybe a tail wave.
Overall, a good old softpoint has been the most fur friendly bullet I've used.
In on-coyote performance, the Vmax and Btips are more dramatic, where the coyotes get all stiff and tip over like an ironing board.
With a softpoint, the front-end goes down first, then the back-end and then maybe a tail wave.
K-22hornet.
New member
Thank you.
Being educated and being smart are not necessarily the same thing.
Being educated and being smart are not necessarily the same thing.