Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 25 caliber solids

I picked up some 90g Barnes solids and my rifle seems to like them. Anybody using these for coyote/fox? If so, what has been your experience.

I have a .25-06 Remington and have had luck with both Varget and IMR 4831.

I shot a coyote with a 6mm Rem shooting a Sierra 90 gr FMJ. Pefect shot through the shoulders and she dropped and started crawling away and looked very much alive from 3 feet away when I fired the finishing shot at the base of the head. Almost no pelt damage, it was like shooting a lazer.

Too dangerous! FMJ's richochet waaay too easily! Doesn't make for quick kills either.

Not gonna tell you what you can or can't do while staying legal but hunting with FMJ's is bad news. Performance is poor and the risk is unnecessary. Do yourself and the critters a favor.

Get a proper fur gun/bullet/speed combo rather than turn a .25-06 into a fur gun....

Not flaming, just FYI in case you didn't know these things...
If you did, well, I won't speculate...

Take care....

I used a 25-06 for coyotes for a few years and shot maybe 10 with it. One was shot during deer season with a 120 gr Speer BT at long range. Not much damage at 400yds+. All others were shot with Remington 87 gr PLHP bulk bullets. Very accurate and very deadly. Unfortunately, could never predict the damage. Sometimes no exit, other times a massive exit, not worth skinning at all.

Being cheap, I never did try a Nosler BT or Speer TNT. Maybe they would have been more consistent.

I have since went to a 22-250. That is the best combo I have tried. (also tried 6mm, 25-06, 223) I highly recommend the 22-250 with 55 gr Hornady Vmax.

Rick Jamison wrote that he once shot a coyote with a 300 Win Mag and a 150 solid. The coyote never broke stride and disappeared over the hill. His friend walked back to the car, but Rick couldn't believe he had missed that shot, so he went to where the coyote disappeared and found the coyote dead just beyond where it disappeared from their view. In the 70s, Rick hunted coyotes as his job. He advised that solids are best used in reduced loads on called coyotes when there is snow on the ground. Even then he said you might have tracking to do, but at least with snow, you had a chance. Solids at regular velocity can still cause large exits if you hit bone.

Try the various plastic tipped bullets in the 75-90gr weights in 25, or try the speer tnt. A light weight Barnes TSX might be a good choice also.

I use a 25/06 mostly for deer hunting and for coyote calling once in a while. If that was the only rifle I had I would find a load with a 100-120gr. bullet loaded to about 2400fps. that came close to the same point of impact at 100yds. as my full power load. 90% of called coyotes (even in open country) are killed under 100yds. Even if the load shot off sightin impact 11/2ins. it would still be very useable.

I completely agree with the gentleman above that the 22/250 is great for saving hides. It hits noticeable harder then a 223, but still dosn't tear hides as bad as a 243 or 25 something.

I guess I will stay with my 75g VMax pushed to 3700fps. Usually doesnt exit.