Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Best 7x57/7mm-08 coyote bullet?

Specifically, I have the Hornady 120 Vmax, the Nosler 120BT and I'm looking at even lighter. I don't have the rifle yet, but it is a Winchester 70 Featherweight push-feed ( mid 80s) not sure of the twist or the throat dimensions. I'm looking at 3000fps or faster loads, but hey, what do you guys who have these calibers use "specifically" for coyotes. If you used your deer/elk load, tell me what it did to the pelt, etc. thanks. Jim

I've never used a cartridge any bigger than a 243 for strictly coyotes. If I ever did use a 7mm of some persuasion, and I have killed them with a 7-08 while deer hunting, I'd definitely pick one of the lighter weight bullets. I have some 120 grain HP's, I believe Sierras, that have shot very well in my 7-08.

120 Ballistic tip.

Given that much horsepower are you really looking to be pelt friendly?

I've shot 100gr Hornady hp in 7-08 , never got it to shoot all that great though , like 11/2 " maybe a bit less .

Ha! No sir, I only take a picture and then "sling 'em" into the brush! I'm looking at a bullet that will be pretty flat shooting as I don't like to zero much over +1" @ 100 for this type of shooting. I like to use an electric caller, most shots are close, but often, in areas where they have been called a lot, they hang up way out there.

I'm asking what loads/bullet was accurate but also how flat it shot?

Jim, I shoot 100 grain Sierra Hollow Points for a while.. Now I have 120 gr. Nosler BTBT's loaded... I think I will stick with this for a while.. Just got them loaded haven't shot them much..

I have killed a bunch of coyotes with 120 Horn. Hollow Points, but that was out of my 7mm Wea. It hammer coyotes as far as I could hit them.. I think it would be excellent in the little 7.

In my Tikka 51.5 grains of Big Game with a Winchester Large Rifle Magnum primer and 120 NBT gets me 3126 fps at the muzzle and half-minute accuracy.

That would do for a yote.





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I do like the 120NBT, will most likely be my main deer load for the rifle. "if", of course, it will shoot!

Something is amiss if it doesn't.

Ooops...my rifle is a 7x57, though I have used 7mm08 loads in another identical 7x57 back in the 90s. That particular rifle was finicky, it only shot the Speer 145 HC well, around an inch. Everything else was around 2.5 inches, but not saying it was the throats fault, it could have been the bedding or just a cranky barrel.

Jim, I am not sure what you are looking for as far as accuracy, but that little round is very accurate for me.. I have half a dozen loads that do very well, but I am mostly using it for deer in the woods or now trying it out for coyotes... I only have a 21 " barrel on this rifle, but it is a #5 so fairly heavy.. Best of luck..

Thanks WCH- I'd be happy with a consistent, dependable 1" 3 shot group. its a light rifle and I just don't want to buy a coyote specific rifle...don't get to go that much. I like to take my deer/elk rifles out and shoot rocks, coyotes, whatever just to stay familiar with it. I used to do "whole hog" for the coyote, packed a little Kimber 84m with a factory contoured .22/6mm ( .22 TTH) and the 64 PP, or the 75gr Swift (8" twist) . I also used a 9" twist 22-250 AI with the Hornady 68 OTM bullet...it was a humdinger! So, I hope to get a load going in a month or so. thanks all. Jim

I'd load it down and use 7-30 waters bullets.

I would load it down if I wanted the pelts for sure, but I don't. I have a Bushmaster Predator AR fast twist .223 for regular calling. I'm hopeful I can find, really a "deer/coyote" load in the Mod 70. heck, I'd shoot a coyote with a 175gr Partition in the thing, ha.

Yeah, if you just want to shoot a coyote with a 7x57 rifle I don't see how one bullet would kill it better than another.

I was asking about how flat/wind bucking the light bullets are, i.e. the 100-120s. Looking at Noslers info, its pretty easy to get 3000fps from the 120, and some other data shows even 3100+, but it shoots pretty flat.

This is a question, not an answer....

Size of a coyote, wouldn't a match style bullet be best for not opening up on an animal that
small if the bullet was traveling fast? unless it hit a shoulder bone or something?

seem to think I'd try like a 120 grain match bullet first...

but on the market there are 100 grain HP, 110 TNT, 115 HP... 120 V Max...

ought to be one of those that would work...

Well, to "hedge my bet", so to speak, I am going to have this rifle "accurized" so as to get the best it has to offer me before any kind of load workup. That's mainly because I want an accurate 7x57..my last one drove me a bit batty, ha.I've also been there done that with the 7mm08 in the little Kimber so want to go more Old School, plus I really like the little Mod 70 Fwts, my favorite of the Mod 70s. I am dealing for an old Sako Forrester .243 right now, so It would be used more for coyotes,etc. I just like to prowl around in the high desert shooting at rocks, and stay familiar with my deer/elk rifles.