Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Lame question regarding use of solid bullets

Most likely a hair brained idea but would love some Fire members thoughts.
I usually use a 243 with varmit loads BUT would love to keep shooting my 300 Ultra Mag Elk rifle and my Elk weight bullets this coyote season. I have located some 200 grain solids that should fly about the same and reach out. I realize I may just punch pea size holes but 200s cook out of that gun pretty good and hoping hydrostatic shock may do the job? It is often super windy but wide open country. If close to prime I just save a strip on both sides of Yotis back. Crazy thought ? Thanks

FMJs or solids are always a bad idea but in your case, I am guessing that a 200gr solid will not pencil through on a 40 lb animal. Be fun to try though. Report back with pix.

My guess is those 200's WILL pencil through without any expansion and actually would be minimal hydrostatic shock, compared to a faster expanding bullet that doesn't fully penetrate. Probably do the job, but wouldn't be my first choice.

Back in the day when fox were $100/ea I used a 300 Sav with 170gr Flat nose cast bullet at some very pedestrian velocities and it worked well until I killed enough to buy a 22 Hornet. While it had a rainbow trajectory 200 yard kills were possible.. I think the key was the large flatnose on the bullet. .308 hole in .308 hole out, two stitches and it looked like it died of fright.

Thanks guys for the tips. I should of figured a lot more to bullet construction than 200 grains to 200 grains. Dan from Warner Tool Co. explained that although superior flight, substantial OAL difference and solids need faster powder.

Either way, try it and post pix.

I don't know that your gaining any ballistic advantage over something like the 105gr. Hornady in your .243.

Just use your elk loads.

A lot of us have tried solids on furbearers all have went back to expanding bullets.

DFL ~ I am sure you are correct and most likely will eventually resort back to my 243 for the 300 is like 11 pounds.With that said would like to give it a try this winter and extend my confidence out to 500 + with the 300. So far good on Elk and targets and seems a go to 500.The NXS scope tracking on, BUT we will see how good on a yoti head or shoulder out there. I agree PG and SAFX ~ I plan on giving my present loads with 200 accubonds a go. I am at least confident that they will sail decent in the wind. Thank you!

I believe your answer for that .300 RUM is the 125 grain ballistic tip. Shoot Mr Coyote head on in the brisket or heading away "in the little brown spot." You'll probably only do it once but the results will be worthy of pictures. If you want to save the hide afterwards, you'll have a project that should take all winter and most of the spring.

Tom

Fur hunters often use solids for minimal pelt damage

Huh, I don't know a single fur hunter that shoots solids, and I know a few. I think most of us avoid using solids because we like to see them die, instead of having to track them down after shooting them.

Years ago I went to FMJ's for the "potential" saving the fur bullet.

First up was a big red fox curling up napping. I put the sneak on him & shot him curled up, 4 little holes in, out, in, out....perfect.

Next up was a coyote that turned into a colossal CF that eventually ended up with a dead dog.

Short lived experiment......

TRnCO, I have to agree with you I'm pretty active in the coyote hunting scene and I don't know a single coyote hunter that uses FMJ's for pelt hunting. As state earlier I did use cast lead bullets for fox but they had a big flat nose on them. One of my jobs in Vietnam was to kill stray dogs on the base(rabies in them) one took seven rounds in the chest to put down, I traded in the AR for an M-14 and things did get better and I started wacking them in the shoulder. No head shots do to the rabies.