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ingwe Offline OP
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Just got back from a few successful nights of predator hunting in Texas with my relatively new .17 Rem and I learned a couple things about bullets.

I was using Hornady 25 gr HPs ( highly recommended by a few here and elsewhere) and I had them moving at about 3500 fps..so not red lined...
As was recommended they worked well on heavier critters like coyotes and raccoons, no exits. However I only got to shoot a couple coyotes with them and it didnt anchor them to the spot, they needed about 60 yards to officially expire. Im guessing I need a bigger sample....
Coons were DRT...even big ones.

Tried the load on numerous grey fox, and it was tough on the hides, to say the least, usually exited...often in a spectacular manner.

For the little fox I dropped back to a Hornady 20 gr Vmax at about 3500- a load that has worked well in the past....and it worked well again, very few exits, and very small ones...DRTs on a number of fox.

Couple pics for effect....


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Ingwe, If I had to guess the ranch you are hunting on has a lot less trouble with quail eaters. Nice bunch of greys

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Originally Posted by ingwe


I was using Hornady 25 gr HPs ( highly recommended by a few here and elsewhere) and I had them moving at about 3500 fps..so not red lined...
As was recommended they worked well on heavier critters like coyotes and raccoons, no exits. However I only got to shoot a couple coyotes with them and it didnt anchor them to the spot, they needed about 60 yards to officially expire. Im guessing I need a bigger sample....
Coons were DRT...even big ones.



I am unsure what velocity I fling the 25 Horn HPs at but I most certainly have NOT had chest shot coyotes go 60 yards. That's crazy. 7/10 spin a few circles and then fall. The rest drop instantly. I did blow the front leg of a red fox clean off one time though. That was the most destructive thing I have seen that bullet do, but I did hit it lower than I should have and missed the chest.

I could see the 20 grain VMAXs being awesome on grey fox...they were a bit light for coyotes though, especially on their shoulders. I may have been throwing them a bit faster than you...not too sure.



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ingwe Offline OP
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Tinman, that's good info...

I DO need a bigger sample than 2!

Im gonna go try to up that on a Montana Pale next week....


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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ingwe Offline OP
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Originally Posted by 6MMWASP
Ingwe, If I had to guess the ranch you are hunting on has a lot less trouble with quail eaters. Nice bunch of greys


It does now...it was only 650 acres...the pic above was just one night..

Got these a couple nights later...


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


Should be more quail and bunnies there next year!


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Floor the throttle on the 25s and you’ll be more impressed. I had a good friend who claimed the sweet spot was 3850fps, according to him perfect for wolves and caribou. He probably knows what he’s talking about since his 700 BDL was responsible for the demise of 17 wolves and 8 bulls plus countless fox, lynx, and coyotes.

I’ve found best results when I crank them up to 4000+. The faster they go the faster the coyotes hit the deck IME. Like Tinman I’ve had some spinners but nothing that made it 60 yards.

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ingwe, are you throttling them back to Hornet speeds just for fur?

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ingwe Offline OP
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Originally Posted by huntsman22
ingwe, are you throttling them back to Hornet speeds just for fur?



Yes...never having used the 25s before I figured 3500 was enough..


But I think these guys are right...for coyotes it wouldn't hurt to give them a bit more oomph !


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Have you ever heard the term 'load to potential'?....grin

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3,500 FPS should be plenty, I would think.
I am guessing my .17 Rem shoots them faster than that but I've taken plenty of coyotes at 2-300 yards with it, some even further, which would be slowing that bullet down quite a bit before hitting the dog. I still have never had one go 60 yards when hit right. That's nuts.



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I run mine at close to full potential ( grin) which is right at 3950. I will admit to not using Hornady's anymore and prefer Berger's when they were available, but mainly use Nagels. Lots and lots of great success.

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I've had a few go further then 60 yards, with broadside lung hits. More times then not, it's lights out, BUT there's been enough runners that I relegate my .17 Remington to only (tracking snow) duty. Because most times when they do run, they don't leak enough oil to track them without trackin snow. Although there are exceptions to that rule too. I've got a pic. of a blood trail, in snow, that a blind man could've followed.
I too run mine around the 3900 fps with the 25 Hornady hp's.

Last edited by TRnCO; 11/25/20.

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ingwe Offline OP
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Originally Posted by huntsman22
Have you ever heard the term 'load to potential'?....grin


Stunt shooters NEVER do that....


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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ingwe Offline OP
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Originally Posted by TRnCO
I've had a few go further then 60 yards, with broadside lung hits. More times then not, it's lights out, BUT there's been enough runners that I relegate my .17 Remington to only (tracking snow) duty. Because most times when they do run, they don't leak enough oil to track them without trackin snow. Although there are exceptions to that rule too. I've got a pic. of a blood trail, in snow, that a blind man could've followed.
I too run mine around the 3900 fps with the 25 Hornady hp's.



Thats just exactly what I thought I'd do in the future...and daylight shooting only. I already found out no blood+ no snow + hard tracking at night...


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Probably have to wait a long time for tracking snow in south TX.....

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Ingwe: Great work there on the Fox!
What an impressive bag limit!
There must be a reason you have chosen the Hornady bullets for your Rifle(s) and I won't quarrel much at all with your choice.
I have 5 centerfire 17 caliber Rifles on-line right now (a 17 MachIV, a 17 Remington Fireball and 3 - 17 Remingtons) and they ALL shoot the wonderful Berger 25 grain bullets best (accuracy wise)!
These are intended mostly for Coyoting and I sure have been happy with them and their performance - they are pricey and they can be a bear to find sometimes but I think they are worth it.
Maybe you have tried these but if not I recommend them.
Speaking of Montana "Pales", for a moment, if I may.
Back in the early and mid 1960's we used to attend the "fur sales" in Seattle, Washington - we would sell our muskrats and beaver pelts and dream of Lynx and Wolverine trapping.
The pelts came to Seattle from all over the west and Alaska as there were several furriers located in Seattle and prices were strong there.
Back then the Coyote pelts from Montana brought extreme dollars - literally twice the price of Washington and Oregon's multi-colored pelts!
Back then and for decades I have heard of these Montana Coyote pelts referred to only as "Montana whites". And in fact on the rows of tables at these sales the Montana Whites were always designated as such and separated from the mottled brown/gray/rust colored Coyote pelts from the coastal states.
Anyway your mention of Montana pales brought back memories from my teenage.
Thanks for that and congrats again on the great Hunt/harvest.
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ingwe Offline OP
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VG: That Berger 25 grainer is the recommendation of a lot of folks for coyotes, and saving the hides. However...last I checked they were out of production...so I went with the 25 gr. Hornady HP...which also came highly recommended ...and it works, though as many have suggested, I'm gonna tune the load up a bit. That bullet seemed to stay in anything over about 10 pounds, it would however exit the little grey fox, but I shot coons and coyotes with it with good results.
I have used the 20 gr. Bergers, but not on fur...just on a couple hundred gophers. They exited every time! laugh


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I've shot a bunch of coyotes with the 25 gr. Hornady HP at 3850 fps out of a Mach IV. Most of them drop right there and those that leave the scene don't make 60 yards. Crank that thing up and get in forward of the diaphragm and you won't have any trouble.

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Ingwe: Thanks for the heads up - I should look at an on-line catalog now and then to keep up with the times!
Dang, you scared the stuffing out of me with that - I ran downstairs to my loading room and checking in my components locker and luckily I have 6 full boxes (1,200 bullets) and about 40 in an open box of the Berger 25 grainers!
I am gonna have to look into the future a few years (when I run out'a Bergers!) and decide on what bullet to use next. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Happy Thanksgiving evening all.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: Maybe the current Berger on-line product catalog is not current but I went to the linked to site and they show the 17 caliber Varmint Flat Base Hollow-Points?

Link: https://bergerbullets.com/product-category/bullets/?ammunition-product-line=varmint
AND... Brownells shows them at $59.99 for 200 and out of stock now - they do have a box to check for these "to alert me when available"?

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ingwe Offline OP
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Originally Posted by BangPop
I've shot a bunch of coyotes with the 25 gr. Hornady HP at 3850 fps out of a Mach IV. Most of them drop right there and those that leave the scene don't make 60 yards. Crank that thing up and get in forward of the diaphragm and you won't have any trouble.


I just sat down and loaded up three different loads with more gas grin

Gonna go to the range and see if the gun likes them.

Both of my first two coyotes were shot at nearly 3800 FPS, from 20 yards, frontal chest shots...It never occurred to me that either would ever move muscle again, and we were night hunting and had three others coming, so I switched the gun to them...but they didnt care for the gunfire...

Anyway, there'll be more steam in the new loads...for sure.


"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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