Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints .223 Rem

I am new to coyote hunting & have a factory .243 Win chambered Rem 700 (1 in 9.125" twist) that I am currently using. Considering going to a .223 Rem chambered Howa Mini (1 in 8" twist) shooting 77 gr Sierra MK hollow points. Is that a decent bullet to anchor them @ 300 yards if they hit in the boiler room ?

First off the factory rifle usually has a 12 twist which wont stabilize a 77 gr bullet. Second, if you hit them with a 55 gr. bullet ( which it will stabilize) at 300 yards, it will kill him.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. (OP edited) The rifle that I'm buying is a Howa Mini chambered in .223 Rem, which has a 1 in 8" twist so no stability issues with the 77 gr pills. I was more concerned about bullet capability.

I've never shot game with them, so maybe my advice isn't warranted, but doesn't Sierra recommend not using Match Kings for game, accurate as hell though. It'll kill them but there are better bullets out there to get the job done IMO.

Saving fur or not?

No

Nothing wrong with a Howa Mini, I have one myself, although it's a 6.5 Grendel. Nothing wrong with a 223, I have a bunch of them, and it's one of my favorite calibers to hunt with. But, you already have what is coyote killing machine in the 243. Load it with some bullets weighing between 55 and 85 grains, and it'll do the job.

Well I have the Howa Mini in 223, and the bullet you plan on using will work JUST FINE for your intended purpose...

The problem is that the .243 is an older BDL model with gloss blueing & a gloss walnut stock.

And?

I’ve shot lots of them, a 50 grain ballistic tip out of a 223 is a coyote killer if you hit them correctly. That 50 grain bullet or a 77 grain won’t kill them quickly if you gut shoot them.

My favorite 223 bullet for coyotes, and also for bobcats, is a 50 grain VMax. I've killed a lot of them with it, and it's also very fur friendly.

Gloss and polished blue is no problem.

My little Sako is as pretty and shiny as they come


A little work with a sewing machine making a camo sleave works wonders.


And a couple pieces of camo duck tape on the scope.

Those bullets will work fine. 55 grain Vmax maybe even better

I’ve never shot 77SMK but I’ve shot a bunch of coyotes with a 223. I’d recommend 50 or 55BT or 55vmax. I’m sure the 77SMK will kill them if you hit them properly but I would much prefer the faster, lighter bullet for the ranges you are talking about shooting. As others have mentioned, your 243 is an extremely effective coyote round. Load it with 55BT and it will turn a yoties lights out instantly. I wouldn’t worry about the glossy finish of your 243. I’ve never met a coyote that knew what a rifle looks like. They’ll see your movements whether its gloss or not.

There aren't too many bullets out of a 223 that won't kill coyotes long past 300 yards. I've pretty much only been loading 40 grain Ballistic Tips for years and they knock a coyote in the dirt right quick. Starting to test the 50/55 grain Bt's and a bunch of the 53 Vmax, and they seem to about as accurate as the 40's, but I'm not sure how they could be any more deadly.....

Find out what your rifle shoots best and go kill stuff...

Why not give the 55 gr Hornady SP a try? It’s cheap, accurate, deadly (even on deer), and most importantly now days it’s available.

Agreed, one of the best all around bullets if you aren't shooting a lot of distance. I always keep a bunch around

Makes it even better. If you’re planning for 300yds plus consistently, I’d much prefer the 243. The 223 will work, 243 will work much better at those ranges.

I use that combo atop a case full of AA2200. Those 40 gr Noslers killed every Coyote I ever hit with them. That was with a 22” 12 twist barrel. One of my most memorable shots with that gun/load was with one of my buddies and his dad. We were out varmint hunting and a crow landed atop an old telephone pole about 500 yards away as we were driving a two track trail. I jumped out and used the truck door as a rest, gave it some Kentucky windage, and blew that crow off the pole shooting left-handed; I’m a righty. Even my buddies dad was impressed. He was a Korean war vet - sniper.