Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles need .223 coyote loads

I just bought a .223 and am planning to use it for coyote's. I'm trying to find some proven loads that I can start with so that I can narrow down the list of bullets and powders I need to buy. From other website's, it seems that V-max bullets are quite popular, though powders vary. I have some Varget on hand, how does it perform in the .223? Thanks.

For accuracy and taken game the 50 Speer TNT has long been my fav.

Powders, well you can take your pick from a whole slug of them and Vargest would be a good place to start.

Dober

I'm useing 50gr. molyed V-max's and Tac in my .223. I'm shooting a Rem. with a 1 in 12 or 14 twist.

55 grain Ballistic Tips and 25 grains of H335 is very good out of my 700 LTR, with little bitty cloverleaves at 100 yards and five into an inch at 300 yards when the air is still. I haven't busted a coyote with it yet but I'm pretty sure it'll ruin a dog's day.

If you won't be keeping pelts, any expanding bullet from 50 to 60 grains at normal velocities will do the job. The manuals are chock full of good loads for the omnivorous little .223 round, and so are the shelves of factory fodder.

I came across a good supply of Black Hills "seconds" some years ago, and the slight cosmetic dents and scratches have never harmed the efficacy of their 55-gr softpoints in the least. As dedicated a handloader as I am, those are my default go-to coyote rounds. I'm told that Black Hills uses Ramshot TAC in those rounds, if you'd like to duplicate them. I have used the load in the free Ramshot loading guide just as written, and it's superb.

my 22-250 likes the 50 NBT and 36 grains of Varget with a 210 (standard) primer.

My AR15 Colt HBAR Elite likes the 60 gr. V-Max with 26 grs. 748.
My Winchester Heavy Varmint likes the 55 gr. Sierra Game King with 26.5 grs. Varget or 748 or RE15.

I may have a new favorite. Today I tried the 75 grain Berger VLD to see if my 9" twist barrel would stabilize them. This one will stay under an inch at 300 yards even when the air isn't that still.

Straight six Leupold by the way....

shot alot of 40gr Blitzkings and they worked well for me, I used this combo for calling exclusively. I don't know about killing power past 150 as nothing I shot with this was past this. HAPPY HUNTING

V-max's and BT's are interchangable. In 223, I like the 55 grainers for yotes since they do not take up a lot of powder space, are fast and hit hard enough to drop a yote quickly. The 40 grainers have failed me a few times in immediately dropping a dog.

26-27.5 grains of Varget (Hodgdon recommendation) under a 55g V-max or BT with a regular SR primer will do the job.

I shoot a CZ 527 Mannlicher in 223 Rem. using AA 2230 23.5 grs. with a 55 gr. Speer Spire Point. I use military brass as the loading data used was developed with military brass. Shoots pretty darn tight, yet to have a dog get by me at any reasonable range. I shoot 'yotes for fur, so I don't want hides blown apart. Oh, CCI small rifle primers too! No where near max but is still over 3000 fps!

Varget is pretty slow for light bullets, you will have to try and see what your rifle likes.

I have had great luck on yotes with the following loads

55g Sierra sp, 55g Sierra BTHP, 55g Nosler BT, 55g Winchester Sp, 26.5g of 748
55g- 23.5g H322
50g- Sierra Spt; 50g Sierra lead tip blitz; 26.5g of H335; 27.5g of 748

For a monster masher load for a 223, N-135 with a 55g will push 3450+ fps in a 24" barrel with extreme accuracy.

Good luck!

Good luck!

My load is 27.7 grains of W748 under a 50 Grain Ballistic tip

If you want the bullet to explode inside and save hide damage then use the 40 gr. Bal. Tips or something on that order..If you want two holes and a good exit then use the 60 gr. Hornadys HP or SP..

If I had to use one powder - easy - TAC,

bullets- take your pick, probably be 52g AMax.

I found that the TNT shoots nearly as well as any polymer tipped bullet in my Kimber, and is a whole lot cheaper. I use a heavy dose of W748, but it is a very dirty powder. I'm thinking I should try something new (when the w748 is gone,anyhow).

Kaiser Norton

Xxclaro: Be sure to try the humble yet wonderful Sierra 50 gr. Blitz (not the BlitzKings bu the "Blitz") bullets in your 223!
I have used this bullet for many, many years and its VERY lethal on Coyotes and yet quite fur friendly!
Its also an amazingly accurate bullet and rather economical also.
Best of luck with your new Rifle and its use on Coyotes!
My powder recommmendations include H 335 and H 4895.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hornady 50 Gr. SPSX and BL-C(2)
Sierra 40 Gr. Blitzking and N133

50 Vmax and BLC(2).

I have used the 60 gr. Hornady HP or SP (both work) with a max load of H335...I have shot Javalina, Deer, big feral hogs and many coyotes with this load and it works to perfection every time, and it has a 40 plus year record with me..All my kids hunted these animals with it also, mostly in the .222, but also in the 223 and 22-250..Its a great bullet for animals over 30 pounds.