Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Anybody shoot coyotes with a 17 Mach IV or the like? What Bullet?

and if so what kind of termminal results ?

TIA

I had a .17 Mach IV for a while and used 25gr Berger Match bullets on a few coyotes with good results. The .17 Mach IV and it's twin, the .17 Fireball, are great rounds, but I couldn't get that particular rifle (custom CZ 527 American) to feed worth crap, so it was sent on down the road. That was also before the .17 Fireball was available and it was pretty tough finding .221 Fireball brass to form cases.

Anyway, for coyotes, I'd try to avoid the Vmax and MEF type bullets as they simply come apart too easy. Lots of guys swear by the Kindler Golds, but I haven't tried them. I've also had good luck with factory Remington 25gr HP's in my .17 Remington.

I have shot two coyotes with my 17 FB, both with a 25 grain berger. Both went down very fast, but bullet placement was very good. If you are calling them and can take boiler room shots only, it will work fine.

I shot two last year around 100yds broadside with 20 grain vmax and they ran off, we looked hard and never found them.

Guess I'll see if I can stabalize a heavier bullet or use i bigger cartridge.

We shot a slug of yotes with custom 17 Mach 4's using the 25g Berger Match HP loaded with both H322 and H335 @3800-3850 fps

Most shots were DRT, but we did place our shots.

Cntrmass: I had a custom 17 MachIV built back in early 1995.
Over the years I have killed a number of Coyotes and a couple of Fox with it.
I don't ever recall shooting any of them more than once!
My good friend Richard from NW Montana and I were Hunting Coyotes on a huge ranch near Powderville in SE Montana one Christmas time a few years ago.
We were calling Coyotes and I wanted to save some pelts.
Well a big old Dog Coyote came across a wide flat but stopped and sat down at a distance of 320 yards (Leica lasered). It would come NO closer no matter what call we tried.
The Coyote was on my side and I had my 17 MachIV along using Berger 25 grain hollow-point match bullets.
I decide to crank up my 6x18 Leupold scope and "tap him" where he sat!
I lowered my Harris Bi-pod to prone height (from sitting) got repositioned and aimed at his throat.
The bullet struck him and he circled around in a tiny spiral and fell dead in a few seconds.
The bullet struck the Coyote high in the chest/low in the throat - no exit.
This was by far the furthest kill I have made on a Coyote with my 17 MachIV.
I have now killed two Coyotes with my newish 17 Remington Fireball and they were both much closer and quicker kills.
The 25 grain Bergers are the only bullets I have used on game to date, with both my 17 MachIV and my 17 Remington Fireball.
The Berger folks now call their 25 grain bullet an MEF (maximum expansion factor) and I recommend them to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint guy, I have just started to load the 25 MEF's
What load did you use?

Kieth I'll look up an H335 load. So far I started out using Ramshot Tac, seems pretty mild but I need to chrono it.

Cntrmass: In both my custom 17 MachIV and in my factory Remington 700 VSF 17 Fireball I use:

Remington brass
Federal 205M (match) primers
Berger 25 grain MEF bullets
W 748 powder

My Remington 17 Fireball has a 26" barrel and my custom 17 MachIV has a 26 1/2" Shilen barrel.

Which cartridge are you loading for?
Best of luck to ya.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I am loading for the 17 Mach IV, its on a Remington 700 that started as a 221 fireball with the brown laminated mtn rifle like stock.
I tried Lil'Gun but it was very erratic both in speeds and pressures.

It wears a slick Lilja stainless barrel and shoots 20 grain vmax well under.5 if I do my part.
thanks for the info.

I mostly use a 17 Rem, occasionally I use a 17 Mach IV or my 17 Fireball. I use 25gr bergers and the coyotes fall over and die.

My furthest kill was about 325 yards with the 17 Rem., about 150 yards for the 17 FB. Generally they are called into 25-75 yards.

Cntrmass: Be sure to give the W 748 a try - it has worked so well for me for so long that I am sure it will do you right!
Let me know if I can be of any more assistance to you!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

25gr Berger or 27gr Kindlers. Put it were it needs to go. I am using 21gr Kindlers in my 17Javelina. It has been poisen on foxes. no big dogs yet. Zero fur damage and DRT. 21gr is not my perfered bullet for coyotes. I get 40 to 1 chances at foxes vs coyotes in PA so I gear for them. No blow ups or pass throughs yet.

H4198 and N133 worked well for me in the Mach4 and 17FB

MEF has a very large HP
Match Hp is small

Use the small hp or expect surface explosions, especially on ribs and shoulder blades.

Hornady 25g HP are great on yotes, if your gun likes them.

At what ranges are you shooting Coyotes ?
I have a box of match grade 25gr. we'll See.

I have used the hornady 25 gn hollowpoints on alot of game with very good success in my 17 fb , I keep em down about 3500 fps and have very good results with little to no fur damage.

You should avoid the MEF on coyotes...no penetration. You would be better off using the Hornady 25g HP.

Well I loaded some MEfs cause I had them. I used Ramshot Tac.
They shot great 1/2 the size of a dime and 8 shots with a 3x9.@100 yds

The chronograph was acting up but I did get some 4000 fps readings.
I backed off .5 grain and have started with the targets bullets. Now if I can get a sunny windless day.