Hunting coyote w/ 90gr .270 win

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Evocatii

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With a new rifle not an option, I am considering the use of a 90 grain bullet in .270 win to try and take coyote cleanly. The suggested load out...

90 GR. SIE HP / H4350 / 58.0
Hodgdon load data

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
Just guessing, but the question is whether the barrel's twist rate is slow enough for that bullet to group well. If it does, it oughta be a good bullet for coyotes...

Art
 
You might consider a soft point. My BIL was shooting them recently in Eastern Oregon and he stated even his 22-250 with 55 grain V-maxs was blowing holes in the hides. His uncle had him use some of lower speed handloaded hollowpoint rounds (~3300fps) and he said they were still blowing holes in them worse than the v-maxs.

On coyotes, I suspect, a softpoint just might not fully expand before it exits the smallish critter. But I'm not sure. Whatever you do, have fun, good luck, be safe. Please share the results though, I'd love to load my wife's .270for coyote shooting. I'd use it and let her carry my .223.

jeepmor
 
Just curious.
Why don't you stick with the same bullets that you hunt deer with?
Zeke

'cuz 130gr bullets make big holes too....shot a bobcat a few years ago and wished I'da had a .22 caliber something instead after I picked the sucker up......
 
Just curious.
Why don't you stick with the same bullets that you hunt deer with?
Zeke

Well, my first thought is it will move nearly 1000 ft/s (3400 to 3600 ft/s depending on powder) faster than my 150gr loads which would not hurt when greater bullet weight isn't needed for a take down. Secondly, the greater bullet weight over most varmint rounds will help against cross winds. Last but not least, I would not have to buy a new rifle (I would have to answer to my wife).

Although these characteristics are not required to take a coyote down, they would be beneficial if it can be helped. Right?
 
That is true. Although, at this point and time, hide damage isn't going to be an issue. It is just some critter kill'n for a rancher who had one of his cattle killed by coyote.
 
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i've never used 90 gr ,but hornady 110 gr v-max & 59 gr of h4831 has worked well for me, not so well for the coyote's
 
I was hog hunting with my .270 a few months ago and I shot a cayote at 200yd with 130gr soft points. The bullet didn't have enough time to expand and left a small entry and exit wound. Maybe just a freak shot, but that's what happened.
 
The 90 grain bullets have been ordered and hopefully I will have them loaded for next weekend. I went out this morning to scout the landscape and found that there is about 300 yards of clear land around a small hill that has some shrub oak. I also saw the three coyotes that have been causing the trouble. It is looking promising.
 
skinewmexico,the reason for varmit calibers and bullets is for safety.The bullets blow up instead of bouncing along after impact.This is important when shooting groundhogs and such around farms with buildings and livestock.I dont think they were invented to sell more guns,most started out as wildcats by people who were not in the gun selling business.However I use my .270 for varmits,but I use varmit bullets not the same ones as for deer.Not trying to argue just saying .
 
I've used that same bullet, with 61gr of ADI AR2209 (4350 Equiv) on wallaby and goats. Devastating on wallaby, not so much on goats. It shoots .6" consistently out of my remington 700

The BC of the 90gr HP is very poor, so it's only really good inside a couple of hundred yards before it sheds too much speed and drops like a rock
 
the low BC also means that it is really terrible in wind. When I run out of my 100 90 grainers I won't be buying more... I'll just use my 130gr SSTs, which I find to be an excellent bullet.
 
I used 63.5 grains of Reloader 19 and was getting around 3300 FPS in my Savage 110. Never shot a yote with them. I agree with what others have said about the BC being poor. The 150's don't make any bigger holes, in fact probably a lot less than the 90's. .277" from a 150 = .277" from a 90 grain. But the 90 will blow up. Use the 130 ballistic tips or SST's I'd say.

I'll let you know if/when I crack one with the new AR-15 in 6.8 Rem SPC with 90 gr Speer TNT's after I unwrap it from the wife and kids under my tree:)
 
As stated before, the hole size isn't as much of an issue as is the other characteristics of the bullet.

After hand loading the cartridges, a little chrono work was done and the rounds were clocked consistently at 3300fps. Things are looking promising. More news to follow in the coming weeks. I can't do much now as I am recovering from knee surgery.
 
I used 90's for a while and went back to 130's....the 90's had a considerably BIGGER exit.... but then again, I was selling pelts, if you're not then it shouldn't be a problem.......
 
Rock River

I have taken several coyote on Rockriver 223 m4 with hornady 55 grain. They drop like a rock. Not Rockriver predator but 16 inch m4.
 
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