What’s the Best Load for Coyotes?

by
posted on December 20, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
hornady_coyote_f.jpg

The Question
I want to shoot coyotes but I don’t want to destroy the hide, so what’s the best load to use?

The Expert Deferral
I’ve shot a few coyotes, but I’m no means an expert. I reached out to Fred Eichler, the host of Predator Nation, and one of this country’s most experienced predator hunters, to see what he uses. 

Fred didn’t hesitate for a second with his recommendation: “.223 Hornady Superformance—I love that. That 53 gr. V-MAX is just ridiculous. That’s a destructive bullet, but what’s cool is that that bullet was designed for a predator round. It’s a pretty awesome round for minimal hide damage, but the polymer tip increases the ballistic coefficient and is just destructive when it hits—2-6” [of penetration] and it’s done, so you get no real blow-out and I’m not having to sew-up hides.”

The Details
This load is advertised at 3465 fps from a 24” barrel is still moving at 2180 at 400 yards. If you don’t use a .223, Hornady loads its Superformance V-MAX in .222, .22-250, and .243 Winchester.

Latest

LEDE 2
LEDE 2

Hot from SHOT: Top 10 Items for Backcountry Hunters

Every year manufacturers debut new and exciting guns, optics, backpacks, clothing, footwear and a plethora of other fun gear during the January Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Tradeshow (SHOT) in Las Vegas, Nev. This year I cruised the floors in search of awesome new gear suitable to my favorite kind of hunting: wilderness, backcountry-type adventures in wild and remote places. Here’s what I found.

AH Hunts: Late Season Alberta Geese Pt. 1

Senior Executive Editor Jon Draper joins American Hunter contributor Brad Fenson for a late-season Alberta goose hunt. Check out part 1 of the hunt here.

Sierra Bullets Announces 15 New Products for 2026

Sierra Bullets has announced its 2026 new product lineup. Beginning in early 2026, Sierra will roll out three waves of new bullets ...

Benelli Expands SBE3 A.I. Sub-Gauge Lineup for 2026

Benelli USA has announced new 28-ga. A.I. models with cold-weather controls, and updates to the SBE3's camouflage. Why? Because it looks cool. 

Hardware Review: Benelli NOVA 3

Although the Nova 3 might be unorthodox in construction, the controls will be familiar to nearly anybody who’s used a pump-action shotgun before.

First Look: POF PST-7 Suppressor

Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc. (POF-USA) has announced the release of its the PST-7 suppressor, a .30-caliber can engineered to deliver effective signature reduction with extremely low back pressure.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.