Rate of twist and length.....
 

I am buying a .223 and having it rebarreled to either a 17 Rem, 17 Mach IV, or 221 Fireball. I will be ordering a barrel. I would like the gun to be a great fur gun. In other words, I can shoot fox and coyotes and not have a huge exit wound. I will be using a light bullet, from either 25-42 grains, no bigger. I need some suggestions on the how long the barrel should be, I can get it as long as 27", and what rate of twist to get. The company is offering 1:9 twist only for the 17's and 8, 12, or 14 twists for the 221 Fireball. What are your thoughts on which is the best caliber of the three and do you have a suggestion for length and twist? How about bullet weights? I'll shoot some whistlepigs with it, but it will be my primary fox/yote gun out to 200 yards. Thanks!!

RE: Rate of twist and length.....
 

why not stick w/ the 223? If you want to save fur, use the full metal jackets, they're cheap as dirt, plentiful, and will just make two tiny holes.

RE: Rate of twist and length.....
 

i agree with nvmike my dad shoots yotes at 250 yds with his ruger 77 in 223 with fmj ammo and drops them in there tracks every time. with 2 very small holes.

RE: Rate of twist and length.....
 

If I were going to shoot coyotes, I beleive I would leave it a .223. 40 gr. V-Max bullets will wipe'em out.

RE: Rate of twist and length.....
 

Ditto!

I've never shot a coyote with a V-Max, but I've seen the damage a V-Max will do to a groundhog, same with a Nosler BT, and I'm talking about complete instant disembowelment. I would think that the V-Max and BT's would create a lot of pelt damage because some of the fragments would probably exit creating viscious exit wounds.

I'd stick with a FMJ, just be sure of your backstop because a FMJ will ricochet very easily compared to a varmint bullet which fragments on impact with literally anything. If you shoot in dense wooded areas or very wide open spaces you should be fine. If you have nearby buildings or livestock, a FMJ might be problematic. Just be careful.

Mike