.30-06 for Coyotes
 

I only have a .30-06 and a bow, and I want to go coyote hunting. Anyone have any ideas as far as loads go for a .30-06? I was thinking 180 grains, I heard they do less pelt damage.

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

I use 180s in my 06 for moose. If you reload, you can always drop down to a 100gr bullet or you can get some " Accelorators" (a 22 bullet in an 06 case) to use on varmints. They may be hard to find now adays though. Hope this helps you some.

Ron:D

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

180grain holy you wnt to blow em apart? no offence but i have shot at muscrats with 180 and missed and hit there house and blew there house apart. i would say u want to get the smallest round possible. the smallest i have seen is 125 which would work pretty good i think.

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

I read on some other boards about using a 180 grain becuase they dont expand as quickly, therefore doing less pelt damage. Thats just what I read though. Anyone know if you can buy 125 grain bullets for an ' 06? I know you can handload them for 125, but I dont load my own bullets :( Thanks guys ;)

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

you trying to take there heads off use a .243 or 22-250

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

Try a full metal jacket, for less damage.

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

yep that cheap military swdish /norma 30/06 150 grain full metal jacket ammo i bought a bunch of would work... but shot all even before hunting season

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

I' d like to go with one of those, but dont have one, maybe next year...[:-]


The 150 grain FMJ' s sound like a good idea. Thanks guys...

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

Yes, you can buy 125gr cartidges for the 06.

Ron:D

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

Yeah, buyin 180gr loads for coyotes is a BIG waste of money. Most guys that use 180gr for yotes either don' t know what they are doing, or do so because it is the only hard construction cheap .30-06 ammo around them. In 30cal rifles, it' s important to have a very hard bullet on yotes, the bullet is already big enough to do the deed without expanding, as is necessary of smaller diameter bullets.

I STRONGLY advise against using/loading " accelerators" because they suck. It is a great theory, but in practice, it doesn' t work, I believe it is something to do with the separation of the bullet and sabot, it just can' t happen uniformly at that speed and small diameter, so they are INCREDIBLY inaccurate.

Look for a lightweight bullet of hard construction, federal usually has a couple of these loads out in any store they sell in. If you can' t find a lightweight bullet, go ahead with 150gr bullets, again in hard construction.

If you reload, which your post makes it seem you don' t, I' d also advise against using 100gr bullets, they are very accurate at lower velocities in .30-06 at ranges out to 100yrds, but they shed energy in flight very quickly, and become terribly inaccurate and unstable out there past 150yrds. At standard energies (obtained by HIGH velocities), typical rifling rate of .30-06 isn' t able to shoot 100gr bullets, I' ve tried against the advise of my reloading manuals, and basically I had a scatter gun, the bullets exploded upon exiting the barrel.

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

Go to a gun show or pawn shop and buy you a 22 magnum rifle. If you plan to mount your coyote and have to use a 06 gut shot him but don' t plan to have him standing. Predator elimination a 22-250 is great!

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

my grandpa popped a coyote with a 30-06 with 180 grains and all i will tell you is it wasnt pretty[X(]

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

my father shot a coyote with his 30-06 with an 180 grain bullet also...He was deer hutning and happened to see this coyote running toward him so he shot it. He hit it in the gut area and came out on the other side breaking the leg:|.....It was in terrible shape.

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

we were deer hunting too, it was running along a road about 150 yards out and was scarin the deer, so he decided to take a shot, he hit it in the heart. the sight was not pretty.[X(]

RE: .30-06 for Coyotes
 

If it' s a matter of not being able to purchase another rifle at this time, I would go with the 125 grain bullets, which are factory loaded. Someone above mentioned the FMJ. They' re actually 147 grains, but in most states they' re not legal for hunting. If they are legal in your state, They would be your best bet. If you can' t find the 125 grain (order online), you' ll want a larger bullet designed for deep penetration.

I used my .30-06 for the first 10 years of my hunting career. I used it on varmits on up. Now I prefer my .243 for yotes.