7mm08 Hide Damage?
 

I intend to procure a 7mm08 Browning BLR as a sort of all rounder saddle gun for use on big game as well as coyotes. The problem is that I would find it agreeable if the coyotes' hides were suitable to be skinned out and tanned, but, a 7mm08 does not seem, to me, that it would be very conducive to intact hides. If this rifle were to be used only for prognhorn, coyotes, and the odd deer I would have no objection to it being chambered in .243; a much more suitable and fur friendly predator round. However, as it would be a convenience if this rifle were suitable to elk hunting (yes, I am aware that a .243 is capable of dropping an elk, but that is, nonethelesss, a situation I would prefer to avoid) I am not willing to concede to such a degradtion of calibre.
I was thinking that perhaps using a heavy, and therefore slower, and tougher bullet, such as a 140 grain Federal Trophy Copper, while avoiding large bones wouldn't to terrible an option because, while it would still have an exit hole, it wouldn't be excssively large as such a light and small animal would not give the bullet much oportunity to expand. Any thoughts?

The last coyote I killed was with a 7mm-08. It was a 70 yard shot and he was running towards me. I shot him with a 139 grain Interlock bullet and he dropped immediately. Curious about the terminal ballistics I skinned and gutted him to investigate.

Bullet entry and exit holes were identical. Both the same size as the bullet. Hide and tissue damage were minimal. The vitals were liquefied. I assume the Interlock needs more than a small coyote to get that bullet to expand. People shoot big game with those bullet types. I would not hesitate to use a 7mm-08 on coyote again. Just use the right bullet with controlled expansion. Just an opinion, avoid SST type bullets with advanced expansion.

A controlled expansion deer hunting bullet will usually leave hides very clean in 7-08 (or any other "too big for coyotes" cartridges). If you're a reloader, slow them down a bit, and you can be even more assured of reasonable control. Worst case, you have to throw 30-40 stitches in a hole about the size of a large egg. Hit something hard like the shoulder joint, and it'll push a NASTY wound out the back side. Just keep it far enough back into the soft stuff and you'll be fine.

Throw a light built rapid expansion bullet onto a coyote from a 7-08 and things will get yucky (like winchester ballistic silvertips).

Great advice from Nomercy. You want that bullet to leave a pinprick hole in and one out, hitting heavy bone, or bullets that blow apart won't give you that. So be conscious of your ammo selection and shot location and you shouldn't have an issue.
-Jake

Also, welcome to the forum. Stick around, always good to have new members. We have a good bit of fun here.
-Jake

139gr Interlock will be an in and out with minimal expansion unless you hit dead on the shoulder and even then that bone isn't really heavy enough to open those up too awful much. I've drilled a few yotes with all 3 of my 7mm/08's at distances from 20 yards to 140 with those 139gr while out hog hunting. The 20 to 40 yard ones had maybe 50 cent piece sized exits but nothing TOO awful bad. Like NoMercy and D80 stated, you will want to stay well away from the SST's on a yote unless you want to pick up half a yote here and the other half there. It aint pretty :D

A 7mm-08 is pretty well the same size as a .243,they can handle a heavier grain bullet but You need to go with a lighter bullet for less hide damage!
Personally I would go with a different Caliber Rifle.....a .223,.204 or .17 Hornet would be easier on the hides if You intend on saving the fur on the Coyotes!

I dunno, the 7-08 has ballistics pretty close to that of a .270 win. I've never found any .270 bullet that wont blow the heck out of a coyote myself. Sort of the same effect as hitting a jug of water, their little bodies just cant seem to take it.

I do know, I don't have to speculate. Killed lots of coyotes with lots of cartridges and lots of bullets - and lots of them with "too big" of cartridges," very rarely ruining hides since I figured that out as a teen a long time ago trying to make money selling hides.

Re-read my post. Whether it's a 7-08 or a .270win (both of which I've used to kill dozens of mid to long range coyotes each), if you're getting that effect, you're not using the right bullet.

Milk jugs aren't coyotes. Shoot a milk jug with an FMJ and you still get an energetic response - that doesn't happen when you throw an FMJ at a coyote. Throw a controlled expansion bullet out of a deer rifle/cartridge at a coyote and you'll put most of your energy into the dirt behind it - but you'll get reliable anchoring.

Hit coyotes with a bullet that won't expand much in a small body and you won't get much damage. I'm not speculating or comparing to water bottles. I'm speaking from real life experience killing real life coyotes.

Partly right but mostly wrong there. The lighter and faster bullets from all 3 of those cartridges you listed have a tendency to blow some pretty nasty holes in a yote. Whereas the heavier, slower, controlled expansion from say the 7mm08 or even a .270 barely even gets slowed down from a yote body let alone open up to cause severe exit damage. I've dropped many with a .223 and let me tell ya, your could throw a small cat through the exit. What you have to use out of those are the varmint bullets with explosive expansion where you wont get an exit most of the time.

Exo, there are several bullets for the .270 that wouldn't even shudder at impact on a yote. Pencil in and out. Same for the 7mm.08, Hornady interlocks, Barns TTSX, pretty much any of the mono bullets made for medium to heavy game, even speer hot cores would probably just pencil through a little yote.