To hunt a coyote, you gotta be the coyote – stealthy, patient, and armed with a set of sharp teeth. Of course, for you, those teeth refer to your bullets of choice.
That being said, there are a lot of bullet types and calibers going around, so how do you know which one will deliver the best results? Are you willing to use hand loads, or are you looking for factory-made ammo?
Well, look no further. In this little article, we’ll present you with 5 of the best bullet types for coyote hunting, used by both experienced and amateur hunters across the USA to outstanding effect.
Best Bullet Styles for Coyote Hunting
Hornady V-MAX
Quality you want, the quality you’ve got – Hornady is one of the best-known ammunition makers in the USA, and across the world, and it’s no wonder why everyone and their grandmother is using it.
Hornady V-MAX is a cream of the crop bullet, featuring a polymer tip, a copper jacked and a swaged lead core. The bullet is purposefully made for game up to 50 pounds, making them ideal for hunting varmints, including coyotes.
Another reason to go with this particular slug is that it appears in a wide variety of calibers. From .17 to .308 Win., Hornady V-MAX is a one-size-fit-all bullet for every rifle.
Apart from offering such a versatile caliber fitting, V-MAX sports match-grade precision, exceptionally high ballistics coefficient, and excellent terminal ballistics, even with ammunition as slow as 1600 fps.
With that said, Hornady V-MAX is the best bullet for coyote hunting out there, owing to its excellent features and its ability to bring the beast down without even leaving an exit wound.
Nosler Varmageddon
Another great bullet with match-grade accuracy is the Nosler Varmageddon (pun fully intended!). Varmageddon is a close second to V-MAX, with both comparable performance and competitive pricing.
The main differences between the two bullets lie in their caliber availability and terminal ballistics. Nosler Varmageddon also offers a good bit of calibers for the bullet, but they focus mostly on the 22 (.224) and 6mm (.243) calibers. They also have a line of high-quality 7.62×39 bullets as well.
In terms of terminal ballistics, V-Max and Varmageddon are very similar. However, Varmageddon has a slightly higher tendency to leave exit wounds, but the said tendency is still very slim.
Ballistically, the bullets are also very similar. Carmageddon has a slightly worse ballistic coefficient, but experienced shooters have very few complaints, and the bullets are highly accurate, even past 200 yards.
Speer TNT
If you’re looking for a bullet with a pedigree, then Speer TNT is your best choice. Favorite among older and experienced hunters, Speer TNT is a tried-and-tested load that is both accurate and reliable.
The bullet is a standard hollow-point with a light copper jacket, deadly even for large northern coyotes. Speer offers its TNT in a wide range of calibers, from .204 to .277, and even some 6mm and .257 options to boot.
The only thing that prevents this bullet from being as good as the previous two is its ballistic performance. Due to the lightweight of the bullet, TNT features a good bit of wind play past 200 yards.
Hornady Superformance Varmint
If you’re not too keen on handloading your ammo, then Hornady Superformance Varmint is the way to go. This superior round is, by far, the best factory-made ammo for coyote hunting, due it sporting V-MAX and/or NTX slugs.
Other than that, the round appears in all calibers starting at .17 Hornet to .243 Win., and frequently displays 1 M.O.A accuracy at 100 yards, making it one of the best factory-made ammo available on the market.
Hornady Frontier
Finally, let’s send you off with a budget round. Hornady Frontier is a Hornady product made in the Lake City military manufacturing plant. Hornady Frontier appears mainly as .223/5.56, 300 Blackout, and 6.5mm Grendel rifle ammunition.
Frontier rounds are mostly FMJs, but there are a few HP Match offerings, mostly in 5.56 and .223. The bullets are 55 to 75 grains, with 6.5 mm and 300 Blackout being offered as 125-grain slugs. With that said, Hornady Frontier is an excellent choice if you like getting your target and hunting ammo from one source.
Final Words
And there you have it, 5 of the best bullets for coyote hunting. Whether you like hand-loading your ammo or you just want to start shooting, Hornady offers a lot of excellent options for all kinds of shooters.
Of course, if you’re not a Hornady fan, you can go with Nosler and Speer, both of which offer excellent bullets that match Hornady’s selection in terms of both performance and price, so you can choose the bullet that feels the best for you as a shooter and performs the best in your chosen rifle.
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