I get a lot of questions about choosing bullets for coyotes in our most popular chambering, the .22 Creedmoor, so I thought I’d share what’s been working well for me and many of my customers.
My take up front: Coyotes are predators, not small varmints like prairie dogs or groundhogs. They need bullets that carry enough energy to transfer effectively for quick, clean kills. I start with bullets around 70 grains or heavier, sometimes a bit lighter if they’re designed tough enough. Lightweight bullets, like those below 70 grains built for varmints, often lack the energy and toughness needed for coyotes.
My go-to choices are the 80-grain Hornady ELD-X, 80-grain ELD-M, 70-80 grain Berger VLDs, and the 69-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing. These bullets have tougher jackets that hold together and deliver high energy transfer, which is key for coyotes. On marginal hits, like the shoulder or hips, their sturdy construction lets them punch through bone if needed, ensuring the energy gets where it counts for a solid kill. Most of the big-number coyote guys I talk to swear by the 70-grain and 80-grain Berger VLDs for their accuracy and performance on predators, and I can see why-they’r a favorite for a reason.
To show the difference between heavier and lighter bullets, 1 compared an 80-grain Hornady ELD-X at 3300 fps to a 53-grain Hornady V-MAX at 4000 fps, a typical lightweight varmint bullet, both sighted in at 250 yards with a 2.75-inch scope height. Here’s how their bullet drop and retained energy stack up from 300 to 1000 yards:
Inside 250 yards, most bullets will work for coyotes if they stay together. Lightweight bullets like the V-MAX are a bit flatter, but past 300 yards, heavier bullets like the 80-grain ELD-X pull ahead. Its drop is close to the V-MAX, but it carries way more energy, which transfers better to the coyote for quicker kills. It also drifts less in a 10 mph crosswind (~62.0″ vs. ~85.0″ at 1000 yards), which helps in open country.
The 80-grain ELD-X is a great example, but the others perform just as well. The 80-grain ELD-M has similar energy retention and a tough jacket, transferring plenty of energy and punching through bone on tough shots like the shoulder or hips. The 70-80 grain Berger VLDs, as those high-volume coyote hunters often rave about, are super accurate with high ballistic coefficients, with strong jackets that hold up to bone impacts, delivering energy deep into the animal. The 69-grain Tipped MatchKing, though a bit lighter, has a robust design that transfers energy well and can penetrate bone when needed, balancing speed and toughness. Heavier bullets like these are my choice for coyotes in a .22 Creedmoor. Their higher energy transfer and tougher jackets make them ideal for predators, especially on marginal hits where they can get through bone to deliver the energy needed for a clean kill.
Lightweight varmint bullets, like the 53-grain V-MAX and others below 70 grains, are great for smaller critters like prairie dogs, but their construction isn’t built for coyotes.
What bullets are you using for coyotes in your .22 Creedmoor? I’d love to hear what’s working for you
We’ve built our business around Wilson Arms button-rifled blanks, and honestly – I’ve been 100% happy with them.
Judging by your continued support and our growth, I’d say you are too!
Thank you all for your business!
Lately, I’ve been getting more and more calls from folks asking if we offer cut-rifled blanks. Right now, I tell them to just buy the blank and send it in – we’ll do the rest. But I have a feeling some are taking their business elsewhere because we don’t keep cut barrels in stock.
So here’s my question to YOU:
If we started stocking a premium cut-rifled blank, which brand would you want us to carry?
I’m only looking to build a lasting relationship with one company.
After a lot of hands-on experience and research, CRB (Custom Rifle Barrels) is at the top of my list. I’ve chambered several of their barrels, and based on indicator readings, they’re right up there with Wilson when it comes to consistency from land to groove.
If you prefer cut barrels over buttoned, what would you be willing to pay over the cost of a buttoned blank?
And if there’s a brand you’d prefer over CRB, let me know that too!
Appreciate the feedback – and your continued trust in us.
Thank you for your interest in the small-frame AR-10 chambered in 22 Creedmoor.
I recently spoke with Jard Inc. out of lowa and learned that they are producing a proprietary small-frame AR-10 platform.
The upper, lower, bolt, and barrel extension are all unique to Jard’s design.
After a lengthy conversation with them, I was excited to hear that in their testing, factory-loaded ammo did not cause tip deformation-something many AR-10 Creedmoors on the market struggle with.
That’s a big deal, especially for those who want to shoot 22 Creedmoor but don’t want to lug around the full weight of a standard AR-10 when hunting. According to Jard, the estimated finished weight of the rifle is right around 7 Ibs, which is very respectable for this configuration.
One area I plan to optimize is the buffer spring and gas system, particularly to tune it for clean, reliable suppressed shooting. This will take some trial and error, but it’s likely we’ll run a +3 or +4 length gas system.
The goal is to extend dwell time, helping reduce the issues high-pressure rounds face-specifically when the chamber is still under pressure as the spent round is being extracted.
We plan to make this platform run reliably with factory ammo in the 70-80 grain projectile range. One receiver set is already on the way for testing.
Here’s what we know so far about pricing:
Receiver set: $850 Barrels: Estimated around $650
Most other components are AR-15 compatible, except the buffer tube. With all the options available for handguards, triggers, etc., the final cost of a complete build will vary.
Once we complete and validate our test build, we’ll finalize pricing and explore doing a group order for the first batch.
If you have any questions or want to stay in the loop, feel free to reach out. We’re excited about this project- bringing a high-performance, factory-supported varmint round like the 22 Creedmoor into a compact, semi-automatic package is something we’ve been wanting to offer for a while.
Hornady is bringing back two cartridges that were way ahead of their time: the .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM.
Built with short, fat cases, they deliver magnum-like speed in a compact, short-action rifle – perfect for modern predator and long-range hunters.
Why it matters:
Short, wide cases burn powder more efficiently Higher FPS in shorter barrels (great for suppressed rifles) More consistent pressures = better accuracy Ideal for heavy, high-BC bullets
Bonus for reloaders:
Hornady’s move means new-production brass is finally back! Reloaders can now take full advantage of these underrated rounds with modern powders and bullet designs.
Whether you’re chasing coyotes at distance or just want something different that hits hard and flat – WSSM is officially back.
We’ve made some updates to our Shop Page to make it more user friendly. You’ll also be able to find Ready to Ship items.
Take a look and let us know if there’s anything you think could be improved or if something isn’t working the way it should. We appreciate the feedback!
I’ve been talking to a few action companies about building a custom action to my specs.
I get 2-3 calls a week from folks asking what action l’d recommend for their first custom rifle build. Truth is-l usually don’t know how to answer that, because I’m just as undecided as everyone else.
Brand doesn’t mean much to me. I’m more of a function/feature and fit/finish guy.
Action Features:
60° or 75° bolt throw Mechanical ejection (no spring-loaded plungers) Vertical controlled round feed Toolless bolt disassembly Third lug orientation: Lug must point up. When it points down (like Aero’s), it removes too much material from the feed ramp-which causes long, skinny .22-cal bullets to slam into the breech
Construction Preferences:
Integrated recoil lug Pinned scope rail with swappable MOA options (thermal hunters will appreciate this) Headspace tight enough to support pre-fit barrels Enlarged loading port for easy single-round top One-piece bolt (floating heads tend to bind)
