Disappointing Results on Broadside Coyotes With the SST

[diggler1833]

Anybody else experience this?

I have plugged a half-dozen coyotes this year through the boiler room, only to have them run off and die a considerable distance frtom where they were shot. I just found the remains of one a few weeks ago while I was looking for a doe I shot (found her quickly).

Lengthwise shots are a whole different story. The bullet has time to open up...and the results are messy to say the least. However I've learned that I have to place the bullet on the shoulder of a coyote in order to anchor it with a broadside shot.

If I hit the heart, death still occurs quickly and the animal is down within seconds, but double lung shots are about as effective as a FMJ. The bullet just doesn't have time to open up I suppose.

*Still going to stick with the SST for general killing...just going to be a bit more wise on where I place the shot on a coyote.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

I was speaking with Chad at Custom Reloads of Dallas about this sort of result. He has had various deer hunters complain over the years about bullets not opening up or not opening up well when going through deer and the deer run a considerable distance after being shot. Come to find out, most of these guys were lung shooters, going with the double shot and were shooting behind the shoulder. The problem here is that the bullet does not have much of a chance to go through tissue that will cause it to open up. There isn't a lot of muscle there and the lung tissue is not dense like muscle, if filled with a lot of empty air space, and just does not give the bullet much resistance to cause it to open or open very much. The animal dies, but farther way that would be liked.

Maybe you are experiencing the same with coyotes? Part of the reason varmint rounds are preferred by some varmint hunters is that they open up faster and with less resistance and hence can work more properly in smaller animals such as coyotes.

I think you made the right decision on trying to anchor through the shoulder. Hitting major bone (humerus, spine) or locomotor (humerus, scapula) bone to help anchor the animal is a good tact.

 

[J BAR K]

My experience is about the same. Also the same when using the S&B 110gr. PTS. Soft tissue and they seem to run, sometimes further than you think they would be capable of running. Whenever possible I’m using the shoulder shot, with much better results with both rounds. Judging by the exit wounds the bullet is just not expanding unless it hits bone or more muscle.

 

[tcr2]

If broadside I third the motion. They may run after a lung shot but if you break the shoulders they are not going anywhere.