Which 223 bullet to preserve hide?

[kooch]

I use 55gr v-max here around the farm for general use. While I have no experience with bobcats, I can tell you it’ll cut full grown skunks and raccoons almost clean in half at very close range.


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[Hal4son]

I've shot a lot of bobcats but mine seem to run larger than the national average. Most running 28-32 lbs and I don't see much difference in fragility to a normal coyote.
If you want to save hides with no real damage...use a shotgun.

 

[Wagondriver]

I wonder how many making suggestions for use on coyotes or bobcats have actually got more than one or two data points.
This question comes up all the time on every forum. I have killed a couple hundred coyotes, 55gr vmax is my bullet of choice. I have tried many others, and killed enough with each to determine unsuitability for truly saving fur. I am not talking about getting a coyote tanned to throw over the couch, I am talking about selling fur year after year. I have not killed that many bobcats, probably only a dozen or so. Their skin is thinner than a coyote, an average one is about 2/3 the size of an average coyote.

I even tried (decades ago) the heavily constructed bullet to pencil in and through. It may work now and then, but is not a reliable way to get a quick kill or a save a hide.

Coyotes: I run 55gr vmax at 3050, front on shots have only a 22 caliber entrance which you can go through when you split the hide unless you are casing them. Broadside shots give the same entrance and almost never exit, I've only ever had one exit, that was at 35 yards. Kills from 35 yards to just over 600. Most in the 200 range.

Bobcats: 223's are pretty hard on them. A perfectly centered front on shot usually results in a near perfect hide. But if the shot is offset at all or angled slightly it usually blows out the far side pretty bad.

I asked my taxidermist what he shot bobcats with. Whatever he has with him was the answer. If I were going out specifically for bobcats, I would take a 17. Like the 17 hornet or 17 Mach IV.

 

[BigNate]

I guess I should explain my recommendation.

I myself have probably 10 or so bobcats I've taken with a .223 for the most part. One with a 22-250 I remember pretty clearly, one I remember with a 257 Roberts. There may have been a few more with a 22-250 but not remarkable enough to bring distinction. My father probably can double that number before he passed, and there were a few strays taken randomly. I couldn't begin to guess how many coyotes I've killed. We used to sell 150 to 200 pelts per year.

I don't think cats or coyotes are much different. I always tried to avoid the shoulder, seemed if you hit a little high we'd get some bigger holes, even with bullets that usually only had a tiny entrance.
The Speer bullet I recommended was not one to exit that I can remember. The vmax hadn't been invented yet, but it was preceeded by the sx , which was great if not pushed hard. Too fast it would cause a big entrance ejection. Slowed down it to would enter, blow up, and not exit.
I had mixed results with most others we tried. Light ballistic tips did ok most of the time, but the 55gr not so much. It was fine on deer though.

One thing to mention is the balance of velocity and bullet construction. Most of my experience is with called in animals at close range. Sometimes the same bullet that works perfectly at a distance was terrible up close, and vice-versa.
Oddly enough, the 257 Roberts was quite good with 75gr Hornady hp running a little hot by the book. I don't remember it exiting either on any coyotes or on the one bobcat I did get with it.

If bobcat were my main target and range short I'd be happy to use a 22mag with the 30gr vmax.

I can tell you we sewed up quite a few when trying different bullets.

I'll see if I can snap a pic of the Speer HP. It's no joke.

 

[bigsky_hunter]

I wonder how many making suggestions for use on coyotes or bobcats have actually got more than one or two data points.
This question comes up all the time on every forum. I have killed a couple hundred coyotes, 55gr vmax is my bullet of choice. I have tried many others, and killed enough with each to determine unsuitability for truly saving fur. I am not talking about getting a coyote tanned to throw over the couch, I am talking about selling fur year after year. I have not killed that many bobcats, probably only a dozen or so. Their skin is thinner than a coyote, an average one is about 2/3 the size of an average coyote.

I even tried (decades ago) the heavily constructed bullet to pencil in and through. It may work now and then, but is not a reliable way to get a quick kill or a save a hide.

Coyotes: I run 55gr vmax at 3050, front on shots have only a 22 caliber entrance which you can go through when you split the hide unless you are casing them. Broadside shots give the same entrance and almost never exit, I've only ever had one exit, that was at 35 yards. Kills from 35 yards to just over 600. Most in the 200 range.

Bobcats: 223's are pretty hard on them. A perfectly centered front on shot usually results in a near perfect hide. But if the shot is offset at all or angled slightly it usually blows out the far side pretty bad.

I asked my taxidermist what he shot bobcats with. Whatever he has with him was the answer. If I were going out specifically for bobcats, I would take a 17. Like the 17 hornet or 17 Mach IV.

Any experience with 53 Vmax? Or same same as 55?