Pilgrim wrote:
In dead coyote terms, please list the MERs for .17REM, .204, & .22-250 and summarize the objective standard you're working from. Thanks in advance.
As ive stated many times on the topic of the .204 as a "coyote gun", I dont care what the "holy" ballistic charts and tables state about the caliber. I base my opinion on the caliber off what ive seen of it in the field, on real live critters. And as far as the .204 goes, from what ive seen of it with the "lighter" bullets it was designed to throw (if you want to shoot a 50 grain bullet, get a .22 cal) it is most definitely NOT the best option out there for open country coyotes.
I have a buddy that bought into the .204 craze, after one weekend of calling I saw enough of it to decide that the caliber is not welcomed in my pickup anymore if we're calling coyotes, period.
You obviously are well versed in ballistics and physics. So you should know full well that energy is only part of the equation in how a bullet performs on a live target. Speed and energy dont mean squat if the bullet design does not utilize that energy to its maximum potential for the intended target. Energy doesn't mean jack if the bullet, and/or its pieces don't retain momentum upon contacting the intended target. Just as a high speed, high energy FMJ that zips completely through will likely do less damage than a slower, lower energy bullet designed to obturate and/or fragment properly for the intended target, the lighter .20 cal bullets are not utilizing the energy efficiently (again, from what ive personally seen). The terminal ballistics of those lighter bullets are not that great, for whatever reason. Most likely because of bullet design. (Im guessing they are very thin jacketed and light based, again, from what Ive seen, surface splashing, they expend their energy quickly and superficially, they do not retain momentum upon contact, ......this is the same reason I prefer Nosler BTs over Hornady V-Maxs in .22 cal 50ish grain, slightly beefier design).
I hear you .204 boys snortin' and fussin' over these "heavier" .20 cal bullets now. But what does zinging a 50ish grain bullet do to your ballistic charts you guys are always quoting? It's trajectory and drift start to drop down to that of a .223 (another dog of a caliber IMO), or lower. So if thats the case, whats the point of shooting the darn thing? I mean, I thought the whole allure of the caliber was its super fast, flat shooting nature? I dont know. Stuffing a 50ish grain bullet into a .204 is kind of like pulling a stock trailer full of bulls with a chevy love.
The .204 will surely kill coyotes. But so will a pellet rifle. Just because it CAN kill a coyote, does not mean its the best tool for the job. Because of this, I will continue to steer guys away from it that are purchasing a rifle specifically for coyotes. There are MUCH better options out there. And yes, shot placement has a great deal of input, but, if you can honestly say you've hit every coyote you've ever killed perfectly, well than, you obviously haven't shot that many coyotes.
I put up 14 coyotes for a guy last year that wanted to get a bunch tanned. He was so proud of his new "black rifle" in .204. Over half those coyotes were sporting multiple holes from multiple hits. He hunted alone, they were all his kills with that rifle.
Ive watched coyotes take a center punch to the chest facing the shooter at what many would call "average" or even "close" range and wheel around burning for the next township like they weren't even touched, and keep on going, and going, and going. I'm sure they died later, maybe days later. But what good is a coyote I cant recover and market?
That is what I base my opinion of the caliber on. Not what some chart or table says its supposed to do.
I shot a .17 Rem for many years when we still had fox. Yes, I even shot a few coyotes with it. But a great coyote caliber it is not. If your buying a rifle for a specific species, why hobble yourself by buying a caliber that only performs for that species under optimum circumstances? If you were buying a rifle specifically to hunt moose, would you choose a .243? Probably not.
I give the .204 credit where credit is due, just as I give, say a .223 credit where credit is due (and for the .223, you can bet its not as a deer caliber). It is a hot little caliber that excels at zipping light bullets very efficiently, and by "efficient" I mean fast and flat (but so does the .17 hmr). Unfortunatly, from what ive seen, those light little bullets just don't perform that great on coyotes. If the fox ever come back in any numbers, you can bet your butt ill own one. It would also be fun to have in a p-dog town around the first week of june. But a bona fide, serious open country coyote gun it is not.
And if the local used racks are any barometer of the .204s popularity, id say the honeymoon is over for the .204, around here, the used racks are full of .204s. (Perfect time to pick one up on the cheap in anticipation of fox making a comeback.......not holding my breath)
To answer your question though, required energy would depend on bullet construction, size, and weight. Bullet performance based on energy is not as "cut and dried" as your trying to make it out to be.
On a side note, I see the "super pro" Les Johnson ditched the .204 and is shooting a .243 now. Must of gotten sick and tired of chasing cripples, screw the sponsors!