A reported "Very Accurate Load," is the 70 grain Sierra BlitzKing with 40.8-grains 'Max load' of RL-15, Federal 210 primers.  I am considering trying this load for coyotes, if you try it, let me know how it shoots. Start at 38.8 grains and work up -- while checking for pressures.

[NEW] Today, Monday, 03/24/03, I went to the Prairie du Chien Rod and Gun Club rifle range to switch scopes on my rifles and then sight them in. While at the range I visited with another .243 Winchester man from Iowa. He had dropped a lot deer when he lived in WI with a .243 Win. He dropped the deer "at 400 yards" with his .243 Win with a 75 grain HP bullet. The bullet hit below the top line of the deer's back of the shoulders. The deer only went a very few yards before dropping stone dead. Shot placement is always critical with any bullet weight, --that light weight HP bullet has a low .217 B.C. would only have around 600 ft/lbs. or less of energy remaining at that range.

Many thanks to Lonnie Hummel with Hornady ballistics for the .330 B.C. rating of this 75gr.  bullet. Lonnie says, Hornady is introducing a new 6 mm cal. 95 gr. Super Shock Tipped SST bullet with a flat base at .335 B.C.,[ which has been available since mid-August, 2002.]  This ought to be a good deer slayer in the .243 Win., and 6mm Rem. I'm testing it in both my 243 Winchester and 243/06 Wildcat. I hope more of you will test this new 6mm bullet and report your results to me. It groups beter in my 243/06 or 6mm-06 Wildcat.

Running shots should only be taken under Safe Shooting Conditions! Be alert, and never take a running shot unless shooting safety conditions are right, proper terrain and background to stop the bullet, no buildings, livestock, or people anywhere in the area, etc.! Limit yourself to your moving target shooting skill levels, -- which will usually be 100 yards or less.

When printing tables use .12" side and bottom margins. In all tables: Lead is always in feet, wind drift and trajectory is always in inches. Running shots 90º angle, halve for 45º angle. Figure all leads from chest.

MOA is .25" per click at 100 yards,  with the inches per click at various yardage's shown on the row below Range in yards. Animals at 300 yards or more will usually give you time to zero at those yardage's. You have to decide at  what yardage you feel you need to adjust for drop or windage. If you see any errors on my chart, let me know!

An Illuminated Mil Dot reticule is the best for accurate judging of ranges and providing hold on increments with which to adjust for drop and windage without using manual clicks. These scopes should greatly improve your ultra long range scoring abilities and facilitate dawn and dusk hits on coyotes and other varmints.

I worked up these charts to give you a general idea of what it takes to gauge the speed, angle, and approximate lead required to make a killing shot on a coyote, or on that once in a lifetime trophy buck that is headed for thick cover if you don't drop him before he gets there!

Additional difficulty factors: uneven terrain creates real problems and on longer shots hold over adds to the difficulties.

There ought to be variable speed moving targets on every rifle and handgun shooting range. The target system should be movable to various ranges and run at various angles. Practice is essential to improve those shooting skills and to further determine each individuals range limits on running game. Remember that nearly everything that is shot, with a shotgun's shot pattern, is running or flying and those shooting skills vary a great deal between individuals due to numerous factors, with practice being a major one.

Start at the shorter ranges until you become more proficient and then move to longer ranges, limiting yourself to reasonable shooting ranges of 100 yards or less. If you will visualize these leads in your mind, you can build the coordinates in your brain to develop an intuitive visual sense of where to hold under any shooting condition without having to refer to a ballistics charts.

Darrell     udarrell

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