My dad and I were doing some work around his place today, and when we got done, we came inside to cool down for awhile (we had a 97 degree day today in South Georgia with high humidity). As I sat in my chair looking out the window, I picked up movement on a tree line about 100 yards away. I grabbed a set of binoculars and looked to see that it was a coyote eating something and rolling on the ground. I won’t say it shocked me, as my dad lives pretty far out in the country and you can hear them barking at night. But this is the first time we’ve ever actually seen one, much less at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, in broad daylight, with no bait or calling of any kind. We had already done a little target shooting before we came inside so dad’s rifle was already by the door. His AR is set-up with 3-9 scope, so I grabbed it and slowly headed outside with him following close behind...not thinking about the fact that he was using 55 grain FMJ’s. I snuck up to within 60 yards of the yote, and took an offhand shot aiming center of mass just behind the front shoulder. I thought I noticed it jump, but my dad confirmed that it had in fact jumped 2 feet in the air before tearing off into the woods. After walking up to try to find blood, there was none to be found. No blood, no hair, etc. To the experienced coyote hunters out there, do they generally jump up after being hit, similar to deer? Is it possible the FMJ just zipped through and would leave a nonexistent blood trail? We followed in the direction it ran for 125-150 yards before things got too thick. I may head back out there tomorrow to try and look again.

No clue?

You probably impacted the ground near it and scared it?

I've only used 22LR on coyotes.

Very possible it zipped right through him OP.  Yotes are tougher than they look.  Last one I shot with FMJ did the same thing.  Flipped a couple of times after jumping about 2 feet in the air and took off.  Never saw any blood or anything at the shoot site.  We found it a week later about 200 yards away.  Review of the shot video through the scope it looked like it went right through the heart.  It'll work, but ballistic tips work quicker (usually).

Good job nonetheless.  The only good yote is a dead yote...

ETA - have had good luck with Hornady 55gr TAP and lately been using Nosler 40gr BTs that supposidly traveling at 3700FPS MV (according to Nosler).  Shooting out of a 10.5 inch upper though so that slows it down a bit I'm sure.  The 55's seem to put them down a tad "quicker" than the 40's.....need more data though (yotes shot) to make a difinitive conclusion though.

I thought this might be the case. I told Dad to keep an eye out over the next few days in case buzzards start to circle. I may still head out there tomorrow and see if I can find anything. I’m going to try to get a few boxes of ballistic tips in case any more show up. And ain’t that the truth on the dead yote part lol. We have a lot of deer and quail in the area, so we definitely need to keep the population under control.

the one and only coyote I ever shot, dropped like a sack of bricks from a double tap of XM193 at 50 yards...not sure if he needed 2 but that's what he got seeing how he was on the run.

FMJ will kill any coyote, but there are obviously far better options available. M193 typical has several inches of neck (it sometimes passes through completely and sometimes yaws within a couple of inches), but on smaller game it won’t even upset much of the time. You have the right idea with ballistic tips. I like the 77gr TMK for any sized game, but 55gr ballistic tips will work wonders on coyotes as well.

I probably should have tried to put another one in him. Shocked me how fast they are. It was gone before I could blink.

I’m wondering if this is what happened, and if the yote has 5.56 sized entrance and exit holes in its chest cavity. I know the damage they can do, but it kills the hunter in me to not recover an animal.

I've tagged coyotes with 55 gr. numerous times.  One trotted off a good 80 yards at an almost normal gait, that was with no lungs left.  

Tough little critters.

I’m betting that it is. If the m193 fragged like it should have, that yote would have been DRT or would have died very shortly after. It’s always tough to lose an animal, but at least now you know that FMJ can be a gamble. At first I was thinking that the FMJ might have been traveling too slowly, but m193 should definitely still frag out at 60 yards out of anything longer than an 11.5” AR.

True. I figured out of a 16” barrel, even at 60 yards, it should still be at 2,800 FPS or so. But, with one of the extra mags my dad has laying around, one of them is going to be loaded with some form of ballistic tip here soon.

I’m realizing they weren’t the push-overs I originally thought they were. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are much better ammo choices for the job, but I had this idea of them being these super frail animals. I’m not saying they’re tanks, but it looks like sometimes they can take a beating and keep ticking.

Aint that the truth!

I am not being rude but I think you might have missed the Coyote. You know when you hit them they yelp and scream and spin . I hunt them professionally with a .223  the majority of the time and have used 55-grain ball to kill them but have killed them with .308 .224 Valkury, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, .22 LR, .22 Magnum, 12 Gauge with #4 shot. I have eradicated Hogs & Coyotes professionally and have had several contacts with the County & State Governments private lands Farms where crops or domestic farm animals are being destroyed. I like to shoot the  Fiocchi Extrema .223 Remington, V-MAX, 50 Grain  Muzzle Velocity: 3,300 FPS, Muzzle Energy: 1,208 ft.-lbs. I found this factory ammo to perform well on Coyotes it's a smoking fast accurate round.
Both these coyotes were killed at about 80 yards with 55-grain Military Ball ammo out of a PSA AR-15 with a 20" Barrel 1:7 twist you can see what 55-grain Military ball ammo does to coyotes.

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Killed at dusk

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killed in the late after noon

It somewhat hurts to see animals that resemble dogs in such condition, but then I remember what they tried to do to my 10lb maltipoo. Very nice pictures. It goes to show that m193 will still demolish coyotes even if it's not as consistent as other options. How did the 50gr VMAX compare in terms of wounds?

The Coyote is not a dog! Its a vicious and dangerous animal when it runs with 15 other Coyotes the have taken Cats, Dogs, Calfs, Lambs, Sheep, Goats , Deer , Horses, not to mention the wild bird population of ground-nesting birds and other wildlife and yes some small fully grown Humans as well as young children. The  V-MAX is like a grenade total devastation. People don't understand the Destructive power of the .223  has 55-grain ball going a 3,300 fps hits a target at 80 yards it's still moving at better than 3 grand and when it hits the coyote it explodes leaving a walnut-size exit . The coyote lets out a yelp and spins in a circle and falls dead. In some states, some counties have a bounty on Coyotes that's how bad they have become. In my state, you don't need a big game license to hunt Coyotes or Feral Hogs only a standard hunting license. There is no season on Hogs or Coyotes you can hunt 365 days a year and 24 / 7. If you night hunt you need to have the landowner apply to the DNR officer for a Depredation permit and add your name on it carry a copy on your person along with your hunting license , DNR will check you from time to time while you are night hunting to make sure you are not poaching any game animals ( Pigs & Coyotes, No deer at night unless you have a depredation permit for deer). I hunt safe , I shoot straight, I kill clean, I apologize to no one ! Hunting these animals requirers Great Skill & Patience, discipline, and knowledge of the animals & their signs , their tracks, The tides weather and moon phase all have an effect on wildlife. Sent control, cover sent, I use cottontail rabbit urine it covers my sent and attracts the coyote keeps his mind on a rabbit. There is a lot more to it and I learned more and more as the years have gone by and I am still learning. I also trap Coyotes and Hogs with foot snares (live trap), Neck Snares (kill trap), and drop door (live traps )where I catch as many as 30 hogs at once. Then I take my .22 Revolver or Pistol and dispatch the live animals. In my state, you cant sell wild game meat but you can give it away In 1 year I donated 1,700 pounds of processed pork to the needy Coyotes go to the gut pile for the buzzards and worms to eat , In my state, you can't transport any live wild animal to relocate it or take it as a pet or keep for farm stock and integrate it in with your Domestic Hogs they all must be Dispatched before Transport. Any Hog over 300 lbs goes to the gut pile as they are no good for consumption unless you cook and process it for Dog Food.

I hit one broadside in the rib cage with Federal XM193 at about 40 yards out of a 16" barrel.
He was not very impressed with the terminal effects, ran over 500yds without slowing down before he disappeared into the brush.

Hit another with a .17 WSM 25 gr at 135 yards. Knocked him down and saw a good blood spot, but he got up and ran off anyway.
They can be tough.

Probably pass through. They are amazingly tough animals. I shot one two years ago with a muzzleloader. 250 grain bullet. it was moving so the shot hit right behind the shoulder and blew out the other side. It ran probably 50 yards through the woods before falling over. I also shot one with a .243 that was a complete pass through and that one ran a ways before falling over.

I don’t think you’re being rude at all! And honestly, the thought had definitely run through my mind more than once. I know no two animals will react the same way to being shot, but the “jump” in the air reminded me of multiple broadside/double lung shots on deer where they tend to “donkey kick”. Again, not a perfect example but I wasn’t sure if coyotes might react similarly.

No clue OP. Only time I went coyote hunting we used dogs.

Well if you are ever up in Burke County near Augusta give me a call I will put out the Primous electronic call and we will waste some Coyotes. I have placed a poor shot on a Coyote but he only ran about 60 yards but I only found him because the buzzards found him first. I have double lung shot deer and it ran 100 yards and laid down. I wait and listen for about 15 minutes before I go looking sometimes I have found very little blood the animal will follow the path of least resistance and head toward a water source when injured. But 500 yards? That sounds like a slight wound where the bullet skint the animal. I had a little kid rump shoot a deer and it went only about 100 yards but the bullet entered the chest cavity and the artery in the rump allowed the Deer to Bleed out. The trick is don't go right away to look for the deer I learned this archery hunting just sit tight 15 minutes make note of where the animal was when hit him I put out 4' engineering stakes a few days before I hunt an area I place 1 at 50 yards 1 at 100 yards and 1 at 200 yards and 1 at 300 yards on the stake I put 7" plastic orange tape so I can see it also it helps to read the wind so when the game enters the hunting area I know the distance and can use hold off for wind.  The proof is in the photos 5.56mm 55-grain ball is deadly with a direct hit and when it hits a rib bone its total devastation the coyote goes down DRT dead right there no running or getting away. I have shot some I thought I hit but I missed , I have even seen them yelp and spin but it was a clear close miss as I seen the bullet impact the dirt.

I have never seen dogs that hunt Coyotes. I have seen Dogs used with Feral Hogs. I use electronic calls and Cotton Tail Rabbit decoy and Cotton Tail Rabbit urine for attractant . Mainly sit in a ground blind or a ladder stand at night with night vision.

Go watch one of those thermal scope ads for hunting.   Just from what I watched only one in ten fell over near where they were shot.   Most bolted and ran 80 to a couple hundred yards.


They are dead dogs running though if you hit them right.

Nice shooting but both of your shots are CNS killers.  Not the same as a shoulder double lung shot.  

I may take you up on that at some point. We’re going to be moving closer to McDonough here in the next little while.

I have about 1000 acres access off River road in Burke County I have done a number on the population of both Coyotes & Hogs .

I've shot coyotes with M193, (only thing I had with me) on a shoulder hit it made huge mess. I suspect though if you miss a bone the bullet might not frag. I prefer 60 grain VMax for the 223/5/56.

They are tuff critters if you don't hit bone or CNS.  I shot one last year with 55 grain fmj out of an A2 at 50 yards.  I know I hit him because he did the BARK, spin and bite the area that hurt, and run off.  Looked for it when I got home from work and found nothing.  Found it later that year while deer hunting.  Made it about 50 yards.  Most of the other I've shot got a 55grain Winchester  hollow point or Fiochi ballistic tip to the shoulder.  They all barked, spun, and died within 20 yards.

Went out again Monday to try to see if I could find anything, but was unsuccessful. So, I got dad’s rifle zeroed with some 55 grain soft points and told him if he sees anything else to use those instead. That’s not me crapping on the FMJ’s and their possible effectiveness, but I think something that has some expansion might serve better. I did an “after action report” on myself and came to the conclusion that I should have made the attempt to get in a better shooting position that was more stable than just trying to make the hit off handed and standing. I tried to recreate the same circumstances Monday, and while I was able to hit the paper target dead on, that doesn’t mean I made a successful hit on the coyote. As hunters, we deal with the hand we’re given. But the day could come where, instead of a coyote and 5.56, it’s an 8 point buck and a 30-06 (obviously not using FMJ’s).

I've killed a lot of yotes... they are not hard to kill per se, but they are not a big target. It's easy to wound one.

Sounds like you missed, like already mentioned, when hit they yelp, bark, and spin like crazy. If the yote jumped straight up, most likely you missed.

Below are some videos, I've since changed thermal scopes and just got back set up for recording.

It's a dog, bud. That's what dogs do. Canines are predators. Get 15 50lb labs together and let them get hungry. They'll go kill shit too. Why do you think we have so many breeds of hunting dog? God even let's them interbreed. My dog will howl back at coyotes, so they must be speaking a very similar language.

As far as I can tell, once you take the skin off, they're nearly indistinguishable from "dogs".

Don't feel bad that they're only a hundred thousand years or less from being Fido. I'll give my dogs belly rubs and treats, then have no issues blowing a coyotes head off.

Aren't wild hogs in the Americas only about 500yrs of selective breeding away from being pork chops at Kroger?

I concur with the rest of your post (except I don't know shit about your hunting laws down south).

Oh, ETA: OP, you definitely could've missed and scared the fuck out of it, or maybe you hit it clean. No telling. You were using ball ammo... if you landed that shot with a vmax or similar, I bet you'd have a dead coyote within 100yds.

Which exact load were you using? I believe some of the commercial loads have thicker jackets which seriously damper fragmentation. The 16" barrel should still have enough velocity under 150yds to cause frag. I've tested wolf gold on deer neck at 10 yards from a 16". The two bullets both tumbled, but upon disassembly, no fragments were found. No major bone hit, all flesh. I'd like to think they'd grenade if I had hit bone.

When I said not a Dog I meant it to be understood as not a Family Pet Dog yes  I agree the VMAX is a good choice and yes some states have different laws but here season on coyotes is open 24 / 7 365 days a year. but during the deer season, you have to have the depredation permit at night for hunting coyotes. I have shot them with .223 55 grain military ball and the Vmax is very explosive. .308  125 grain SST .224 Valkyrie & 6.5 Grendel also perform well.

I've shot many yotes, not all yelp & spin.

And they are really tough critters. Most remarkable was a 200 yd shot on one out my back door. I had a good rest, my long range precision/ hunting rifle (Rem 700, 308, suppressed) and time to make a good shot bc she was after a critter in a brushpile. I quietly opened the back window, laid out on the table and squeezed one off on a perfect broadside shot. The coyote didn't react at all, just ran to the fence and tried to climb it like a human would climb a ladder. I cycled the bolt and drove another round right between her shoulder blades as she was climbing the fence. She fell off backwards and never moved. Did I mention I had just woke up and I had not dressed myself yet? I got dressed, had a bite to eat, put on my suppressed 22 handgun I normally use for vermin and when checking snares and went to get her; about 20 minutes had passed. She wasn't where she fell off the fence, she was 40 yds down and when I got about 15 ft away she lept out of the grass and took off running. I unloaded a magazine of 22 into her which finally convinced her that life was over. I was able to find both of the 308 shots. Her little body didn't offer much in the way of mass for expansion of the Remington Core-Lokt soft-point but both hits were vitals shots. She was just 1 tough SOB.

I also had a lone male that was slowly stalking some deer (likely just playing around). I didn't get as clean of a shot. I put 1 in the chest quartering toward, opened him up like a can of biscuits, entrails dragging around and such. Thing jumped (like if i said "boo!" to a child) but never yelped and never ran.

This one sounded like a miss.  I've shot them with FMJ, and had to shoot them multiple times due to the rounds over penetrating and not doing enough damage.

I switched to 55gr SP long ago, always works.  As long as you hit them!

Could have missed or zipped right though. I hit 3 on my last hog hunt that blew through them (7.62x39 soft point) no spinning or ass biting like I get with my varmegeddons at home. I thought I missed, but we found tons of blood and could hear the smack on the video play back. All 3 of them barely flinched