"Ask the Rabbi" by R. Mermelstein

I just received a CAR-15 from my father to shoot coyotes for the bounty. I have a good coyote round worked up, but I would like to hear your suggestion for a good camp load to defend against the two legged variety varmint.

Chris Jensen

Just for my curiosity, what part of the country do you live in? I wasn't aware that any western counties still paid bounties on coyotes. Either I've been misinformed, or coyotes are making a strong comeback and causing losses to livestock ranchers. Anyway, to answer your question, you are not bound by Geneva or Hague Conventions of Rules for Conducting Civilized Warfare, so there's no reason to use an FMJ bullet. Since you are loading for a CAR-15, a bullet with a cannelure to allow crimping of the case mouth is required. Hornady makes a 55 gr. soft point with a cannelure (#2266). That bullet in front of 26 gr. of W-W 748 should give about 3100 fps with outstanding accuracy. W-W 748 is a perennial favorite for rifles like yours, since the pressure curve generated is ideal for the CAR gas port design. W-W 748 has the added advantage of metering extremely easily and consistently through all types of powder measures. This is a big plus if you use a progressive loader, like the Dillon, RCBS, Lee, or Hornady and each charged case cannot be visually inspected. Dillon Precision (Tel: (800) 223-4570) makes a fine taper crimp die which virtually eliminates the need for all cases to be trimmed to one uniform length. A roll crimp die, if cases vary in length by as much as .005-inch (a page in a magazine is only .004-inch thick), will give inconsistent degrees of crimp which could cause a failure to feed. All conventional .223 seating dies have a built-in roll crimp shoulder machined into them. Don't use it. Using an empty case, adjust such a seating die downward until you feel the case mouth making contact with the crimp shoulder, and back it out one half turn, or 1/24 inch. This will allow the die to seat the bullet without roll crimping. Then, taper crimp as a separate operation. Lee Precision (Tel: (414) 673-3075) offers a "Factory Crimp" die which works a bit differently, but the results are just as good.

Sincerely,

R. Mermelstein