Here are two coyotes that I called in last Sunday.
This is the first coyote I made a perfect hit on him at about 50 yards with my .204 with a 40grain VMAX no pelt damage at all.
The second coyote did not have quite as clean of a death. I got a little to excited.
Also i will never fire my .204 through even a little bit of trees. The bullet fraged out and took out one leg and grazed the other. I will not take that shot again.
You have to be careful with the 204. I shoot a 40grain V-Max also and took a coyote at close range head on, hit him square in the face and it never even knocked him down. He continued his charge, until the last five feet when I hit him again in the chest. I first shot took his bottom jaw, range his bell and generally pissed him off. It took the second shot to stop him. The 204 is a great cartridge, it has limitations, as do most, shot placement is crucial. If a caller had something a bit larger respond to the call, say a mountain lion, as I have, you could be under gunned. After that I always carry a side-arm. I will continue to hunt with the 204, but I respect its limits.
Anyone can kill a deer, it takes a man to kill a varmint -Ben Lilly
I shoot the 32 grain V-max and have had great luck. I'm not all together sure about a coyote getting hit in the head with a 40 grain pill doing 4000 ft/sec and continuing it's charge
But yes going through ANY brush you will be in trouble.