Coyote Capable?

R

roy reali

New member
Would you consider the .380ACP cartridge capable of taking a coyote cleanly? I realize the range will have to be short and bullet placement precise, but if that is done, how effective would it be?

In my desert exploration adventures I sometimes carry a pistol in this round. Coyotes are probably the most common creatures that could cause a problem. I also take my dog along. While a coyote is very unlikely to mess with a human, dogs are a different story.

If you were going to have a .380ACP in coyote country, what type of load would be best?
 
On my trapline I dispatch coyotes with a 22 lr using cheap bulk ammo. I dont see why the 380 wouldnt work for shots under 10-15 yards if you put the bullet in the right place. As far as bullet type I have no idea on that one, youd think your SD round would penetrate and mushroom good enough.
 
I like Cor-Bon DPX ammo. I have shot an antelope and mule deer with this load and had in excess of 15" of penatration and textbook expansion.
 
it doesnt matter the bullet type
shot is placed and you hit where you want its dead maybe not right away but itll be dead in about 150 -200 yards even if its a lung shot real low that heart pumps hard on the run it will die
but your chances in my experience slim but maybe out of a tree stand while hunting
but in packs or groups and say you are camping without a camp fire attacks could happen they kill mule deer larger than some guys ive seen so you never know
 
I don't see why a .380 wouldn't work fine on a coyote. I'd likely use FMJ myself and don't see why it wouldn't do the job.
 
I see no reason why a .380 would have an issue with a coyote. But......get a bigger dog that you don't have to worry about becoming a snack for lord's sake! :D

LK
 
Hey, it worked for Texas governor Rick Perry...

I guess a rabid coyote might be a problem, but any non-ailing coyote is going to run away ASAP...
 
re:ArtEatman

I guess a rabid coyote might be a problem, but any non-ailing coyote is going to run away ASAP...
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I agree, but we do have a good population of feral dogs. I worry about those more. I have on several occassions seen a dog staring at us from a ridge. I usualy take a shot at the dirt below him, far enough as to not cause any harm to the canine. That causes them to hurry along.
 
Would you consider the .380ACP cartridge capable of taking a coyote cleanly?
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I wouldn't worry too much about taking cleanly. You aren't hunting, you are using a pistol to stop a threat. Ethics go out the window at that point. Punching holes in it will likely stop the threat and I don't doubt the .380 is capable of punching holes in yote hide. Dying "cleanly" is the 'yote's problem. Your problem is to avoid attack and a possible case of rabies.
 
Sorry about the confusion - I thought you meant feral, and not a stray. I have been in areas that had actual feral dogs that pack together. Pretty easy to tell them from a stray.
 
I shot some feral dogs with a 380 and was distinctly unimpressed !! Same with 'chucks etc. I got something bigger to carry after that !!
 
Mete, what do you mean exactly? Because iI've shot deer with a 30-06 only to see them run away at lightening speed 100 yards, and then fall over dead with a 2 1/2" exit wound. So do you mean they just took off and ran, or it lacked penetration?
 
A .380 will kill a coyote, but if you are shooting a pocket pistol with a 3" barrel, hitting one will be your biggest issue, they are very fast, elusive, and in long grass they are mostly hidden. If your intent is to let one latch onto your arm and burry the muzzle in its fur a pocket pistol is a good choice. A coyote can run 37 mph tops, which is 54 feet per second, that would be hard to hit with an 8" barrell.
 
+1 spclPatrolGroup
If it make contact, the .380 would do the job.
There have been many coyotes put down with a 22lr.
 
I've taken one with a .22 LR, and one with a .22 mag (and others with larger calibers). At the appropriate distance (one at which you can hit the coyote), I don't see why the 380 wouldn't do the trick. It's all in shot placement. Yes, a good lung or heart shot would work, but the 380 is fully capable of breaking a shoulder bone or spine giving you less tracking and a more decisive knockdown potential. Head shot is an option too. Good luck!
 
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