Coyote with a 1911?
- Thread starter Fatelvis
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Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Well, you'd be limited pretty much to daytime, which ain't the best time for most coyote hunting.
And, limited to close range, as well.
However, if you're really good at calling them in, and choose the right time of the month for moonrise/moonlight--they're more active in daylight when there's a lot of moon--you could get them close enough, I guess.
I'd call it a sport for the highly skilled.
Art
And, limited to close range, as well.
However, if you're really good at calling them in, and choose the right time of the month for moonrise/moonlight--they're more active in daylight when there's a lot of moon--you could get them close enough, I guess.
I'd call it a sport for the highly skilled.
Art
Yes, I have taken a number of coyotes with my Colt Officers Model and 185 grain handloads.
All were taken while calling in heavy brush. The terrain was flat desert in mesquite groves. Average shot was probably over five yards and less than 10. Call was a Johnney Stewart electronic caller with a rabbit in distress tape. I am not an expert coyote hunter. I have hunted them by calling and also by spotlighting them at night. When calling, I normally set up in thick brush and hunt with handguns. When I first tryed my hand at it, I took along both a rifle and a pistol. After all, we have all seen varmint rifles in the magazines and catalogs, and I was varmint hunting. I found that a scoped rifle is all but useless in this senario. My hunting buddy does OK with his CAR15. In this thick brush you can't see further than maybe 10 yards. If they are further than that, I wouldn't be able to see them. Using the electronic caller, we put the speaker away from where we are sitting. The coyotes normally run right to the speaker. It is only a question of the route they choose to get there. I would guess that the vast majority of them come in downwind and we never see them. I have sat atop a distant hill and watched this all unfold as my buddy called.
One note on the 1911. Every coyote I shot appeared to be slammed to the ground and never regained it's feet regardless of where it was hit. None even made an effort to stand. I have hit several too far back and they were very much alive but none even tried to get up. I have taken several coyotes with 9mm handguns and none dropped on the spot. Several required multiple shots dispite good boiler room hits. My preferred handgun for coyotes is my Ruger Blackhawk in .357 mag using 110 grain JHPs at just under 2000 fps.
When spotlighting or night hunting, a scoped rifle is a must, not an option. In heavy brush, I choose the handgun. If you just wanted to shoot them without the sport angle, I guess a short shotgun would be the ultimate. That doesn't appeal to me personally.
All were taken while calling in heavy brush. The terrain was flat desert in mesquite groves. Average shot was probably over five yards and less than 10. Call was a Johnney Stewart electronic caller with a rabbit in distress tape. I am not an expert coyote hunter. I have hunted them by calling and also by spotlighting them at night. When calling, I normally set up in thick brush and hunt with handguns. When I first tryed my hand at it, I took along both a rifle and a pistol. After all, we have all seen varmint rifles in the magazines and catalogs, and I was varmint hunting. I found that a scoped rifle is all but useless in this senario. My hunting buddy does OK with his CAR15. In this thick brush you can't see further than maybe 10 yards. If they are further than that, I wouldn't be able to see them. Using the electronic caller, we put the speaker away from where we are sitting. The coyotes normally run right to the speaker. It is only a question of the route they choose to get there. I would guess that the vast majority of them come in downwind and we never see them. I have sat atop a distant hill and watched this all unfold as my buddy called.
One note on the 1911. Every coyote I shot appeared to be slammed to the ground and never regained it's feet regardless of where it was hit. None even made an effort to stand. I have hit several too far back and they were very much alive but none even tried to get up. I have taken several coyotes with 9mm handguns and none dropped on the spot. Several required multiple shots dispite good boiler room hits. My preferred handgun for coyotes is my Ruger Blackhawk in .357 mag using 110 grain JHPs at just under 2000 fps.
When spotlighting or night hunting, a scoped rifle is a must, not an option. In heavy brush, I choose the handgun. If you just wanted to shoot them without the sport angle, I guess a short shotgun would be the ultimate. That doesn't appeal to me personally.
Coyotes are a most challenging animal. You need to have good hunting skills. Bringing them in close is even tougher, but quite possible. This includes proper setup of your call stand and good camo. You need heavy brush where they have to get in close before they see you and your call. This does not mean that you can't hunt in an "open land" habitat, you just have to find a layout where there is enough brush area where the coyotes have to get into the brush to see where your call noises are coming from. Otherwise the coyote will see you from hundreds of yards out and never come in close enough for your pistol.
Other than that, there is no reason you can't hunt coyote with a 1911. I use a 10mm Glock quite often as well as a .45 caliber 1911.
It is not legal to hunt in the night time where I am so you have to develope the strategies and skills to bring them in during the daylight, and see them before they see you. Hunting them at night is a piece of cake and I wish that I could do that as well. They have somewhat poor nightvision and, at night, they will come up within several feet of you to identify you and your call (unless they smell you and run....but not all coyotes run at the smell of humans).
Other than that, there is no reason you can't hunt coyote with a 1911. I use a 10mm Glock quite often as well as a .45 caliber 1911.
It is not legal to hunt in the night time where I am so you have to develope the strategies and skills to bring them in during the daylight, and see them before they see you. Hunting them at night is a piece of cake and I wish that I could do that as well. They have somewhat poor nightvision and, at night, they will come up within several feet of you to identify you and your call (unless they smell you and run....but not all coyotes run at the smell of humans).
Here in Illinois, at least where I Pheasant hunt, it`s all agricultural farm land and hedgerows. I`ve seen Coyotes almost every time I`ve been hunting for something else, and they`re usually within 50-100 yds. (I havent seen a rabbit in about 5-6 yrs., there, and the Pheasants seem to be less plentiful, too) ) I know I can consistantly hit a Coyote-sized target, out to 100 yds, with my Kimber. I figure it would be a gass, and a challange. I`ve hunted them in the past with a scoped bolt rifle, and calling, but it doesnt seem to work as well as the western boys claim. "Driving" them, like shotgun deerhunting, seems to be most productive around here. I`ll let you know how it goes!
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I was out one night with a friend on his ranch down in south Texas. We came around a bend in the road and there was a hog about 50 yards away standing doing the deer in a headlight imitation. My buddy a true blue retired naval fight officer drew his trusty 1911 officers model loaded with 230 gr fmjs and fired from over the windshield of the jeep. I saw the bullet hit the road about 20 feet short of the hog and then watched the hog go into immediate funky chicken mode and drop G.Y.D (grave yard dead). Hit right through the left eye.
So heck yes I'd use a 1911 on coyotes or any other varmint just know what your skip angle is for long range shooting.
So heck yes I'd use a 1911 on coyotes or any other varmint just know what your skip angle is for long range shooting.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Years back, there was a Highway Patrol guy who worked out of Marfa. Now, in that part of Texas, there's not a lot of traffic at night. So, as an anti-boredom device, he'd call coyotes up to his patrol car and pop them with his service revolver.
, Art
, Art