What Shot Size for Coyote?

shepherddogs

New member
I've got coyotes coming up close to the house at night and howling up in the woods maybe 75 yards away from the front porch. What do you guys that hunt a lot of coyotes use for shotgun shells. I was thinking some #2s out to about 50 yards would thump em pretty hard. I've tried ambushing them during the day with electronic callers and a 223 but no success. I have a TacStar light mounted on a 12 gauge auto and thought I might be able to slip out the door and get a fast shot off when they come around. Last night I had one get so close I thought he was gonna jump in my pocket. Those howls will make the hair on your neck stand up. I have a few chickens and sometimes my dogs leave food in their bowls and I think this attracts them. They chewed up an old stray dog I took in pretty good and they just seem to get bolder and bolder. What do you Coyote hunters recommend?
 
I'm not a coyote hunter but, I think I would pour the 00-buck to them. Drop them in their tracks and sort evething out in the morning.
 
usually its more like #4 buck, the pattern will be wayyyyy too thin at 50 yards w/ 00 buck. best bet is to pace off the distance and pattern the gun on some cardboard/paper or something you'll be surprised from the results (pattern density, fliers in 00 buck ect) at 75 yards no shot size is good enough IMO i'd just go slugs. foster or sabot if you have a rifled barrel either one is more than enough.
 
#5 3-3.5" loads and an extra full or turkey choke. 00 will not perform at distance. I have anchored them at 50-60 yards with turkey loads no problem. Dead coyote works but is pricey, turkey loads are my top choice for night time coyote calling. You will likely not get off a quick, accurate shot with a slug in the dark under the conditions described.
 
I often shoot called in coyotes with #4 buckshot. It does a good job on coyotes out to 50 yards or so when fired from my 20 gauge 3" chambered guns. Shot patterns with buckshot larger than #3 or #4 does not give dense enough pattern to be effective on coyotes. Have killed coyotes past 70 yards with my 12 gauge 3" and Hevi Shot Dead Coyote ammo.
 
Hitman, like you said, it will have to be a fast shot in bad light. All the advantages are with the coyote. I've heard that coyotes are not frightened by an infrared light. I wonder if there is some sort of lense cover to put on my light to help me see them without them seeing me? Or do coyotes see as well at night already as I will with a light? I measured off the distance where I would expect to shoot at 45 yards. I bet a 3 inch load of #2s or BBs would rock em pretty good at that distance.
 
I would try to use something to attract their attention so you dont need to worry about a fast shot. Back on the farm when I was a kid I used two chickens that were raised together.(you use these chickens because the will try to get back together, making chicken noises:rolleyes:) Put them in seperate, small cages about 20 feet apart. Then sit in good shotgun range and wait for the chickens to let you know when they are there, and they will. Hit the light and bam. Works good for yotes, bobcats, fox and coons. Might want to check on the legalites too. Todays world and back when you had to protect the farm critters are two differant things. I have used everthing from buckshot to #4 on them. My favorite is #4 buckshot. Pattern your gun, see what works best.
 
Start with this guy...

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http://www.cabelas.com/p-0041021228297a.shtml

And add this....

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http://www.cabelas.com/p-0027268215488a.shtml

I have heard of 70yds shots being very effective with these.

I am glad I can use a rifle and nail them out a little further when they balk at coming in.

bob
 
I,ve got a Turkey tube for that gun. Does it have to be a special material to shoot those shells? Also what size is "T" comparable with?
 
Here is a page of shotshell sizes.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/amm.html

From a thread on another forum.

If you do not want to purchase a Carlson Deadcoyote choke tube. Use a full choke tube that has a .690 constriction on it. Many of your chokes have the decimal constriction annotated on it. It's right between Full and Extra Full on some guns. For example the Win Extra Full has an constriction of .690.

Win Choke X-Full #12216 .690 constriction


Click on your name brand here and see which one is close to the .690 constriction.

http://www.choketube.com/

http://www.precisionhuntingandfishing.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6775
 
im sure u get use 4 on them if u got close but i would use probably OO buck...but i usually take mine with my .243 with a varmint grenade loaded in side
 
I had a varmint hunting DVD and the guy was using #4 shot on everything from about 75 yds and in. Past that, he was using a rifle. He had about 25 kills on this DVD and the majority of them were with the shotgun and he dropped them all in there tracks
 
Anyone that I have ever talked to says 00 Buck is the way to go.
That Heavyshot would be interesting, though I am sure it costs a small fortune.
 
I had a varmint hunting DVD and the guy was using #4 shot on everything from about 75 yds and in. Past that, he was using a rifle. He had about 25 kills on this DVD and the majority of them were with the shotgun and he dropped them all in there tracks

I'll guarantee that it was "#4 buck" that the shooter was using. No one with 1/2 a brain would use #4 "shot" on anything but small game and birds.

Anyone that I have ever talked to says 00 Buck is the way to go.
That Heavyshot would be interesting, though I am sure it costs a small fortune.

As stated on many of the other post, 00 buck is a poor choice. It doesn't like tight chokes and pattern are not nearly dense enough once you get beyond 20 or 25 yards.

LK
 
#4 buck in my opinion is the best choice.

WE've tried (In predator calling) BB, BBB, #2 birdshot and #4 buckshot.

#4's gotten the best "Knockdown", especially at the longer ranges. Decent density, with fair "Punch" out there aways.
 
At first reading of the opening post, my thought was "turkey choke". I'd use 00 Buck, myself...

In the FWIW department, I've held my Streamlight SL 20 alongside the forearm of a scoped rifle and done pretty well out to fairly long distances. :)

Coyotes like El Cheapo dry dog food, by the way. Good bait. Set it out about 50 yards from a nice comfy chair and then wait.
 
BobR has the info. This combo has been proven best, even over lead buck-shot. This is not the cheap way to go, but it is the most effective. John
 
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