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Use A Shotgun For Coyotes

beagle
Just wondering. Does anyone hunt with a shotgun while hunting coyotes. I have heard of one person with a rifle and one with a shotgun in case the dog gets too close. What would you use? 3 inch 20ga. or 3 inch 12ga..
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Laredo Lefty
    beagle..... I hunt coyotes with a .223 rifle and usually carry a smith .357 Mag as an extra.

    I have not hunted them with a shotgun, but know people who do. As long as you can call them into shotgun range the shotgun is very effective on the little critters. 40 yards is about the max I would feel comfortable using a shotgun.

    I would suggest a 12+ pellet buckshot load either 2 3/4" or 3" with a modified or tighter choke.




    Joe
    "Never let school interfere with your education"
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  • MFI
    In Upstate NY the O/U rifle shotgun combo' s are popular. Then you havea long range and close range option right in the same gun. I would say if your shots are close range then a .12ga 3" with Buskshot is your huckleberry.
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  • Ray Boone
    A friend of mine that hunts coyotes for the pelts uses a 22-250 for shots over 40 yards; within that range he uses a 12 ga, 2 3/4 magnums, loaded with #4 Buckshot- that's not #4 Birdshot. The pellets are sufficient to kill the 'yote, but they are round, so don't make a "wadcutter" hole in the hide. The holes are easily patched and virtually undetectable.
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  • gunnut505
    Out here in the stinkin' desert, we use 22WMRF for coyotes within 200yds; it's tough to call them in much closer.
    Of course, the furriers don't pay $25 an ear anymore, and the 'yotes have gotten smarter.


    "Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID
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  • PSFD DONKEY
    Last year while goose hunting I had a coyote stalking my decoys. I rolled him with a 12ga, 3.5, BB loads. When I paced it off it was 50 yards.
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  • Mobuck
    Back in the good old days before $30000 pickups and $2 gas we used to do a lot of coyote hunting with dogs. I tried a 3" 12 gauge with #2,BB, and 4 buck for a while to cover crossings where a rifle might cause a ricochet. Most of the coyotes hit at 30 yards or more had to be run down by the dogs and bayed before being finished off. The closer ones usually went down hard but sometimes needed another shot. I finally went to a 22mag semiauto and got better kills.

    Mobuck
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  • A J Christ
    I have used a 12ga with #4 buckshot (2 3/4") and it did OK out to 50 yards. Would not recommend it for sure kills, have had a couple crawl off after being knock off of their feet with a load of lead at about 30 yards. Better to use something on the order of a .223, 22 Mag or even .17 Mag. Have not had a chance to use the .17 on coyotes but it sure does work well on foxes
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  • beagle
    Thanks for the replys. Good answers.
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  • Blckhrn
    Don't use trap loads if you're going to eat them. Learned that the hard way............

    "You can build a man a fire and keep him warm for a couple hours or douse him with fuel oil and keep him warm the rest of his life"
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