12 gauge coyote loads

[richhodg66]

The pups should be out of the dens now learning to hunt but are still stupid. Likewise, the fawns are being born and are very vulnerable. Want to get out and kill some coyotes.

My place is pretty thickly wooded. I took a walk through it (permethrin is great stuff, by the way) and you honestly can't see farther than shotgun range anywhere, so I'd like to use one. I bought some 3" Winchester 00 buck shot loads from Wal Mart the other day, with a modified choke in the gun, patterns were loose enough that I don't trust them to get the job done. I picked up some 3 1/2 inch #4 turkey loads that were on sale and tried two of those. Many more holes in the target area, but I worry about pellets that small getting it done on a pretty tough critter.

I still have some old, Federal 3" goose loads from before the steel shot days which are 1 7/8 ounce of BB lead shot. This worked well on the one coyote I shot with them, I'll probably use them for now. I also have some 2 3/4" #4 and #1 buckshot loads I'll try in the next few days. Also have an extra full choke tube to try. I'll reload these 3" Winchester hulls with some copper coated BB lead shot I bought the other day and give that a try too, but I kind of want to get on this soon.

Right now I'm leaning towards those old Federal goose loads.

Will coyotes come to a fawn in distress call pretty easy this time of year? Even if I don't kill many, if I can convince them that trying to eat a baby deer is a bad idea, it'll be mission accomplished.

[RogerDat]

Just a note #1 buckshot is .30 caliber and decent weight. And it has more pellets than 00 buck in the same size hull by a fairly decent number. Range isn't as far as 00 would be.

[Tripplebeards]

I quit using a rifle for calling 10 years ago...even out west. I don't use double ot the pattern isn't good after 20 plus yards. I have a case of 12 gauge 3" federal classic lead BB 1 7/8oz loads. I've dropped dozens apon dozens of coyotes where they stand like the hammer of Thor using this load out to 65 plus yards aiming for their head and neck which is your same lead BB load. It bloodies them up on occasion believe it or not. I pattern good with number four buck as well but not as cost effective as BB and both work. I've never had luck with fawn distress. Normally rabbit, bird, or woodpecker have been responsible for about 8 or 9 dozen dead yotes. I've killed yotes out to a 107 yards with Remington HD BB if you have any of that 15 yeAr Old discontinued stuff laying around. I've killed a couple while turkey hunting using my 10 gauge and federal # 5's out to 40 yards with head shots. I'm using a kicks goblin thunder .670 choke tube in my beretta a390 and .680 for #4 buck. I can put 6 buck pellets in a 6" circle at 60yards and 8 with BB's. I'd forget about using the 00 buck and save it for home security...which is all its good for IMO. 00 has only 12-16 pellets that won't hold a pattern after 20 yards...you'll be luck to have one pellet hit the body at 40 plus yards, # 4 buck you get up to 41 pellets. That 1 7/8oz load either has 78 or 87 BB's in it that last I checked. Do yourself a favor and pattern some of your bb loads in your tight turkey tubes at 50 yards and make sure you check to see if your choke loosened up after every shot. Set some paper plates out at 50 yards which is about the same size as the head and neck area and see how many pellets you put through the plate. That will tell you which shell and choke combo to use.

[Larry Gibson]

still have some old, Federal 3" goose loads from before the steel shot days which are 1 7/8 ounce of BB lead shot

Shot numerous coyote with that and identical reload in past years. Never had a coyote run far (most DRT) when shot with that.

[richhodg66]

still have some old, Federal 3" goose loads from before the steel shot days which are 1 7/8 ounce of BB lead shot

Shot numerous coyote with that and identical reload in past years. Never had a coyote run far (most DRT) when shot with that.

The good news is, I can pretty much duplicate that load with stuff I have on hand when the ones I have ran out. The local Alco here had them on clearance for $5 a box, wish O had bought them out.

I missed one with the .222, darn it. Not sure what happened, I'd been shooting the rifle this afternoon and had a solid position and the shot felt good, but he hightailed it away. Maybe I hit him, don't know, but won't likely see that one again.This was in the one spot I have close by where it's pretty open, I'll be using the shotgun in the woods next time.

[Tripplebeards]

My main calling rifle is a 243 loaded at 3650fps with 70 gr ballistic tips. It will cut a coyote in half. Bads shot are still good shots with this combo. Fist size holes in and out when you hit bone. I loaded up some 55gr ballistic tips to try out of it cruising around 4250fps. It will be a lazier beam load. I missed a few running close and through brush so I switched over to a shotgun. My gun shoots little cloverleaves but it's hard if not impossible to hit a yote if it's not standing still with a rifle and most come running into a call at close range.

[222]

Your loads will work, my favorite is 3" #4 buck out to 60 yards lots of yotes have died with that combo. My first shotgun yote was to #2 lead copper plated goose load, had a box of 25 and killed 23 yote before it ran out if I remember correctly.

[RPRNY]

#1 - #4 Buck is great stuff. The heavy turkey loads - bismuth and tungsten will work well at distance if they will pattern for you, and Hevi Shot does a coyote load. But anything #2 lead and bigger that will pattern decently for you will be quite effective.

[starnbar]

Use # 4 on em around here but I can stick a barrel out a window and hit em from inside the house.

[Rick Hodges]

Lead BB's sound like the ticket. Magnum #4 buckshot will work nicely as well but you might have to find a choke that they pattern well out of.

[dkf]

Those 3" lead BB goose loads sound good to me. If you have enough of them wouldn't hurt to pattern them at a few distances to see where you are at.

[quilbilly]

Those 3" lead BB goose loads sound good to me. If you have enough of them wouldn't hurt to pattern them at a few distances to see where you are at.

It would be interesting to find out how far away you could be and still get 4 BB's on a full sized coyote target. I have an old Savage 24V and the 20 ga. barrel does quite well on coyotes with #4 buck out to almost 45 yards.

[Tripplebeards]

It would be interesting to find out how far away you could be and still get 4 BB's on a full sized coyote target. I have an old Savage 24V and the 20 ga. barrel does quite well on coyotes with #4 buck out to almost 45 yards.

I'm sure yours is not threaded to take chokes. It all depends on what choke you use. Natchez shooters supply has my kicks .670 gobblin thunder that I use in my beretta a390 12 gauge On sale for $39 I have more dollars in chokes than what my shotgun is worth. I normally will take a box of shells and try each choke out till I get one that will put a half dozen BB's in a 5" circle at 60 yards.

[Tripplebeards]

I used the same BB loads on a half dozen bobcats and can tell you it's a pelt friendly load. Farthest shot shot maybe 30 yards. Knocks them off their feet and they don't flinch. I've used it on raccoons and drop them in their tracks. It's too harsh on kit fox. I aim about a half a foot in front of them when running into the call and it still makes a mess.

[Fenring]

We don't get coyotes here in Australia but we do get a lot of foxes.

A stiff load of BB's works well on them and so do 2's for that matter. IMO larger pellet loads have too many holes in the pattern.



I've killed them with as small as 7's when they are coming to the call. Peppered!

[Tripplebeards]

We don't get coyotes here in Australia but we do get a lot of foxes.

A stiff load of BB's works well on them and so do 2's for that matter. IMO larger pellet loads have too many holes in the pattern.



I've killed them with as small as 7's when they are coming to the call. Peppered!

Sweet! I've lifted a few reds and grays off the ground with 3 1/2" loads of #5, 10 gauge turkey loads.

Is that a lever action shotgun?

[Fenring]

Yes mate, that is an Adler A-110 lever action shotgun.

And if the Aussie media and anti's are to be believed, it has a rate of fire similar to a mini-gun and the destructive capability of an M1 Abrams.

[richhodg66]

"I've killed yotes out to a 107 yards with Remington HD BB if you have any of that 15 yeAr Old discontinued stuff laying around."

I was in a LGS not far from here that had a box or two of this stuff along with some of the Federal 3" BB loads. IS the Remington stuff that much superior?

[Tripplebeards]

Yep, but they stopped making it years ago because it ran $4-6 a shell. It was made back around the early 00's if I remember correctly. The stuff dose not shatter and crumble like dead coyote shot. It's also perfectly uniform in size...also not like dead coyote where the the shot looks like something that dribbled out of my Lee pot in off snapped uneven chunks. Remington HD Shot in BB looked like a perfectly round dusty looking bronze colored BB. I had a bunch of it laying around and Only have about 15 rounds of it and "T" left. Bought it discontinued back in the early 00's. They had some shotgun penatration testings on predatormasters forum years ago. This stuff went through wet wet phone books 2 to 3 times farther and did not deform compaired to dead coyote that crumbled after hitting the phone books. Personally I've tried both in years past and there isn't a coyote with spending that kind of money on. I've been bugging Remington for years to reintroduce HD shot but they have repeatedly said it was not a big seller....because it a high dollar item. I can tell you the yote I hit at 107 yards broke two of its legs. Both legs were flopping around like rag dolls. That stuff is wicked. If you can get your hands on some cheap buy it up...you'll be impressed. I've had it go completely through yotes under 20 yards. The most painful part was each time I pulled the trigger to load test them in each of my chokes at $6 a shell. As I stated earlier With my chokes and groupings...the HD BB will put 6 BB's in 5"circle at 60 yards. I kept the target in my load book for reference. I'll cry when I use my last couple shells up. Thought I did last January when I was out in in AZ calling but found a few in my stock pile when I got home. I also found someone who sold me a case of the discontinued 1 7/8oz classic federal BB's this past summer. When I run out I'll shoot # 4 buck since I get good patterns with it if no one comes out with a lead BB load. Hornady makes some but they only put around 1 3/80z of shot or so in it and I've heard reports back that the lead BB's are pretty soft. I have few boxes but haven't tested them.

[richhodg66]

This same shop has a lot of old stuff. I may go back and check on that again and make sure it's the same stuff you're talking about. The box I saw was about $28.

They also had several bags of Lawrence magnum BB shot, which I bought a five pound bag of. Looking in my 1970s Lyman shotshell manual, there's a 1 7/8 ounce load that touts 1300 FPS in the 3" 12 gauge. I have a pound of old Winchester 571 and some or the called for wads, so putting that load together ought not be a problem.

I know everybody says #4s are too small for coyotes and they are probably right, but Walmart had their turkey loads on clearance the other day, so I bought 50 rounds of the Winchester 3 1/2" stuff with #4 shot. I shot one through a modified choke at maybe 35 yards and I can't imagine ANYTHING walking away from that. That's about as far as I can see anywhere on my place right now with the leaves on everything. I have a full choke tube around here someplace I'll try next.

I was browsing around on the web last night and Hornady makes a load of nickel plated BB shot in the 3" shell they tout as being for coyotes. Seems like the price was a little over a buck a round before shipping. I kind of like the idea of developing my own loading for this though. Not sure if my little Load All will handle 3" or 3 1/2" hulls though.