28 Gau Coyote Load ?

[Johnch]

In a few days I will be starting to do my best to harvest a good number of LOW IQ Pheasants and Chuckers
As next week I get the latest Botox injections to "Help" with the migraines

I will be hunting on club ground for mostly released birds
But there are some pheasants that were produced on our land from birds not harvested last year
So some sort of Wild Pheasants

As most of the shots are close and normally easy
I use a 870 28 gau shotgun much of the time as it is easy to carry as I follow my lab

For the pheasants and chucker I use 3/4 oz of #6
BUT I see coyote every year
I would like to load a few shells to harvest them also if I get a chance with a close one
Besides they eat the Pheasants I want to eat

I have a number of reloading books with 28 gau loads
But I am looking for loads that work well
I will be loading either B or BB lead shot .... Maybe #2 if I can't get the B or BB to stack well in the wad
I want to use either Fiocchi or Cheddite hulls , as I have a lot of them and I don't load the 3/4 oz of #6 in these hulls ( even #2 pellets will mess up a pheasant at 15 yards )
So I want to NOT make that mistake :bigsmyl2:
I have lots of different wads , powders and primers
So those shouldn't be a problem


Any loads you would recommend ?

Thanks
John

[megasupermagnum]

I don't load 28 gauge, but if it seems BB is taking up too much room, it is safe to cut the petals off of the wad. They should fit in great that way.

[remy3424]

Get some 4s and give them heck. I shot one with 5s this season pheasant hunting, 30 yards, dead, dead, dead, hardly a twitch, was surprised. Shot one with 6s several years ago at 20 yards, same result. 6s wi IC will make a mess of a pheasant at 15 yards, so should be not a huge surprise, well, I am 12 gauging here. With 4s you can still shoot birds, you must have tame coyotes or think you are pretty quick unloading/reloading an 870 to be within shotgun range of them.

[megasupermagnum]

Small shot like #5 is marginal at best. One would have to think they would penetrate to organs at close range, but quickly goes to useless. I doubt they will go through a skull, but should at least get to some organs. BB is a much more sure bet for getting all the way through the organs. I've heard of coyote killed by turkey loads. My one and only shot was about 30 yards, many years ago, from my TK2000 and #5 shot. Coyote ran out and took my hen decoy. I fired, and obviously hit it, but it ran off. I've heard similar poor results from friends who shot one duck hunting. They got it, but it wasn't one shot. #5 lead shot can obviously kill them, but you are on that ragged edge. #6 would be worse. Personally I carry, and use my handgun. I have yet to actually hit one, they usually bust out close, but gain distance fast.

[pipehand]

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/load04-17-08.htm
This is a #4 buckshot load for 28 gauge

[beagle]

Pretty easy to concoct a 28 gauge load using #4 Buck. Made up a few to have around. Might be the type load you're looking for. Not much of a "payload" in the 28 guage./beagle

[dverna]

Ballistic Products sells 7/8 and 1 oz wads and I have used them with success with bird shot. You may get a tad less with larger shot but it will give you more pellets than the 3/4 oz loads.

There is a guy coming over this weekend who may buy all my 28 ga stuff. If he does not take the wads, they are yours for $7/bag plus shipping. Just PM on Sunday night if you want them. I have 20 lbs of #2 copper plated shot as well if he does not take it.

I have never used a shotgun on coyotes so cannot advise what size shot is adequate. The coyote hunters here all use buckshot in 12 ga.

[Blanket]

might try a single round ball, if I remember correctly54 caliber works

[skeettx]

During pheasant hunting, I used #5s in 20 gauge this year to do in a coyote
Same a few years ago
Seems to work just fine but we are talking 25 yards.
If you have time to switch loads into the shotgun, you
have time to go larger shot size
Mike

[besk]

Chrome plated BB's are best - or something close in size that will stack well in the wad. The BB's penetrate well. Anything larger just cuts down on pellet count.

[megasupermagnum]

Chrome plated BB's are best - or something close in size that will stack well in the wad. The BB's penetrate well. Anything larger just cuts down on pellet count.

I'm guessing you mean nickel or copper plated shot. My experience is that plated shot generally doesn't help. I've heard claims that the slicker surface helps penetrate more, but I've not seen any evidence one way or the other that says that is true or not. Even worse, there is plated shot out there that is soft. The plating does not harden the shot. Plated soft lead shot will still deform heavily during firing, and that is not what you want. I've tried Lawrence magnum #5 side by side with Lawrence copper plated #5 (copper plated magnum shot), and could see no difference in pattern, or roundness of recoverd shot. Based on what I've seen at the pattern board, and recovered shot, plating is wasted money. I like a good magnum shot like Lawrence, but it does not appear they offer anything bigger than #4, except for large buckshot. Ballistic Products does offer a nickel plated BB, however, I would opt for the slightly cheaper "super buck" BB, for the reason that BPI advertises their nickel plated shot as being soft chilled shot with a nickel plating. Only the nickel plated shot is in stock at the moment, which is always a factor. I've heard the Precision Reloading plated shot is quite good.

[cwlongshot]

What about slugs?

Brenekee makes them. I picked up a few boxes myself.

CW

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would highly recommend doing some "Select Shell Drills" to familiarize yourself with the process,,, so that you can actually get a Special Shell into the gun fast enough to actually engage "Said Coyote."

The sequence goes like this. You load the gun so there is room in the magazine, IE: one short. Upon seeing "Said Coyote." you would "index" a heavy round (as shown in the pic below) and stuff it into the magazine, Hit the Slide Release and then Rack the Slide as you are mounting the gun which ejects a live round and replaces it with your heavy round. Aim, Fire. If you can't do this in about <4-5 seconds you ain't gonna get a shot off before "Said Coyote" is long gone.

This is a common exercise that we do at a Front Sight Shotgun Class. You have 5-6 seconds to pull off a Select Slug Shot at 35 and 50 yards on a man sized steel target.

Remember you also have to actually aim the gun so you hit the target? So factor in a little time for that too.

It helps to have a Velcro Side Saddle mounted on your gun. That way the special and/or extra rounds are close by and you don't have to fiddle in a pocket for them. The Velcro ones are easy to install as they are simply a piece of Velcro Tape stuck on the left side of the receiver and can be removed if you don't want them on the gun after the Hunt.

Economy of Motion is where it is at for this drill and having shells hanging right in front of you is always faster than digging around for them in a pocket.

I realize you are not going Full Tactical on "Said Coyotes" but you are using an 870 and operating it to it's full potential is the same whether you are shooting at Birds, People or Unruly Little Wild Dogs.

Another point in favor of learning this skill is for you Duck Hunters. You can only have 3 shells in the gun, but you can have a Side Saddle on the side of the gun and after you empty the magazine you can quickly Port Load the gun using shells off the side saddle and get #'s 4, 5 and 6 in that Echelon that is flying over and amaze your friends and relatives. And really amaze Fish and Game if they are close by, cuz they will want to check your gun for a plug, after they hear 6 shots from you that fast.

I can get off 3 Aimed Port Loaded shots in about 5 seconds, and with a little practice you can too! Can you imagine knocking down 6 ducks in less than 12 seconds?

Randy