00 buck and coyote vitals

Bigbassbo

Bigbassbo

New member
Picked up some buckshot yesterday that Im planning on using for some night hunting under this full moon.
What is the minimum number of pellets you believe you should hit the vitals with this load? Thanks
PS its 3" shells with 15 pellets.
 
at about 55grs .330 diam. 1200+fps one will kill them, but dropping them like a rock is a different matter, i load my own and pattern 70%-80% at 25yds that's about as far as i use my shotgun at, and that seems too work well for me,jmo
 
00 Buck is a poor choice overall for coyotes. Some research of these forums would give you much better choices for consideration.
 
I tried the search feature and could find little as far as shot selections. From what I have seen a smaller size shot with more pellets is generally desired?
Im guessing 00 does not have enough pellets. How many pellets are generally in a load of #4 buck?
Thanks guys, looks like I might save the 00 for raccoons this winter
 
There are 14 pages of it hanging right over your head. Solid info from a bunch of experienced shogunners.
 
"I'll take a shot at it (no pun intended). The large buckshot like 00 Buck has too few pellets and leaves gaps in the pattern that a coyote can literally walk through at longish ranges. Or worse yet, you just poke a hole or two somewhere... maybe in the paunch, or jaw, or who knowns where and the coyote runs off wounded. Some guys rely on what I call the "Magic Pellet Theory" in which they hope for a single lucky strike from one of the big balls to somehow hit a vital area. It's a poor plan indeed, as luck makes for a poor partner and will more than likely lead to lost coyotes. At close ranges where the pattern has held together the large buckshot can absolutely flatten a coyote - but no better than a more versatile load of mid-range shot like BB/T/No. 4BK. At long ranges the large buck is a real handicap because of the low number of pellets. Large buck such as 00 Buck really has little to offer a coyote hunter.

The smaller shot lacks anchoring power much beyond 30 yards or so. Coyotes are tough - period. Coyotes can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. They also have thick fur which soaks up blood. Little pellets make little holes which don't leak much fluid. Coyotes have soft feet and do not cut the ground with tracks that are easy to follow like a hard hooved animal like a deer. All this adds up to lost animals unless the ranges are short to low mid-range with the small shot sizes. I've shot somewhere around a dozen with turkey loads and they ALL RAN OFF! I found most of them with some tough tracking jobs and a heaping measure of luck on my side. None were much under 100 yards, some over twice that distance. That is too far to look for one in the thick cover we normally use a shotgun in. Wounded coyotes will crawl into logs and under rock overhangs and creek banks ect. You will loose coyotes this way. If I were restricted to shot size under BB, then I would select the absolute largest shot size allowed by law and shoot the fastest load of "denser than lead" stuff like Hevi-Shot or Remington HD. AND, I would restrict the range of the shot to where I could reliably get at least a dozen of those smaller pellets within a 6" circle at point of aim in the center of the pattern. Think no more than 35 yards to at the very most 40 yards even with such a great pattern and at least 3" .12 ga magnums.

There's a good reason most experienced coyote hunters think of shot sizes from BB, T-shot, and No. 4BK for coyotes... Because these are the absolute best combinations of pellet count, hole punching size, energy retention, and penetration, for reliably anchoring coyotes. They are a reliable and historically proven recipe when combinined with a proven choke for shotgun coyote hunting. Why look elsewhere? After all, this is the end result we seek... "-----------GC

There was the nugget of information I was looking for. Thnals guys!!
 
how many holes do you need to kill a coyote? i've killed a many with good ol 00, at 25 yds ill keep at lest 6-7 mostly 7 sometimes 8 inside a 5x5 square you put that in the boiler room of any coyote and he is dead!
 
I feel comfortable with my Vang Comp Systems 870 and the "Tactical" 8-pellet 00 load to hold 10-12 inches at 44 yards. That should be good enough for the little dogs.

I have fire over 100 rounds over bags of the 8-pellet loads and ALL have easily stayed in the torso target at 44 yards.

Karl in Phoenix
 
ballistic tip,
You betcha, hit a coyote with half a dozen 00 Buck in the vitals and he is gonna give up the ghost, no doubt. Personally, whatever range I could consistently keep 3-4 of those big blue whistlers in an 8" circle at point of aim would be my max range. But it really offers nothing over No. Four Buck/BB & T-shot in either lead, or better yet, the denser than lead stuff like the Wingmaster HD and Hevi Shot stuff. And 00 has several disadvantages that just don't make it the best load to work with for coyotes - IMHO and experience.


Karl,
How big is the actual vital area of a coyote in your neck of the woods? Somewhere around 6" - 8", right? That is quite a bit smaller than the entire torso target you are referring too. I also shoot a lot of 00 Buck as a LE Officer, former team leader of a high risk entry team, and Firearms Instructor/Trainer. Ya'll use what you want, matters not one whit to me. Good luck and stay safe!
smile.gif
 
Pattern Master Choke tubes advertise a 30" pattern @ 80 yards with Federal's OO buck. If that won't kill a coyote out to 40 yards I don't know what will?
 
Nine .33 caliber balls inside of a 30" diameter at 80 yards is good enough to kill a coyote in my territory, (which most of it is WIDE-open praire) and if one doesn't do the job, I got 5 more shells coming at it as fast as my Inertia driven shotgun can chameber a round. Patternmaster recommends double OO buck, and its never let me down.
 
An 8 to 10 pellet load spred out over a 30" circle has lots of big holes for a coyote to slip through untouched.
Taking 80 yard shots at coyotes with a shotgun is just a hope and pray situation anyhow.
Thats rifle territory right there.
 
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