20 GA.

C

caninethumper

New member
Is a 20 ga. suitable to take fox and coyote? If so what is your recommendation for shot size. Also, I'm fairly new to shotguns and I was wondering what the largest shot size you could safely put through a modified, and full choke. Can I shoot buckshot through modified or is that just asking for a blown barrel?
 
The 20 ga will work great for foxes, but it doesn't do too well on coyotes. It'll kill 'em all right, but the few I've shot with it ran a ways.

I would use #3 buckshot for foxes and bobcats, and I've shot plenty of it through a full choke with no problems.

DWL
 
Funny you should ask this today, I just got home from doing extensive testing with the 20ga.

I say it all the time... "a shotgun kills with pattern, and not with shot size"...

I shot my 20ga O/U (full/mod) today, using #6 shot, #4 shot, #2 lead shot, copper plated steel BBs, and #1 buckshot... all 3" magnums, and tested out to about 50 yds.

All would have easily killed a coyote, and some would have done too much damage for use on foxes.

Turkey loads in #6 look inviting, as do #4 hunting loads, this way you are not limited to only shooting larger game (as you might be with BB-buck).

Best of luck, let us know how you make out, there's no replacement for real world results,

Jeff
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Thanks Krustyklimber, I passed up my first called in predator the other day because I was worried that he was a little far out, looking back on the ordeal after I patterned my gun at longer range today I wish I had taken the shot, but he'll be there next time (maybe).
 
Krusty said:

I say it all the time... "a shotgun kills with pattern, and not with shot size"...
Click to expand...
This is true to some degree, however, you must use a shot size that will provide adequate penetration. If you can't penetrate the vitals, it isn't going to work well.

Coyotes have a lot of fur and the small shot size won't penetrate it well, especially at longer ranges.

A shotgun doesn't kill by pattern alone. It kills with a combination of a dense enough pattern of a large enough shot size with enough velocity to penetrate the vitals.

At very close range, velocity and a very dense pattern can compensate for shot size to some degree so small shot size will kill a coyote often enough. As range increases, the smaller shot sizes lose their effectiveness because the pattern opens up some and they lose the velocity they depended on to penetrate.

That's where the larger shot sizes do better. They carry enough energy to still penetrate the vitals further out. Whatever the range is where your pattern with the larger shot size opens up too much is the effective range of your shotgun, up to the range that the shot no longer has enough velocity to penetrate dependably. With the shot sizes available in 20 ga I wouldn't shoot past 30 yards or so on coyotes.

CanineThumper, there will likely be some who argue with what I've said, but if you think about it I think you will know I'm right. You asked for information, so I've explained it the best way I know how. I won't argue the point because it serves no purpose here. Those who decide to hunt coyotes with bird shot will simply have to find out the truth for themselves.

BB sized shot is about as small as I would use for coyotes and such, and I would still prefer buckshot.

Good hunting to you!
DWL
 
I wasn't and am not using bird shot I'm using 3" #4 shot at the moment in anticipation of fox and intend to use something slightly larger for coyotes #2-BB. But what would be the best of both worlds enough punch to take coyote without completely desimating a fox. #2?? BB??
 
It (the damage) will depend on the range and what your pattern is like at that range. Lead shotgun pellets won't expand and blow big holes like high powered rifle bullets. It just makes more holes.

With BB shot you will have roughly (?) twice the number of pellets in a shotshell as with #2 buckshot, but BB shot won't carry the energy as far. You don't need as much energy for fox as you do for coyotes though.

It's a judgement call dependant on how your shotgun patterns the loads. BB's won't carry the energy as far, but if your gun won't pattern the buckshot well enough beyond the effective range of the BB's it does nothing to help.

Clear as mud? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I shot a fox at 4 yards with my 12g. I was using federal #4buck in 3in mag shells. I was using turkey exta full choke. I was very suprised a what little damage it did to the fox you could not tell it was even shot untill I skinned it and the skull was in about 15 peices. If the animal is under 15 yards I would recommend a head shot. That way you don't blow a hole in the side of the animal the size of a basket ball.
 
20 Gage will do ok out to about 25-30 yards. I had a young hunter that use to go calling with me and his dad he used a 20 gage youth gun with extra full turkey choke and 3" #6 turkey loads. Active loads if I can remember right. He took several coyotes and fox with this gun at less than 25 yards with head shots. And all kinds of turkeys.
 
Thanks for the replies, I picked up some #3&4 buckshot, I figured it was better to over kill first and learn the capabilities of my gun before down sizing shot for less fur damage. Thanks again for the input and good hunting!
 
Keep in mand that smaller shot size won't result in less fur damage. The holes ar a tiny bit smaller, but there's more of 'em!

DWL
 
I would like to add that you should pattern your gun with the 000 buck to see if it will hit the vitals of the coyote consistantly.
I did this type of testing about a month and a 1/2 ago and found that with the choke tubes I was using there was a large hole in the center of the pattern. This was with copper plated and plain lead shot: 3" and 3 1/2" shells. But I will say that the pattern of the #2 lead shot was very dense no matter which choke tube at 30 and 40 yards. But from the medium I was shooting into, a large snow pile, I don't believe I would feel comfortable taking too many shots at a dog much over 30 yards. When the snow was melting it was obvious that the #2 lead did not penatrate nearly as far as the 000 buck. From talking with other shotgunners they recommend #4 buck for pattern and penatration quality (not the turkey #4). I have yet to continue my testing so I have no direct knowledge from actuall shooting to report on this.
 
I would say that if I would of had that 20 gauge with that yote standing out there I would have took the shot. With BB buck you should have been able to kill it or at least wound it bad enough to get another shot. If you are looking at pelt damage I would still use a full choke, but step down the pellet size to a #4 or #5. This would give you greater patterns for a running shot.
 


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