New coyote hunter. Shotgun choke and load suggestions

M

makey98

New member
Rabbit with beagles, squirrel hunting guy here who is going coyote hunting for first time this year. Indiana with one guy with rifle and me on shotgun. What is a good stand by load and choke for my shotgun? I have a mossberg 500. Suggestions for place to start with pattern. Right now I only have a field barrel with modified choke and also have cylinder bore smooth slug barrel with buckhorn sights.

Didn't know if I should worry more about tighter choke and pick any buckshot load or get a coyote/turkey load and keep the same choke.

Much appreciated.
 
They sell loads specifically for coyotes. Heavy Turkey loads are good also. If you have screw-in chokes, try a predator choke tube or a extra-full turkey choke. Pattern out to 50 yds. Remington made a duplex load 4s and 6s that really patterned well in my 11-87. The xtra-full choke tubes make a big difference. You don't have to get all fancy, just sketch a coyote on some butcher paper (you'll need several) and shoot at 20,30,40,50 yds and see how it looks. Sometimes shotguns will pattern high left, right, etc...You'll get a good pattern but it will be not be POA. Good luck!
 
muddydog- is that the 3" load or the 2 3/4?

GC- that thread is massive! and confusing. Does everyone use 3" shells? Is that really neccessary? Just looking for the "standby" which seems to be around a 4 buck, and then moves into the new fangled hd/turkey/coyote loads....
 
hi and welcome to the forum. lot's of information in that thread. can be quite a bit to digest at one sitting, that's for sure. I switched to using a 12ga as my primary predator gun about 5 years ago. down here in the south most of the areas i hunt are very thick and coyotes and foxes both are very hesitant to come out into the open during daylight. now i set up inside the thick cover with a shotgun and my success rate has improved dramatically.

i have had great success with the 3" tungsten loads. tungsten is heavier and denser than lead, it patterns better, has longer killing range, and has better energy transfer and pellet penetration. all the tungsten loads i've tried have performed great. Dead Coyote, Federal Ultra-Shok, and Winchester Coyote all have performed very well for me with kills out to 60 yds on yotes. all my shotgun kills have been one shot kills, dead right there.

it's very important to use a load that will put the yote down hard and keep him down. shotgun hit coyotes don't bleed much and if they get up and run in the thick stuff we hunt here, we seldom find them. regardless of the load you use, put a second shot into em. its great insurance
 
I have shot Coyotes with 3" #2, BB, & Dead Coyote, If #4buck was legal here I'd use that. I've also lost coyotes with all three. As said earlier, they don't bleed much, and blend in well if there is no snow. I wouldn't use #2 or smaller if I could help it. Kinda like using the 22mag when you have somthing bigger on the rack at home. Just my 2 cents
 
#T Hevi Shot Dead Coyote 12 ga 3" load with factory full choke. Good out to 50 yards.
 
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