plated VS. unplated Buckshot

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Ricky Bobby

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I am just realizing that my Winchester 3 1/2" #4 buckshot load is unplated. Is that a bad thing?

I'm fairly new to shotgunning coyotes & had one runoff last weekend after being shot at 50 yards. It was a good shot with a direct hit but I've been searching for answers on how it was able to runoff ever since it happened.

I have done lots of patterning the load on paper, so I thought it was very capable of taking a coyote at 50 yards, but I was obviously wrong.

Would some type of plated #4 buckshot be a better choice & would it have made a difference last weekend when we had the runner?

Thanks
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Ricky,
There is nothing wrong with the ammo you mention. Coyotes often run quite a long way before realizing that they are dead.
 
Usually, the platted stuff provides more consistent and usually better patterns. No downfall with knockdown power. Sometimes a shell that is loaded a little "off" or maybe under charged etc, it may have open a hole in your pattern, lacking good pellet penetration to vitals. 50 yds is a good long poke. But 4 buck still has the power needed to kill effectively. Run offs happen...
 
Ricky, I have heard plated shot 'seems' to penetrate better on coyotes because, it being slicker slides through the heavy fur better than un-plated. I'm not so sure I believe that one.
As to not killing that coyote last week I doubt plated/un-plated shot would have made a difference at 50 yds. You may not have centered the coyote in the pattern. Or, you may have just found the 'super coyote' in your area. Some coyotes just don't want to die.


Darn, he might have been crossed with a cat and now has less than nine lives.LOL

Keep at it. Some coyotes are just TOUGH.
 
Unplated shot will grab hair and pull it into the wound more than plated. Making for less of a blood trail. I'm not sure about penatration, but plated shot is harder in general. So it would go to think that it would get some more penatration. By how much, I don't know.
 
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyI'd say a dozen or more pellets inside a 12" circle

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That's a heII of a good pattern if your gun, choke, and load does that consistently. If so, then the unplated shot wasn't the issue.
 
GC

I'm fairly new to shotgunning the coyotes. Should I expect runners? I am convinced that the coyote ran until it expired, with the type of bloodtrail we followed. Blood was literally spraying on the side of little sapplings and weeds when it passed by them. I just always get worked up over runners. Hate it.

I want to get confident shotgunning them & know exactly what distances I can & can't take them at. Maybe it would be best to use a Hevi-shot load, but I just can't get myself to pay $4.00 a round. Atleast for now. My opinion of it being to costly might change if I experience more runners.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I have put considerable time into patterning my load & even played with several choke combinations to come up with what I had decided to use. At that point I figured it was game on. When my buddy pulled the trigger on that coyote, I could literally see the load impact the coyote. It flattened the fur when it impacted it. So I'm confident that it wasn't a pattern issue.

Maybe I shouldn't expect to take a coyote at 50 yards with my shotgun setup?
 
I'm far from a shotgun expert and even consider myself the worst shot with a shotgun on this planet, but I think you just found the tough guy on the block. I once had a coyote that I hit with DC T's inside 20 yards that was hit so well and hard that he didn't just crumple, he was literally knocked off his feet, not unlike what you see in the movies. He regained his feet and was never found, not even a blood trail to speak of.

It just happens from time to time.

Chupa
 
Sometimes, especially at longer ranges, you have to add more lead to the recipe to cook one. Never hesitate to do so if the coyote acts like he wants to get up.
 
I have not tried the Federal Vital Shok in the 3" #4 copper plated buckshot yet. I'd like to pick me up some the first chance I get & see how it patterns in my gun. I have read a lot of good reviews on it.

So far I have tested the Remington & Winchester buckshot. The Winchester is a 3 1/2" load, while everything else has been 3". The Winchester patterned the same as the Remington out of my gun, so I chose to use the Winchester for the simple fact that I was gaining about 12 pellets. I figured a few extra pellets could be the difference in a kill in some situations. I'd still give up a few pellets for a better tighter pattern, though.
 
Originally Posted By: Ricky Bobby I'd still give up a few pellets for a better tighter pattern, though.

Dude, you're getting a dozen or more pellets in a 12" circle at 50 yards and you still want better and tighter?
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I'd suggest you don't change a thing and don't ever sell that shotgun.
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Originally Posted By: GC at longer ranges, you have to add more lead to the recipe to cook one.

Clever.
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Slightly off topic from the original question but...
I shot a female coyote with my 50 cal muzzleloader back in November. Shooting 250 grain Barnes TMZ bullet on top of 100 grains of 777. Coyote was quartering to me 25 yards away. I shot her in the right shoulder and the Barnes came out the left rear leg. She spun two complete revolutions and ran 75 yards. I found one spot of blood about the size of a dime. Yes they are tough!
Plated shot IMO would not have made any difference whatsoever.
 
Exactly what gun and choke are you using. I will go out and buy one tomorrow if I knew I would get the same results. WOW!!!
 
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Originally Posted By: frozenbuttUnplated shot will grab hair and pull it into the wound more than plated. Making for less of a blood trail. I'm not sure about penatration, but plated shot is harder in general. So it would go to think that it would get some more penatration. By how much, I don't know.

Plated penatrates better.

How do I know this? I have shot a coyote at about 50 -60 yards with unplated #4 Lead Buckshot. Dropped him right there. Then I propped the carcus up, went back to my stand and shot it with plated #4 Buckshot. Went back and cut the carcus open, dug around and looked for the pellets. The unplated pellets did grab hair and didn't penatrate as far as the plated pellets. Clearly, unplated #4 Buckshot can kill a coyote at 50 yards. However, plated #4 buckshot peratrates better giving it the edge at 60 - 70 yards.

The nice thing about a dead coyote is that they are free, a lot less expensive than balistic gel. They are great for testing rifle, shotgun, and pistol loads/bullets.
 
I hunt hogs all the time with buckshot and I can tell you that plated shot does perform better when it comes to penetration. Next time just put a couple more shells in em
 
For predators you usualy use an 8" circle and you need 5 hits inside that circle.

Byron South says always expect to need a second shot when using a shotgun and close the distance for the second shot if you can. So I don't think your results are unusual. Double check your pattern and if 50 is your max distance don't shoot past 40 because in the field you likely will error on the distance. I have a 60 yard pattern but I estimate 50 in the field to have some leeway for error.
 
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