No matter how good a shotun load is, it is very easy to hit the coyote with just the edge of the pattern especialy when the shot is 25 yards away or shorter. If the coyote is moving even just a little after the first shot, that coyote should be shot again and again until it quits moving.
I had pretty good reults with the old Federal Premium copper coated lead BB, 3" 1-7/8 oz loads. The 1-1/2 oz 3" BB coyote loads only have about 77 pellets per shell. The old 3" 1-7/8 oz loads had about 98 pellets per shell.
You don't have to shoot very many coyotes with a load that has 21 more pellets per shell to see that 21 more pellets per shell will give you more clean kills on coyotes than you will get with a load that has 21 less pellets in it.
I got more clean kills with 3" Rem HD BB loads that had 70 pellets per shell than I got with Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote 3" T shot loads with about 50 pellets per shell.
Now I carry some cheap steel #2 shot loads to dispatch any coyotes that are down and needing another shot.
