steel shot for yotes

T

tiercel45

New member
just wondering if steel T shot would work, we cant use buckshot for night hunting here and all i have is my shotgun and its thick stuff so just wonderin if the T size shot would work it be about the size of #4 buck but not as heavy, also could i use a different size lead shot, i guess the law is just so they cant acuse you of deer hunting at night, any way any advice would be appreciated thanks
 
Don't do it. Steel shot is terrible. You'd be better off going with hevi-shot in "T" size. Or, even lead BB's are better than anything you can get in steel. Steel shot is the worst thing ever for predators.
 
I have shot alot of coyotes with T shot steel, particularly Winchester Drylok. It has been through a 10 ga. so it might be a little different through a 12.
As with alot of things, you must know your own gun and your limits. I am confident shooting T shot at coyotes to 50 yards, but it also depends on what part of the body i am shooting at.
As R Buker said, you might want to check into Dead Coyote. I shot a coyote last week with 12 ga. 3 1/2 inch at 63 big steps and it will be aired on my show. It is a deadly load.
I made a believer out of my friend that runs the camera for me with my T shot steel. He patterned his bennelli 3 1/2 12 with some Federal T and he told me at 50 yards that stuff was incredible.
Hope some of this helps.
Les
 
I'll weigh in with Buker on this. There are so many good loads I can't imagine why anyone would purposefully choose steel shot. Steel patterns tightly, however, it is substantially lighter than lead or Hevi-Shot and penetrates less. Thus the big move in waterfowl circles away from steel and toward a heavier lead shot substitute. Steel often fails to cleanly knock down 8-10 lb. geese at 40+ yards. That's what gave birth to Bismuth and Hevi-Shot in the first place. Coyotes ain't geese, they're bigger and tougher. Any high velocity magnum type lead and/or plated lead BB or BBB load, Hevi-Shot high velocity waterfowl loads of BB, or, the Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote T load would all be great substitute loads when No. Four Buck isn't legal.
 
Randy is right. I tryed steel in a SP-10 Remington and had some coyotes that at 40 yards I couldn't even knock down let alone kill them.
 
Hell,I have trouble killing ducks with steel shot.Why would anyone use steel when they can use something else,like lead?Steel shot would be my LAST choice for hunting coyotes.
 
I shot my first coyote with steel bb shot one shot and it just tipped over dead as adoor nail.

I was goose hunting when I did this so I do not count this as a predator kill.

Hammer
 
I don't give a hoot how steel patterns in comparison to lead or hevi-shot or anything else. It might or might not be tighter. That's not what counts. Penetration is the name of the game and it's NOT a good coyote load unless you are limiting yourself to 30 yards and then it's iffy at best.

Do yourself and the coyotes a favor and stay away from Steel.
 
I like the advice of a guy who kills 100 coyotes a year 30 to 40 of which are with a shot gun not someone who hasn't even seen 30 coyotes in his country.
 
Who's the guy who hasn't seen 30 coyotes in his country? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

This is the great part of life here. Do as you please. No one's going to say you can't. Go out and shoot at 15 or 20 coyotes with steel shot at between 40 and 50 yards. Then come back and give us a report.

Looking forward to it.

Randy
 
Les, I was wondering if you have "ever" shot lead thru that 10 ga., specifically 4 buck and how it performed. What made you swith to steel. I'm guessing cost, could be wrong, I hate paying a dollar a pop myself. I've got an old cheap Moss. 500 and we do ok with the 2 3/4 4buck when we hunt for fun and use the 3 in. stuff if we hunt a contest. I tryed some cheap lead bbs once and hit a couple of dogs standing next to each other at about thirty steps and never found either one,very little blood either, the last time I'll ever shoot lead bbs for dogs. I've heard guess have good luck with it in the 10 ga. but it seems too light in the 3 in. 12. Good to hear from ya again, beeen trying to catch your show, must not be to popular in the rep. of Texas.
 
Tiercel,

I'm with Bunker. There are a lot of better options out there than steel. I don't like paying 20 bucks a box either but I don't get to shoot at 100's coyotes each year at night so I want the ones I do take to be good ones. We started out hunting with steel but switched to heavy shot after we lost a couple of fox and they are a lot easier to kill than a yote. The no buck shot law here at night stinks but thats no reason to make a bad choice.

SOR
 
what do you seasoned pred. hunters think would be a good load for close work with a pump 410 full choke. is this a good choice or to small gauge. very light weight, does it have the power. B.A.C.
 
Brubo,

I honestly have no experience with a .410 but have seen too many animals get away after being hit with a 12 gauge. I think you would feel very bad losing one after you wait so long to call in your first. MY advise. GUN UP.


MY advise is worth exactly what you pay for it.

SOR
 
Here's a question to stir things up a bit more.

I think the main reason people are interested in using big steal shot is that you can find it about anywhere sporting goods are sold. Walmart, Kmart, hardware stores, etc. The cost of the better load options is also a concern. Dead Coyote and copper jacketed BB are neither readily available or reseasonably priced around here. The selection of buckshot is also iffy at most stores and some states outlaw the use.

So what is the best "readily" available and "reasonably" priced load for predator hunting?

Is it better to use Dead Coyote or lead BB? Without a doubt, yes! But is there a "ok", "cheap" and "available" option that we are over-looking for coyote, fox and coon out to the 30 (or 40) yard range?

What got me thinkin about this was I was thinkin about giving coon callin a chance again. Here in Iowa we can't use lights at night to hunt. I have wondered what would be the best shotgun load that I ALREADY HAVE in the gun locker? I have both 2 3/4" #4 lead and 3" T steal.

Chris
 
Les why don't you jump in here. Let's see which year of the last 18 that you have been calling coyotes, do we want to use as our test for killing coyotes with a 10 gauge with T-steel with a modified choke noless. How about just the last video you made were every coyote in it shot with a shotgun was killed with you guessed it T-steel. Or how about the 25 dogs you've pounded this season alone with a shotgun, t-steel I'll bet. How about it Les would you rather hit the coyote with more pellets of steel at 1550 fps or the 4 buck mashed through some rudy kazoo turkey choke that splays pellets all over the hillside. That reminds me of two big wooley coyotes that should of died last year at 45 yards if someone I know would have remembered the steel shot. Hey life is good at predator masters and by all means use what ever shot you pull out of your pocket, I can't argue the results I have seen over and over again. I know for my own shot gun Benelli spblk 2 steel shoots high and lead and hevi shot shoot low. Had a great discusion with a close friend of mine at the mid west calling event. He had his daughter hunting with him. I said hey, let's be honest how far are most of the shotgun coyotes you call in going to be. 10 to 25 yards he agreed, most not all. I said do you want your daughter shooting some crazy tight choke at a coyote running mach one through the sage hell most of the time we both hit the damn things the second shot don't we Tom. Any one who has called a bunch of coyotes and has his shotgun along with his rifle knows that sometimes you commit to the wrong gun. The coyote that suddenly holds up at 70 to 90 or so yards and I'm holding my shotgun, Damn what did he see that he did'nt like. To late, hail mary or go for the rifle, be patient he'll stop, not you Johnson just "bang" running, standing, jumping through the sage what ever most times he's going down. "Someday" Les I've seen you shoot lot's of coyotes with T-steel are you gonna switch? Lot's of guy's here say dead coyotes the ticket what say you?
 
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