#4 Buck

[tipiguy]

We can now use #4 buckshot on foxes and coyotes in Pennsylvania.  I saw that Midway offers 2 3/4" Fiochi shells for a very cheap price.  Anyone have any experience with this brand?  My gun takes up to 3" shells but the price goes up almost 4x.  Is a 3" shell that much better or necessary?

Also the Fiochi shells are nickel plated.  I know that copper plated is better but what about nickel?

Thanks for your response.

tipiguy

[onecoyote]

tipiguy, I don't know that copper or nickle plated shot is better then buck shot when it comes to killing coyotes. I also don't think the Fiochi shells well do any better in the field then Win or Rem.
I've been using #4 buck 3" mags for more years then I can count on coyotes and it kills them real damn dead, how much better can you get the that?

You can spend more money and buy "dead coyote". That gives you more range, but the whole idea is to call the coyotes in close so you can shoot them........You won't go wrong with #4 buck.

[RBishop]

What choke are you guys using with #4 buckshot on coyotes?

[onecoyote]

Full.

[billy_56081]

    I've had very poor sucess using #4 buck on coyotes. The patterns out past 30 yards have been horrible. I've tried several different chokes. Improved cylinder was about the best. Try using Copper plated BB. Or if your want to spend some big bucks try Dead Coyote tungsten shells. They are awsome out to 100 yards. I use an extended mod steel for these. AT 3 bucks a pop they should be good though.

[onecoyote]

Billy-56081, No disrespect intended, but I don't have a clue what you're talking about Awesome 100 yard shots on coyotes with "Dead Coyote"? I'm sorry buddy, but---------"show me"----------as Harry S Truman would say.. 

I gave the local ADC guy about 10 boxes of dead coyote last year, he liked it and said it got coyotes out to about 50-55 yards from the plane, a long long way from a 100 yards. I've used it myself and it's good stuff, but it don't do 100 yard shots on anything.

I have seen hundreds of coyotes die with guys using #4 buck, if it just don't happen to shoot out of your shotgun don't mean it don't work. It sure in the hell shoots out of mine and a bunch of other predator hunters I know....Good hunting and that's my opinion lol.
PS
I understand this is all a matter of opinions and that's cool, but you got to draw the line somewhere. I know I'm old and out of touch...But not that old I don't think?..

[Thebear_78]

I have a patternmaster choke tube, very tight patterns, I wouldnt' hesitate to shoot 60+ yards at coyotes with it.   One time we took a 2' sqare of cardboard and shot it with the 3" #4 buck at 100 yards  and there was 27 out of the 41 pellets inside that carboard cuttout.  There was also two pellets inside the 3" black circle I put in the center of the cardboard.  That would be a very dead coyote. 

[Jerry Lester]

I agree with onecoyote as far as the killing power of #4 buck on coyotes within reasonable ranges. A coyotes chest is big enough to reliably put at least a few of those pellets though.

On foxes though, it's proven to be a dismal failure for me. Once the ranges get much past 25 yards you stand a real chance of just winging a fox in the leg, or worse, the guts. If you want to judge a shotgun load for foxes, set your maximum range at the point that you can "consistantly" put at least 2 or 3 pellets into a softball sized circle. That's about the size of the average foxes vitals for a chest shot. One #4 buck in that circle will kill a fox, but it'd have to be a good hit every time, and it's just hard to garantee.

I don't even use a 12 gauge anymore for predators. I started using a Remington 870 Express Magnum in 20 gauge. The 12 gauge is perfect for coyotes, but it gets right rough on a fox at any kind of closer ranges. It does make choke sellection a bit different though as the 20 gauge(mine anyways) seems to shoot tighter with any given choke. For instance, if I put in the Super Full Turkey choke, or even a standard full choke, and 3" magnum #4 or #2 bird shot, I can literaly riddle a 2' circle at 50-60 yards, but the pellets just don't seem to have enough power to be effective at those ranges.

My prefered load is the Federal 3" magnum #2 bird shot. I've counted them, and they average around 108-110 pellets. This load with a modified choke will cleanly kill a coyote up to around 35-40 yards, and will also drop foxes reliably at the same ranges. If I'm hunting somewhere that I doubt seriously I'll see a coyote, I switch over to the Winchester Supreme 3" magnum #4 bird shot, and an improved cylinder. This combo will bust a fox every time at 45+ yards, but not turn the hide to window screen at closer ranges. I've killed coyotes with this load too, but I try to put my bead on the head/neck, and that way the shot is concentrated from the chest forward.

[Glanceblamm]

Thanks for the good read guys.
Like Jerry, I have also used the #2 bird shot and did it exclusively because my main usage was for fox hunting at night. This was back before the Coyotes started showing up and a time when the .22WMR was just the ticket for daytime calling.
I eventually did take some Coyotes with the #2 bird out of the twelve but would rate this as a 40yd weapon, at least out of my 12ga & the patterns it throws.

I may pickup some of the #4 buck very soon because of two recent phone calls. One was from a friend and the other was from a cousin. In both cases the Coyotes were coming up into the house and barnyard area at night and being quite vocal about it.
My friend happened to be at work and those coyotes scared his wife & kids pretty badly. I will usually work the intersects with rifle and call well away from the farmyard areas but it sounds like it is time to get out there at night with the shotgun and some of the #4 buck.
Due to the overall circumstance of the above pelt damage will not matter. I will blow some of them in half if need be just to teach the pack some respect regarding their playground areas.

My hunting times will be dictated strictly from the Solunar tables. I will pick the Major periods for A.M & P.M along as it is dark out there and which ever one coincides best with my schedual. I have started paying much more attention to this the last three or four years and it seems to pay off well as far as raising the success rate ratio of predators taken per number of stand sites used.
I do not let this keep me from hunting though. If I have time and want to hunt, I will hunt.

[LEO]

I haven't used the Fiocihi 4buck but I do shot the Fiochi #2 nickel plated in a 3" 12 gauge round with good success.  For fox, I would think the 4 Buck might be a little large but that is just guessing not from experience, like I said I am happy with the #2 shot so I really haven't experimented with anything else

[Gary paugh]

Give copper plated BB's a try in a 12ga 3" should be death to foxes.

Gary

[Thebear_78]

2s and even 4s work just fine on fox but you never know if a fox, coyote, bobcat, whatever will come to the call.  The #4 buck works great especially out there a ways.  One of the guys I used to hunt coyotes/fox with hounds with has used #4 buck  for years at ranges over 70 yards on yotes and fox.   You don't want to hit one too close though, will seriously mess up a hide at 15-20 yards.

[alsaqr]

Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote is the very best coyote load out there.   Think that the shot size is T.  They come only in 12 gauge.  Been using them for some time and have killed coyotes out to 55 yards with it. 

[MSP Ret]

#4 buckshot in a 2 3/4" 12 guage shotgun is a great load for coyotes. 100 yards shots with Dead Coyote? It is good ammo but boy if you believe those 100 yard coyote shots with it I have a couple of bridges and a few gold bars I will sell you cheap!!! ...if it is true I want one of those choke tubes...
As in using any gun and any load for any aniimal out there, predator or game animal, you must know your gun and load and how it performs and patterns. I use #4 Buckshot  in 2 3/4" 12 gauge shells for my go to coyote shotgun load out of a 12 gauge H&R Handi Rifle and a Remington 12 gauge pump. Buy it for the deal, pattern it with different guns or choke tubes, decide which is best for you and your optimum and maximum distance and go for it, but please don't try any 100 yard shots on coyotes or anything else with any shot load, perhaps a slug if you can do that well with your slug gun and ammo....<><....

size T shot works very well also and I have heard some speak of F shot but have no info on it....

[Catfish]

No # 4 bucks are what most of the guys that carry shotguns around here are using. The  34 bucks are .240 in dia. and there are 27 of them in a 2 3/4 in shell and 41 in a 3 in shell. Years ago I used to load 34 into a 2 3/4 in. shell for fox, but if you don`t load your own you`ll only get 27. For coyote I think the 3 in. shells are worth the extra money. I was paying $ 20 for 10 Rem. Heavy shot shells when I had a bunch of Steel shot I bought for less than $10 for 25 shells. The thing is I could not down a goose at all with the steel and I finished the season last year with 1 goose less than shots fired with the Heavy Shot, untill the last goose I had 1 more than shells and I missed him with the first 2 shots.

[Skeezix]

tipiguy,

I've used the Fiocchi shells for years and like them.  The 2-3/4" Buckshot loads are loaded quite hot, they feel somewhat hotter than U.S.-made 2-3/4" mags.  The nickle plated shot is a little harder than the copper plated shot you can get in other brands of shells.  I've found that the nickle plated shot groups tighter than unplated and the same as or usually a little tighter than copper plated, but your results may vary.  You definitely need to pattern your shotgun with it.  Back when you could still use lead on ducks, Fiocchi's were my #1 choice in 2-3/4" shells.  I loved the #6 & #4 nickle plated duck loads.  I still smoke crows with 'em.

Before you buy a bunch of the Fiocchi's, try a box and see if you like 'em.  Try it through various chokes and see how it does.  I personally believe you'll be quite pleased.  The two longest verified buckshot kills I've ever witnessed were made with Fiocchi #4 Buck loads.  One at 81 yards and one at 90 yards.  I personally wouldn't have taken the shots at that range, but both were clean kills.  And the guy behind the trigger knew his weapon and its capabilities and limitations.

[alsaqr]

Still shoot some coyotes with #4 buckshot in 20 gauge.  But i am now a fan of Dead Coyote.  No, you cannot kill a coyote at 100 yards with Dead Coyote or anything else fired from a shotgun-except a slug.  Never did shoot at a coyote over 50 yards away with a shotgun.  Sure have busted a bunch of them at under 50 yards though.   Love it when two of them come in at staggered distances.  Get the long range one with the .22 Hornet barrel of my Savage O/U and then blast the close one with buckshot.   

[billy_56081]

  I killed one at 93 yards this winter with dead coyote, it took 9 dollars worth of shells though. Had to get the lead down. She had 6 holes in her 2 went all the way through. I'm looking to try out some #4 buck in 3.5" reloads if I can find a Lee loader for 12 guage. I had terrible luck shooting 2 3/4 #4 buck but maybe more pellets will help the pattern. I really like the dead coyote but my cheap side comes out when  pull the trigger on one.