Carlson's Coyote Choke

[PowPow]

This was an impulse buy, while I was buying other chokes for my new Benelli Supernova.


Anybody hunt coyotes with a shotgun and use this choke?
Does it work out to 70 yards like it says?
What shot do you use with it?

[Hellgate]

The size shot I use is #4 buckshot. I would pattern your loads no matter what. Maybe if you had a 3 1/2" 12ga you could consistantly get coyotes at 70 yards but at close range you pattern would be very small. You would need more than a bead on the end of the barrel for a sight. A standard 12ga #4 buck shell (2 3/4") has 27 pellets. A full choke pattern at 10yds is 10" in diameter (90% of the pellets). A full choke pattern at 70yds would be approximately 70" across and not a consistant coyote killer without a lot of shot. I think a 70 yds coyote killing patten would be too small at close range to cause misses on a runner. If they are 70 yds away, that's rifle range.

[Bowhunter57]

Anybody hunt coyotes with a shotgun and use this choke?
Does it work out to 70 yards like it says?
What shot do you use with it?

PowPow,
I purchased the Dead Coyote choke tube and Dead Coyote ammo (T sized shot), hoping for good results at the distances they advertised. Patterning is a must, to know how good or bad the pattern is at any given distance.
 
I shot this combination at 40 yards and the pattern was very wide and uneven...50 yards was even worse. However, at 30 yards it looked even and dense, but I wouldn't trust it past that distance.
 
I called Carlson's and spoke with one of their techs (Shane Carlson) about the choke tube, ammo and the fact that I was attempting to attain a killing pattern for coyotes, at 50 yards. We talked for a while, about the distance that I intended to hunt coyotes (inside 50 yards), what type of ammo that I intended to use and the pattern density that could be attained.
Here's good customer service for you: Shane said to mail the choke tube back to him and put a note on it stating, "switch for a .680" restriction" and he would get it back to me as soon as possible. I asked what it would cost to switch the chokes and he said, just the postage to get it here.
 
I've been coyote hunting with the new choke tube, but have only shot a couple of feral cats at 35+ yards and it flattened them on the spot. On paper it patterns very well, out to the 50 yard mark that I intend to hunt. A 10" circle is the standard for predators and turkeys. A 30" circle is waterfowl patterning.
 
The ammo I'm using is 3" Dead Coyote Ts and 3" Remington HD BBs...both pattern very even. The shotgun is a 12 gauge, 3" chamber Mossberg 500 Turkey Special with a 20" barrel.
 
You may find that the Italian bore of your Benelli being .720", instead of the standard American bore size of .728", could make it easier to get tighter patterns with less restriction. What I mean by that is... Where my .680" restriction performed better than the Dead Coyote's restriction of .660", a .700" restriction may perform as good, since the Benelli bore size is .720".
I highly recommend calling Carlson's and talking with them. Let them know what you're shooting, what ammo you're using and let them know you're open do suggestions. It will be well worth the time, as choke tubes and the alloy ammo used for predators can get expensive quick. 
 
Good hunting, Bowhunter57

[PowPow]

Great to know. Thanks.