Effective range of shotgun

[Qaz]

What is the effective range of a 12ga shotgun firing 2 3/4 #4 buckshot with a modified choke on coyotes?

[mjbgalt]

I have heard 40 and 50 yards both being said but I think I wouldn't push it to those ranges unless you really feel confident after patterning it at the range.

ust for reference, i have never shot a coyote with a shotgun.....but i did stay at a holiday inn express last night

-Matt

[Qaz]

MJBGault- So now I guess you are a doctor of ballistics?    
In all seriousness, that seems to be right.

[Jerry Lester]

I'm not a big shotgun fan for most hunting, but I do use an 870 20 guage for foxes, and the occasional coyote that comes in on a fox calling stand.

I don't care for buckshot in any guage, but with 3" magnum #2 shot, and a full choke tube, my 20 guage rolls foxes up to 50 yards, and has reliably dropped coyotes up to 40 yards.

If you're looking for the longest reliable killing load for a shotgun against coyotes, I think you'd do better using heavy shot, instead of buckshot. Something like #2 or BB sized lead will give you denser patterns, and likely a slightly longer killing range.

[swiftman]

A freind of mine has killed them at 100yds with a 10ga. mag single shot with choke cut of end of barrel. He uses buck shot but don't remember what size. He touches it of and you can see the shot start hitting the ground  before it gets to them then it envolopes them.

[Catfish]

There is something to be said for what Jerry said about the smaller size shot. Years ago I used to do alot of fox hunting and # 2 or BB I found to be more reliable than buckshot upto abt. 60 yrds. Past that with most guns it`s a shot and hope deal anyway. I used to load 4 2`s or BB and 1 number 4 buck for the shot and hope last shot. But I did see a guy shoot 4 times at a fox befor he killed it with the 4th shot at abt 70 yrds with 2`s and then kill it`s mate at over 100 yrds. with a number 4 buck. With coyote though I would use number 4 buck all the way. They are just a whole lot harder to put down. Jerry also had another good point abt. the Heavy Shot, it does hit harder than lead, but at $2 a shot I`ll stick to lead.

[Flyrodder]

I've never hunted coyotes with a shotgun before but, I think that heavy birdshot would be better than buckshot. The reason is this, 4 pellets striking cause 16 times as much shock as one pellet. this would quickly add up to more than 2 or 3 pieces of buckshot.



                 Flyrodder

[varmit_master]

The buckshot will hit harder than the #4 shot. I uses Federal Copper Platted lead BB's 2 1/4 oz load out of my SP 10ga with a custom choke. I have used #4 buckshot but they have stop making it in a 10ga VM

[Jerry Lester]

Jerry also had another good point abt. the Heavy Shot, it does hit harder than lead, but at $2 a shot I`ll stick to lead.

Just for the record...

When I said "heavy shot", I meant heavy lead shot. I was meaning something on the order of #2 lead shot up to one of the lead T shot sizes.

I'm just like you, and couldn't possibly justify paying more than about $20 for 25 rounds of shotgun shells no matter how awsome they were! LOL!

[Old Griz]

:cb2: I have read (don't know if it's true) that police training at some training schools advocate using 00 Buck out to 75 yards. I've never tried it, so I really don't know.

My question is, what about using 00 Buck on yotes? I've always read that #4 Buckshot is the best, but I've got a boatload of 00. With 00 what choke should I use and what distance should I expect to be the maximum effective range?

I am not a shotgun person, though I have two, I just never shoot them.

[scout34]

I have a buddy who likes hunting varmints with a 10ga H&R.  In the dog towns he's good for about 4 shots before his cheek starts to bruise.  Think he got one once at 70 yds with a charge of #4.  Nothing left but mist.

Same guy hunts hogs with his knife.  It's fun to watch...from way over here.

[JD338]

What is the effective range of a 12ga shotgun firing 2 3/4 #4 buckshot with a modified choke on coyotes?

I would think 40 yds but you will have to pattern your gun to know for sure. My longest kill is 50 yds with #4 Buck 12 ga 3" load. I am using a Pure Gold Turkey Choke.

JD338

[onecoyote]

Having killed coyotes with a 12 ga and I use 3" #4 buck. I'd have to say the 2 3/4" range would be a little less then the 3". A guess, maybe 35 to 40 yards.
Old Griz, the police use 00 buck for people. I believe 00 buck only has 9 pellets, #4 buck has close to 50 I think. Many years ago I shot coyotes with 00 and seen many run, it's not the thing to use on coyotes. :wink:

[Larry Gibson]

What is the effective range of a 12ga shotgun firing 2 3/4 #4 buckshot with a modified choke on coyotes?

I believe it was the USFS or the Department of Agriculture that did a lot of aerial coyote shooting with shotguns from helicopters back in the '70s. They used #4 buck so a lot of hunters believed that was THE load to use.  A friend of mine was one of the those government hunters and he said they could hover 25 - 50 yards above the coyote and it took 3-5 shells to put the coyote down. That might be ok if you're shooting from a helicopter but it doesn't work if you're on the ground. You will very seldom get more than one shot on the ground.

I know from practical experience. I was in LE and had lot's of #00 and #4 buck to use. I heard all the reports that #4 buck was the load to use on coyotes. After "patterning" (that means the coyote was centered in the pattern as seen by the strikes in the sage and dirt behind) several coyotes that then ran away. Those shots were from 25 to 50 yards with cylinder bore.  I went to a modified and then full choke. After patterning several more coyotes with those chokes I went back to 1 5/8ths oz BB shot loads. These consistantly drop coyotes out to 50 yards even from a cylinder bore. Pattern density is the key, even on coyotes. A load of 1 5/8ths #2 shot is almost as good as BB shot.

As to #00 loads they will barely hold a B27 target at 25 yards from cylinder bore. With a full choke you can keep all nine shot on the B27 out to 35-40 yards but that's about it. I also tried those on coyotes with nada kills out of 6 shots at 25 to 50 yards with the full choke. Coyotes have lots of air around them. Like I said, use 1 5/8ths oz of BBs or #2 shot and am quite satisfied with thaose loads on coyotes.

Larry Gibson

[onecoyote]

Larry, I never got to fancy with my shotgun stats. I know what kills coyotes and I've killed more then the average guy. The ADC stays at our place all the time and they use #4 buck from the air. It's all about what ever works for the guys doing the job and simply a matter of opinion.....Good hunting. :wink:

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, I never got to fancy with my shotgun stats. I know what kills coyotes and I've killed more then the average guy. The ADC stays at our place all the time and they use #4 buck from the air. It's all about what ever works for the guys doing the job and simply a matter of opinion.....Good hunting. :wink:

Agree that one should go with what works. My point was there is a difference between hunting from the air and when on the ground. The reputation of #4 buck as the best load comes from the air hunters. There in lies the rub. In the air they can shoot as many times as it takes to put the coyote down. Three to five shots per coyote was not uncommon. When on the ground I've never got more than one shot at a coyote with a shotgun. After one shot they are dead, out of sight or out of range. When using #4 buck they were always one of the latter two when past 20 yards or so on the one shot. Within 20 yards BBs, #2 shot, #4 buck, and 00 buck all proved effective. When using a 1 5/8ths load of BBs or #2 shot they were always dead on the first shot out to 40+ yards. Just saying what works on the ground, doubt we have many varmint hunters here that use a helicopter.

Larry Gibson

[Old Griz]

:cb2: I almost got one yesterday morning on the way to work . . . but I didn't want to mess up the front of my '99 Sebring convertible, so I swerved! Now if I'd been in my wife's 4x4 pickemup truck, I'da hit the accelerator instead of the brake.  :eek:  There was another one a bit further down the road that wasn't so lucky.

[kyote]

there was a formula that was in an old nra magazine mannnnny years back.all was done using 2 3/4 inch shells.it was one of them scientific/mathmatical studys.and the conculsion was that 1 buckshot was the best.weight Xs mass times velocity ect..yadda yadda yadda..and  choke did not seem to enter into this formula ..we had the formula posted on our hunt club bulletin board.it was one of the oldest hunt clubs in the country.all the members seemed to use 1buck.and it worked..don't get me wrong now there were some that had 00/4/0 and even BBs..I have had good luck using the #4 buck in 2 3/4 but better luck with 1 buck.
But to answer yer question..I think you will roll em up at 40 -50 yards.anything further might just be making noise only...