non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

What is the best all around manual call? Do you call on it constantly until you see something or just every now and then like a grunt call?

What size shot do you use with a 12ga shotgun for varmits? What's the effective range of it?

I've always just used electronic calls. But you can't use them everywhere.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

There is not such a thing as a "best all around manual call". We all will have a "favorite", but even the "favorite" won't always work. So, he who wants to have success most, will have several "favorites" that they use and have success with. My favorite is the Verminator Thumper and Tweetie calls, followed by my Lone Wolf open reed call, followed by Tallyho and my Critr-call peewee, then I have several closed reed calls that do well when I use them, which isn't very often. I'd guess that there are very few if anyone that calls constantly with hand calls. I typically will do a series of maybe 5 upto 15 seconds of calling, than sit silent for any where from 15 sec. upto a minute or more. Try to mix it up, don't fall into a rythme. As far as shotgun load, 4 buck is quite effective out to 50 yrds. on broadside coyotes.

RE: non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

This may sound crazy but I have had great success with a glass jar or bottle and a piece of styrofoam. You lighlty wet the bottle and rub it with the styrofoam. It makes a terrible high pitched squeal and red foxes will charge in. Have used it for 2 years and have taken 5 foxes. Numerous others have been called in while driving around in a car just experimenting. Live in Maryland and have only had fox come to it but I guess it would work on differant predators.

RE: non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

you could ask 20 predator hunters that question and get 20 different answers.every body has there favorite ones that work for them.most calls made today are good quality and will call in predators.experiment and find one or more that work for you and its like turkey calls,you realy can't ever have to many.some days you will find your self using them all before you find one that works.i have calls by johnny stewart,ej-sceery,burnham bros,verminators,quakerboy,penn woods,olt and problably a few more.they all work,none of them work all the time.if you were to blow on a hand call untill somthing showed up chances are you would pass out long before a critter showed himself.i think it would be refered to as lack of oxegen...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> i think the effective range on shot would depend on barrel length,choke size,3 inch-3 1/2 inch or 2 3/4 inch.2 3/4 with magnum turkey loads(bufferd 4's) are good to around 30 yards or so.these are effective but they have to be up close and personal.a 3 or 3 1/2 inch with a 30 inch full choke barrel and some kind of buck shot would reach out 50 yards easy.

RE: non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

Wow, ekd,
Does anyone else know of any other homemade calls?

What I was thinking was 3&quot; #4 shot and full choke. Around 30 yards was what I was expecting.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: non electronic calling and shotgun loads?
 

im not sure on the calling. but for a shotgun load you might want to try brenikke rottweil slugs. and the range on them is the distance that you feel comfortable at. personally i feel comfortable at 75 yards. it works best w/ a imp.cyl. choke,i mean good like you can get groups the size of a desert place(6&quot;circle) but dont expect to be able to do that right away it took me about 10 diffrent slug brands before i found one that my gun threw decent.