IrishLad32

Just trying to consider all the options. Would a 20ga be able to take on a coyote or would 12ga be more practical? Would slugs or a smaller number of buck shot be better? I know a slug could take out a coyote, but I don't want a hole in it big enough to throw a baseball through. What's the ranges between a scoped out slug gun and using shot? Here in Ohio you can't use rifles on deer, so I wouldn't have much use of a rifle outside of 'yotes. So I was wondering if a shotgun would be better, that way it could double as a squirrel or woodchuck gun. Maybe even a slug gun for deer (fat chance, but maybe).
So anyways, I was throwing some thoughts around and wanted to get some opinions from people who actualy know how to do this stuff.

Brandan

coyoteseeker

if it was me and i had to buy a shotgun for this purpose,i would go for the 12 gauge.and then you could go one step further and get a 3 inch mag.shot size is a matter of debate,buck shot has good knock down power and even though the holes will be bigger there will be less of them.this is a plus when looking to mount one,it will also decrease the odds of punching holes in the ears.on the other hand becouse theres less shot in the pattern your aim will have to be more exact on the animal.i believe its important to paper test any shot you want to use.somtimes smaller shot size will pattern much more even amd more centered then the larger size.every gun is different so test yours at the range.as far as slugs for coyotes,i have never taken one with a 20 but have with a 12 and let me tell you its not a pretty sight.i would have to guess even though the 20 is smaller,it still would couse more damage then nessesary.as far as range,with shot your limmited to 30 yards or so.with a 3 or 3 1/2 inch mag and full choke you could reach out there 50 plus yards.a scoped out slug gun on the other hand will reach out there 100 plus yards with a smooth bore and double that with a rifled barrel and sabots.your willingness to take the time to match a slug to your gun and your shooting ability will decide the final out come on exact yardage with slugs.shotgunning coyotes is alot of fun but one thing you must relize is,it has to be up close and personal.getting the eastern coyote to within shotgun range can be a diffacult thing to do somtimes.a rifle such as the 223 is more effective for coyotes and alot easyer but if you have the knowledge and skill then by all means give shotgunning a try.

high country ultra force

i would use a 12.ga slug. i got my deer hide back and both holes are only as big as my pinky finger

IrishLad32

I'd rather use a rifle, but with the area I'm in I don't know if there are any public rifle ranges. The closest ones I know of are a couple hours away. So it doesn't make sense to buy a rifle to hunt with if I ain't goin to be able to shoot it anywhere to get it set up. But if there's something in the area where I could set up a rifle then I'd rather go with that. Thanks for the info.

Brandan

high country ultra force

irishlad, have you considered asking a local farmer if you could sight in your rifle in one of his feilds? im sure they'de say sure because they aren't growing anything in the winter anyways just be sure to be polite and offer to do house work for them afterwards, hey you could get permission to hunt coyote there too... kill two birds with one stone kinda...dunno just an idea

IrishLad32

If I could get permission to hunt his land I'd ask if I could do it there. That's the dilema though, I don't want to get the permission then have to wait on the rifle; or buy the rifle and end up without any place to hunt or shoot. My grandpa has a good enough stretch for sighting it in out to 100 I guess, but there's other houses around and I'm afraid it'd be too much of a disturbance. I don't know, I'll see what's going on, but thanks for the tip.

Brandan

Nomercy

I had a really good idea a couple years ago, when I was got my own SxS, I couldn't decide what I wanted to use, slugs or 00buckshot, so I just figured, why not both? I'd shot it an awful lot with slugs because I wanted to deer hunt with it, so I knew my point of impact at a bunch of ranges, so I just remembered rear trigger is slug, front is 00, and it worked out really well. I like 00buck on them more if I'm going to sell the pelts or do something special with them, but slugs don't really do that much damage on that small of animal, just not thick enough nor hard enough to really open the slugs up.

Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

longspring

I never shot a coyote yet, but a few years back I did shoot a red fox with a slug. Big mistake, It made an exit wound as big as a softball. This was with remington copper solid slugs. However if you really want to use slugs, maybe some of the old style foster slugs would not be as destructive, I know that they are not as destructive on deer, and in my opinion not as accurate. 3 inch #4 buck makes those quick shots on nervous critters a little easier. I like my 12 gauge at night and 223 for daylight.

coyoteseeker

i,m going to disagree with ya longspring,the one coyote i did shoot with a old foster type slug while sitting a deer stand at about 15 yards made an exit wound the size of a softball and took have his insides out with it.the same thing happend to my brother in law,very messy.deffinetly not the round to use if your looking for pelts or a mount.

longspring

Ok coyoteseeker, I've been proven wrong by experience. Like I said though, I hadn't tried it but it was just an idea. Not that I would buy one just for coyote, but I wonder how a .410 slug would work?