Shotgun for coyotes?

Does anybody have any experience shooting coyotes with a shotgun? I have 68 acres and about 150 chickens that free range inside and outside a safe fenced area. The fence is only 4 feet tall, so they jump over it all the time. Once outside the fence, they risk being killed by coyotes. Nothing that I've said to them has had any impact on stopping them from going out into no mans land, so I'm forced to shoot coyotes as often as I can.

I've been using my deer rifle and my AR to shoot them, but I miss as often as I get one, which is about 3 a year, when I had a good chance at six so far this year. This morning the chickens all came running back to the coop at the same time, which is a very good sign that there is a coyote around. I took my rifle to where they chickens came from and the coyote ran right in front of me from about ten yards, from left to right. I got him in my scope and tried to stay on him with a small lead as he ran, but missed the shot, and then he was gone into the thick trees.

If I had my shotgun, I'm pretty sure that I could have hit him easily. I've never shot a coyote with a shotgun. I've never shot anything bigger then a turkey with a shotgun. I'm wondering if buckshot would be a good option over the rifle to shooting them? Of the six that I've seen this year, none have been more then 20 yards away. It's always quick shooting as they take off the second that I see them, or they are already running when I see them.

3 inch mags with buckshot is what I'm thinking might give me better results. Your thoughts?

Here is one that was in my front yard just before I built a fence for my dogs a few years ago. They roam around my place all night long, and more and more often, during the day too.

Get one of your chickens and tie it up where you can get a good shot with a rest and see if that will draw them in where you can take your time and aim.

This could be part of the problem.

I'd definitely try the shotty with buckshot. Some others on here might have some advice on snaring, if you can keep your dogs away.

0 Buck,1 or 2 shot. I've hit them with 4 and 6' at 30 yds and they just booked away. Them varmints stole 6 from my enclosed pen years ago dug under and squeezed through fences.

Good Luck

This will work https://www.kygunco.com/Product/View?ItemNo=54487

We used to use heavy goose loads.

Hevi shots Dead coyote “T” shot is nasty medicine. It’s expensive but patterned right effective at a good distance.

Use #4 buck shot! They are .24 caliber pellets and there are 41 of them in a 3" magnum 12 gauge! Can't go wrong there! 1 pellet will do the job and even if he manages to run off, that just saves the work of doing it yourself!

#4 buck, or slugs

Thank you. The comments are very encouraging. I pulled my old 870 out and will see how it works out. Walmart has some Federal 3 inch 00 buckshot with 15 pellets that I picked up last night.

Eddie, a SG will sure do the job, I know several callers who carry SG as a close in backup, I used to if I wasn't trying to cover a lot of area. I have killed 2, one while turkey hunting, and one in Colorado calling, 2x4's when I was turkey hunting and 00 when I carried it for that purpose

Federal 00 buck in 10 gauge. That’s 15 pellets at 1350 FPS. Have taken 200 + lb boars at 50 yards. Pretty sure it will waste a coyote at 70 yards.

I've killed hogs with this:

You won't be disappointed. Pattern it in a choke that is not restricted. The wad stays in tact much longer before separating from the pellets. It patterns very tight, 6-9" at about 30 yards. If you shoot it through a restricted choke you'll tear the wad, defeating it's purpose. Try it on some paper first.

Back in the 70's when hides were selling, one of us was always on an Marlin Goose Gun, 12 ga 36 inch barrel. We used #2's and BB's, that old shotgun payed for itself many times over.

I read an article a few years back were they were killing coyotes at 77 yards with the Hevi shot Dead Coyote out of a Benelli with Carlson dead coyote choke.

My son varmint hunts in competitions and has killed many coyotes with his shotgun. They need to recover them so he won’t shoot any further than 35-40 yds. Foxes out to 65 yds. Blast away they might run off but dead is dead.

Thanks, I didn't know this. I have a few different chokes for it somewhere, but can't think of where since it's been so long since I changed it out. I'm pretty sure it has a full choke in it now, but not 100%.

What shotgun you using? That full choke is too tight for the stuff I recommended. Also, pattern it whatever you use. Your full choke, shooting a load with a lot of large pellets is counter intuitive. If you restrict a lot of large pellets they collide and deform each other. They won't fly true if they flatten out or are otherwise not as round as intended. You may be able to tell by the holes left in the paper or if your pattern is larger than you think it should be. BTW, the hog I shot with the flight control stuff fell over like ha had been hit by a truck. I posted a review of all this a year ago. You can find it if you search my posts.

30-06 with 110 gr bullets in the belly. See how much I like them.

I had a video of my aunt and uncle shooting coyotes in New Mexico with a 20 gauge. He could get coyotes within 20 yards of her, and the #4 shot would end them.

I use Federal LE1321B which is 15 pellet #1 buck with the Flite Control wad in my 12 gauge.



And I use Federal 9 pellet #4 buck in my 410.



I rolled this late summer pup @55 yds with the 12 ga 6 weeks? ago



It required an anchor shot

Good job.

You may when to get a call and be proactive against them instead of reactively waiting for them to come along...

#4 works well....I alternate slugs and 00 buck in my truck gun...they work just fine for me

X2, I have hunted this with #4 and always dropped them in their tracks.

Go with the flight control was like smithsesson said it get some dead coyote brand shells

50-70 yards easy

We had good luck with 3” #4 buck out of a helicopter.

You guys that are shooting the 3" #4 Buck.....what chokes are you shooting them through? My shells are the cheaper Remingtons---I don't think they have any kind of 'flite-control' wad - just a normal wad.

I run a Carlson Dead yote choke and shoot the Winchester X Varmint loads out of my 12gauge and I will shoot the Hornady Heavy Mag Yote load too.
Im not a fan of shooting buck shot through mine. it doesn't pattern nearly as good as the 2 I mentioned.

Make sure you pattern it. You have to know how your gun shoots.

Yep, shotgunning coyotes is a blast...#4 buckshot and a full choke, is good out to 50 yards...if you got an extra full or XX full choke to use...well that will lay the smack down on the yotes to 70 plus yards, 85 if you got a lucky pellet in the load! The good news, is using the #4 buckshot, you are not likely to hit any chickens, in the mayhem...once you get into position just Hollar “HEY” at the coyote, and if he stops and looks shoot him right then, by aiming at his chest/neck area. Generally, if you are real close when you hollar, they will turn and run...give then about five jumps out of the turn and bust them once they straighten towards their getaway hole...aim just under the hinge of their jaw, and they usually roll for 10 yards or so, and be hit in the chest...finish them off as necessary...usually you can find a 25 round box of 2 3/4 inch #4 Buckshot at Cabelas for about 15 bucks or so...I usually stock up when it’s on sale. Good luck and good hunting!

Depends on the combo of barrel, load, and choke brand. Every gun is different, but a lot of people find a sweet spot between .660 and .685 constriction for good patterns beyond 40 yds.
I found that it’s cheaper to buy the Federal flite control # 1 buck because patterning and buying chokes can get expensive.
It’s easy to overchoke regular buck (or B.B., T shot, or #2) and get “donut” patterns. It’s easy to have not enough choke and wonder WTF?!
But when you get it right your 50 yd+ patterns make you go “WOW!”

With flight control at 40 yds you either have good patterns with a mod or imp choke or you have adequate patterns.
If you have good patterns you can stretch it out further. That’s my experience anyway.
I’ve spent a lot of time and money stapling butcher paper to a pallet and patterning different loads and chokes.
Flite Contol #1 buck (LE1321B). Is a 15 pellet low recoil load that fills the gaps in better than the Flite Control 8 or 9 pellet 00 loads.

Get a pair of Great Pyrenees and never worry about coyotes again.

Though a Gold 10 is pictured, that is my backup shotgun. I have used an Ithaca Mag 10 for hunting coyotes among other things since the mid 1980s. Back then BB Lead was my go to load. I have used T Hevi Shot, BB Hevi Shot, and #2 Hevi Shot with good success. Now I normally use my own #2 13gcc Hevi Shot reloads when purposely hunting coyotes. I have used #4 buckshot with mixed results and 00 Buck with poor results. More recently patterning with Buckshot using the flite control wads to be used for hog hunting at a set min 45 to max 50 yard distance I could not get a pattern I was happy with. Beyond say 35 yards Buckshot is difficult to get a tight pattern and it leaves huge holes in the pattern beyond that distance. Using BB Lead, BB Hevi, T Hevi, and #2 Hevi through a mod to full choke, Coyotes have almost always dropped dead with one shot within 50 yards. Some easily out to 80 yards kills with the Ithaca factory 30 inch barrel full choke. I still use the same Johnny Stewart tape caller I was using in the 1980s too.

#4 Buck is all we use with a Carlsons Coyote Choke is what we use when were calling for the ones that get get inside 60 Yards on us

4's 5's or 6's will do the job, pheasant hunters do it all the time

We've killed many using 5 shot while pheasant hunting over the years as well as BB's when goose hunting.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/why-shotguns-are-better-rifles-coyote-hunting/

Drops’em like a bad habit!

#4 buck with a standard wad, Patternmaster long range choke.

It is pricey but #7 TSS out of a mod choke is effective almost beyond belief.

3” #4 buckshot

good shot!

Shotgun for coyotes?


^^^^^

Personally, I don't think Coyotes should have shotguns.

So there was a bunch of public land I use to hunt regularly that was archery only for deer, but allowed shotgun for birds and turkeys but buckshot not allowed. So many pigs and coyotes we got the idea to try using 3 1/2 #4 turkey loads on them so we could be within the regulations and hunt predators in the off season and the warden agreed we were within the law. Needless to say, but those large turkey loads carry a heck of a punch and easily put down coyotes at 60 yards or so. They pattern tight at distance. For us it was a creative option and worked well.

I killed a bunch in the Panhandle when I lived up there with a 3" 12 ga using copper plated #2's. That was pretty much a standard goose load back then but the last time I looked they were almost impossible to find. All this from back when lead shot was legal for waterfowl.