3 inch with #4 buck. I have tried 00 buck on and off and seem to miss easy shots with it, but I have killed a couple real dead with it when I connected.
Yep that #4 is good stuff. I have shot out to 50-60 and dropped them in their tracks. Sometimes they require a finisher but it atleast slows them down enough that the second shot is easy to hit. I hunt mostly thicker stuff and the area I mostly hunt is shotgun or rimfire only so my shotgun gets more use than my rifles.
I've been playing with the 17 HMR and have done very well with it. you see I need a bullet that will not go anyware after it makes 1st contact, But the last dog that I shot was at about 55-60 and I had a hell of a time tracking him down. He turned as I shot and as a result my shot clipped sholder and never made it to the vitals or so I thought. On skinning him out I found that part of the bullet had done the deed and now I have limmited the range of this gun to 45 yards and under. The reason that I'm using this gun that is light at best for coyotes, is because of the proxcimity or locations that I'm hunting are close to homes and or city limmits. I do wish that Hornaday would add a 20 grn pill to its offerings. Maybe someday.
Good hunting and keep up the good work
Dic
Good pics, FEW! I don't hear much about shotguns for varmints, so it's nice to hear about what you're using.
I think that 3 grains isn't to make much difference in the .17 HMR for coyotes. A 25 grain bullet would be better, but then I don't know how much faster (if any) it would be than a 30 gr .22 mag.
The hole reason behind me shooting the 17 HMR is the speed, the bullet has to dissinegrate on contact for safty reasons. If you slow the bullet down you have a .22 with seccondary target troubles. neither one is a coyote round. When I get away from town I go to my Remington 700vsf .223 shooting a 50 grn. barnes VLC or my 20 tact, that is being rebarreled as we write, shooting a 36 grn. berger or the 30 grn. gold but when I'm in close to homes I tend to go lighter
my thought was that maybe, with a 20 grn. bullet that the bullet would hold together just a little longer for better pennitration. Just a thought.
aim well shoot fast and hit what your pointin at.
Dic
FEW, nice looking DEAD YOTES! I been using a formula of T-Buck and in some 3.5 inchers out of my Browning Gold, behind a mode choke. I was planing on using it for the big birds, only don't seem to be much action on the scene. It seems to work just fine on the yotes though, especially when they try sneeking up from behind ya.
we shoot our coyotes in front of hounds.They are usually moving right along.I think that a 3 inch or 3.5 inch load of #4 buckshot is the ultimate load for this hunting.Big pellets and plenty of them !!