Combo guns for coyote hunting
- Thread starter redhaze
- Start date
They can be outstanding for predator hunting. You mentioned the Sav 24, it in 223/20ga and quickly learned what works and what doesn't with combo gun.
My first combo Sav 24 long gone
Specifically the Sav 24 has a hammer that needs to be cocked for each shot and the selector is on the nose of the hammer. It will work with open sights but trying to scope it means the scope has to be mounted very high so you can cock the hammer and select the barrel. One Savage was built on a Valmet frame and had internal hammers like an over under. The selector was either on the triggers or built into the safety. I known the actual Valmet came with both double triggers and a single trigger with the selector as a butterfly n in the trigger web.
For me the perfect combo gun has two triggers and a safety. Scopes can be mounted low for quick target acquisition and the double triggers give you instant barrel selection.
Good ones
Bernardelli 5.6x50R Mag/12ga
BRNO 22 Sav HP/12ga
One nice thing about combo guns you don't need big heavy shot loads in the shotgun barrels as you have the rifle barrel handy for everything over 40 yards. My go-to loads for my combo guns is 1 oz of NP BBs on the 16ga(2.5" chambers) and 1 1/4 oz of the same size shot in the 12ga (2.75" chamber).
My current predator hunting combo gun are chambered in 22 Sav Highpower/12ga, 5.6x50R Mag/12ga and 6.5x58R Sauer/16ga/16ga. I do have a hammer drilling that I have killed coyotes with but it is not scoped and wouldn't be my first choice but it is a handy bird gun in deer season 9.3x72R /16g/16ga.
Drilling 6.5x58R Sauer/16ga/16ga
Open sighted hammer drilling 9.3x72R/16ga/16ga What looks like a safety on this is actually the barrel selector. When the right hammer is cocked you can push the selector forward and it will fire the rifle barrel instead of the shotgun barrel plus it has a connecting rod that raises the rifle sight from a recesses in the rib.
There are a lot of Tikka combo guns around in 12ga/222Rem, they do have a hammer but the selector is on the side, they are usually under $1000 also BRNO guns in 12ga/22 Savage Highpower(5.6x52R) they do take .227/.228 bullets but S&B is importing ammo for around $25/20 with 70gr bullets.
Scope mounting can be a problem with some Euro combo guns as they took proprietary rings or claw mounts. If you are looking at one without rings be sure you can find rings before hand. A set of custom claw rings to fit existing bases can run close to $1000 and no I didn't put them in one to many zeros.
Here is a drilling I set up for big game hunting 7x57R/16ga/16ga. I modified a set of Weaver Grand Slam steel rings to fit the existing claw bases, it took months , a slipe of the file and then blacking and fitting before the next swipe, it took me a couple months but it did turn out accurate and repeatable. You can pop the scope off and hunt birds and put it back on and hunt game.
The best deal on new combo guns is the Valmet 412/512s
My first combo Sav 24 long gone
Specifically the Sav 24 has a hammer that needs to be cocked for each shot and the selector is on the nose of the hammer. It will work with open sights but trying to scope it means the scope has to be mounted very high so you can cock the hammer and select the barrel. One Savage was built on a Valmet frame and had internal hammers like an over under. The selector was either on the triggers or built into the safety. I known the actual Valmet came with both double triggers and a single trigger with the selector as a butterfly n in the trigger web.
For me the perfect combo gun has two triggers and a safety. Scopes can be mounted low for quick target acquisition and the double triggers give you instant barrel selection.
Good ones
Bernardelli 5.6x50R Mag/12ga
BRNO 22 Sav HP/12ga
One nice thing about combo guns you don't need big heavy shot loads in the shotgun barrels as you have the rifle barrel handy for everything over 40 yards. My go-to loads for my combo guns is 1 oz of NP BBs on the 16ga(2.5" chambers) and 1 1/4 oz of the same size shot in the 12ga (2.75" chamber).
My current predator hunting combo gun are chambered in 22 Sav Highpower/12ga, 5.6x50R Mag/12ga and 6.5x58R Sauer/16ga/16ga. I do have a hammer drilling that I have killed coyotes with but it is not scoped and wouldn't be my first choice but it is a handy bird gun in deer season 9.3x72R /16g/16ga.
Drilling 6.5x58R Sauer/16ga/16ga
Open sighted hammer drilling 9.3x72R/16ga/16ga What looks like a safety on this is actually the barrel selector. When the right hammer is cocked you can push the selector forward and it will fire the rifle barrel instead of the shotgun barrel plus it has a connecting rod that raises the rifle sight from a recesses in the rib.
There are a lot of Tikka combo guns around in 12ga/222Rem, they do have a hammer but the selector is on the side, they are usually under $1000 also BRNO guns in 12ga/22 Savage Highpower(5.6x52R) they do take .227/.228 bullets but S&B is importing ammo for around $25/20 with 70gr bullets.
Scope mounting can be a problem with some Euro combo guns as they took proprietary rings or claw mounts. If you are looking at one without rings be sure you can find rings before hand. A set of custom claw rings to fit existing bases can run close to $1000 and no I didn't put them in one to many zeros.
Here is a drilling I set up for big game hunting 7x57R/16ga/16ga. I modified a set of Weaver Grand Slam steel rings to fit the existing claw bases, it took months , a slipe of the file and then blacking and fitting before the next swipe, it took me a couple months but it did turn out accurate and repeatable. You can pop the scope off and hunt birds and put it back on and hunt game.
The best deal on new combo guns is the Valmet 412/512s
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My problem with my Marrachi combo gun was pulling the wrong trigger. 
Also make sure you get one with "regulatable" barrels-my first was a Savage/Tikka that the rifle hit 17" below the shotty at 40 yds. I might have been able to bend the rifle barrel but didn't think of it until I bought the Marrochi and saw how they did their adjusting.
Also make sure you get one with "regulatable" barrels-my first was a Savage/Tikka that the rifle hit 17" below the shotty at 40 yds. I might have been able to bend the rifle barrel but didn't think of it until I bought the Marrochi and saw how they did their adjusting.I understand the trigger part, it isn't much of a problem for me as I shoot two trigger O/Us and SxSs for clay games and bird hunting. But I do have one combo gun that is backwards from the norm and did dust an 80 yard coyote with BBs. I pretty much have that under control now.
I do have a couple shotguns that are choked backwards, a old skeet gun that the left barrel is the open one and a french sxs that was built for driven birds again withe the left barrel open. I believe these were built for people with small hands as the left barrel trigger is the farthest back and most of the shots are taken with the open choked barrel, both of these have short LOPs also presumably for woman or youth or short guy like me.
I do have a couple shotguns that are choked backwards, a old skeet gun that the left barrel is the open one and a french sxs that was built for driven birds again withe the left barrel open. I believe these were built for people with small hands as the left barrel trigger is the farthest back and most of the shots are taken with the open choked barrel, both of these have short LOPs also presumably for woman or youth or short guy like me.