Shotguns and coyotes - one shot kills?

DAA

DAA

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I have almost literally no experience using a shotgun on coyotes. Did kill a few with one this weekend though. And it left me wondering something, which I'm now asking.

For those of you with considerable experience killing coyotes with a shotgun, how often do you get a clean one shot kill? Compared to how often you shoot them more than once?

I know there are a lot of variables that can play into this. But I'm not interested in accounting for them. Just a simple percentage of how many are one shot kills vs. the percentage that aren't, based on a reasonable amount of actual experience?

- DAA
 
dont know if it qualifies as reasonable amount of experience but during the winter months 2 years ago i killed 38 with a 12 gauge. killed 28 last winter with the same shotgun.

30 yards or closer it is almost always one and done. farther than 30 and out to about 40 it is around 50% one shot kills. over 40 yards and one shot kills goes way, way down.

i try real hard to set up a coyote stand so that they give me the shot between 5 and 30 yards. to me shot gunning called coyotes is a lot of fun. and there is never any sewing to do.
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The one shot kills i've seen have been inside 25 yards with hevi-shot with mostly head impacts, others may have been killed by the one shot but they elected to continue to move so they got another. I think unless you take out the computer or spine they'll try and run no matter what.

The second yote I ever shotgunned was at 20 yards and went down, then miraculously got back up like 20 seconds later and went to take off so he got another. After that second one I always hold the gun waiting for it to get back up.

Closest i've shot one with the shotgun was about 3 yards, ran literally right into me and I didn't even have to move the gun much if at all. One shot to the neck and it slid to a stop with leaves in it's mouth.

If I had to guess, i'd think it would be 70%-80% of guys end up taking two shots average
 
My experience is I don't use a shotgun past 30 yards and try for head shots. Past that there are too many runners. I set up where if it's going to be a shotgun I'll see them coming from a long way off and know how they're reacting to the call. If they seem ancy at all ill stop em early and use a rifle. If there is a pack coming hard and fast I get the shotgun up and ready and let em keep coming.
 
Inside of 30 yards with #4 buck from the full choked Mossberg and they usually die with one shot. Beyond that gets a little sketchy and many require an additional round.
 
Since I started using denser than lead shot that is harder than lead and heavier than lead for it's size, I get more one shot kills now than I did when I was using lead shot.

On standing shots that are 50 yards and less with the loads I use I would say 80% of then are one shot kills, at 35 yards and less 90% or more are dead with the first shot.

Shooting at running coyotes at 40 yards and less, and killing them with one shot is more on the shotgun shooters ability than the shotgun's capability. Just because a running or standing coyote is hit with a shotgun pattern doesn't mean the pattern was centered on the coyotes vitals.

When I was shooting the Federal Premium 1-7/8 oz copper coated lead BB loads at coyotes I would say I shot the coyotes between 35 and 45 yards with two or three shots at least 50% of the time.

Many shotgun hunters are very proud of how tight their shotgun patterns. It is much harder to hit a running coyote good with a 10" pattern than it is to hit a coyote with a 20" pattern.

I think many of the coyotes hit with a shotgun that take off running are hit good enough that it will kill them. But they do need to be shot again and again if they are still moving. I would say that way over half of the coyotes that I have to shoot more than once is because of me not hitting them solid, not because of the shotgun or the loads I am shooting.

Even rifles that make a killing shot on a coyote don't drop the coyote instantly every time.

It is a shame that none of the ammo manufacturers make coated lead shot loads for coyotes in size BBB or T shot. Having to choose between lead BB and lead #4 buckshot is a huge jump. Lead BBB or lead T shot works much better than lead BB shot and they give you many more pellets per shell than you get with lead number 4 buckshot.
 
Good input all, and appreciated.

Occurs to me in reading the responses, I probably should have defined what I meant by "clean one shot kill", too. Basically, I meant one shot and they hit the ground dead. Not fall down and eventually die without getting up and running off.

I'd say it was all on me and my lack of shotgunning skill, but every coyote I killed with one this past weekend - my first time ever really using a shotgun on coyote - but every single one had to be shot more than once. I kept shooting until they were DEAD though, not simply on the ground. Only one of them wasn't knocked down by the first shot but they were obviously still alive so I kept shooting until they were obviously dead.

Like I said, put the blame on me. Shot selection, shot placement, even stand setup, all on me. But having to shoot them all more than once, I wasn't particularly enthused about the process...

Sounds like head shots, at close range, is the ticket. Sloppy, multi shot kills just don't appeal to me.

- DAA
 
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No, take part of that back. ALL of them WERE knocked down by the first shot, but one got back up before getting shot again though. The rest did get knocked down and stay down, but they weren't dead, so I shot them again. The one that got back up, ended up shooting that one three times.

Like I've already said though, I'm not indicting shotguns or shotgunners, just confirming that I have a bit to learn about the process. Or to put it more simply, that I suck at shotgunning. But also confirming that without a point blank range head shot, chances are good for needing another shot.

- DAA
 
You have to look at it kind of like archery hunting. Very few animals drop in their tracks when stuck with a sharp stick. That doesn't mean the shot was sloppy or unethical. Sharp sticks just kill differently than high power rifles. Same goes for shotgun vs rifle.
 
Think it's been said, but I'll reiterate to support - one shot knock downs (aka DRT's) are different than one shot kills. How close you need/want them to die to their point of impact might vary by terrain and time of year.
 
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DAA- you do not say the load, choke or shotgun. I have killed a lot with a 20ga. Both 2 3/4" inch and 3" buchshot. I was shooting a savage 24D full choke. lot of one shot kills, most were very close. a lot more than with the 22 mag barrel. I have only shot a few with 12 ga 4 buck. it worked fine too. not any better than the 20. I did not have a range finder then. ron
 
Quote:30 yards or closer it is almost always one and done. farther than 30 and out to about 40 it is around 50% one shot kills. over 40 yards and one shot kills goes way, way down.

i try real hard to set up a coyote stand so that they give me the shot between 5 and 30 yards. to me shot gunning called coyotes is a lot of fun. and there is never any sewing to do.

I could go along with this pretty well. Like Bob, I think the percentage is better when I'm shooting tungsten. Actually, there's no doubt about that. Tungsten just breaks a coyote down better by busting bones that lead might not and penetrating muscle tissue deeper. Now with the current price of tungsten mix shot we are turning back to lead. Lead could benefit from a hard nickel plating not the thin copper wash most manufacturers rely on. Plus one on having an intermediate size lead load between BB and No. Four Buck. A hard nickel plated load of lead T shot might be a very good cost effective alternative to what's on the market currently.

Quote:You have to look at it kind of like archery hunting. Very few animals drop in their tracks when stuck with a sharp stick. That doesn't mean the shot was sloppy or unethical. Sharp sticks just kill differently than high power rifles. Same goes for shotgun vs rifle.

I believe this to be true. I've long said this and this is one of the reasons I'm a head shooter and I'm also an advocate of a tight pattern. Smack a coyote in the head with a tight pattern of tungsten BB or larger shot and it's a done deal. I shoot them in the head with lead too. Lead just won't penetrate bone as well but given a concentrated pattern it works very well.
 
Shotgun bang flop videos!
http://vid148.photobucket.com/albums/s28/derbyacresbob/Favorites/Drakeridge.mp4

http://vid148.photobucket.com/albums/s28/derbyacresbob/Favorites/12-8-12.mp4

http://vid148.photobucket.com/albums/s28/derbyacresbob/RUD%2012%2014.mp4
I am pretty sure that all of the coyotes in the above videos were shot with 1-1/2 oz of Rem HD BB shot. That is right at 70 to 72 pellets per shell.


A miss, a hit and a kill shot with Rem HD T shot Predator load.
http://vid148.photobucket.com/albums/s28/derbyacresbob/SndDecoy11-24-13.mp4

The tungsten alloy shot breaks the coyotes down much better than lead shot does.

 
I was thinking T shot would be a great lead choice as others have stated. Its hard to believe a manufacturer has not produced it. All the BBB and T shot factory loads are some sort of heavy shot or steel.

BB .18 50 per ounce
BBB .19 43 per ounce
T .20 37 per ounce
4B .24 21 per ounce
 
Not a lot from me but....I get my fair share of drt moments with a shotgun, but I also do a [beeep] ton of double tapping....which you will observe a lot of from pretty much everyone using a shotgun. Just the way of it using a shotgun imo. Like you said Dave...so many variables...running shots, hasty aiming, etc.
I defer to Derby Bob on most shotgun topics. Good practical, real world info from him. And one of the good guys from here in Kali.
Mark
 
Yeah, I appreciate all the input. And Bob is definitely one of the guys I was hoping to hear from. My take away, is try for closer shots, try for head shots, but be prepared to shoot again and get used to it, to some extent.

- DAA
 
FWIW, if you're into reloading shotty shells, I bought some nickle plated lead F shot from Ballistic Products - they have other larger-than-BB sizes too. Bought mine on recommendation of someone here, but I can't remember a user name. Fellow had a number of 3" and 3 1/2" loads worked up in NP F shot that he said was killing pretty well. Unfortunately, that's all the further that project went on my end, so no experience with it.
 
If you re-load shotgun shells Natchez has a great buy on some old Remington Hevi-Shot that will work great on coyotes. This shot is not pretty but it works great and the price is almost unbelievable.

These shot sizes run big the #2 shot I got was about size #1 & B shot. The BB shot was almost BBB in size. If you want it for coyotes I would get the BB size.

https://www.natchezss.com/hevi-shot-2-10lb-bulk.html

https://www.natchezss.com/hevi-shot-bb-10lb-bulk.html


BPI is selling Hevi-Shot for $38.49 a pound, HW13 sells for around $23.50 per pound at Bucks Run. So $10.00 per pound for this old Remington Hevi-Shot is a great deal. You can re-load 3" 1-1/2 oz loads for about 1/3 of what the 3" 1-1/2 oz Hevi-Shot Goose loads are selling for.
 
A buddy of mine, who is also a member here, got me hooked on shotgun hunts. The shots are able to be done at close range and I use Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote "T" 3.5 shells. The majority of my shots are one shot kills, a couple have been quick follow ups. When he first explained to me how he hunts and what he uses I was left scratching my head wondering for sure, since I've only rifle hunted coyotes. After hunting with him a day I was honestly surprised at the outcome, glad I didn't bet him before we started....haha
 
Shot about a dozen last year with 12 gauge Remington brand 3" 4BK with 18" barrel and Dead Coyote choke. All shots were 40 yards and closer and did not require follow up shots. I aim for the head/neck area on all shots. Most were DRT but I like to let them get close before pulling the trigger.
 
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