Shotgun Vs. Rifle

Most guys seem to just "sight in" their rifles and don't practice shooting at different ranges. So when a predator comes it at anything other than "that" range, they miss. Practice, practice, practice. Shoot at all kinds of different ranges, including unknown ranges. You also have to make sure that your scope on your rifle matches your stand set up. I have taken plenty of predators with a shotgun but there is no reason that a rifle cannot be used at close range.

Regardless of whether you use a rifle or shotgun, practice makes perfect.
 
All the rifles I use for calling hit within 2" of point of aim from where I'm standing out to about 325 yards or a bit further. I use the same sight picture/point of aim for every shot and am free from any concern about distance.

If they are far enough to start thinking about needing to hold over, I just don't bother shooting. Wastes too much time walking out there a quarter mile and carrying a coyote back.
laugh.gif


- DAA
 
Originally Posted By: DAAAll the rifles I use for calling hit within 2" of point of aim from where I'm standing out to about 325 yards or a bit further. I use the same sight picture/point of aim for every shot and am free from any concern about distance.

If they are far enough to start thinking about needing to hold over, I just don't bother shooting. Wastes too much time walking out there a quarter mile and carrying a coyote back.
laugh.gif


- DAA

Exactly. I zero my rifle at ranges that give me the most distance without a holdover. Then I practice shooting at ranges from 20 yards out to my max distance so I know exactly where it is impacting.

Again, not throwing stones at shotties. I use them a lot as well and have nothing against them or guys who also use them. But even then, you have to know where your shotgun hits. Different loads, different chokes, different point of impact and patterns.
 
DAA I like you attitude. If I can't hold on fur it is too far away is mine also. I heavily called areas I like to get into the thicker stuff, palo verde thickets, Russian olives, tall sage and here on the coast forests/reprod. In this country a shotgun would be ideal but every so often I get one staring at me from beyond shotgun range. This happens far more often than having multiples come in, even then the second one will disappear before I could swing on it.

For me the combo gun is just ideal, when I have one hung up it is just a matter of putting my finger on the correct trigger or moving the barrel selector. I'm very comfortable with having only a single shot in both the rifle and shotgun in heavy cover I rarely get a second shot and in actuality I do have two shot, one of each. If I'm hunting with a partner I take a combo gun (shotgun/rifle) if hunting alone a drilling (shotgun/shotgun/rifle) much like a sxs shotgun with a rifle barrel underneath. All of them are set up 1-4x20 scopes and are very accurate out to 200 yards and beyond.

Drilling



Same drilling different year



When I get in places where a 50+ yard shot is more common I carry a rifle with a low power variable scope with a 1.5-6x40mm scope with a wide FOV for those ones that just seam to appear in close.
 
Last edited:
I call a lot of heavy cover so I find myself packing my shotgun more than a rifle these days. I would rather shoot them with a shotgun because I don't like sewing holes
 
My brother and I will be calling coyotes in a local contest this weekend. I'm going to be packing a shotgun only. He'll have his rifle. There won't be any stopping them for a shot. If they wanna try to run me over they can come on with it. Whatever comes in close ain't gonna be leaving.
 
At least for me, through the years I'd say there were a lot more instances of me holding a shotgun and wishing I had my rifle than the other way around. Shotguns are a lot more terrain dependent. Most of the shotgun terrain we'd hunt would be thicker areas with limited visibility. I usually stand up against a joshua tree or whatever. If I go into that type of terrain I grab the shotgun. Most shots are quick flybys. Like a lot of guys do, a good combo is the guy calling to hold the shotgun while his partner has a rifle.

I've shot a lot of critters in the 30-40 yard range with a rifle. A lot of them are moving. As long as you don't have it over scoped those close shots are not a big deal. Then you still can hit the ones at a hundred that are out of range of the shotgun.
 
IMG_0126 by Cornivorus, on Flickr

I'm finally figuring out that my shotgun is needed more than the rifle about 80% of the time. This morning I was out hunting some wide open country and ended up with this one coming in from upwind and behind me. The Reaper took him out at only 20 yards.
 
Last edited:
Lately ive been carrying just the shotgun. Mainly to see if I can really call them in close enough to use it. Over the years of calling coyotes with a rifle it was starting to kind of get boring so I thought that I would spice things up by using a shotgun only it definitely has been interesting and oddly the number of coyotes I call in seems to be about the same
 
Originally Posted By: Catdog1Lately ive been carrying just the shotgun. Mainly to see if I can really call them in close enough to use it. Over the years of calling coyotes with a rifle it was starting to kind of get boring so I thought that I would spice things up by using a shotgun only it definitely has been interesting and oddly the number of coyotes I call in seems to be about the same

why do you think that is odd? did you think the coyotes would somehow know you had a shotgun and not come in?
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotOriginally Posted By: Catdog1Lately ive been carrying just the shotgun. Mainly to see if I can really call them in close enough to use it. Over the years of calling coyotes with a rifle it was starting to kind of get boring so I thought that I would spice things up by using a shotgun only it definitely has been interesting and oddly the number of coyotes I call in seems to be about the same

why do you think that is odd? did you think the coyotes would somehow know you had a shotgun and not come in?
smile.gif
well, one would assume that the number of kill would be higher with a rifle. But my count so far is pretty even
 
Originally Posted By: DAAAll the rifles I use for calling hit within 2" of point of aim from where I'm standing out to about 325 yards or a bit further. I use the same sight picture/point of aim for every shot and am free from any concern about distance.
- DAA

How high are your shots at 100 and low at 300?

I was just shooting today 100-300 checking my dope, and 1" high at 100, 0 at 200, -6 at 300. It was kind of funny all three rifles, a 6BR, 22-250,and a 204 Ruger shot almost the same.
 
Originally Posted By: CoyotejunkiOriginally Posted By: DAAAll the rifles I use for calling hit within 2" of point of aim from where I'm standing out to about 325 yards or a bit further. I use the same sight picture/point of aim for every shot and am free from any concern about distance.
- DAA

How high are your shots at 100 and low at 300?

I was just shooting today 100-300 checking my dope, and 1" high at 100, 0 at 200, -6 at 300. It was kind of funny all three rifles, a 6BR, 22-250,and a 204 Ruger shot almost the same.

The 204 I got it 1.25 at 100 yards and at 300 its not dropping even 3 inches.. I would of done better with a shotgun this year than with the rifle .. Missed 2 sets of doubles that came in fast as can be from my side each time at 20 yards about.. Shotgun could of got them all.. Dan
 
1.5 high at 100, about 1 low at 3, about 6 low at 4. All three are pretty close, but the Big Twenty is just a wee bit flatter than the Big Seventeen and the Big Six is just a wee bit flatter than either of them.

- DAA
 
Heck, i been considering my AR on the sticks and my 243 on a bipod next to me. With the calling pressure in the areas i hunt especially once they get eduacated in January and February i get alot of hang ups on my stands. Figured if they were to hang up at 400ish yards and talk smack i could slide behind my 243 dial the turret and silence them. I do plan on the AR and shotgun combo in some terrain and early season.
 
I hunt by myself 90% of the time so I always carry a rifle. When I take someone that can shoot, I will take my shotgun. I have had 5 coyotes run right thru me this year, a shotgun would have killed every one of them....The majority of my kills this year have been 80-175 yards. It is always a tough call for me, as I walk a bunch with a pack, and an additional gun would be tough...
 
Back
Top