12ga load for Coyotes

I've got a 12ga load that I have loaded for coyotes, never shot a coyote with it yet, as I use a rifle mostly. I do have a Valmet 412 in 12ga 3" over .223, and a Marocchi 12ga over 6.5X 57mm; both great guns.

The 12ga load is a published Hogdon shot load. Using 2 3/4" FGM hulls, I get 50 BBBs (.190 cal) pellets into the hull with an over shot card. I get very good crimps, I roll the wads in Mica which adds another 10 to 15 FPS. I weigh each powder charge and buck shot load on an electronic scale. Crimps are great and the pattern is much better than #4 buck. The load is below.

Lead Shot; 12g 2 3/4" FGM; 1 1/8oz.; Longshot 38.1gr; Win.209; Fed.12S3; 10,600psi; 1585fps.

This is a good hard hitting blitz load at 1595fps, my question is? Should I go to an 1 1/4oz. or 1 3/8oz. load? In the 1 1/4 oz. load I would gain 5 additional pellets, but the velocity drops to 1450 to 1495fps.

In the 1 3/8 oz. load I would gain 10 pellets, but the velocity drops to approximately 1360fps?

I would like to hear from those who hunt coyotes with a 12ga. Which load would you prefer?

Blitz load of 1 1/8oz. at 1590fps.
1 1/4oz.at 1440 to 1490fps. 0r,
1 3/8oz. at 1350fps.
 
My thoughts on this is that you don't need that much power for coyotes in a combo gun. You don't have to stretch the distance of your shotgun load because you have the rifle barrel to handle the longer shots. I've been shooting 1 1/4 ounce NP BB's at 1250 fps, a nice gentle to the shoulder and the gun. I get full penetration to 40+ yards and it is much easier to get good patterns with slower smaller shot.

These are just from the PM Hunt in Feb 2016

16x16/6.5x58R Sauer 29 paces with an ounce of NP BB's



12/22 Savage Highpower(5.6x52R) 39 paces with 1 1/4 ounce of NP BB's



52 paces with the same 1 1/4 oz of NP BB's




Never needed the rifle barrels the coyotes were being very cooperative.

Here's one from the year before, same 1 ounce of NP BB's at 40 yards.

 
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#BBB ?
Are they lead or steel?
Steel makes horrible coyote shot...
I do use lead "F" with good success . I find a 3" or 3 1/2" platform works better for the "Big" shot.
The 3" ones I use 37 gr Blue Dot Multi Metal wad mica slick and an 1 1/2 oz. load of F lead roll crimp . I get 1550 fps. With a supper tight choke .669 out of my 870 I get great patterns out to 60 yards and routinely whack them at 70 plus.
At 70 I get an average of 10 hits in a 10" paper plate.
In the 3 1/2 Inch I get more shot but the best speed I can get is 1365 fps and I use "Steel" powder.
 
Originally Posted By: jetman #BBB ?
Are they lead or steel?
Steel makes horrible coyote shot...
I do use lead "F" with good success . I find a 3" or 3 1/2" platform works better for the "Big" shot.
The 3" ones I use 37 gr Blue Dot Multi Metal wad mica slick and an 1 1/2 oz. load of F lead roll crimp . I get 1550 fps. With a supper tight choke .669 out of my 870 I get great patterns out to 60 yards and routinely whack them at 70 plus.
At 70 I get an average of 10 hits in a 10" paper plate.
In the 3 1/2 Inch I get more shot but the best speed I can get is 1365 fps and I use "Steel" powder.

My BBB shot are lead from BPI. Thanks for your suggestion on the 1 3/8 oz. load at 1360fps. After studying many buckshot loads I'm inclined to agree with the 1 3/8oz. load, as most loads are 1300fps and lower. I would go with a 3" hull, but have about 800 FGM and 700 Ficcohi hulls 2 3/4" to use up. I also have 100 new BPI multi hulls which I want to try with a roll crimp. Just haven't found much load data for this hull. I'm 66, so these will last me the rest of my life and I'll pass most onto my son. I live in northern WI that is heavily wooded with few fields. Under these conditions, I know I should use one of my combo guns more, but I use mostly rifles, rifle used depends on location and time of day. Selection of rifles is sometimes difficult as I have two semi-auto .22 mags (H&K 300 and H&R 700), and six .223/5.56s - the Valmet combo, a CZ 527, H&K 630 and 3 ARs. One AR is scoped with a PVS-4/3rd gen tube for night hunting. I've killed coyotes will all of these guns, kills between day and night are about 50/50.
 
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Rem Hulls suck for anything but target loads as they lack the interior room for large payloads and the tapered hull deign really cuts the number of available high volume wads. Fed Gol Metal, Cheddite, Fiocchi and Rio Hulls work better. More so if your roll criming because you can just toss them after the first loading.
 
After much studying of potential loads for coyotes I decided to try some PBI TPS 41mm unslit wads. They arrived on Monday and I loaded some on Tuesday. BPI stays they have to be slit at least 3/4". Can be 2 or 3 slit for longer patterns. First I tried a 3 slit using a three blade archery broad head. I loaded 2 3/4" Fiocchi hull, 34 grains of Blue Dot, rolled the wad in mica, 594 grains of BBB (60 pellets) and used a 12 OS card. This should be around 1250fps. Got pretty good patterns at 30 and 40 yards. AT 30yds, I had 14 hits in an 8" circle, 33 hits in a 20" circle and 45 hits in a 30" circle. Seventy-five percent pattern at 30 yards. I never done any shotgun patterning, but thought this was pretty good. At 40 yards, I had 7 hits in an 8' circle, 21 hits in a 20" circle and 40 hits in a 30" circle. This was using a Benelli M1, 26" barrel with a Turkey choke.

I tried several loads with only two slits in the wad. Patterns were worse than the three slit loads.
 
If I had my choice I would choose a 2-3/4" 1-3/8 oz lead BBB load with 60 pellets in it over a 3" number 4 buck load with 41 pellets in it for hunting coyotes.

One BBB pellet can kill a coyote at 50 yards and less and one number 4 buck pellet can kill a coyote at 50 yards and less so I would want the load with 19 more pellets in it.

I like having 70 pellets or more in my coyote loads but I would use a load with 60 pellets over 41 pellets every time for shooting the 35 pound and smaller coyotes that we have around here.

I just checked my KPY Shotshell Ballistic Program and it shows a lead BB pellet at 1250 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 51.1 yards. A lead BBB pellet at 1250 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 61.3 yards.
 
Originally Posted By: derbyacresbobIf I had my choice I would choose a 2-3/4" 1-3/8 oz lead BBB load with 60 pellets in it over a 3" number 4 buck load with 41 pellets in it for hunting coyotes.

One BBB pellet can kill a coyote at 50 yards and less and one number 4 buck pellet can kill a coyote at 50 yards and less so I would want the load with 19 more pellets in it.

I like having 70 pellets or more in my coyote loads but I would use a load with 60 pellets over 41 pellets every time for shooting the 35 pound and smaller coyotes that we have around here.

I just checked my KPY Shotshell Ballistic Program and it shows a lead BB pellet at 1250 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 51.1 yards. A lead BBB pellet at 1250 fps gets 3.50" of gel penetration at 61.3 yards.

With some help from you, I found a good deal on Rem HD BB which I plan on loading up in a 2 3/4" or 3" hull. Just waiting on Bucks Run and BPI to send my load data manuals.

I have Fed 209A primers along with Longshot, Blue Dot and Steel powders on hand so I'm hoping to find a load with these items on hand.
 
Originally Posted By: wachtelhund1After much studying of potential loads for coyotes I decided to try some PBI TPS 41mm unslit wads. They arrived on Monday and I loaded some on Tuesday. BPI stays they have to be slit at least 3/4". Can be 2 or 3 slit for longer patterns. First I tried a 3 slit using a three blade archery broad head. I loaded 2 3/4" Fiocchi hull, 34 grains of Blue Dot, rolled the wad in mica, 594 grains of BBB (60 pellets) and used a 12 OS card. This should be around 1250fps. Got pretty good patterns at 30 and 40 yards. AT 30yds, I had 14 hits in an 8" circle, 33 hits in a 20" circle and 45 hits in a 30" circle. Seventy-five percent pattern at 30 yards. I never done any shotgun patterning, but thought this was pretty good. At 40 yards, I had 7 hits in an 8' circle, 21 hits in a 20" circle and 40 hits in a 30" circle. This was using a Benelli M1, 26" barrel with a Turkey choke.

I tried several loads with only two slits in the wad. Patterns were worse than the three slit loads.

Sorry, my post wasn't clear. I wanted to know what all of you thought about my patterns?
 
Seven lead BBB pellets in an 8" circle at 40 yards sounds to me like it would work pretty good on coyotes if they are spread fairly even in the 8" circle.

When hunting coyotes with a shotgun be ready to shoot the coyote a second and third time if it is still moving. Just because they are flopping around on the ground doesn't mean that they won't get up and run off.
 
Tried this load this afternoon with my Valmet 412, 23.5" barrel, IM choke which measures .682". I loaded 5 shells and added 12 to 13 grains of buffer to each. First shot- I notice the pattern was about 14" to the left and I had to adjust the scope. Two shots at 30 yards indicated a terrible pattern. The wads were tumbling and hitting the paper back ended. Two more shots at 40 yards showed the same terrible pattern. Wasn't worth counting.

I loaded two more shells with out buffer and got good pattern at 40 yards. First shot with out buffer - 9 hits in 8" circle, 24 hits in 20" circle, and 42 hits in 30" circle. Second shot the pattern appeared about several inch high. I had 2 hits in 8" circle, 10 hits in 20" circle, and 28 hits in 30" circle.

I need to fire several more at 40 yards to insure the pattern is centered and get an good average of hits. Right now I would have 5.5 hits in 8" circle, 17 hits in 20" circle and 35 hits in 30" circle. Not bad considering the 23.5" barrel lenght and IM choke.
 
The only time I have seen wads hit backwards was when some shot stuck in the bottom of the wad.

I used a 1/8" felt wad in the bottom of the plastic wad and when the shell fired the shot compressed the felt wad and stuck in the felt making the back of the wad real heavy.
 
Are your wads "split your own "?
If they are your not splitting them far enough down or you need another split. I had the same problem with my Coyote loads at first but I went to a pre split wad, multi metal , and no more backward wads...
Don't be afraid to chock your barrel. with the lead "F" shot I use I use a .669 choke with great success out of my long 870 supper express
 
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