Shotgun Hunting for Coyotes

I have to use lead free shot on coyotes. If you reload shotgun shells you can reload TSS shot for the same price or a little lower than you can buy Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote or Hevi-Shot Goose loads.

TSS shot out performs Hevi-Shot by quite a bit so you can use smaller shot and have twice as many pellets per shell.

Since Steel Shot is the least efficient shot ever made I knew I wanted to go with the denser than lead Tungsten alloy shot types when I had to start using Lead Free shot on coyotes many years ago.
 
Originally Posted By: Bernie P.Originally Posted By: Southern_PredOriginally Posted By: Bernie P.I use a shotgun most of the time.You'll need to get them closer than 50-60 yds though.That's pushing the limit with a 12g.

I've heard that TSS is really changing the game for shotgunning coyotes, and 60 yds is very doable.
You heard right.Thing is it's VERY expensive and you have to be set up for reloading.I am but I'm not willing to pay that much regardless.Besides if most shots are 50+ I'd bring my .223 instead.

Originally Posted By: derbyacresbobI have to use lead free shot on coyotes. If you reload shotgun shells you can reload TSS shot for the same price or a little lower than you can buy Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote or Hevi-Shot Goose loads.

TSS shot out performs Hevi-Shot by quite a bit so you can use smaller shot and have twice as many pellets per shell.

Since Steel Shot is the least efficient shot ever made I knew I wanted to go with the denser than lead Tungsten alloy shot types when I had to start using Lead Free shot on coyotes many years ago.

I am already set up to load 12 ga shells, so reloading is a non issue. Thanks for the info.

Is there anyone or any place I can go to get more detailed info on TSS in general? Like I said, I have heard about it, but would like to do some reading and learning on it, and try to better wrap my head around it.
 
I use the shotgun more than anything for the area and way I hunt. Even in the semi open sage areas I still use it. Ive had coyotes physically run into me, thats pretty exciting hunting to me. Benelli SBE II with Hevi Shot Dead Coyote 3.5" T shot and #4 buck for out of state hunts.
 
Busted a female coyote with the shotgun this morning using Winchester Varmint X 3" BB at 42 yards. That coyote killed a small dog yesterday morning and two geese in the past week. And was in the process of trying to figure out how to get in a rabbit pen where my cousin keeps his rabbits. It was in their back yard a few nights ago snooping around.

Only time will tell if that was the culprit but as far as I know I killed a killer. That Dead Coyote choke and Varmint X combo was deadly. A few pellets missed the coyotes head but broke its shoulder and one hit a little further back and took out at least one lung.
 
I'm pretty much even...killed just about the same number with a shotgun as with a rifle. I'm pretty much even on mouth calls vs e-caller also. Each tool has a place and time. While I often carry both my FoxPro and mouth calls (and often use them together), I don't carry two firearms to the stand. I tried that years ago and it was just too much for me. Some of my stands are a long walk in, and I often pick up and go deeper after the first stand. Also, I'm using tree stands more these days, and two guns is just hard to manage in a tree. I generally let terrain dictate my choice of weapons. If I'm in really thick cover (and that's alot of the time here in Alabama), the shotgun always gets the nod. Also, I hunt alot of public land, and the Wildlife Management Areas in my state only allow centerfires during designated gun deer hunts. I generally hunt the WMAs during the small game season, when there's mostly nobody in the woods but me. I have a really nice Winchester Model 9422M lever action in 22 magnum that I tries for a bit, but it just doesn't have enough thump. I really enjoy shooting my Model 70, and it's my preferred weapon of choice. But some stands just call for the shotgun, and 12 gauge is the only way to go. I've used all kinds of shotgun loads.. #4 copper BBs, buckshot, Winchester Coyote, Dead Coyote. I can't speak for the TSS, never tried it. But I can tell you that the only thing that beats a straight flush is a 3 1/2" Dead Coyote load. They beat everything I've ever seen. I had a friend once took down an ICBM with one...swear!
 
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I guess I didn't necessarily answer the question. I killed a coyote with a shotgun but....I use a rifle more. It's hard to carry a bag with a call in it,shooting sticks,a rifle,shotgun and a dead coyote or two. I like shotguns I just don't like carrying a bunch of extra stuff with it. I'd rather have one or the other. That's why only about 2 out of every 100 coyotes I kill gets shot with a shotgun. And even that might be a generous number.

Having said that I'll probably be making more shotgun stands this year because I do think it's fun to get them in that close.
 
Depending on the cover I'm hunting I will carry both most of the time. I probably kill more with a SG
as there aren't many wide open spaces here and the coyotes know better than to wander into open cover. I primarily hunt inside brush and woods as opposed to the open.
Night hunting is another story as they are caught in the open at night here often, then the 22-250 goes to work.
 
I started carrying a SG when the light bulb came on that they just weren't coming out into the fields. I realized that I need to get inside the edges where a scope was a detriment.

Being a rifle guy I was never into SG coyotes. Now I know it's much more fun to shoot it in your lap, and a SG is all I started carrying.

This year, I opened up my options and decided I would hunt the WMA's, which I avoided before because it is SG only. In the last 6 weeks or so I have had the barrel chopped and re-threaded for chokes. I did a lot of patterning last weekend and got things dialed in. I am really looking forward to some cooler weather.

I guess all that to say....My SG is now like my AMEX when I am chasing dogs.
 
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