best shotgun load/choke combo for fox

psutrapper

New member
I'm looking for some ideas on the "best" load/choke combo for fox...I shoot a benelli SBE 12ga usually 3" but can go 3 1/2" and I have a patternmaster, the jellyhead and cabelas Hevi-shot Mod. tube plus numerous others. What do you guys reccomemnd? Lead, hevi-shot, copperplated #4 buck...what about pelt damage? I've used #4 or #5 lead with no p[roblem, but I'm looking for a load that will still be good at 40 yds or more - if need be) plus something I can drop a 'yote with if one comes in. THanks for the help!
 
Here's a couple of pics. with a 1 5/8 oz. handload of lead BB's from a Nova, through at .675" Terror at 40 yards. Lead BB's are the biggest lead shot that have patterned well from this particular choke for me. Smaller shot patterns well, too. In spite of it's constriction, it is not a "turkey" choke, which will produce patterns of high center density with the smaller shot sizes.

BB's are big enough to do the job on coyotes within reasonable shotgun range yet produce a dense enough pattern to put enough pellets into fox to bring them down effectively. And, even the buffered premimum lead shot loads are cheap, in comparison to Hevishot or it's clones. The circles are 30" in diameter.

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I mostly used BB[sometimes buffered 4 Buckshot], in a 12ga 3" mag. Worked mighty fine. Sometimes, a Red can take a pounding like a coyote. Best, to be ready for a quick follow-up shot.
 
Welcome to the board PSU. I used Federal HD 3" BB's through a .675 Hevi-shot tube last year with good success on reds. The price went up even more this year, so I'll switch back to Remington #4 buck in 2 3/4". I used that load two years ago and we had several fox kills at 40 to 50 yards. I also will pattern some Federal 3" #4 buck I just picked up. The store didn't have plated but if you can find them plated should pattern better. Your best off to hit the range and experiment with various chokes and loads at several distances to see what your gun shoots best. Personally, I wouldn't go smaller than 4 shot for fox as they can take a lot of punishment. You are better off a little over gunned for fox when that odd yote does show up. I've had minimal pelt damage with a shotgun and in fact my trapper friend who I give all the pelts to asks us to use shotguns over rifles-even rimfires. Good luck this season.
 
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