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No buckshot or slugs for coyote what the hell?

whacko

whacko

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Decided to go to work early today so I can get out by 1pm and do some rabbit hunting with the shotguns with my son today. I've never targeted coyote before. Almost took one while deer hunting this season but never targeted them specifically so never did much research on the regs. The place I'm going I've seen plenty of coyote tracks and scat (dog shit FULL of fur) so figured I'd research the regs last night to be sure I'm in compliance. Well at first I thought I'd throw some 000 or 0000 buck in my vest and take the browning auto 5 (mag cut off would make it easy to toss a buckshot shell in the gun if I see a yote). But reading the regs no slugs or buckshot allowed on coyote except during shotgun deer season. What the f*** is that all about?

Anyway.....gonna hit a local gun shop up at lunch break today to find some BB or #2 loads to put in the vest with the same plan to use the auto 5.......

Anyone know why we can't use buckshot or slugs on coyote outside the shotgun deer season? Shit you can use an AR or m1 garand on the f***ers right now but not buckshot? Seem totally crazy as buckshot is much less apt to travel a million miles if you miss compared to an AR or other rifle carteridge. Also birdshot up to ff is ok on coyote so I'd be legal to shoot one with my high brass number 4 I'll be using in the gun on rabbit but my fear is I'll just would a yote with those. Anyone know what the f and g is thinking with that reg against buck and slug is?
 
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presumably, they don't want anybody jacking deer at night. Possession of slugs or buckshot while hunting anything is prohibited, unless its deer season.
 
Marlin1 said:
presumably, they don't want anybody jacking deer at night. Possession of slugs or buckshot while hunting anything is prohibited, unless its deer season.
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But.....a poacher would never jack a deer with the ar or other rifle which is legal on coyote. What a crock of shit.

I'll just go buy some BB loads today and keep those with me.
 
Dont' try and make any sense of MA Coyote Laws. They have you shooting shit in the dark you can't positively identify without a light.
It gets worse from there.....

Your never allowed in any season, year round, other than deer season, to have buckshot or slugs on you. Warden could write you up if you had one in your vest you missed, or a box in your truck that you forgot to take out. Buying some slugs for home defense and driving home with them in the truck? Violation.... Hell, they could even zap you for taking the slug gun out and sighting it a week before season if they wanted to......its written that stupidly.

After deer season, I generally go in clean up mode. I've been pretty good about taking all slugs and buckshot out and putting them in one ammo case and leaving them at home in the ammo safe. But the law is idiocy.
 
Good luck finding BB lead in a store. Nearly impossible because so few people manufacture it. The only place I've found large sized lead shot is LL Bean. Hornady makes a BB load specifically for coyotes but I've never seen it in a store.
 
x-force hunter said:
Good luck finding BB lead in a store. Nearly impossible because so few people manufacture it. The only place I've found large sized lead shot is LL Bean. Hornady makes a BB load specifically for coyotes but I've never seen it in a store.
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My shotgun will take steel......can't I just use a BB goose load?
 
Coyote hunting is just like turkey hunting, your ideal shotgun set-up is an extra full choke and lead or heavier than lead shot. Steel would be very ineffective as any bone will stop it instantly, and due to its lack of density it gets poor penetration, it has enough trouble penetrating ducks and geese. Factor in a more open choke with less pattern density and you're looking at an effective range of maybe 20 yards.
 
x-force hunter said:
Coyote hunting is just like turkey hunting, your ideal shotgun set-up is an extra full choke and lead or heavier than lead shot. Steel would be very ineffective as any bone will stop it instantly, and due to its lack of density it gets poor penetration, it has enough trouble penetrating ducks and geese. Factor in a more open choke with less pattern density and you're looking at an effective range of maybe 20 yards.
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Also, I may be wrong, but I don't think you can use the Xtra full chokes with steel shot? Not sure, some may be OK, but I always thought that was a no no.....which is maybe what your getting at. I'm not a duck hunter, so no idea really....

Turkey I use extra full choke, with #4 or #6 lead or mix of both. Not enough for coyote though unless it's on top of you.
 
Mark from MA said:
Also, I may be wrong, but I don't think you can use the Xtra full chokes with steel shot? Not sure, some may be OK, but I always thought that was a no no.....which is maybe what your getting at. I'm not a duck hunter, so no idea really....

Turkey I use extra full choke, with #4 or #6 lead or mix of both. Not enough for coyote though unless it's on top of you.
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Yup, no extra full chokes with steel, as a standard rule nothing above modified for steel unless you get an aftermarket choke specifically designed to handle steel. Even with that, steel doesn't deform like lead or other non toxics and can cause a blown out pattern if choked too tightly as the pellets will bounce off of each other and that effect gets worse as pellet size increases.
 
I found BB a while back, think it was at Riley's or shooters Outpost up in Hookset, bit of a drive but worth making day of it and hitting bunch of shops
 
x-force hunter said:
Yup, no extra full chokes with steel, as a standard rule nothing above modified for steel unless you get an aftermarket choke specifically designed to handle steel. Even with that, steel doesn't deform like lead or other non toxics and can cause a blown out pattern if choked too tightly as the pellets will bounce off of each other and that effect gets worse as pellet size increases.
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I have a MI and FULL chokes for my mossy 500......they specifically say they are ok for steel.
 
el duderino said:
I found BB a while back, think it was at Riley's or shooters Outpost up in Hookset, bit of a drive but worth making day of it and hitting bunch of shops
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You found bb in lead?

Also I lucked out....I found an old box of #2 lead Remington extended range. Took a couple of those our with me this afternoon. Didn't see any totes so didn't matter anyway.......we hit a hot spot I know for red squirrel......heard a few chattering but none decided they wanted to die today :)

Weather looks good for Saturday morning for rabbit and reds.......maybe a yote might come around.
 
whacko said:
I have a MI and FULL chokes for my mossy 500......they specifically say they are ok for steel.
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As I said, standard but there are some exceptions depending on manufacturer. Doesn't mean they'll pattern well with steel. In patterning duck loads I found that my factory IC choke patterned BB's better than the factory modified. Neither produces a coyote killing pattern though.
 
whacko said:
You found bb in lead?

Also I lucked out....I found an old box of #2 lead Remington extended range. Took a couple of those our with me this afternoon. Didn't see any totes so didn't matter anyway.......we hit a hot spot I know for red squirrel......heard a few chattering but none decided they wanted to die today :)

Weather looks good for Saturday morning for rabbit and reds.......maybe a yote might come around.
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Snapchat-194711096.jpg
Nickel plated lead
 
x-force hunter said:
As I said, standard but there are some exceptions depending on manufacturer. Doesn't mean they'll pattern well with steel. In patterning duck loads I found that my factory IC choke patterned BB's better than the factory modified. Neither produces a coyote killing pattern though.
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This is good advice for any shotgun hunter. I'm no stranger to the patterning board. I bought two different extended Xtra full turkey chokes for my Mossberg last season a month before turkey season. Both were junk. My stock full choke patterned tighter with 5 different turkey loads I tested. Wasted alot of time and $.....well any range time is fun so maybe not a waste of time. I took the stock full choke and nailed a tom dead instantly. My first turkey. Bottom line......just buying a choke and assuming it will be better is not a good move.
 
whacko said:
This is good advice for any shotgun hunter. I'm no stranger to the patterning board. I bought two different extended Xtra full turkey chokes for my Mossberg last season a month before turkey season. Both were junk. My stock full choke patterned tighter with 5 different turkey loads I tested. Wasted alot of time and $.....well any range time is fun so maybe not a waste of time. I took the stock full choke and nailed a tom dead instantly. My first turkey. Bottom line......just buying a choke and assuming it will be better is not a good move.
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True, but unfortunately that's the only way to do it. Check out Carlson's choke tubes in the future, they give you a 60 day return period if you're not satisfied with your patterns. That way you don't end up stuck with a choke that doesn't work well for you. I've got a set of their cremator chokes for duck hunting and they throw awesome patterns with my set-up. Also check out Winchester Longbeard XR's for a turkey load if you haven't yet. Hands down the best turkey load I've ever seen.
 
whacko said:
Yeah figure I'm in the market for a box of coyote specific loads.

Anyone on here ever hit a yote with these? How do they work? I'm no coyote fan but still want a clean kill.
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I also found these, forget where, maybe a gun show. Never made it out so still not sure how good they are. These are actually Tungsten.
Snapchat-88463281.jpg
 
el duderino said:
I also found these, forget where, maybe a gun show. Never made it out so still not sure how good they are. These are actually Tungsten.
View attachment 218369
Click to expand...

This is the best shot out there, or was at least (besides TSS). It's since been discontinued. Federal used shot that was denser than what hevi-shot uses in the dead coyote loads. I stocked up on 5 boxes when I heard it was getting the axe, from what I heard it was too expensive and didn't move fast enough for Federal too keep on their product lines.

One thing to note in both the Hornady and Federal loads is they use the flight control wad...AKA don't use a tight choke. Both pattern great for me with a factory improved cylinder choke. The Hornady stuff you should be able to find on the shelf and it's affordable, but it is lead so it's not as effective as the tungston based stuff.

If you have Fox and Cats in your area check out the hevi-shot #2 goose loads. Work great.
 
whacko said:
This is good advice for any shotgun hunter. I'm no stranger to the patterning board. I bought two different extended Xtra full turkey chokes for my Mossberg last season a month before turkey season. Both were junk. My stock full choke patterned tighter with 5 different turkey loads I tested. Wasted alot of time and $.....well any range time is fun so maybe not a waste of time. I took the stock full choke and nailed a tom dead instantly. My first turkey. Bottom line......just buying a choke and assuming it will be better is not a good move.
Click to expand...

Just hunt the area for rabbit, go back to the vehicle for a break, grab the 300 Win Mag, and go back out and call for coyote. Then go back at dusk and trade the centerfire for 22lr. Piece o cake. :rolleyes: Anyway, good luck and report back. I may try to sneak out on sat too. Calling coyotes is just a rush.
 

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