"Seasoning" new barrel......what loads for coyote

[Liv4Huntin']

Anyone, Please ...........

For a new Winchester 1300 deer and turkey 12ga. pump (3")..... Do I need to break in the barrel? Winchester's site (they recommend seasoning rifle barrels --couldn't find info on shotguns) hasn't answered my e-mailed questions, and I get differing answers from various stores around.......

I plan to use this for going after coyotes up North.... It came with two choke tubes (imp. cyl. for deer and extra-full for turkey.) What are good loads (other than steel) to use for coyotes and would I be better off getting another tube(s) to use with those loads?

Any help is very much appreciated....... Thanks.

~ m ~

[CoYoTe-KiLLeR]

Make sure you patteren your gun before you enter the woods, If I were you go with #4 buck shot . It works best for me.

Good luck on the yotes

[Liv4Huntin']

Thanks, CoYoTe_Killer........... however, I plan to hunt nights, too, and I understand buckshot is illegal then. Which tube would I use for buckshot?

I've got a couple different loads right now to shoot/pattern (I'm a firm believer in sighting in/patterning before going out --I know it's the responsible thing to do and I like having confidence in my chosen 'tool' for the job), one is #4 turkey load in 3". Will be trying that one out today. What do you shoot at night, if you go out then?

Thanks.......

~ m ~

[jimatriver]

You dont need to worry about seasoning your shotgun barrel, at least if its smoothbored u dont. As for coyote loads, buffered, copper plated 2s are what ive had the best luck with. Ive tried 4s, but was not happy with the way they performed. And i was shooting western coyotes at the time, and they are smaller than the ones u will be hunting, Buy as many different 2 3/4 and 3in. turkey loads as u can find, and try them. Sometimes, in some guns, the 2 3/4 loads will do better than the 3in ones. Ive used 4 buckshot in a 10 gauge auto and it worked fine, but buckshot is illegal in many places. good luck , jim

[Askel]

I would use the improved cyl. too. I found that it holds a much better pattern the the turkey chokes. CK is right, you should pattern your gun first.

[Thebear_78]

I have had good luck with federal 3" 2oz lead 2s. i shoot them through my turkey choke and am comfortable shooting fox out to 50 yards and coyotes out to 40. I have used this load more on foxes but have taken one coyote with the 2s. I have also seen coyotes get rolled a couple of times with 2s and keep moving a long way. Try for a head/neck shot these seem to work the best for me. I have also used some 3" lead BBs from pre steel era. They worked well but still on larger bobcat and coyotes they were inconsistant in terminal effect much past 35-40 yards. My one freind shot a average 28lb female bobcat with one of the lead BB loads and he tracked it for a really long way before he lost it, two days later he caught it in a trap in the same area, it had 8 BBs in the lung area that had penetrated through and several more in the flanks and rear end. I always try to shoot for the head. The realy nice thing about using a shotgun is that there is generally no whole to have to sew up nd the pelts turn out really well. Good luck.

[Liv4Huntin']

Thanks very much for all the information/help! Out first trip 'up north' didn't result in any songdogs in the 'game bag', but we'll be going on future trip(s) for more attempts. We called in three, but they chose to stay out of range......it was still very exciting. My 'guide' had a type of 'glow-in-the dark' front bead..... something else I now need to get!!!! More stuff...... a gadgeteers dream!

Anyway, I really appreciate all the help. I am always picking up new loads and will continue to try them out on the range to find the 'ultimate load'. The specs you offer are welcome always. We did hear some coyotes sounding off near home a few nights ago....... maybe some local hunts are in the offing...........if we can just procure permission to access the land !!!

Thanks again.......

~ m ~

[Airoh]

Hey Liv4Huntin',
What did you use to call them with? Did they get in rifle range?
I used #4s on a coyote @ 25 yds. I wasn't happy with that load. But I don't have a choke on my shotgun. I patterned it for turkeys and 30 yds. was maxxing it out. I took the coyote at 25 yds.

[Thebear_78]

Those glow in the dark bead s are really nice. I have had one on my 870 for 6-7 years now and have been very happy with it. You can get them in the brownells catalog. I can't remember what page they were on right now but if you are realy interested I could look up the catalog number for you and you could order it from brownells.com. Drop me an email at Thebear_78@hotmail.com

[Liv4Huntin']

Airoh: We (the 'guide') was using part of the time his Johnny Stewart caller/tapes, part of the time, mouth calls. ( The Stewart caller, in my TOTALLY UNEDUCATED opinion) sounded kind of like calling in a barrel...... kinda 'tinny' or something. Don't know if this was because of the speaker, tape, or what.

This particular time, when the coyotes came in, he used first the coyote locator tape in the Stewart call (coyotes yipping -- a pack of maybe 3-4), then after they answered, he used a 'challenge' call tape. That's when they came running in. It was after dark, so although they were within easy rifle range, it was shotguns we were using. They hung-up maybe 70 or so yards out. The snow was only patchy, no bright snowfields to lighten up the night, and they hung up in the dark thick stuff.

It was very exciting, to say the least. It's more like turkey hunting, in that your quarry responds to your calls and comes in, but more challenging, I think..... perhaps that's just because I'm only 'green' on this particular game as opposed to turkey and deer! They sure seem smart! My 'guide' has been to Canada and taken three wolves over the years.

One time, a flock of crows came in REALLY close and scolding, apparently sure there was a hawk or bobcat or something that was getting a rabbit dinner.... the 'guide' had used both the Stewart call tape of a woodpecker and his mouth call of a rabbit in distress.......Talk about realism!!! Another time, a redtail hawk came diving in, until he saw people instead of a dying rabbit!

It's a whole new interest, and I'M HOOKED!!

Thanks, Thebear---, I would like very much to get the info. on the bead. I get to Bob's in Hastings fairly often and don't know if they have it, but the catalog info will be faster, for sure.

~ m ~

[Airoh]

That does sound like you had a great hunt.
My son and I were calling in a turkey. The turkey started running at my call when in came a mature bald eagle to a dead ash tree right next to us. Why he decided to check us out I don't know. I was more excited than him. He did not know how few there were years ago.

[dene49939]

liv4huntin i also saw some crows come in and circle our position this past sat. seems they can hear pretty well and hunt for wounded game
up north? i am going with my 30/30 this weekend, hard to beat a rifle shot. my buddy uses #4 and has many kills under his belt and he always says it does less damage to the pelt if your thinking of mounting one.
nothing like that spine tingling yip when their close and there the smartest thing in the woods around here until the full moon of course