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Shotgun choice for coyotes…

mic214

mic214

.410
I am trying to decide on which shotgun to carry with me when I am out coyote hunting. It would be used for close in work, while my Ruger American Predator (6.5 Creedmoor) would be used for the long range stuff.

I have three 12 gauge shotguns to chose from. First is a Beretta AL390 with a 26" vent rib barrel. I have a standard set of chokes (Full, Mod & IC) for it, plus an XFXL (Extra Full Extra Long) choke as well. I have used this shotgun for dove, duck, goose, pheasant and turkey.

My next shotgun is an older H&K Benelli M1 Super 90. It has an 18-1/2" barrel and ghost ring sights. The barrel would need to be threaded for chokes. From my understanding, once threaded, it would be able to use the same chokes as my Beretta.

The last one is a Mossberg 835. It has a 24" slugster barrel with rifle sights. This one would have to be threaded for chokes as well.

So I am wondering, out of these three, which one would you choose (and why) for coyotes....?
 
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Of your 3 shotgun options. I would suggest the AL390 with the XFXL choke simply because it's what you already have. It only has a 3" chamber but there are plenty of capable loadings in 3" shells for knocking coyotes down out to 40-50 yards. Plus this option cost you any money out of pocket other than ammo. I would run this setup and just pattern several different loads to see what your gun likes best.

If you're just wanting to spend some money for a dedicated yote gun, then I would suggest purchasing a 24" or 28" "shot" barrel for the 835 as it is a 3-1/2" chamber so you could run stouter loads to get more reach and hit a little harder.




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Where are your hunting grounds...?!

Are we talking open flat fields / plains...or thick brush / trees...?!

Your longest possible shot with the 6.5...100 / or less yards !?

Your closest possible shot with any of the shotguns...danger close / 30 yards ?! { If so, the 18 1/2" will suffice...}

I hunt yotes in NY State on private property(s) with a 5.56x45 AR...and have both a .44 Mag on my hip and my 20" Mossberg 500 for close work...used in rolling hilled open corn fields / pastures...tree lines and brushy tree scrubs with visible lines of yote travel paths ..from on ground blinds and tree stands with a partner...hunting with a Fox PRO call over chicken innards for the smell.


Very effective...haven't needed the magnum or the gauge...so far.
 
If you have a threaded barrel already, that's what I'd do too. But that's me. I'd rather have money for experimenting with chokes and ammo. If you want or need the option of shotgun slugs, you could thread a barrel or get a choke for the one you have. But if you may have shots long enough for slugs, I'd use the rifle.

My scenario is opposite Shooters where most of my shots are close and while I have the rifle, it hasn't been needed.
 
The Mossberg 835 came with a 24" slugster barrel with rifle sights. The barrel is not rifled and has a cylinder bore. This barrel length seems very popular and I could have it threaded for chokes and use it for coyotes and even turkey. I could also get a cylinder bore choke and still be able to use slugs for hogs if I so choose. I also like the payload that the 3-1/2" offers. The only downside I see to the 835 is that it is a pump action and followup shots may not be as fast as with an autoloader.

I have read on the PredatorMasters forum that some hunters are using the short (18-1/2" barrel) Benelli shotguns with some success. I do like the ghost ring sights on mine. As I mentioned before, being a semiauto, followup shots would be pretty fast.

I have posted the same question on PredatorMasters and it seems that, as here, the vote is leaning towards the Beretta as it is already threaded for chokes and I have the XFXL choke in hand for it. The only negative with the AL390 is the overall length. The shotgun would be used in conjunction to my rifle and I was looking for something I could easily pack in addition to the Ruger American Predator.

The terrain is "High desert" with rolling hills and a couple of deep canyons. There are lots of areas that have wide open spaces where the shots could go to 300-400 yards and then there are some areas that are pretty dense with brush and trees, especially in the canyons.
 
Ultimately, no one can say what's right for you. Barrel length isn't as important to me as selecting the right choke and load. 25 to 30 or even 40 yards likely won't matter. That and I personally don't like long barrels. I wouldn't want to pack a long barrel I don't like crawling and climbing with a long barrel. I don't like navigating brush with a long barrel.

But my previous response is base on a money point of view. I'm also mostly pretty cheap and would first use what I have. If I had the money to do differently, then I would when it was reasonable.
 
Rossignol said:
Ultimately, no one can say what's right for you. Barrel length isn't as important to me as selecting the right choke and load. 25 to 30 or even 40 yards likely won't matter. That and I personally don't like long barrels. I wouldn't want to pack a long barrel I don't like crawling and climbing with a long barrel. I don't like navigating brush with a long barrel.

But my previous response is base on a money point of view. I'm also mostly pretty cheap and would first use what I have. If I had the money to do differently, then I would when it was reasonable.
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Agreed……I need to pattern what I have and see what will work the best, but for now, I will start out with the Beretta as it already set up for chokes. The Benelli has always been an HD gun, but after reading some posts on PredatorMasters, I thought it could be used for yotes. Same thing with my 835. I bought it to use for just an HD gun, but after reading your posts, I thought it also could be used for coyotes too. I have a Voodoo Tactical shotgun scabbard that I was planning to use to pack whatever shotgun I ended up using. I am afraid that the Beretta would be too long for it.

If I did thread the 835 and/or the Benelli, it would be something I would do over time, so I could afford it. As both the 835 and the Benelli would still be tasked with HD duties, I would get cylinder bore chokes so I could still use buckshot and slugs.
 
I still think you can use any of those. I have a 20" 500 cylinder bore with no chokes that does swimmingly with FliteControl loads. I really should invest in some more FliteControl other than the 00 buck now that I'm thinking about because that gun has a night sight on it.

Both shotguns are 20" barrels. And my suggestion is rooted in being cheap. I think the cylinder bore benelli could do well with the right load. I think it could easily make 35 to 40 yard shots. I think the 835 with the barrel you have could work. Smooth bore with rifle sights and the right load. The berreta with choke tubes gives you some more load options. But it's a longer barrel.

I think each of those is viable without changing a thing which is what makes the decision more difficult.

FliteControl loads limit options but supposedly the Hornady heavy magnum coyote is performing well. So light weight and manuverable semi auto maybe? So I myself am unsure the best way to go. But I'd have a heck of a lot of fun experimenting with lots of ammo to find out! :)

I truly think each of those is reasonable. I think the choke tube opens up more options possibly making it less expensive.
 
There are a handful out there that could work. You mentioned the #4 buck and BB loads. Whether Federal FliteControl or Hornady VersaTite, there are at least a few things available. Both have coyote loads, though Federal may or may not be making theirs anymore.
 
Like we have talked about before, #4 and BB loads seem to be very popular for coyote hunting. I still have to check my ammo supply to see what I have on hand......:)
 
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