# Newbie looking for gun advice



## mlrusch (Oct 28, 2006)

I was deer hunting this year and saw and heard many coyotes. I would like to start hunting them but all I have for guns are... Savage 22lr and my remington 870 rifled slug barrel used for deer hunting. I am accurate to 150 yards with the slug guns. Can I get away with using either of these guns for hunting yotes? I really can't afford to buy a different rifle this year. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

The 22 is a little light, keep your shots under 75 yards. Most states won't allow the use of slugs except during the firearm Deer season. How about a barrel for the 870 and use #4 buck.Shots to maybe 50 yards should be fatal.

My advice, keep looking for a good deal on a used rifle in the 222,223,243, 22-250 etc. H&R make a cheap single shot, but I wouldn't buy one. Savage has some pretty good package deals.


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## Yote Buster (Dec 22, 2007)

hey mlrusch
they have a shotgun load out called dead coyote. they claim kills up to 90 yards. but ya shotguns are a very popular gun for coyote huntin. as long as you are hidden and set up right for the wind and stuff. but marlin is making a bolt action rifle. they teamed up with savage and they look alot like the savage with the accu-trigger. new for $320. i havent shot them yet but heard good reports. just throwin it out there. good luck huntin. ps did u get any deer over there by fergus or was it tough for u to?


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

just remember you cannot shoot bb's out of that rifled barrel. and no you cannot shoot 90 yards with Dead Coyote. If you have the correct choke and the Dead Coyote load maybe 60-70, but I couldn't get that out of mine. I also won't pay $25-30 for 10 shelld when #4 buck will work almost as good for alot less money


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## mlrusch (Oct 28, 2006)

Thanks for the info guys. I think I will keep my eyes open for a good deal on a rifle. I could use one anyway. The deer hunting was very good where I was at. Saw maybe 30 on open saturday and 12 on Sunday Morning before I shot my 9 Point. Good deer season for me. The story is pretty fun. I know this is coyote thread but...

I was watching a doe and 2 good bucks and a spike bieng run around a wheat field by a coyote. The coyote chased them to the edge near some crp. The doe and 2 smaller bucks jumped into the crp. The big ten turned around, put his antlers to the ground and chased off the coyote. It was pretty cool to witness. I ended up shooting a nine about 10 minutes later.

Quickly another question.

Should I have some sort of fury decoy like i see in the stores, or just buy a call and get them to come close with strictly calling?


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## coyote_buster (Mar 11, 2007)

if money is an issue all you need is a gun, call, camo, and permission, the decoy might help by shifting thier attention but if you have halfways decent calling its totally unecesary and just another thing to carry, i dont want to carry a 40 pound coyote, a gun, and a decoy all at the same time on a mile walk


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## Kelly Hannan (Jan 9, 2007)

I agree with Coyote_Buster. If you want a decoy, tie a string on a Turkey feather and tie it to a weed or something. Let it blow around.It's just the movement. Watch the wind, coyotes are worse than deer.

Don't stay home because you don't have that rifle, check ebay or something for a shotgun barrel or take the 22, just get em in close


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## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

mlrusch,

I agree with those guys. Forget the decoy - atleast until you have worked out all the other kinks - and there will be some. Many would say that the shotgun is the most effective gun, and wouldn't be without it (Les Johnson for one), so don't feel handicapped using one. Do go with the #4 buckshot and forget the Dead Coyote stuff (sorry Yote Buster). The 90 yard stuff is, well, BS (sorry again Yote Buster - I'm sure you were just repeating what you had heard). Most find that the #4 buck is just as effective at 1/3 the cost.

As the guys stated, don't stay home because you don't yet own a rifle. Your choices in my mind are to either use the 22, shoot 'em in the head, and limit your shots to 50 yards, or shotgun 'em with the same range limitation.

Best of luck, and have fun!


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## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

mlrusch: I've thought about getting a decoy but it would have to be a fold-up type, not the full-body. I'm always looking at ways to lighten my load so slugging along with a decoy, especially a full-body, would be too much effort.

From what I see, getting out early produces easier-called coyotes so a decoy isn't really necessary. Paradox is that in early season, it would be easier to carry a decoy because of no snow, but it's not as necessary.

But -- and here's a big but -- later in the season when yotes are harder to call, one generally has snowdrifts to contend with so carrying a decoy would make hunting almost like work  . I'd follow Kdog's advice; brush up on the other variables of yote hunting.

When I really feel I need to mix things up and use a decoy, I just take along a Lab. 

Here's where I disagree with my Kdog friend and others who say: "Keep your shots within 50 (75) yards and only take head shots". Great advice if the coyote is standing still. What about if he's taking a run-by? Aiming for the head and expecting to hit it, well, you'd have to be a h-ll of a lot better shot than 99 per cent of us. Or do you resist the urge not take the shot if it's running at 50 yards? I'd think most of us would be tempted to take the shot with the resulting unfortunate results.

Hannan has good advice. Get yourself a barrel for the 870. The good part for you is if you go to any gun shows, you can find 30-inch fixed-full-choke barrels and get them for a song because there's no market for them. With the advent of steel shot regulations along with the demand for inter-changable chokes, you could probably pick up a suitable barrel for $50 or less.

I rarely use a shotgun because I don't want to handicap myself to the 50-60 yards and less scenario, but if it came to a choice between 'head shots' with a .22 rimfire or a shotgun, it would be no contest.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

The problem with head shots is you have to be very precise which is hard with a rainbow caliber like the .22LR and field shooting positions. Throw in a twitch critter like the coyote and it gets worse. They don't lay there like a tin can. With a coyotes brain you have a small target.

I always recommend a shotgun before a .22mag and my advice would go double for the shotgun over the .22LR.

I second the look for a used barrel for the 870.
Also watch for a used rifle. Lots of new used ones on the market after deer season. Many will already have a scope mounted on it.

Check the state regs and if possiable use the slug gun for now. You saw then during deer season why would they not still be around now?

 Al


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

head shots with a 22lr are still no guarantee. the first time i tried it, the bullet ricocheted! coyote didn't stay dizzy very long either. if you call dogs in close a shotgun loaded with size T steel works pretty well. i used to kill about 1/4 of my coyotes with a 10 ga. loaded with T's. never had as good luck with ANY lead shot loads. the steel T's broke ribs reliably out past 50 yards. in lead i tried BB's, BBB's (ballistic products sells odd size lead shot like that), 4 buck, and O buck. a decoy helps. i use avery ffd crows. i use 2. when i used only one the dogs would charge in unstoppable, even when i barked and howled at them. since i only carry a rifle these days, it meant learning to take 'em on the run. i discovered that with 2 crows, they sometimes will stop and decide which one to attack. easy shot.  the crows are much more portable than most decoys and coyotes spot them at tremendous distance when there is snow. i only use the fully flocked crows since coyotes are very quick to spook if they see anything with a shine. with a shotgun, only one decoy is needed since the runners are much easier with a pattern. good luck as always.


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## Yote Buster (Dec 22, 2007)

kdog said:


> mlrusch,
> 
> I agree with those guys. Forget the decoy - atleast until you have worked out all the other kinks - and there will be some. Many would say that the shotgun is the most effective gun, and wouldn't be without it (Les Johnson for one), so don't feel handicapped using one. Do go with the #4 buckshot and forget the Dead Coyote stuff (sorry Yote Buster). The 90 yard stuff is, well, BS (sorry again Yote Buster - I'm sure you were just repeating what you had heard). Most find that the #4 buck is just as effective at 1/3 the cost.
> 
> ...


thats alright kdog. ive never used the stuff. dont even use shotgun. just somethin ive heard. sorry for the miss guidence


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

A shotgun with buck or lead BB (if you can find it) would be a better choice than a .22 lr.


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