Bob Jager words 3348
6301 Marsh Rd.
Brown City, Mi. 48416
586-219-1614
jagerbob@greatlakes.net

70 yard Shotgun for Predators
By
Bob Jager

About 80% of the predators I harvest are with a shotgun. Local game laws, population, terrain, and time of day are the criteria that dictate my choice of weapon. Choke/shell combinations are important to squeeze every yard out of my 12 gauge Mossberg 500. Manufacturers of both components claim to have made significant improvements over the last few years. Improvements help me take more fur.

During the day Michigan laws are generous for hunting predators. Any shotgun, rimfire, or centerfire rifle is allowed. There is no daytime limitation on shot shells and #4 buckshot is the choice of local predator hunters. Few self- respecting predators will come to a call during the day so the best calling is at night. The choice of weapon is reduced to shotgun and rimfire. Buckshot of any kind is not allowed after dark.

1 7/8 ounce of #4 turkey loads has been the historic choice for night hunting. With a turkey choke the loads ended many a predators career. Though that choke/shell combination is satisfactory it is the hunters nature to improve and perfect. Dead Coyote was tested on a couple of hunts and proved satisfactory also. On an Internet forum I made contact with a gentlemen who hand loaded lead F shot for me. It is the largest legal shot for hunting at night in Michigan. With the proper choke this could prove very useful.

My Goal

My goal is to get the most lethal pattern at the greatest distance out of my shotgun. There may be some personal interpretation of this data. Are 3 pellets of #4 buckshot more lethal than 6 pellets of Dead Coyote or 20 pellets of #4 turkey? I will draw my own conclusions but will supply you with the data to form your own.

Paper targets 30” x 42” were employed with an orange dot places at the center. All shooting was done from a bench to minimize shooting errors. Targets are marked with a label to prevent mixing and obtaining false information. Range to target was measured with a 300 ft. tape measure. Each test target will be divided into 4 quadrants. A number in each quadrant will indicate the number of hits in that area of the target. The number in the center represents the sum of all hits on target.

The shot shells to be tested are Remington 1 7/8 oz. Nitro turkey loads with #4 shot containing 253 pellets in each load, Dead Coyote from Enviren Metal Inc. with 50 pellets plus of T sized pellets, Remington #4 buck shot with 41 pellets, and handloads of lead F shot with 48 pellets weighting 1 ¾ ounces.

A special observation will be shared with the readers here. Part way through the shooting required to generate this information, it became apparent these are powerful loads. Referring to the recoil charts readily available on the Internet a comparison was made. Recoil for these test loads is over 2 times greater than the 30-06 with 180-grain bullets and even greater than the 338 Winchester Magnum. My cheek and shoulder became tender. A cushion was eventually placed between my shoulder and gun.

Each shot size will be shot through 4 different chokes tubes. The cylinder and full chokes that came with the Mossberg 500, a turkey tube from an unknown manufacturer that has been in my inventory for years, and a choke tube provided by Carlson designed specifically for Dead Coyote loads.

The range will start at 40 yards and increase in 10-yard increments. Only the choke/shot combinations that show promise will continue to the next phase of testing. We will in affect follow the evidence.

40 Yard Result

Cylinder Choke

The cylinder choke seems to be an unlikely choice for getting the most lethal pattern on a target. In setting this test up other hunters have suggested that cylinder, straight walled, or open chokes are best for producing tight patterns with large shot sizes. More restrictive chokes deform the shot and patterns suffer. With a little shooting this theory can be confirmed or denied.

CYLINDER CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT F SHOT COYOTE # 4 TURKEY


6 12 4 10 7 9 34 55
35 20 40 166

6 11 4 2 8 16 40 37

#4 Buck 40 Yard F shot 40 Yard
pic 150 pic 151

Dead Coyote 40 Yard #4 Turkey 40Yard
Pic 152 pic153

Targets at the 40-yard range had significant density for all shot sizes except the F shot. The F shot was all over the target. 40 yards would be the maximum effective range for this choke/shot combination. This was a huge disappointment but facts are facts. Perhaps a change in wad or other component would tighten the pattern. The lesson here is that we cannot assume anything. For best results you need to pattern your shotgun before you go hunting.

The cylinder choke proves adequate for the hunter who hunts animals up close or does not anticipate shooting over 40 yards. The wide pattern will give them a little forgiveness for making quick shots. Perhaps a benefit as animals cross a shooting lane or expose themselves for only brief seconds.

Full Choke

The full choke provided with a shotgun is likely to be the “go to” choke for those hunters not having a special choke tube. Here we will find out if the larger shot shells may show a preference for more open chokes tubes or if the standard tighter choke tighter pattern applies.

FULL CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT F SHOT COYOTE # 4 TURKEY


10 16 9 14 18 12 66 76
36 38 44 220

3 7 7 8 10 4 37 41

The full choke shows lethal density with all shot sizes. A fox or coyote is going to be hit with more pellets than is needed to put it down. The F shot nearly doubled its hits on target and is now up to 80%. It is now a worthwhile addition to our inventory of hunting shells.

#4 Buckshot 40 yard F shot 40 yard
pic 154 pic 155

Dead Coyote 40 yards #4 turkey 40 yards
pic 156 pic 157

Pellet count has increase only one pellet for the #4 buckshot. But almost 88% of the pellets are already on target. This is lethal performance for this range. The pellet count on target for the Dead Coyote has increased by 4 pellets and we are at 87%. The #4 turkey had the greatest improvement and now has 87% of pellets hitting the target. Perhaps a trend is beginning to develop.
I will note that with all shot sizes the patterns were getting denser near the center of target. Fewer pellets were hitting the outside perimeter. At this point it looks like we need to go to a tighter choke to tighten our pattern.
Turkey Choke
For me it seems logical that the turkey choke should give us a denser pattern than the full choke. This would be great for those who already own a turkey choke. Lets not get ahead of ourselves and go back to shooting some targets.
View the targets below. The #4 buckshot now has 39 hits on target or 95%. Only 2 pellets are not making contact. Look at the denseness of the pattern. No predator could take a direct hit from this combination and get away. We will continue testing this combination at 50 yards.
The F shot dropped off to 22 total hits and is less than 46% of the available pellets. Unless Carlson’s Dead Coyote choke tube can salvage this handload they will be disassembled and components used for other loads.
Dead Coyote has 100% of the pellets hitting the target. Again notice the extreme density of the pattern. Ignore the fact that this shooter is getting a little conscious of squeezing the trigger and the shot appears to be a little left and high. This combination proves to be lethal beyond any reasonable doubt. No animal should even twitch.
90% of the #4 turkey loads are making contact. No predator would have a chance from this combination. My personal opinion is that turkey loads are great for fox and coyote at this range. At what point do we benefit from larger shot to penetrate winter fur?
The tighter chokes seem to be getting us tighter patterns. At least for 3 of the 4 shot shells being tested. The F shot taught us we couldn’t make assumptions about the choke and shot combinations we shoot. How many animals would I have missed or wounded had I assumed the F shot was going to perform like it was designed to do. A missed or wounded animal is frustrating today but will be near to impossible to call in a second time.

TURKEY CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT F SHOT COYOTE # 4 TURKEY


11 13 3 4 27 11 71 69
39 22 52 227

9 6 8 7 10 4 50 37

# 4 Buckshot F Shot
pic 158 pic 159

Dead Coyote #4 Turkey
Pic 160 pic 161

I will conclude at this point there is no apparent benefit to using more open chokes to get tighter patterns from the larger shot. Not for this combination anyway. Since our goal is to obtain the most lethal or tightest pattern at a distance we will focus the remainder of our shooting on tighter chokes. The turkey and Carlson Dead Coyote choke.
50 Yards
As we add yardage to the original 40 yards, it is obvious we are going to lose part of our pattern. Hits on target will decrease each 10 yards until we find our shotgun has become useless. I have been holding off testing on the Carlson Dead Coyote Choke tube until this yardage. With the wonderful claims made on this product it would be a shame to waste ammo, time, and my shoulder.
You may have noticed I dropped #4 turkey loads from the testing. Again I express my concern about pellet energy at 50 yards. But, for those who say it can be done I put an 8” circle on the target. 18 pellets hit within. For fox I believe we have a deadly combination but am not convinced for coyote. With a thick winter fur protecting it I feel a coyote wound get pierced ears, bloody feet and legs, be missing one eye, do a drop, roll, and run, and be the smartest coyote in the area there after.
Turkey Choke
From now on we will concentrate on the Dead Coyote, #4 buckshot, and the handloads of F shot just to see if we can salvage what I hoped to be impressive rounds. Since the F shot performed poorly in the Turkey choke at 40 yards I see no reason to try the same combination at 50 yards. I’m hoping for better results from the F shot through the Carlson Dead Coyote choke.

TURKEY CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT COYOTE


7 11 13 8
25 38

2 5 9 8


#4 Buck Dead Coyote
pic 162 pic 163

Going from 40 yards out to 50 yards we lost 14 pellets of #4 buck shot. Only 25 are now hitting the target. Down 36% from the number of hits we were getting at 40 yards. Only 61% of the #4 buckshot pellets that originally were on the way to the target actually made a hit. The pattern is dense enough for coyote and would provide a high percentage of kills on fox.
The Dead Coyote is down from 100% of its 52 plus pellets hitting the target to 38 hits. 27% fewer pellets than were hitting the target at 40 yards. However 73% of the available T sized pellets are making it to the target. The pattern is significantly dense with little room for a fox sized predator to escape.
Carlson’s Dead Coyote Choke
At 50 yards we do have a significant increase in hits on target using Carlson’s Dead Coyote Choke. As claimed the choke tube seems to hold a preference for the Dead Coyote product. At 50 yards the #4 buckshot pattern is now dense enough to eliminate any voids that a predator could slip through.
Impressively the Dead Coyote load is putting 45 of the 52 pellets on target. That’s 86% of the original loads. Absolutely no voids are available to give a predator a chance to survive.
The F shot is disappointing but did show improvement. The improvement still falls far short of the hits we are making on target with the Dead Coyote. The F shot handload seems to be unpredictable and as such it will be eliminated from further testing.

CARLSON'S DEAD COYOTE CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT COYOTE F SHOT


10 5 14 5 7 4
29 45 30

8 6 14 12 9 10

#4 buck pic 165 Dead Coyote pic 166 F shot pic 167

With the marked increase in density using the Carlson Dead Coyote Choke the testing at 60 yards will only be done using that choke. #4 buckshot and Dead coyote will be the only remaining contestants in our original goal to get the most lethal pattern at the greatest distance form our shotgun.
While 40 yards seemed a reasonable distance the additional 10 yards to 50 yards seems like a long shot. At 50 yards I find myself shooting the shotgun more like a rifle. To keep the pattern in the center of the target one eye is closed and sights lined up. Even then the target is partially covered by the front bead.
At these distances hunters may need to concentrate and be a little more precise with their shots. Without a rest or shooting at game offhand the hunter may shoot several feet one way or the other. With these tight chokes our patterns thin quickly at the edges. Our chance of a missed or wounded animal will increase.
60 Yards
Carlson’s Dead Coyote Choke Tube
The Carlson’s Dead Coyote choke proved more than adequate at the 60-yard distance. To add more substance to our evaluation I placed an 8-inch and a 13-inch diameter circle around the bull eye. These are intended to represent the non-vital areas including stomach, intestines, head, backbone, other bones, and other such parts from the broadside perspective. Multiple hits on a predator in these areas will get us fur.
The #4 buckshot hit the target 23 times. There are holes in the pattern that may allow a small predator to escape from a less than perfectly placed shot. Now refer to the number beside the chart. They show that 3 pellets of #4 buckshot hit the 8-inch circle and 3 more hit outside the 8-inch circle in the 13-inch circle. Can a fox stand up to 3 pellets of #4 buckshot or a coyote stand up to 6 pellets of the same. I don’t think so.
Looking at the Dead Coyote load we see that 39 pellets hit the target. At 60 yards we still have 75% of the shot shell hitting the target. It looks like I may have pulled this shot a little to the left. Even so we have 5 pellets in the 8-inch circle and an additional 9 in the 13-inch circle. A total of 5 pellets were available to harvest our fox and 14 pellets for our coyote. The pattern was sufficiently dense that even with the shot pulled we were able to successfully complete our hunt.

CARLSON'S DEAD COYOTE CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT COYOTE


3 10 4 18 6 5
3 23 39 9
6 14
7 2 10 5

#4 buck pic 168 Dead Coyote pic 169

70 Yards

Carlson’s Dead Coyote Choke Tube

Our #4 buckshot target is down to 20 hits. Go to the numbers in a column on the left side of the target. It shows that 2 pellets hit inside the 8-inch circle and 4 pellets hit between the 8-inch and the 13-inch circle for a total of 6 pellets in the 13-inch circle. There is little doubt in my mind that this combination will take coyotes and fox at 70 yards. The pattern is beginning to thin and on occasion may allow a predator to slip through.
For whatever reason I have a tendency to shoot the Dead Coyote loads a little to the left. Except for the cylinder load all have been had heavier pellet counts on the left hand side of the target. Even then the pattern is sufficiently dense to eliminate the chance of a predator slipping through as long as the shot is well placed.
Referring to our numbers of hits in the circles we have 5 in our 8-inch with an additional 4 in the nine-inch. 5 pellets will strike our fox and 9 our coyote. A quick reference to a ballistic program shows pellets still have a velocity near 1000 feet per second.
The Dead Coyote pattern is beginning to thin also. Look at the numbers and we find 50% more pellets are hitting are target with the Dead Coyote than the #4 buckshot. Also, there are 50% more pellets hitting within our 13 inch circle or kill zone.

CARLSON'S DEAD COYOTE CHOKE

#4 BUCK DEAD
SHOT COYOTE

5
2 5 7 10 6 4
4 20 30 9
6
6 2 8 6

#4 buck pic 170 Dead coyote pic 171

Blow up of
70 yard Dead Coyote
Carlson Dead Coyote Choke tube

We have arrived.

At least 15 yards can be added to the terminal range of your shotgun by installing an aftermarket choke designed for predator hunting. Carlson’s Dead Coyote choke not only works miracles with Dead Coyote loads but made significant improvement with other shot shells being tested. They are relatively inexpensive and can further be justified by using them for waterfowl or turkey hunting. (Check your local game laws). I like to use tight chokes when crows are flying high, roosters flush early, or some other critter wants to stay just out of range.
The Enviren Metal Dead Coyote load has the right balance of pellet weight and size. Go to a larger sized shot and pellet count isn’t there to fill in the pattern at 70 yards. The higher metal density of the pellets gives them lethal hitting power greater than what their size indicates. Going to smaller #4 turkey loads the thick fur of winter may become to hard to penetrate.
The Carlson/Dead Coyote combination gets more lethal pellets on predators at our 70-yard distance. More pellets on target translate to quicker kills, fewer wounded animals, and more fur for your time. Results should be humane kills on predators at 70 Yards.
A huge advantage for me is to hunt with one type of shot shell in my vehicle. Eventually you will meet up with the Department of Natural Resources. Walking around in the middle of the night dressed in white and carrying a shotgun is a sure way of getting acquainted. In our haste to go hunting we may miss a shot shell under the seat or between the cushions. One that is not legal.
Be aware that using Carlson’s Dead Coyote choke requires a little different sighting. To get as many pellets on target as possible shoot your shotgun like a rifle. The bead halfway up my Mossberg’s barrel was a great help in lining up on the target. Keep in mind I was shooting from a bench and still show some tendencies to shoot to one side. I recommend you consider using a scope or similar sighting system. You will get on target faster and have a better chance of keeping the target in the middle of the pattern.
The bottom line is you will harvest more predators with chokes and shot shells designed specifically for the task. I thank these companies for their fine products and intend to use them. There is no doubt in my mind that my fur count will increase next winter. Hope you’ll be able to say the same.