Coyote Hunting

[Browning_68]

What do, or would you use to take yote's? I have a thing for shooting bunnies, and almost always kick up a dog while at it.


"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[jamesthomas]

Well, Depends on what yer hunting rabbits with. I would use my .50 cal. (since thats all I have). but I would think the min. would be a .40 cal. A .36 is a mighty small chunk of lead. Of coarse if the yote is within say 20yrds it would probly do the job. JMO. Others with more experience with them may say different. BTW I hope I get a shot at one this year, deer hunting, me and my brother think one got his cat over the summer. :shake: . Had some Maine coon in him, beautiful cat.

 

[Browning_68]

Sorry to hear about the cat. I'm not a cat type but my wife is. It would be a bloody day for another dog if it went after her 3lb little bugger. Have a 25lb bulldog that could careless that shes small and a 70lb mastiff pup who's still growing that loves this cat for some reason?

Back to business, I'm also stuck with a .50 for a while at least until I can get my wife to the dark side. Not that there is anything wrong with the .50 just seams a little over kill for mostly bunny bopping. Still pretty new to the powder game so figured I'd ask and see what's the smallest/largest caliber anyone would use? Going to pick up a couple .32's at my dads place this weekend to get my son out there with me. Heck never know what could happen with a well placed shot.



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[BrownBear]

I've whapped enough yotes with shotguns and #4 through 00 buck to have no qualms about performance of a smallish RB if it lands in the right place. That may be where the problem starts with the small stuff. A 32 with a stiffish charge will be fine at 50, but if you hope to do 100 you're more susceptible to winds and things, which affect your ability to put them in the boiler room. Yotes die easy with any heart lung hit, but can pack some lead with marginal shots.

The same will apply with your 50, as a matter of fact. I bust a lot of bunny heads with 50's and larger, but with greatly reduced charges. The 30-35 grain charge I use in a 50 is going to put you in the same boat at 100 as the light ball from a 32.

The obvious answer is to limit your shots to bunny range, or pass on the bunnies and hunt yotes with something hotter than you want for eating meat. A compromise might be "target" loads in your 50, charges on the order of 60 grains. If it shot them really well you can be careful about bunny head shots while knowing where it hits at 75 and 100 yards.

 

[Browning_68]

I've used a 22LR more then anything so far and from everything I've read a .32 isn't much more, if at all? Granted I control the charge for a .32, max range would be 50yds closer always being better. Wouldn't shoot an elk past 75yds, and a yote is might small compared to them. Next trip to the range I'll see how well 70gr shoots and go from there. That's as low as my measure goes and if it shoots well I'll leave it at that. More then enough for a bunny and plenty to put a dog in it's place. Once I get a smaller measure I'll try out lower charges, also I'm assuming that 3F would be a better choice in a .32?



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[longcruise]

Your .32 would be a pretty close match to a .22 LR. A .31 ball weighs 45 grains so is close to a 40 grain .22. The RB starts out much faster, but by 50 or 100 yards is about the same speed as the .22. It will make a bit bigger hole though.

For up close on bunnies your .32 might be pretty destructive and call for head shots. Therefore, not much different than using your .50 which would also call for head shots.

Your fifty would be more effective on the yotes at the longer ranges even if downloaded a bit. I killed a yote with a .50 at 147 yards with a ball that started about 1450 feet per second. It worked just fine and the hide was in better shape than if hit by my .223.

 

[BrownBear]

Once I get a smaller measure I'll try out lower charges, also I'm assuming that 3F would be a better choice in a .32?

That's what I've always used in 32's and 36's, and now the 30 I'm working with. I read about guys going up to 30 or more grains of 3f for longer shooting with a 32, but I keep nudging the other way for close range bunnies.

I'm down to 15 grains now, which seems to put it in the realm somewhere between a 22 and a 22 mag. When I started out at 25 grains, it reminded me a whole lot of rifle loads n a 32-20, at least at the ranges I'm shooting. And no one would ever call the 32-20 a weak sister for yotes.

As a side note, I started my 30 (.290 ball) at 20 and am down to 15, probably on my way to 10 grains or so. It's so darned accurate, I'd have no qualms about poking a yote inside 50 yards with it. I've killed enough of them with as little as one #4 buck (.240) inside 50 yards to have no doubt.

 

[Browning_68]

Thanks for all the info. My dad has one, maybe two .32's back in his safe somewhere so I'm going to go dig them out. Speaking of 30gr in a .32, what would you say a max load would be for one? I know you can low ball as much as you like, but I'd like to keep my face intact. There's no manual with the gun(s) so I'm asking for experienced help.



"If you can't hit what you're shooting at, might as well pick up knitting"

 

[hoochiepapa]

Not to answer for BB, but I've read some here use as much as 40-45 grs.

 

[BrownBear]

Not to answer for BB, but I've read some here use as much as 40-45 grs.

Sounds about right to me, but hypothetical. I've never been that high.

TC lists a max of 50 grains of 3f and RB for 1750fps in their 32 cal Cherokee and Seneca. That vel sounds waaaaaay low from reports I've read on here.

Back again:

I just crosschecked with the Lyman manual, and they're posting 2203fps for 50 grains of 3f Goex.

But they also go to an eye-popping 70 grains for only 2273fps. That load is generating a whopping 15,500 psi, compared to 10,400 psi for 50 grains.

Down at the bottom of the page they're showing 2384fps for Elephant 3f, at 17,600psi. Not with my guns and face, you don't. :shocked2:

 

[Browning_68]

That's moving pretty good for such a tiny piece of lead. Don't think I'd ever want to use that much powder in a .32, might as well just use the .50 if the rabbits ever need that much of a thump.

 

[smokeum54]

ive knocked down alot of coyotes with a .32 and .36. and a .36 maxi ball with 50 grains of 3f makes them roll over and be dead :wink: