Choke Tube for Coyotes

[ramrod]

What are your recommendations for a choke tube for Coyotes for a 12 Gauge using both Dead Coyote #T Shot (HeviShot) and #4 Buck copper plated lead shot?

[lb]

Man, hard to say. Just beg or borrow as many as you can and try them all. The tightest turkey choke may not pattern coyote loads as well as a modified. You never know?

Good hunting. LB

[markymark]

You'll need to pattern your gun with the loads your wanting to shoot. It will all come down the gun and how it handles the payload. I have found when shooting Hevishot it patterns better in a slightly open choke. I would think that your gun is threaded to accept a choke tubes already. Carlson's makes a decent choke tube that won't break your bankroll.
www.carlsonschokes.com

If your gun has a 3.5" chamber than I would also get some 3" loads also to compare. A 3.5" shell has more shot not velocity and the bigger payloads sometimes pattern with holes in them due to the longer payload going through the choking. Shoot your gun off a bench and the paper will tell the tale.

If you are looking to shoot buckshot for coyotes try some number 4 and 1 buck. One gun I have thrives on number 1 buck in a light mod choke another gun does the smae results with a light full. When you find the winning combo stock up on the ammo it favors.

What gun are you shooting and how long is the barrel?

Here's a good read from Bruce Buck

www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnicalTracts/Pattern.html

[SteveCraig]

ramrod,
Leonard and Marky both bring up good points.
You simply have to try as many loads and chokes untill you find out what works.
Me...I still use 3" Copper Plated Lead BB's in the top barrel of my Red Label for shots to 35 yards.
The bottom barrel gets 2 3/4" #4 Buck. It patterns REAL well and I have killed coyote to 65 yards. At 50 yards with a light full choke, I am getting 17 of the 21 Buck in a coyote shape target.
I use the 3" BB's as I need more shot at closer ranges, and with the 2 3/4" #4 Buck I need and prefer the higher velocity. But I also get great paterns out of them too!
You just have to experiment.

[Ridgerunner]

I bought a "Patternmaster" tube for my Mossberg 835, and the pattern testing results were way beyond anything expected.
The maker of this tube will back it up such that if you aren't satisfied, you may return it for a full refund, less shipping.

The tube itself has subtle raised lugs immediately behind the porting that partially and momentarily seize the wad; thereby allowing the payload out the muzzle ahead of the wad. I really don't understand why that is so beneficial, but trust me, it works.

The maker of this tube recommends the larger sizes of buck. Through extensive testing, I found this to be true, and finally settled in on a load of #1 buck.

Keep in mind, that I handload, and therefore am able to construct many variations of load configurations. (As long as one follows safe loading data) ... The load I settled in on is a 3.5" roll crimped shell carrying 18 #1 buckshot ... I was astounded! ... All 18 pellets within a 14" circle @ 40 yards! ... I can see this load killing yotes at 60 yards! ... I don't think I would try to push beyond that range because of energy requirements for a solid kill. I haven't, as yet, tried anything with #0 or #00 buck. Why should I? ... LOL

Here is a link: www.patternmaster.com

This fella is real nice to talk with ... Be sure to tell him you will be shooting buckshot ... BTW, do not shoot buck thru a full, much less extra full tube ... That's a no no.

"Ridge"

PS: I do not endorse any business or product. I simply enjoy to share info, as has been shared with me.

[markymark]

Porting and lugging a choke are all BS, there is no way that it can strip a wad from a payload as it passes through the choke. They would need to be barbed like a fish hook, Winchester did exstansive testing in the 40's and 50's.

Porting a choke tube is another crock to get people to buy more tubes. If the gas passes through the tube and pulls the wad then you have a very serous overbore issue.

The best choke is a fixed choke that is cut as you pattern, I have several pigeon guns done that way but when a coyote is worth 25K a shot then I would think more shooters will bring there guns to Ken Eyster in OH. There's more to patterns than a choke tube that one could write a book on. Forcing cones, backbore, and for utmost paterns Jugging.

www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-183467.html

[Ridgerunner]

Well Marky Mark, as I said in my post, I don't know why this combination works so well in my shotgun, but the pattern board doesn't lie. This was not a one time deal, as I shot this spread over and over, and remain amazed at the results.

On overboring, as you probably know, the Mossberg 835 comes from the factory bored at around .750 ... For all practical purposes right around a 10 Ga. 'Nother thing I did, was to "cone" it, and this took a special reamer because of the factory overbore. After coning, I polished both 'cone and bore extensively. I also polished the Patternmaster choke tube.

Jugging is a study in itself ... I have my black powder 10 Ga. jug choked so that I could seat the over powder wadding without concerns of compromising a good gas seal.

The handload was built up using Ballistic Products materials, and load data. Buffering was with Precision Reloading's spherical buffer.

Like I say, I don't know all the scientific stuff like gas flow etc. What I do know is the items listed went togather in my shotgun with most satisfactory results.

"Ridge"

[markymark]

IF back boring is so great why do all the fine shotgun makers under bore, Perazzi,Krieghoff, Purdy, Holland and Holland all underbore there guns? Because it's all about gas to form even patterns with an even shot string.

Read the Art and science of shotgunning by Bob Brister he shows how shot string and chokes work. His wife was crazy enough to pull a trailer at 35 miles and hour as he shot at the paper on the targets. He compared several bores on that and Backbored always has been a claim to resolve issues. It's not.

Like I said go to any live pigeon shoot where the stakes are well above the average working mans wages for year and you'll see what is proven in the art of scatter gunning. I see shooters all the time bringing in the hotest hype, only to resort back to the tight bore. It's dominated by Perazzi I guess that's why the bottom barrel on there guns is tighter than the top. It all comes down to one shot and I'd take a single shot topper over some tricked out club any day of the week.

As per jugging how long did you make the jug???

[ramrod]

I purchased a Carlson tube titled Dead Coyote, specifically made for HeviShot. I may try it out in practice, before the range but will report back range results as soon as possible.

I am using this on on a Benelli Nova shotgun. I believe my barrel length is 28". Will have results tomorrow. Hope to bag early season coyotye, if not will take pictures of patterns with both Dead Coyote and 3" #4 Buckshot loads.

Thanks for information provided.

[Ridgerunner]

Good deal ramrod ... Yes, the Benelli Nova is a sweet little gun for the money. I found them to shoulder well, throwing your eye right down over the sighting plane. The chrome lined bore and chamber will most likely last a lifetime, and still make a fine heirloom. I would guess that you are bored at around .725, thus making the Carlson tube a good choice ... Yes, please let us know how she does.

Marky Mark ... I don't see where I wrote anything stating that over bores were anything especially great ... I simply reported that the Mossberg 835 comes from the manufacturer as such. If you would rather have a Topper than a "tricked out club", be my guest ... Matters not to me.

I will admit that I wrote unfounded (by me) claims concerning the dynamics of the lugging feature in the Patternmaster tube. I don't have the equipment to prove or disprove the tube manufacturers claim. All I can truthfully report on that, is in retrieving the spent shotcups, (Ballistic Products Multi-Metal) I did notice the lug marks on them, and I did find remarkable performance thru extensive testing. Not knowing (at the time of my post) what shotgun ramrod owned I decided to include information on something I knew about ... My gun.

I do agree about the fine shooting qualities of the European under bores. I prefer them for birding and sporting clays. I own a Franchi choked @ .005. Easily the best grouse gun I have ever owned. Aside from the under bores, there are the old L.C. Smiths with the taper bores which in most cases are nothing less than phenomenal, shooting most any load extremely well.

No need to have any sort of pissin' contest here, when the real issue was for ramrod to come up with a choke tube.

Feel free to PM me anytime.

"Ridge"