All about the rifles? Building a new shotty for coyotes?

[Varminterror]

Hopefully it's not too blasphemous to bring up shotguns here, but I ALWAYS pack a scattergun as "back-up" when I head out for coyotes. My primary coyote rifle is a ground up AR I put together from a bushy upper and lower, 24" Krieger half heavy tube, and naturally, a geisselle, topped with a Leup LRT 6.5-20x50mm mil-dot (only use the mil-dot for rangefinding confirmation), sitting on a set of Harris's (9-13" and a 13-27").

I recently acquired a Benelli Supernova action (sans stock and barrel) that is in fine working order. I ordered a Benelli Steady-grip stock, and an 18.5" Carlson's aftermarket tube with a Carlson's Dead Coyote extended choke tube (0.680" model), and I'll be installing a B-square saddle mount for a Tru-glo open red dot, a +2 (flush with the muzzle) mag extension, and a Harris 13-27" bi-pod (2part auto epoxy "adapter plate" to mate the bipod to the mag tube, mounted on the swivel point on the barrel mount ring). I also sent out spec drawings to a local CNC shop to cut a single point sling mounting plate (AR-style, will be sandwiched between the stock and receiver).

I'm still open to suggestions, however. I want this to be a fast handling back up for when dogs come in the back door, plus a solid primary for calling dogs at night (no lights here in KS). I'm traditionally a 00buckshot shooter, but I'm hoping to experiment with the new Hevi-shot Dead Coyote (bismuth T shot) and Winchester Coyote shotshells (again, bismuth T shot).

Any input? Suggestions? Improvements on the idea? I think it will make a very solid back up gun, as well as a stone cold night hunt dog killer.

 

[MrMajestic]

Sounds like you got it! What's with the KS "no lights" reg? At least they allow suppressors! PA allows lights but no semi-rifles and suppressors! They all have their questionable regs. :
Patterning will tell you what load to use. Go out and kill a bunch!

 

[LRPV]

Sounds pretty sweet. The Nova is a little noisy when carrying it, seems to be a little loose around the forend so you might try to do something to deaden the noise.
I probably wouldn't bother with the bi pod on the shotgun but I never really thought about it either. we use Hornady #4 buck and it seems to work pretty good.
Did I read that right in that you guys can use suppressors to hunt with? In Missouri we can't use lights, suppressors, or electronic calls (at night) which I really don't understand.
Jason

 

[MrMajestic]

LRPV, WOW! I thought PA was tough! In KS cans are legal. How do they expect you guys to kill anything? I don't understand disallowed laser sights for Preds in PA. Do they think we will negatively effect the eyesight of the quarry we are going to kill? ???

 

[LRPV]

Moonlight and mouth calls is the only way we can do it at night. It's not too bad when there is good snow on and a full moon, you can see pretty good. Nightvision would be another welcomed addition if they would allow it. The only bad thing is that I would have to go spend a bunch of money buying the new toys that I've put off getting because I couldn't use them anyway.

 

[Varminterror]

Kansas puts priority number 1 on preventing spotlighting of deer, so they don't allow the use of lights at night except for when running hounds for furbearers, or checking trap lines, and even then, you can only use a rimfire rifle (regs USED to say .22 rimfire specifically, new for 2010 or 2011 they updated it to include all rimfires).

My family runs a rather large cattle operation, so we have several "dead piles" that I hunt over at night. On a moonlit night, you can see the dogs coming from about 75yrds, and they'll come right up into your lap (assuming you can stomach the smell). Most of these 'piles' are excavated pits, so I have the advantage of seeing them come over the crest, plus it's a natural barrier for when they want to leave in a hurry. With a quick handling shotgun, a guy can knock down a triple if he's patient. On a full moon, a 3-9x50 or 2.5-10x50 will still transmit enough light for 100yrd shooting, and getting them in close at night is a totally different game than daylight calling. It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

The Bipod is somewhat two fold, it'll keep the shotgun positioned a little more nicely, so it's not laying in the snow while I'm calling over the rifle, and it'll give me a solid support when I'm using it as a primary. I'm pretty OCD about having every advantage that I can, and it only takes 2min to swap bipods from gun to gun to gun, so why not, right?

 

[LRPV]

Right. Should work pretty good. I'm using a 2.5-10x56 Trijicon with amber triangle on an Ar-15. I pretty much set it up just to use at night but the ways things go anymore, I don't ever find the time to go. I haven't even been out calling this season yet.
Jason

 

[MrMajestic]

Varminterror, You sure are right about the darkness being a big help over daylight calling. The bait pile is a great thing! Still sure is nice to see those eyes coming from a way off though! Hopefully PA will get out of the Dark Ages sometime and give us Semi's, Cans and Lasers! They do give us 24/7 during the season for Reds and all year for yotes.

 

[stapher1]

Hopefully PA will get out of the Dark Ages sometime and give us Semi's, Cans and Lasers!

+1...Boy, i would love to use a AR for whistle pigs or yotes!! ;D I would buy one in a heartbeat but i like to own longarms i can legally hunt with.

 

[dennisinaz]

I use #2 hevi shot as loaded by Remington before they quit. i bought every box the local sportsmans whorehouse had when they discontinued them. Most guys swear by #4 buck but I can't get it to pattern as tightly as the smaller hevi shot. I have made clean kills out to 70+ yards with #2 hevis. This is a tungsten pellet that penetrates worlds better than anything lead.

The dead coyote never worked for me as it was loaded poorly by the manufacturer. Pellets would fall out, they rattled around and patterns were quite scattered. If you did manage to hit a coyote it was dead. Maybe the new stuff is better but I haven't tried it. NOTHING kills like tungsten pellets!

I use a regular Nova with 24" barrel and a pure gold choke tube with tru glos.