# Has Anyone Handgunned Coyote?



## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Title says it all. I am wanting/thinking about upping the challenge of predator hunting, by going at it with a handgun. I have done a bit of research and selected an open sight 357 Magnum. Although I am fair with the hand-irons. I have just begun to really get serious range time using this particular hog leg. I am palming a Colt Trooper model with a 4 inch barrel. I am good out to about 30 yards, then it gets iffy. My plan is simple. Call in a coyote to up close and let him have it. I also would like to have a rifle shooter along, for the back-up, and if they refuse to give my an up close encounter. If I can put one down with the hand iron, I plan to go farther and use ultra-primitives. Whoa, one step at a time. Have any of you taken a coyote or other with a hog leg (handgun)? If so, what are you toting?


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I have taken caribou with a scoped redhawk in 44 mag. And hunted quiet a bit with a contender in 6.5 TCU for antelope and other rounds for other game. Went back to rifle due to feet problems and wanting to fill the freezer more.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

nope never shot anything with a handgun other than paper

have been shot with a hadngun though

ok i gotta ask

what do ya mean by "ultra primtives"?

like an atl atl or just stone tipped arrows?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I took one with my Contender in 7-30 Waters. That was my first coyote rig. It worked well but was REALLY loud


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Well, I checked regs and it appears I'm not going to be able to use the ultra-primitive method on anything but small game species, which coyotes are not a part of. Drat. I guess I'll just use the pistol. I was thinking of a double edged throwing (tactical) tomahawk. Why? I seen the boys on Relentless Pursuit cleave wart hog with a rather large knife. If you get the chance to watch their show, it's pretty nuts. These guys are pretty ball-zy. I am currently recording a four part Australian Water Buffalo hunt with spears. One guy got a jab at one, it took an immediate disliking to him and chased his arse round a termite mount. He was forced to end the race with a shot from his "handgun"! A ton of death, brought down with a handgun! Crazy!


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## dwtrees (Mar 5, 2012)

I have shot a couple of white tails with my 357 Ultra Mag but haven't try it for a coyote yet.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I'm a fan of JD Jones. He's taken water buffalo and African elephants with a Contender chambered in 375 JDJ.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

youngdon said:


> I'm a fan of JD Jones. He's taken water buffalo and African elephants with a Contender chambered in 375 JDJ.


That is a frigging awesome gun YD.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

No handgun coyotes here, either. Just deer, squirrel, rabbit and woodchucks. I'd have to have a good setup and rest and a coyote willing to pose. I figure it's already difficult enough no matter the firearm, so I have had no propensity to make it more difficult. I'd use my 14-inch, .223 T/C Contender, if I were so inclined.


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## SHampton (Apr 20, 2012)

My buddy Leroy killed three last year with his .44 mag.


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## Donho (Apr 17, 2014)

No but hey why not usually have a 40 cal auto with me just in case. Don't see why any decent size handgun round in the right spot wouldn't do it !


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I just ordered some 125 grain Hornady XPT's for this endeavor. Though maybe I could work up a good load, using the lighter bullet, a bit faster and less recoil. I am thinking of taking a shotty along with some Dead Coyote loads and a hyper tight choke. If I miss the bastard with the hand iron, maybe I can pick him up with the scattergun. I would hate to educate one, but it's certainly possible, when you take your long range advantage away.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

It's a long way from a handgun hold to pulling the trigger on a long gun. Those 125's will come out quite zippy though.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I'd consider going with the handgun exclusively and forget about the backup shotgun. Just go ahead and make the commitment along with a good setup and you'll prepare better for the task at hand. Good luck.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

+1 on leaving the shotty in the truck


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## CoyoteGuy (May 23, 2014)

Does this count?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

That's what I use ! What calibers do you have ?

Nice coues skull !


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## devildogandboy (May 12, 2014)

I tried one time many years ago with my S&W 357, the problem is they weren't being cooperative.

Bruce


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## CoyoteGuy (May 23, 2014)

Thanks for the nice compliment on the coues, but truth be known he isn't a very good one at all. Here is what a good one looks like.



The TC is a .223 with an eighteen inch barrel.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice deer ! I've hunted those coues a few times. For little deer they grow some awesome racks.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I received my reload dies about a week ago and started working on loads for testing yesterday. I went out this morning and shot 15 rounds, 3 rounds for each charge on the 125 grain XTP's. I had two shots touching and one flier on the 9.2 grains of Alliant Power Pistol. I was shooting at 30 yards. The gun (or I) was shooting to the right about 4 inches. I could, take a coyote with that. My question is, do you think 30 yards is enough range? I plan to press out about 50 rounds and practice, maybe get a bit farther out, but certainly not past 50 yards. I must say, I am no pistolero. I darn sure am going to have to do a bit of practicing/shooting before I am going to attempt to educate a dawg. I still think I better have a buddy ride shotgun on this thing.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

50 yds is absolutely doable once you hone your skill. You have plenty of energy on that bullet.


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## singlesix (May 13, 2010)

I shot a coyote with my 357 Ruger Black hawk, a day I will never forget. I even had a friend sitting on the stand watch it.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

I have shot quite a few coyotes with a handgun, but not when calling. Just riding around or while quail hunting. I use either my Redhawk 7-1/2" or S&W Classic 629 6". Shooting a Hornady 240 XTP over 22grs of 2400 in the Redhawk and 19grs of 2400 with same bullet in the S&W.

JT, I use to shoot a .357 and my best loads were the 146 gr half jacketed bullets, they also seemed to perform better than the 125 grs. on Javelina.


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## kiyote (Jun 15, 2014)

once with a .22 ruger. went down like a two-dollar-whore


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## NattyB (Jan 5, 2012)

Hunted Reds a few times with my brother's Ruger Single Six with .22 Mag cylinder, but didn't like the noise of the hammer cocking. Went back to rifle, but by all means have fun!


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

It was a learning experience for myself and those two coyotes that I called in yesterday. They are still among the living, yet wiser. The morning was right, calm, a storm had rolled through the area the night before and moistened thing up. The desert was alive again, birds chirping, bugs moving, amazing. I walked a half mile into what I would think, was the coyote's image of Shangri-La. Plenty of shade, water, cattle, and isolation. I called for 45 minutes. Nothing. I walked back to the truck and began to put my gear away. As I turned to close the rear door, I spotted a coyote, not 75 yards away, just walking through. He didn't seem alarmed, didn't even look my way. "Did that stupid coyote even see me or my truck", I thought? I grabbed my pistol and walked out to where he had came through. Sat down in front of a yucca and started calling using an old Modern Closed Reed Call. He came back, I could see him through the brush. Time to lip him, I squeaked him up to about 50 yards. He got smart and stopped, ogling my hide and definitely me. It's now or never, I drew down and pow. Right over his back?

I pulled out, and traveled west. Pasted by a good set that was about a mile from the first shooting, thinking I may have alerted others. After making another ten miles, I slowed to a crawl on a side road and hid the truck. I walked down the road about a quarter mile and dropped into a small arroyo that had brought me quite a bit of luck in the past. I ran the Foxpro for thirty minutes without action. I started to think about leaving and this caused me to scan up and down the draw. My movements being more fluid, now that I had been on set so long, I must admit, I didn't figure to see what showed up. On one of those smooth turns of the head I spotted a coyote, on the edge of the arroyo, opposite my position. Sixty yards at best, looking snack at me. Christ, how did he get there? I bet you've thought the same thing. He had me, but wasn't spooked, just standing there, teasing. Did his lip just curl a bit in the corner? I wasn't totally unprepared. I had my pistol stacked on a mono-pod and aimed somewhat at the leering vermin. But I want him at thirty yards, thirty is good, fifty is iffy.I tried to switch to a coaxer, but all hell broke loose. He winded me. I knew it was possible, as I had detected that the wind was swirling in the draw. I popped off a fleeing miss at his carcass, but came up with nothing. That's two. This isn't easy by any means. I am going for more practice, and try to push it to 50 yards.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Great write up JT, when you least expect it. HA !! Been there.


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

*took a coyote while deer hunting a few years ago with my T/C contender 12" barrel 375 win--seen the coyote on a far hardwood ridge --sat and lip squeaked he came within 50 yds---resting shot DOA--one tailwag good bye I was Happy----------sb-----p.s. using my 17 rem barrel a few times but haven't had any show up when I've been using it----one of these days it will happen :hunter: *


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