Need Advice On Taking Down Coyotes

[Jman4183]

Hello ladies and gentleman. I have a semi recently purchased .35 cal FX Impact. I have everything tuned up nicely and have shot pellets and slugs. I have taken every animal multiple times over from large racoons, to possums, to yes Coyotes. Also plenty of tree rats . My question is this. In terms of Coyote hunting, I may be asking too much but I am looking to drop these things on the spot. I have tried a headshot with a JSB Hades and to my surprise it didn't down the first one I went after. Then I switched to FX Hybrids which I absolutely love for extreme accuracy as well as big time expansion. I shoot these between 950 and 970fps. They are roughly 70 grains. I did insta drop a coyote with these with a vital shot after that. However since then I have shot at I would say at least five coyotes (I do have some pretty excellent video of these). Even one where I dropped one for a half hour with three shots in total just to be sure. Then when me and the wife went to retrieve it it miraculously got up and ran off. A ZOMBIE COYOTE, only logical conclusion . I could not believe my eyes. These midwestern Coyotes get quite large, and there are swarms of them in my backyard which are a huge problem for my puppy dog. We do have a chain link fence but they can climb over this with relative ease. So the wife has a shoot on sight order when they are on our property. I uploaded a picture of what I would consider a pretty good vital shot. I even used high speed 120 fps to show the slug in flight and where it hit. Made a loud smack and looked to be in a vital zone to me. My question would be, would I be better served shooting these things in the head with say FX 83 grain domed pellets for downing instantly? These are nuisance animals so retrieval isn't vital. However I also don't want wounded animals out there. In everyones expert opinion is this animal dead? Just had to run a ways? I have done some research and know they are very very tough animals. I also have gathered that from personal experience . I have not tried headshots with the FX hybrids, thoughts? Someone told me even high powered rifle rounds can bounce off coyotes heads as they sort of create a ramp when they look at you straight on. So I am a little unsure of my shot placements and methods. Every other animal just goes down with a 70 grain hybrid to the head very quickly. In case anyone is wondering I am shooting this off a tripod in my office upstairs in my house. I have gotten good enough with the ATN balistic calc and the FX 800MM barrel to hit what I aim at. Just starting to doubt where to aim on these?

 

[Jman4183]

This is my settup. Running the Ronin Donny FL with the extension (works better than the emporer v3 with or without the extension). Got the Bog tripod, ATN Xsight 5x25 LRF, 800MM tensioned barrel system with heavy slug liner, also have an air marksman 700cc 300 bar tank and saber tactical top rail system with a Supernova IR illuminator on the M-Lok. Works wonderfully and have been very impressed.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Jman4183 Welcome to AGN. There are many coyote hunting posts. I would encourage to search, read them, and watch videos that other members have posted about hunts where they show their shots, video footage, and some carcasses. Coyotes are peculiar in the sense that I've seen them getting shutdown with a shot to the vitals (when I thought that they would not) and run off on head shots. The shot in your video in post #1 definitely took out a lung. The angle doesn't look too steep. If it hit a rib and passed through in a relatively straight line, I'm confident that it pushed a hole in both lungs and it was running dead. Because I don't shoot FX Hybrids much at all, they are too pricey compared to NSA .357 slugs, I don't know how they perform comparably. I am extremely confident that a 110 grain .357 NSA slug would have passed through that yote and it would have run off, piled up somewhere, and bleed to death if it didn't suffocate first. The best AGN member I can think of to pose your question to would be @sasquatch as he has killed many yotes in his backyard and has a similar setup. I think he does it with a .25 caliber. I prefer at least .30 for myself, but will go out with a .357.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Here's a link to a @sasquatch Coyote hunting post in his yard.

Another coyote bites the dust

I got another one out back right now. The cold weather is making them hungry. Same as usual. about 70 foot lbs energy with 25 cal FX Impact M3 at about 25 yards distance. I make sure to always shoot from a prone position since it is more difficult for them to spot me in this bright moonlight...

www.airgunnation.com

And another

My 1st Coyote of 2024 - Head shot

It wasn't long that 2023 passed us by. I have been fishing a lot the past year but the coyotes keep coming in thick this winter. This one took NSA 38.5 grain slug 910 fps to the brain at 20 yards. His mistake was hanging out too long and being careless. At this point, I can say this power...

www.airgunnation.com

Another member uses anImpact MKII with H&N 25 grain slugs. I wouldn't want to try it with a .22, but see for yourself

Finally tagged my coyote#7

Well, it finally happened early this morning at 1:57am. I have been collecting trail cam footages and did a couple of stalkings of this coyote since April. First failed encounter was back in May when I accidentally "spotted" it with my headlights as I was leaving the farm after 4 hours of...

www.airgunnation.com

There are plenty of other links and threads on AGN. Use "coyote" as a keyword and sift through the threads.

 

[Jman4183]

Here's a look to a @sasquatch Coyote hunting post in his yard.

Another coyote bites the dust

I got another one out back right now. The cold weather is making them hungry. Same as usual. about 70 foot lbs energy with 25 cal FX Impact M3 at about 25 yards distance. I make sure to always shoot from a prone position since it is more difficult for them to spot me in this bright moonlight...

www.airgunnation.com

And another

My 1st Coyote of 2024 - Head shot

It wasn't long that 2023 passed us by. I have been fishing a lot the past year but the coyotes keep coming in thick this winter. This one took NSA 38.5 grain slug 910 fps to the brain at 20 yards. His mistake was hanging out too long and being careless. At this point, I can say this power...

www.airgunnation.com

Yes, I do indeed have some 125 grain neilsons. Though they need to be single loaded in my magazine, and usually coyotes don't give me a ton of time to switch out ammo. I do think projectile composition plays a part in it. I may need a heavier slug with less of a cavity in it for the coyotes. The 93 grain neilsons do all of that, though will have to switch out to the tungsten hammer. Wouldn't have thought I would need to for a coyote though. I am putting out depending on the tune 170-180 FPE. Which by all accounts should take them down. It does help that you took the time to tell me that you think I did indeed put that one down. The thought of just wounding these animals even though there is an unlimited bag limit in wisconsin and they are on my property and a nuisance....well as a fellow hunter I think you can understand. Thank you for that.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Jman4183 I think I can understand your concerns. I don't know many hunters that are out to indiscriminately harm animals. What I find that helps me is to practice on paper targets with photos of the animal I will be hunting. After doing so, I don't find myself having to do much thinking when it's go time aside from positioning myself to take a decent shot and adjusting to unforeseen conditions on the fly. Another thing that is a huge aid in building confidence is to study the animal's anaotomy. Whether that means reading books, looking a photos and diagrams online, or opening up a not-so-long dead animal with a sharp knife and studying the bone structure and organs as well as your POI and the damage done leading to death. When you know where organs are, you don't have to guess much about what you hit when reviewing footage. Because of this, often times I can tell what I hit before opening an animal. How do you usually prepare for a hunt or season? How do you practice?

If you have the time I would encourage you to develop tune(s) with a good shooting NSA slug, keep notes on your adjustments, get some target practice in within your desired hunting range, and see if the out come changes.

 

[Jman4183]

@Jman4183 I think I can understand your concerns. I don't know may hunters that are out to indiscriminately harm animals. What I find that helps me is to practice on paper targets with photos of the animal I will be hunting. After doing so, I don't find myself having to do much thinking when its go time aside from positioning myself to take a decent shot and adjusting to unforeseen conditions on the fly. Another thing that is a huge aid in building confidence is to study the animal's anaotomy. Whether that means reading books, looking a photos and diagrams online, or opening up another-so-long dead animal with a sharp knife and studying the bone structure and organs as well as your POI and the damage done leading to death. When you know where organs are, you don't have to guess much about what you hit when reviewing footage. Because of this, often times I can tell what I hit before opening an animal.

If you have the time I would encourage you to develop tune(s) with a good shooting NSA slug, keep notes on your adjustments, get some target practice in within your desired hunting range, and see if the out come changes.

I love your avatar . I also have a bull dog. An olde english here. I will say she is part of the problem . It is HER backyard. So if she sees ANYTHING that she deems shouldn't be in HER backyard she chases at it. So my wife keeps on me about the constant coyotes, as they are a threat to her even though she starts things up. It's just in her nature. I also don't "love" shooting coyotes. Just about any other animal is no problem. However the anatomy is that of my dog. So I don't love the idea of cutting one open either. Now accuracy wise I don't want to tute my own horn, but reviewing all my footage I am hitting what I am aiming for. Just not sure if brain shots or vital shots are better. Is there a way to insta kill them every time? I have NSA ammo, and am thinking that may be what it takes as they won't open or flower as quickly as the FX Hybrids. In general though, if you could hit a coyote anywhere where is the best place? Again with 170ish FPE would headshots be the way to go?

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Jman4183 My understanding has been that the most ideal brain shot is the lower back of the head (towards the neck) into the brain stem. That's supposed to shut an animal down. That's the switch.

 

[Jman4183]

Here is another example. This one I shot three times. Was down for half an hour then became a zombie and ran off when my wife and I approached it. I got two shots to the neck and one underneath the head, and one in the side. After the first shot I just wanted to make sure it wasn't in pain. I was actually hunting tree rats at the time and saw this guy creeping on me in broad daylight.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@Jman4183 Hard to tell how it fell and where you hit that on that last shot. That may have been a muzzle shot or high on the back of the head. Hard to see on my phone screen. The second shot looks like a leg shot, but I can’t tell. I think I would’ve tried for a heart shot if it fell on its back and lung shot if it laid down as a follow-up. Is that what you did? The leaves obscured the view so it’s tough for me to tell. I’ll look again when I get to a computer. Same setup and ammo? Another member who may be good to ask is @jwrabbit123. He’s made some pretty notable shots on yotes in a residential area in a couple of calibers IIRC. I believe that he also shoots from a tripod. I want to read what some of the members I have mentioned have to say.

Brain shots on yotes are difficult because they move so much. I don’t have that kind of confidence. They’re far to skittish in my area, even over carrion.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Here’s one of @jwrabbit123 coyote threads

coyotes breeching the front line , Ohh no I have to set up a 30cal quick EVOL

Hi well , Its time to get serious i , I have been healing from a ankle surgery , but lately I am woken up many times during nites with howling , I let this go , then I started seeing COYOTES threw the sliding door to deck , and then neighbors pets missing , and My wife walked out...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[thumper]

The fact that you have multiple shots in the animal, and it still gets up, should make it fairly obvious that you don't have enough gun.

You need powder.

 

[Jman4183]

@Jman4183 Hard to tell how it fell and where you hit that on that last shot. That may have been a muzzle shot or high on the back of the head. Hard to see on my phone screen. The second shot looks like a leg shot, but I can’t tell. I think I would’ve tried for a heart shot if it fell on its back and lung shot if it laid down as a follow-up. Is that what you did? The leaves obscured the view so it’s tough for me to tell. I’ll look again when I get to a computer. Same setup and ammo? Another member who may be good to ask is @jwrabbit123. He’s made some pretty notable shots on yotes in a residential area in a couple of calibers IIRC. I believe that he also shoots from a tripod. I want to read what some of the members I have mentioned have to say.

Brain shots on yotes are difficult because they move so much. I don’t have that kind of confidence. They’re far to skittish in my area, even over carrion.

Now here I don't like to sound like a jerk. But I do have great confidence I can hit wherever I want. I have taken so much game with this settup using FX hybrids. This is part of the reason I am a bit hesitant to change ammo. The FX ammo when I get it is always flawless, lubed, and clean. It dispatches everything even large racoons with headshots no problem. So I feel like I may be hitting the wrong areas for instant downs. If someone said hit them in the eye that gets trickier as the IR reflects allot of it to make them look demonic . Otherwise I am hearing right underneath the ear? For instant kills. Again I feel like most of these I am hitting on vital shots do most likely die, it's still hard on me personally not knowing for sure. As they run fast and it's usually dark out. I have tried tracking but they don't usually leave much blood on a vital hit.

The fact that you have multiple shots in the animal, and it still gets up, should make it fairly obvious that you don't have enough gun.

You need powder.

yeah, if I want to alienate all my neighbors best case. Worst and most likely case I go to jail. Dispatching animals with an air rifle makes sense if you live in most residential areas as it’s not illegal. Besides that I have seen many videos of people shooting coyotes with .308s and they still will run 50 yards before going down. They are tough suckers.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Now here I don't like to sound like a jerk. But I do have great confidence I can hit wherever I want. I have taken so much game with this settup using FX hybrids. This is part of the reason I am a bit hesitant to change ammo. The FX ammo when I get it is always flawless, lubed, and clean. It dispatches everything even large racoons with headshots no problem. So I feel like I may be hitting the wrong areas for instant downs...

Here is another example. This one I shot three times. Was down for half an hour then became a zombie and ran off when my wife and I approached it. I got two shots to the neck and one underneath the head, and one in the side. After the first shot I just wanted to make sure it wasn't in pain. I was actually hunting tree rats at the time and saw this guy creeping on me in broad daylight.

@Jman4183 You don't sound like a jerk, you seem confident in your abilities. Viewing the video on a larger screen it looks to me like shot #1 connected in the neck behind the jaw. Shot #2 still looks like a leg shot as it seemed to have fallen on its back with a leg in the air. Shot #3 looks like it may have been another neck shot. That was a tough one to see clearly. Two necks shots toward the side of the neck likely hit a large blood vessel. I'd think that it bled out somewhere. the leg shot would make it more difficult to travel fast. That's the best I can tell from viewing it on a larger screen. As for instant kills, I don't believe much in that without massive trauma or mayhem. Death is usually a process. I was no science major, but I loved biology and retained a significant amount. Even with a brain stem shot, death is a process from what I recall from my schooling. What I mean by that is that it takes time for an animal's body to shut down once signals from the brain are not reaching various organs and areas of the body because the pathway between the brain and spinal cord has been severely disrupted. The way I understand things, "hitting the switch" just ensures that the animal will drop and eventually die where it fell. I'm no expert. Maybe others saw this differently or have a better understanding than I. Thank you for sharing and being brave enough to put your work out there for feedback and critique.

 

[Cranky1]

I ran a m3 357 for a bit and also a leshiy2 30 cal. Limit your shots to 50yards if you can. You might want to try a western rattler in 357 it will accommodate heavier ammo and is semi auto. They also have a 457 coming out. I’m gonna try the sidewinder compact 30 this year but my normal shot is inside 50 yards.

 

[jwrabbit123]

hi OK i looked quick and saw shot placement first off , you only need about 68fpe to down a coyote and I am talking 50 plus pound animal , I have taken hundredes of them at my house farms and hunts , I have taken them out beyond 1000 yards with real guns however we discussing air guns , I would never ever shoot a coyote with a head shot first off most if you hit skul and deflect , hollow points and pellets worst ammo , I only had 1 run off with a 100fpe 30 cal 47 grain hollow point head shot this was my last head shot with a pcp gun , I wont ever shoot to wound and 1 shot 1 kill , they do not deserve to suffer ,

If I use 22 cal like edgun r5m or taipan 22 i use 36 grain mp slugs only I taken them cleanly out to 90 yards , 25 cal I still like my 48 grain , you can hit to 100 yds , 257 is hrder hitting and the 73 grain isgreat yote ammo ,condor out to 200 plus yard . and 30 is great i use 48 gr min to 62 gr again I use cast solid slugs they soft bhn and expand well ,

for head shots I only would use in pcp my 257 230fpe , as it wont deflect as for powder burners i love 22 250 , 6,5 creedmoore ,and if you want overkill 300wm and 338 do serious damage beyond 800 yds

I only do a well placed heart shot with airguns I have pics and videos and aftermath of what a 22 to 30 cal slug does to the heart they dead on their feet usually 22 it runs a few yards but dead on its feet with 30 cal they never go 1 step I took over 30 in past few yrs let me know if u need ammo i use or anything I saw my name mentioned thanks LOU

 

[Jman4183]

I ran a m3 357 for a bit and also a leshiy2 30 cal. Limit your shots to 50yards if you can. You might want to try a western rattler in 357 it will accommodate heavier ammo and is semi auto. They also have a 457 coming out. I’m gonna try the sidewinder compact 30 this year but my normal shot is inside 50 yards.

Yes, the western rattler in .357 would be the only thing to tempt me away from my FX . The larger ammo in the magazine is awesome as is the semi auto. I have not heard what speeds they are getting with those slugs though? I am planning on sending my Impact m3 back to the Pellet shop to get the latest tungsten hammer and lighter valve spring installed and they are planning on tuning it for me for 930 FPS on 93 grain neilsens. I am thinking slug composition is playing a part in some of this. The Hybrids dump so much energy right away as they are almost all cavity. That may be why I am downing some and others run off. I do appreciate Ezane's comments, they do make me feel better that I didn't leave a wounded animal out there. I feel like most people downing coyotes on these forums are using NSAs as from my experience with their slugs their hollow points will flower out, where the FX hybrids almost explode on impact. Great on small game, but it may be hitting it's limits on what it can do with larger game? This is my takeaway from doing some research here. Let me know if anyone else sees things different or has comments .

 

[gendoc]

@Jman4183 My understanding has been that the most ideal brain shot is the lower back of the head (towards the neck) into the brain stem. That's supposed to shut an animal down. That's the switch.

thats where the 81gr domed pellet comes into play, no slug needed when your POI is there !!
thats what i have always used with brain shots around 30yrds.
patients is your POA

 

[Ezana4CE]

...I feel like most people downing coyotes on these forums are using NSAs as from my experience with their slugs their hollow points will flower out, where the FX hybrids almost explode on impact. Great on small game, but it may be hitting it's limits on what it can do with larger game? This is my takeaway from doing some research here. Let me know if anyone else sees things different or has comments .

@Jman4183 I have not recovered a hollow point NSA slug from an animal yet because they typically passthrough the animals and I don't go looking in the dirt with a metal detector. I did look for one on a wooden fence once, but didn't find anything. BUT I have shot through a cloth stuffed pellet trap backed by a a deadfall wooden backstop where I recovered and photographed a couple of NSA slugs. Tthey didn't seem to mushroom much. They deformed mostly from what I can recall. I have an older thread where I did this shooting 110 grain .357 NSA HP-DB slugs from my .357 Benjamin Bulldog. I think I was between 50-75 yards. If I find the thread, I will edit the post with a link and post number with photo(s) displaying the slug. Not the best comparison, but it's all I have witnessed personally. I prefer a pass through on vitals because I don' have to question if I hit both lungs and there's a better chance at leaving a blood trail, although those are rare for me. On a brain shot from the side I also want a passthrough to ensure that I wrecked both lobes of the brain.

Edit: I recalled incorrectly. Page 1, post #1. One slug mushroomed really well. The other looked like I may have done the same and then smashed into lead in the trap or something. https://www.airgunnation.com/thread...through-pellet-trap-and-hitting-wood.1190890/ I stand corrected on that front.

 

[Chief Ten-Beers]

Great post! I just received a box of the Neilsen Slugs today. "23 Gr HP's" They are grouping nicely But I can only get 39.7 FPE. Not enough power for Coyotes I think. Close range, perfect shot? Maybe.