12ga loads for wolves??

[Mosin]

On a different site a guy posted up a pic of a wolf he shot with a 3" magnum slug out of a winchester sxp at about 10 yards. It had snuck up behind him. He has it on film where the wilf 1st showed up and then a pic of it on the ground after he shot it. It came to him.

[scoutlt1]

First i'll start by saying im not a "shotgun guy" never have been, so please excuse my ignorance.
im finding im having better luck and more encounters in the thick timber than i am in the open. and i really don't know where to start as far as a 2 3/4'' 12 ga load, and can i expect good results out to 50 yards?

My thoughts on post #1.... Hunting wolves in thick timber up to 50 (or more) yards?? I love my shotguns, but in that situation, I'd pack my .30-30 over every shotgun I own any day.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

After all the foregoing and divers opinions from a few obviously experienced guys, notice how these all tend to agree on range limits for both buck and slugs, I will post my choice for what you want to accomplish.

In dense bush, ANY projectile can and may well deflected, slugs, round balls, buck shot and rifle bullets included. I have experienced this several times and with even 400 gr. .458 bullets handloaded to various MV speeds in the custom "bear buster" lever rifles I used to have.

This is as true as can be! I personally have experienced even a tiny willow branch deflect a slug wildly off course. What is bad about this is that the thing is it's so huge it truly runs amok. This particular slug went almost ten feet off course, went through a smaller tree that was about 6" diameter or so then struck another tree, leaving an impression that looked like a strong man hit it with a ball peen hammer. It bounced away into the snow somewhere and despite a fairly extensive search I was unable to locate the projectile.
To get truly crazy in this manner, I like (but unfortunately do not currently own if I did I think the term would be love) a fine cartridge by the name of .450 Rigby (http://www.norma-usa.com/index.php/p...rimless-magnum). Even this massive, 480Gr. projectile with muzzle velocities nearing 2,400fps can be deflected!
The advantage of buckshot over even this monstrous round in a thick cover, close range scenario on a Wolf is the fact that you get many more chances to hit effectively by avoiding deflection. Something so huge and fast as an Elephant cartridge is way over the top for killing a comparatively tiny animal like such as a Wolf. Even a few roundball is more than capable of killing cleanly and quickly, in my person experience. Shotguns in general and Buckshot in particular are a close range implement. My don't shoot far with one "blah blah blah" as I said was no joke, I just thought I was preaching to choir on the topic and that it is classified under the heading of - What's understood does not need to be discussed. What's near or far is in the eye of the beholder. To me, 120 yards is a very long ways off, this to me is long range. To a 6.5 Creedmoor or .300Mag guy, this is probably super short range. I am not sure, I can only speak for myself and am probably in the minority in this day and age of ultralongrangewhizbang1,100 yard shots on an Elk.

Buckshot, due to low sectional density, ballistic coefficient and shape are among the WORST in this respect and testing many brands of shot has taught me this since my first in 1970. I have scads of Federal 00 shells and some older Imperial as well.

Science and formulas are a belief system thing. I can't speak to formulas and science, I have never killed anything with a calculator. To me, these things you've mentioned are just like KE forulas - Marketing gimmicks of the manufacturers of modern small bore Rifle ammunition.
Numbers and rhetoric don't kill, destruction of vital tissue does. What I do know from a study of the recorded History of Mankind and Firearms is that slow, lead roundball from a smoothbore launched by a knowledgeable practitioner has been destroying vital tissue and killing everything dead worldwide for centuries. It worked then, it works now. I last killed an animal with Buckshot on October 30th, 2016.

For me, I would choose my Browning 7500 combo .308Wx12-70mm and with a low powered scope such as a Leupy 2.5, to keep the excellent balance and light weight for fast handling.

What a phenomenal choice! I bet it's a beautiful piece. Near and far in one fine gun.

My other choice would be my Benelli Nova 24" Turkey gun, 3.5" and I have a scope mount on it, would look at a good red dot sight, again for balance and handling. I would use Federal buck, 00, in the load that patterns best in the specific gun.

Sounds like quite the Turkey gun and would certainly be adaptable to Predators such as Coyotes and Wolves. I have a long held belief that the difference between a specialist gun for Turkey and Predators is the load used.

That said, both of these guns weigh about what a bolt action rifle does and I tend to agree with Salty, a light carbine such as a Win. 94-.30-30 or my old Marlin 336-.44M. with good irons is probably as efficient and much less to carry.

Being so old, barely able to even see my sights, I see the latter as an advantage................

I've never concerned myself with the weight of a gun and like heavy. So for my own choice I shall go with the Browning BPS. It has no sights but fits well and as such, shoots where I look. I feel quite in tune with this gun these days.

I am writing these things as I found your post inspirational. I do hope you have accepted my appology. I've just have been injured in bed with the flu as well, cabin fever and actual etc put me in a terrible mood! I appear to have had a horrible habbit of taking frustrations for factors that have nothing to do with others out via weird rants.

I have read some of your other posts and see that you are now a self described Retired Curmudgeon. I am a Jr. Curmudgeon who is working to develop truly world class curmudgeon-ing qualities. Should I be successful I too will one day become full blown curmudgeon such as yourself or maybe even Ballistic Product's own Reloading Curmudgeon!

Here we have an example of thread that got very ill only to show the truly great testicular fortitude and spirited knowledge available right here on HBC. Happy New Year!!!

[Ohwildwon]

My thoughts on post #1.... Hunting wolves in thick timber up to 50 (or more) yards?? I love my shotguns, but in that situation, I'd pack my .30-30 over every shotgun I own any day.

If a person is very proficient with that classic (iron sights), I agree...

A great niche for that baby, in today's world of modern rifles and rules...!

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Just a respectful reminder -

This is not a "what gun would you use for close range Wolves?" Thread. This is a Hunting Wolves with Shotgun(s) and buckshot thread! The point is for interested parties to discuss loads and such for this particular niche Hunting endeavor.

That said, even I am now joining the derail! It's how it's done here on HBC. Even before I joined, I used to search things online and find links to the forum. All the while, I can't ever recall seeing a thread on the forum that was cohesive and stuck to task... So I don't even feel bad about it. Lolz

Open sights are a fundamental skill of any Rifleman. Before I ever even knew much about a Shotgun at all I had umtpeen thousands of pellets through little rifles such as my own .177 open sights air rifle as well as a semiauto .22 outfitted with similar sights. If anyone can not use these proficiently, get to work learning! A vital skill.

Now, back to Shotguns - Shotgunning is entirely different than Rifle marksmanship. The main commonality is the fact that consistency is requisite. If you use a Shotgun like a rifle, you don't know how to use a Shotgun and it will not go well with you. Usually, these are the ones spreading bad press and poo-pooing Shotguns and a real Shotgun Man.

[Ohwildwon]

Hey o Lord, why don't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?...

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

LOL!!!!!

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showth...-Your-Username

Happy New Year!

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Seeing as how I am still bedridden, flu/fevered up and sleepless, I thought I'd come by and post this link to a very brief Hickok45 "Deep Woods Thoughts" which perfectly sums up Hunting Big Game in BC with a Shotgun(Buckshot) or Slugs -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee59F-1sFRU

[SSG-man]

Very cool Corb.

I was browsing one of the usual ammo sites, not sure I can link it legally here but found a neat Coyote load that would probably be lethal.

Hornady 86224 Heavy Magnum Coyote 12 Gauge ga 3" 1-1/2 oz 00 Buck Shot

The Hornady Heavy Magnum Coyote shotgun loads deliver lethal results and minimal pelt damage out to 50 yards. Loaded with 1.5 ounces of nickel plated lead shot in your choice of either a BB or 00 buckshot offering, these 3 inch, 12 gauge shotshells are the perfect answer for close range predators. Both loads feature the Hornady Versatite wad that strips cleanly from the shot string for excellent pattern density and a short shot column for maximum effect on target.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Mfg Item Num: 86224
Category: SHOTSHELL LEAD LOADS
Gauge :12 Gauge
Type :Heavyweight
Length :3"
Ounces :1-1/2 oz
Shot Size :00 Buck
Muzzle Velocity : 1300 FPS
Rounds Per Box : 10

without spilling all my secrets...I live and work on a very large cattle ranch..big time food source year round for the devils...i know of 2 packs at opposite ends of the place and can pretty well time it within a day or two when they will be in the main valley, based on their travel patterns.

[Sako 75]

Shot lot of coyotes using Federal 3 " Buckshots OO up to 80 yards. I was using my Remington Wingmaster 870 with full choke.