Coyote Capable?

roy reali · December 28, 2010, 11:47 PM

Would you consider the .380ACP cartridge capable of taking a coyote cleanly? I realize the range will have to be short and bullet placement precise, but if that is done, how effective would it be?

In my desert exploration adventures I sometimes carry a pistol in this round. Coyotes are probably the most common creatures that could cause a problem. I also take my dog along. While a coyote is very unlikely to mess with a human, dogs are a different story.

If you were going to have a .380ACP in coyote country, what type of load would be best?

nathaniel · December 29, 2010, 12:04 AM

On my trapline I dispatch coyotes with a 22 lr using cheap bulk ammo. I dont see why the 380 wouldnt work for shots under 10-15 yards if you put the bullet in the right place. As far as bullet type I have no idea on that one, youd think your SD round would penetrate and mushroom good enough.

30-30remchester · December 29, 2010, 12:38 AM

I like Cor-Bon DPX ammo. I have shot an antelope and mule deer with this load and had in excess of 15" of penatration and textbook expansion.

k31 · December 29, 2010, 02:02 AM

it doesnt matter the bullet type
shot is placed and you hit where you want its dead maybe not right away but itll be dead in about 150 -200 yards even if its a lung shot real low that heart pumps hard on the run it will die
but your chances in my experience slim but maybe out of a tree stand while hunting
but in packs or groups and say you are camping without a camp fire attacks could happen they kill mule deer larger than some guys ive seen so you never know

jughead2 · December 29, 2010, 08:19 AM

took one a few years back at 31 paces with a 380 ppk. it dropped like a rock

Kreyzhorse · December 29, 2010, 08:53 AM

I don't see why a .380 wouldn't work fine on a coyote. I'd likely use FMJ myself and don't see why it wouldn't do the job.

L_Killkenny · December 29, 2010, 09:18 AM

I see no reason why a .380 would have an issue with a coyote. But......get a bigger dog that you don't have to worry about becoming a snack for lord's sake!

LK

Art Eatman · December 29, 2010, 09:31 AM

Hey, it worked for Texas governor Rick Perry...

I guess a rabid coyote might be a problem, but any non-ailing coyote is going to run away ASAP...

roy reali · December 29, 2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

I guess a rabid coyote might be a problem, but any non-ailing coyote is going to run away ASAP...

I agree, but we do have a good population of feral dogs. I worry about those more. I have on several occassions seen a dog staring at us from a ridge. I usualy take a shot at the dirt below him, far enough as to not cause any harm to the canine. That causes them to hurry along.

davlandrum · December 29, 2010, 01:04 PM

Why would you purposely miss a feral dog?

ZeroJunk · December 29, 2010, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Why would you purposely miss a feral dog?

About the time you shoot, somebody pops up over the ridge and says "Hey, have you seen my dog?"

roy reali · December 29, 2010, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Why would you purposely miss a feral dog?

Quote:

About the time you shoot, somebody pops up over the ridge and says "Hey, have you seen my dog?"

Perfect answer. If the dog in question was closer or approaching with mal-intent, I would shot for a hit.

Art Eatman · December 30, 2010, 01:05 AM

roy, I haven't paid much attention to the .380, but IIRC there are some +P hollowpoint loads for it.

stevelyn · December 30, 2010, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Would you consider the .380ACP cartridge capable of taking a coyote cleanly?

I wouldn't worry too much about taking cleanly. You aren't hunting, you are using a pistol to stop a threat. Ethics go out the window at that point. Punching holes in it will likely stop the threat and I don't doubt the .380 is capable of punching holes in yote hide. Dying "cleanly" is the 'yote's problem. Your problem is to avoid attack and a possible case of rabies.

davlandrum · January 4, 2011, 11:16 AM

Sorry about the confusion - I thought you meant feral, and not a stray. I have been in areas that had actual feral dogs that pack together. Pretty easy to tell them from a stray.

mete · January 4, 2011, 12:35 PM

I shot some feral dogs with a 380 and was distinctly unimpressed !! Same with 'chucks etc. I got something bigger to carry after that !!

banditt007 · January 4, 2011, 11:34 PM

Mete, what do you mean exactly? Because iI've shot deer with a 30-06 only to see them run away at lightening speed 100 yards, and then fall over dead with a 2 1/2" exit wound. So do you mean they just took off and ran, or it lacked penetration?

spclPatrolGroup · January 5, 2011, 12:07 PM

A .380 will kill a coyote, but if you are shooting a pocket pistol with a 3" barrel, hitting one will be your biggest issue, they are very fast, elusive, and in long grass they are mostly hidden. If your intent is to let one latch onto your arm and burry the muzzle in its fur a pocket pistol is a good choice. A coyote can run 37 mph tops, which is 54 feet per second, that would be hard to hit with an 8" barrell.

"JJ" · January 7, 2011, 11:18 PM

+1 spclPatrolGroup
If it make contact, the .380 would do the job.
There have been many coyotes put down with a 22lr.

bird_dog · January 7, 2011, 11:52 PM

I've taken one with a .22 LR, and one with a .22 mag (and others with larger calibers). At the appropriate distance (one at which you can hit the coyote), I don't see why the 380 wouldn't do the trick. It's all in shot placement. Yes, a good lung or heart shot would work, but the 380 is fully capable of breaking a shoulder bone or spine giving you less tracking and a more decisive knockdown potential. Head shot is an option too. Good luck!

Deja vu · January 9, 2011, 01:14 AM

I watched a guy kill one with a 17HMR... I think your 380 will be fine.

December 28, 2010, 11:47 PM	#1
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	Coyote Capable? Would you consider the .380ACP cartridge capable of taking a coyote cleanly? I realize the range will have to be short and bullet placement precise, but if that is done, how effective would it be? In my desert exploration adventures I sometimes carry a pistol in this round. Coyotes are probably the most common creatures that could cause a problem. I also take my dog along. While a coyote is very unlikely to mess with a human, dogs are a different story. If you were going to have a .380ACP in coyote country, what type of load would be best?

December 29, 2010, 02:02 AM	#4
k31 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2010 Location: utah for the time being Posts: 213	it doesnt matter the bullet type shot is placed and you hit where you want its dead maybe not right away but itll be dead in about 150 -200 yards even if its a lung shot real low that heart pumps hard on the run it will die but your chances in my experience slim but maybe out of a tree stand while hunting but in packs or groups and say you are camping without a camp fire attacks could happen they kill mule deer larger than some guys ive seen so you never know __________________ "the best shooting firearm is the firearm you shoot best" Tony Marr

December 29, 2010, 08:19 AM	#5
jughead2 Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2008 Location: tenn. Posts: 263	coyote capable took one a few years back at 31 paces with a 380 ppk. it dropped like a rock

December 29, 2010, 08:53 AM	#6
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	I don't see why a .380 wouldn't work fine on a coyote. I'd likely use FMJ myself and don't see why it wouldn't do the job. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

December 29, 2010, 01:04 PM	#10
davlandrum Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Lane County Oregon Posts: 2,547	Why would you purposely miss a feral dog? __________________ U.S Army, Retired Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart

December 29, 2010, 12:04 AM	#2
nathaniel Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: North Dakota Posts: 600	On my trapline I dispatch coyotes with a 22 lr using cheap bulk ammo. I dont see why the 380 wouldnt work for shots under 10-15 yards if you put the bullet in the right place. As far as bullet type I have no idea on that one, youd think your SD round would penetrate and mushroom good enough.

December 29, 2010, 12:38 AM	#3
30-30remchester Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2009 Location: mountains of colorado Posts: 977	I like Cor-Bon DPX ammo. I have shot an antelope and mule deer with this load and had in excess of 15" of penatration and textbook expansion.

December 29, 2010, 09:18 AM	#7
L_Killkenny Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,676	I see no reason why a .380 would have an issue with a coyote. But......get a bigger dog that you don't have to worry about becoming a snack for lord's sake! LK

December 29, 2010, 09:31 AM	#8
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Hey, it worked for Texas governor Rick Perry... I guess a rabid coyote might be a problem, but any non-ailing coyote is going to run away ASAP...

December 30, 2010, 01:05 AM	#13
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	roy, I haven't paid much attention to the .380, but IIRC there are some +P hollowpoint loads for it.

January 4, 2011, 11:16 AM	#15
davlandrum Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Lane County Oregon Posts: 2,547	Sorry about the confusion - I thought you meant feral, and not a stray. I have been in areas that had actual feral dogs that pack together. Pretty easy to tell them from a stray. __________________ U.S Army, Retired Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart

January 4, 2011, 12:35 PM	#16
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	I shot some feral dogs with a 380 and was distinctly unimpressed !! Same with 'chucks etc. I got something bigger to carry after that !! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

January 4, 2011, 11:34 PM	#17
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	Mete, what do you mean exactly? Because iI've shot deer with a 30-06 only to see them run away at lightening speed 100 yards, and then fall over dead with a 2 1/2" exit wound. So do you mean they just took off and ran, or it lacked penetration?

January 5, 2011, 12:07 PM	#18
spclPatrolGroup Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2010 Location: North Dakota Posts: 349	A .380 will kill a coyote, but if you are shooting a pocket pistol with a 3" barrel, hitting one will be your biggest issue, they are very fast, elusive, and in long grass they are mostly hidden. If your intent is to let one latch onto your arm and burry the muzzle in its fur a pocket pistol is a good choice. A coyote can run 37 mph tops, which is 54 feet per second, that would be hard to hit with an 8" barrell.

January 7, 2011, 11:18 PM	#19
"JJ" Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2010 Location: NE Texas Posts: 576	+1 spclPatrolGroup If it make contact, the .380 would do the job. There have been many coyotes put down with a 22lr. __________________ ~ "JJ"

January 7, 2011, 11:52 PM	#20
bird_dog Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2004 Posts: 225	I've taken one with a .22 LR, and one with a .22 mag (and others with larger calibers). At the appropriate distance (one at which you can hit the coyote), I don't see why the 380 wouldn't do the trick. It's all in shot placement. Yes, a good lung or heart shot would work, but the 380 is fully capable of breaking a shoulder bone or spine giving you less tracking and a more decisive knockdown potential. Head shot is an option too. Good luck!

January 9, 2011, 01:14 AM	#21
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	I watched a guy kill one with a 17HMR... I think your 380 will be fine. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...