so much so much so much passion on all sides...
I saw a coyote 2" outside the door to my chicken run in the kennel building yesterday morning... and all I had was my 45...
ok, so I could have hit him at that distance, but even though we're on 40 acres, and there's another 40 behind, I'm not happy shooting the 45 in this situation with no berm/backstop. I've been carrying it because I've been concerned about trouble in the two-legged variety... much much bigger than a coyote... and much closer too, should I need to actually shoot.
sooo.... I let this one off with a warning. (ok, I chased him into the field.)
but I will be picking up some buckshot for my 16 ga... or maybe my 20... or the 410... or the 12 gauge... going to go do a pattern test and see what I like best at the distance from my driveway to my kennel building. decide which I'm quickest to my shoulder with, which I like shooting the buckshot out of, which is the fastest to aim and easiest to carry.
gonna follow my own advice...
which gun can I accurately and comfortably shoot that distance under dawn/dusk/dark conditions and get the job done.
I like all my shotguns, shoot them comfortably, and can hit trap with any of them. but I've never tried back-to-back comparison for this circumstance. time to find out.
y'all got favorites... it still comes down to which gun can the OP use effectively under those conditions. if I were the OP, I'd be thinking a lot about where that bullet might go beyond my intended target. even out here where I've got a lot more space than the OP does, it's a concern.