.38 special vs Coyote

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Gman686

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Probably a ridiculous question. But as some of you guys saw from my other thread, I was thinking about a 357 In a snubby as a EDC. Some of you were for it and some were against it. I decided to explore other options and was leaning towards a 642 as well. I am in the woods a lot with my dog, and my one concern are coyotes. Does the .38 have the stopping power if we encounter an aggressive coyote?

I assume the chances of running into one is rather slim, but still.
 
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With the appropriate load, absolutely. A +p 158 grain SWC is more than capable as an “outdoorsman” loading. If you don’t reload, Underwood and Buffalo Bore make hot, 38-44 spec 158’s that will be way more than adequate.

Myself, I just load up Archangel’s HS-6 load:

158gr Summit SWC +P
7gr HS-6, 1.46” COAL, CCI SPM

4” 19-3: 935fps
2.5” 66-1: 855fps

This is what is in my 38/357 wheel guns when I’m out in the woods.
 
My grandfather once told me " It's not so much what you shoot them with ... it's Where you place that first shot ." He hunted wild hogs with a single shot 22 LR Rifle ... I never saw him take a 2nd shot ...
Squirrels and rabbits too ... 1 shot .
His trick on hogs was through the ear hole and into the brain ...
He also insisted on head shots on squirrel and rabbit too !

Place the bullet in the right spot and a 38 special will do the job at dog walkin distances .

Gary
 
Coyotes are thin skinned animals and not tough. A well placed .38 will do the job. I shot this one bothering my two labs at 53 yards with a 230 grain .45 ACP JHP. Went through both shoulders. He dropped as if hit by lightning.

6561673053_7af72fd1ed_c.jpg
 
A 38 Special self defense round will do the job. The hard part is getting that bullet where you want it. I am having good success with laser grips on my J and K frame carry guns. With a M 37 1-7/8 barrel, I can put 5 shots in about a 12 inch group at 25 yards. Using the laser in the grip, I can make 5 head shots on a paper target at that distance.

The laser grip doesn't add any weight or bulk, or require you to find a dot in a small hole like a red (or green) dot sight does. A green laser is easier to see in daylight than red. A green laser will scare off geese and possibly other animals without firing a shot.
 
Protocall_Design said:
A 38 Special self defense round will do the job. The hard part is getting that bullet where you want it. I am having good success with laser grips on my J and K frame carry guns. With a M 37 1-7/8 barrel, I can put 5 shots in about a 12 inch group at 25 yards. Using the laser in the grip, I can make 5 head shots on a paper target at that distance.

The laser grip doesn't add any weight or bulk, or require you to find a dot in a small hole like a red (or green) dot sight does. A green laser is easier to see in daylight than red. A green laser will scare off geese and possibly other animals without firing a shot.
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I assume Im not going to get into any long distance battles with a coyote
 
robertrwalsh said:
Never even shot at a coyote. I have had to shoot two aggressive semi-feral pit bulls. One shot each. One was a 2" .38 special. (The other was a 10mm Glock.)
Click to expand...

I've shot Texas coyotes; never weighed one but all of them looked to be in dire need of a meal. I doubt any of them weighed over twenty-five to thirty pounds, if that much. A .38 Special should be fine if you can get close enough.
 
We have bigger coyotes on the east coast. Every coyote that's seen me took off running, but I've killed several. I'd feel more than safe with a 38 special.

Here's a smaller one I killed with a 22 magnum revolver
GvoVRZ7.jpg


This one was a large one, but a 38 special would have been more than enough.
RyNQWhM.jpg
 
Gman686 said:
Im looking for a multipurpose gun here. I can't really comfortably carry a 4" .357 lol.

Thats why I was torn between a 640 (.357/.38) and a 642 (.38)
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With fall and winter coming, I would consider an OWB holster and a larger handgun, mostly because they are easier to shoot well, but you do you. I'd choose a Sig P365 over a S&W 642 or 640. When I went to the national parks out west, I carried a S&W model 60-10 in an OWB holster. The only time I thought I was going to have to use it is when I had an oncoming pack of stray dogs when I was walking my dog.
fj7SudL.jpg
 
The last coyote I shot was a couple of years ago while on my annual Pheasant and quail hunting trip near Great Bend Kansas. While we were hunting I hear some other guys yelling and look over and a coyote was running my direction. He was about 10-15 yards away running broadside to me and I fired two shots from my side by side 20 gauge. The round from my first barrel was 8 shot from an improved cylinder choke for quail and had no affect. The second shot was from the full choke Pheasant barrel with #4 shot three inch magnums. I put the bead right on his shoulder and saw the fur fluff up and he bent his head back and bit at it. Then he turned on the after burner, jumped a barb wire fence and ran 250 yards through a Milo field and disappeared. Coyotes can be pretty tough! I also never used birdshot for home defense again, only 00 buckshot.
 
I live in the northeast where the coyotes get big, and there used to be "coyote derbies" held where competitors tried to shoot the most coyotes over a weekend. A lot of the guys used .22 Mag rifles, so I'm thinking a .38 would be more than enough at pistol range.
 
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