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4ptbuck
09-10-2008, 10:21 AM
With the 2008 Remington rebate of $15 per box of 10 hevi shot shells, it'll make these shells more affordable.

I was thinking of buying some for pass shooting geese.

Has anybody use it in the past?
What size shot for Canadas? #2 or #4?
Does anybody local here stock it?

Thanks

Crazy_Farmer
09-10-2008, 04:35 PM
My brothers been shooting it for awhile, if you dont mind the price then its great stuff. I know Hub Sports last flyer has a thing on it, but we've been in 3 times last two weeks and the guys arent sure, say wait for roger, roger says come back next friday. It was way easier and cheaper just getting some down in the states and bringing it back up where they have stock of it.

As for sizes my brother has used pretty much most of the sizes I believe, Bs, 2s, 4s, and also he just got a bunch of #6s which absolutely hammered his last 3 geese, a couple at around 20-25 yards. I think he'll keep using the #6s as the density is just like back in the old days of using lead 6s to kill everything.

But I think hevi-shot recommends that whatever you're shooting you pick either 1 or 2 sizes down from what you'd normally use. So steel BBs would be Bs or 2s.

4ptbuck
09-10-2008, 05:15 PM
Yeah, with a $15 rebate per box, the cost of hevi is almost comparable to 3.5" steel. Currently I am shooting HV BBs and have heard the shot bounce off the geese at times.

Crazy_Farmer
09-10-2008, 05:38 PM
Also I just remembered hubs deal is for hevi-shot not remington hd, and the deal is I think 10 dollars a box for maximun 5 boxes so not as good as remingtons offer as it pretty close to the same stuff, the company just split away from remington a few years ago.

zaconb
09-19-2008, 04:05 PM
It's all I shoot, worth it's weight in gold! #6 for ducks # 4 for geese, but just scored a great deal on #2's and i'm sure if I do my part they'll do theirs!

Guido02
09-19-2008, 06:28 PM
Have shoy #6 for gees the last three years. We are shooting over decoys so we have a good guage on distances on approach. I have however killed a couple at a ridiculous distance but there was lots of luck involved

I will stay with it as long as i can find it

fowl language
09-20-2008, 07:31 AM
if your pass shooting geese and all you hear is the pellets rattle off them then they are too far.instead of buying hevi shot why not invest in some decoys and get the birds closer. i have watched this time and again with guys sky busting. at the very least let a few flocks by and the latter flocks will follow the flight pattern at a lower height ,giving you a far better oppurtunity.the effective range of steel or hevi shot is forty yards. if you want to improve on this buy a reloader and learn the combo to speed up your steel as this is in my opinion the way to more effixient kill with less cripling.......fowl

Crazy_Farmer
09-20-2008, 08:05 AM
The reason guys shoot hevi-shot is becuase of the patterning and density of the shot. Its more dense and heavy then lead so it patterns far better out of guns and stays tighter further out then steel. I agree very much with the statement that the effective and lethal range of steel is 40-45 yards, depending on where they get hit. But heavy shot, becuase it acts just like or better then lead it is far more deadly then steel at the same range which equals longer lethal range, so +45 yards.

Though I do see where you're coming from with all this, just saying the effective range is 40 yards, so guys everywhere dont just think if they buy hevi-shot they'll be able to hammer geese out to 60 yards as they come over and skybust them, I guess its more of a problem out there then here.

Marc
09-20-2008, 08:24 AM
Heavy shot is nice for a back up in the event that you're trying to sneak up on a flock of geese and you want maximum range, or you're chasing down a cripple without a dog and he's getting away on you. Over decoys 20-40 yards on geese there is no reason why steel BB at 1400+ feet per second wont knock them down.

If you want a tighter pattern I suggest you spend the money on a pattern master choke system in your shotgun. I have one for my Beretta and it greatly tightens up the pattern for those longer range shots as they just skirt the dekes.

I've actually moved down a size to #3 steel this season as I'm reloading them to 1550 fps and should be plenty knock down power for any duck in range of the dekes.

I picked up a new super mag shotty this summer so I decided to try the new 3 1/2 loads and picked up a box of federal BB with 1 3/8 oz of steel traveling at 1550 fps. If that doesn't crumple geese out to 40 yards I give up.

Crazy_Farmer
09-20-2008, 08:44 AM
Also whenever you switch over to a new choke, always pattern your gun. Go out buy some 3x3 rolls or sheets of paper and shoot them with whatever ammo you're planning on using, and which yardage you think you'll be shooting the most.

I know with my extended ww choke #2s patterned at 40 yards at like 90% while the same load in BB was only at 80%. You'll learn alot and find out which load is actaully the best for your gun. You may even find that the cheaper shells from a different company may pattern better out of your gun. Or that, the old gun you always wanted to shoot as it was your dads or something, it shoots high and the right, may have some barrel defect. So it may not be your fault why you cant seem to hit the broadside of a barn. :p

Also about aftermarket chokes you need to do a bit of research too for your ammo. Most of the wad-restricting chokes will not work with the new "black-cloud" ammo from federal. Reason is the wad in this new ammo is designed to split open at the rear instead of the front with normal wads and so it supposed hold the pattern further out and so the pattern gets all thrown out to wack using a a wad-restricting choke.

I think my brothers gun patterned like 35% at 40 yards with black cloud BBs. I see that pattern master has actaully corrected the problem by offering a new choke designed to be only used with black cloud ammo.

huntwriter
09-20-2008, 12:09 PM
Heavy shot is nice for a back up in the event that you're trying to sneak up on a flock of geese and you want maximum range, or you're chasing down a cripple without a dog and he's getting away on you. Over decoys 20-40 yards on geese there is no reason why steel BB at 1400+ feet per second wont knock them down.

If you want a tighter pattern I suggest you spend the money on a pattern master choke system in your shotgun. I have one for my Beretta and it greatly tightens up the pattern for those longer range shots as they just skirt the dekes.

I've actually moved down a size to #3 steel this season as I'm reloading them to 1550 fps and should be plenty knock down power for any duck in range of the dekes.

I picked up a new super mag shotty this summer so I decided to try the new 3 1/2 loads and picked up a box of federal BB with 1 3/8 oz of steel traveling at 1550 fps. If that doesn't crumple geese out to 40 yards I give up.

I am glad to read the information available here. After 18 years I am going back to hunt ducks and geese this year. After my father passed away I just couldn’t bear the emotions of waterfowl hunting without him.

Sine then calling and ammunition have greatly advanced. I brushed up on calling to the point where I am able to produce decent feeding chatter, come back and greeting sounds.

As for the ammunition choice it took me quite a while to figure out what steel shot I should choose and I am still not sure (Up to now I only hunted upland birds, turkey and small game with lead shot). Yesterday I purchased, on recommendation, Federal Ultra Shock 12 gauge 3” BB for geese and Federal Ultra Shock 12 gauge 3” #3 shells for ducks. I still have to go to the range to pattern the gun for this load. The gun of choice is the 535 ATS™. Currently I use Mossberg chokes that have worked well for me on upland birds and turkeys. Mossberg chokes are made for steel shots too. At least that is what they say.

Any advice or comments from the waterfowl experts would be welcome.

Crazy_Farmer
09-20-2008, 12:24 PM
You've got a great combo there with guns and ammo and you should have no problems killing any duck or goose. Theres also nothing wrong with the stock mossberg chokes, if you got a couple of them when you bought the gun, they'll probably be IC, M, IM, Full. And most do say on them whether to you steel with it. I think most full chokes from the factory will say for "lead shot only" but you can get some full designed to shoot steel.

So most guys will either run the IC(Improved Cylinder) for closer shots say on ducks or a modified or improved modified for geese depending on range. You cant go with either choice really, they've designed the guns to be used with those chokes.

huntwriter
09-20-2008, 12:39 PM
Thanks Crazy_Farmer. The gun came with four chokes IC, M, IM and Full. For turkey hunting the full choke performs the best pattern for the ammo I use and for upland birds and game the modified choke performs the best pattern. As to the full choke that came with the gun it says that it also can be used for steel shot.

But as I said in my earlier post, I first have to go to the range tommorow and figure out which load-choke combinations perform best. Thanks for your valuable advice I appreciate it very much.

HuntNHookSports
09-20-2008, 05:22 PM
"optimum loads for any type of waterfowl hunting is likely proportional to the square of the number of hunters in the discussion."

Delta Waterfowl, Spring 2005

PGK
09-28-2008, 01:42 AM
Hey Crazy Farmer are you suggesting using a larger choke like an I/C for BlackCloud then? I patterned #2 BlackCloud out of my Wingmaster with MOD and FULL. Full was pretty tight, but not as tight as I expected at 25 yards from a shell thats supposed to be 'different' with that Flitestopper wad. It basically patterned the same as Federal #2's.
Should I try the I/C choke just to see if restricting the Flitestopper wad with a mod or full is screwing up the pattern??

Crazy_Farmer
09-28-2008, 12:21 PM
You should only get a more open pattern if you move down to an IC choke, a mod or even a full for steel should give you alot more tighter pattern then an IC.

What I was more refering too was black cloud used with aftermarket wad-slowing choke tubes. Pattern Master and Wad Wizard are the two biggest companies with the two main patents. Compared to normal chokes that contrict the wad as it comes out, they have a ring around the inside of the choke that holds the wad for a split second allowing the pellets to all leave in one tight group instead of a longer shot string.

I've seen it about 50/50 to guys who love black cloud to those who could care less about it. More and more guys it seems are starting to think these "new" pellets and flitestopper wad are just another marketing ploy to get you to buy their new ammo.

PGK
09-28-2008, 12:24 PM
Yeah I haven't had a chance to try it yet but you got me thinking. I'll stick with the full steel choke and see how it drops em

Marc
10-11-2008, 07:41 PM
Well, I was given some Remington Heavy shot #2 HD and I put some down the pipe this morning in my new Remington XCS ultimag and it just crumpled the geese. Two geese stone dead by the time they hit the ground. I was using a modified choke

The 'Hummer'
10-11-2008, 08:07 PM
Well, I was given some Remington Heavy shot #2 HD and I put some down the pipe this morning in my new Remington XCS ultimag and it just crumpled the geese. Two geese stone dead by the time they hit the ground. I was using a modified choke
How does it compare to Bismuth? Availability and price wise? I have an AYA 10ga. SxS to load for and rather than modify the chokes to allow shooting steel, I was thinking of possible shot alternatives. It puts out pretty tight patterns with the old Federal Premium loads so I'd prefer not to 'touch' the chokes. Is heavy shot availvble locally?

Marc
10-12-2008, 08:45 AM
I'm not sure if the HD is available for reloading but I do remember the heavy shot being $140 for 7 lbs :shock:.

It's not cheap by any means but if you're on target it's coming down.

The stuff I was using yesterday had a price tag of $44 for 10 shells so about $5 a shot with taxes. I fired 3 shells and took 2 geese, was it worth the $15? In this case I would have to say yes. The average hunter uses 4 shells for every bird he shoots.

The 'Hummer'
10-12-2008, 09:36 AM
I'm not sure if the HD is available for reloading but I do remember the heavy shot being $140 for 7 lbs :shock:.

It's not cheap by any means but if you're on target it's coming down.

The stuff I was using yesterday had a price tag of $44 for 10 shells so about $5 a shot with taxes. I fired 3 shells and took 2 geese, was it worth the $15? In this case I would have to say yes. The average hunter uses 4 shells for every bird he shoots.
Only 4?? They don't know me. I have some product info and reload info I received from Ballistis Products Inc. and they have a Canadian distributer in Alberta. On my next trip back that way, possibly this November when I go back for my Mulie draw, I may 'bite the bullet' and pick up some Bismuth in a couple of sizes for Ducks as well as Geese. Either that or order it. The catalogue I have from them lists 7#'s of Bismuth for $79.95 and 7#'s of Hevi-Shot for $86.99.