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Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

Okay, the only stuff available was 1 oz high velocity tungsten heavy stuff. The ducks came out wrong from the pond so the shooting was awkward ... first shot hit a greenhead, but not hard, gun jammed, greenhead spiraled down out of sight, watched the rest of the ducks come out, forced another shell in, got a greenhead on second shot, but not hard, found him. Then went and patterned the stuff against cardboard. Pattern at 30 yd seemed rather weak (for density) - but I'm not surprised with only 1 oz of shot. Gun will undergo a thorough cleaning, and tomorrow I will go out and see if I can find the first bird. And, or course, any replacement ducks that come into the pond overnight ... 8)

Question: would the high velocity stuff have a greater tendency to jam? ... I shoot an 870, which is a good gun, although this particular one has not been without some abnormalities. The gun is chambered 2-3/4 in. and mod barrel. I know, I need a waterfowl gun - but this is all I got for now.

Tomorrow I have some heavier loads coming (1-3/8 oz) via fedex ... looking forward to belching out more `particles' at these northern mallards.

Duck hunting is definitely addictive, ... like the rest of hunting...

hunter777 · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 1475

Thats a good all around gun you have there :thumbsup1:

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

Weigh in on this one ...

I was disassembling my 870 after a quick hunt this afternoon, and, behold, my magnetic sight had 2 beads (see pic). Actually, there was a steel #4 shot stuck to the sight. SCARY!!! Are the ducks shooting back?

Possible explanations:

1) some kind of ricochet?
2) the wad sent something back my way?
3) a shot rolled out of one of the ducks I shot and got sucked onto the magnetic sight?
4) other????

My thoughts ...

1. One time I was hit in the forehead by a fragment of ACP 45 slug hitting a metal swing target and flying straight back. Interesting experience being shot - but did not penetrate (as I'm here to tell about it). But where I was hunting today was pure mud and water, so no ricochets or bounce back possible.
2. I don't know enough about how these wads send the shot out to answer the second possibility ... but in the tons of shooting I've done - this would be a first.
3. The stalk was a good one and I hammered both ducks at point blank range. About half of the drake looked like a sponge. The only explanation I can think of was that the shot rolled out of the duck which was in my jacket pocket (with holes) and onto the sight - both of which where near one another in the back of my jeep.

Weigh in ...

ChesterGolf · Joined: 17 Aug 2002 Posts: 1637 Location: Nova Scotia

My guess would be that the shot came out of the ducks feathers. I have seen large amounts of shot rain out of these ducks before.

USNYRider · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 22 Location: upstate NY

i tryed to use #4 shot out of my gun and i couldnt drop anything.i went threw a hole box then i switched to bb shot and thats when i started to drop them. when it gets colder out you should switch to a bigger shot because the ducks have a more fat on them during colder weather.

i would have to agree with chestergolf that the shot fell out of the ducks feathers.

147 Grain · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Utah

For the above reason, I switched to number 2 shot in steel a long time ago - Kent Fasteel 3" magnums with 1 1/4-oz of shot.

Plan on trying out Remington's Hevi-Shot number 4's or 6's in the near future. The box says the 3" magnum 1 1/4-oz load goes 1,450 fps.

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

... went out looking for more mallards ... to my surprise and delight ran into some geese. Spot and stalk. Changed out the new hevi-shot for steel BBB. Three shots and three geese ... the rest of the geese flew a ways and then landed, perhaps to be near their fallen comrades. ... Then, something wonderful happened, ... due to location and wind direction they made their exit right back over me. I had reloaded and got a fourth (limit is 4). All the while I felt I was shooting at cargo planes with a 22. Got friend's row boat, and changed out the BBB back to #6 and #4 hevi to finish off cripples. I don't think any one of the birds hit the water dead with the steel BBB. These birds were huge. I hope more come back ... warm weather has them acting ... interesting.

USNYRider · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 22 Location: upstate NY

congrats :thumbsup1:

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

God is good ... I feel very blessed.

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

Today was Bismuth showtime ... arrived via fedex ... 1-3/8 oz #6 ... I spot and stalked one of my favorite spots ... seven mallards arose; I hammered 3 in a perfect triple. And all birds were hit hard. I didn't have to empty my pockets of shells to finish off cripples. Just like it should be ... just like it used to be (with lead). I'm convinced (that steel is crappy). What's more ... my faith in myself as a waterfowl hunter is restored. This same spot I have jumped on numerous occasions and after blazing away I would only down one bird, maybe two. Steel shot seriously shattered my confidence.

Thank you everyone on the forum who helped me through this.

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

... seeing how far I can push the Bismuth and hevi-shot ...

Jumped a pair of mallards at about 60 yards ... normally I pass on stuff out beyond 30 or 40, but decided to give the Bismuth #6 a try at range. Took three shots but brought down the drake.

A little while later I jumped some more ... this time with hevi #4 ... sloppy first shot missed; second shot at 50 yards dropped a greenhead hard.

I LIKE THIS BISMUTH AND HEVI STUFF!!!

ChesterGolf · Joined: 17 Aug 2002 Posts: 1637 Location: Nova Scotia

It is truly amazing how well that stuff works compared to steel. The price is nasty but you may want to consider reloading your shells to keep the price in check. Loading for shotguns is easy and pays for itself quickly is you are already shooting the premium stuff.

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

In yesteryear I reloaded all my stuff. I'd load 1 oz. lead loads for my 20 ga, and even 1-1/8 oz, but it was hard to crimp. Which leads to another observation. My heavy 20 ga loads were slower ... 1000 fps-ish. So in switching to steel I have probably been over-leading a lot of stuff. It seems as I back of my lead a bit the birds are doing a better job of getting blasted. Dang, this one box of stuff I picked up has 1450 ft/sec printed on the box.

I'm right in the middle of the child-raising years ... if reloading is something my son is interested in, it might be a good father-son thing to get into again.

Chestergolf - thanks for your comments on these strings.

hunter777 · Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 1475

I like the fiber optic sight too. It's amazing how fast you can draw the beed when it glows like that!

Serious Hunter · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 960 Location: Idaho

So, Chestergolf, ... this one place I hunt I park across the road of this guy who evidently does pretty well ($) ... nice spread of a place, house set back about 200 yards from the road, nice lawn all the way to the road, some trees, etc.. After I have hunted sometimes I cut straight across the field. When I get to about 30 yards from the road (so, maybe 230 from his house) ... I start running into GOLF BALLS. What's up with THAT!