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• NN Senior Member Posts: 25,123 Senior Member

  January 2014 #2

  Interesting issue, what can you use?

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• Grizz1219 Member Posts: 424 Member

  January 2014 #3

  #2 shot is the biggest we can go.. .

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• NN Senior Member Posts: 25,123 Senior Member

  January 2014 #4

  That in my book is a crying shame!
  
  I went through an evolution when steel [non toxic shot] became mandatory.
  We have a lot of divers in the East and they are well feathered in the cold.
  I went to BB shot when 2's were not killing enough ducks.
  Then found the BB pattern was not dense enough, so I now use 1's over open water.
  
  2's do work well when back in small creeks and ponds for wood ducks though.

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• Razorbacker Senior Member Posts: 4,646 Senior Member

  January 2014 #5

  Ned, I've got a butt load of lead 4s and 6s from the good old days. Some of them even have faded price tags like. $3.87.

  Teach your children to love guns, they'll never be able to afford drugs

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• twa Senior Member Posts: 2,245 Senior Member

  January 2014 #6

  Let me know how much you want, we have been whacking the geese and that is my load!

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• Six-Gun Senior Member Posts: 8,155 Senior Member

  January 2014 #7

  Grizz...ya gotta move, buddy.

  Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.

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• jbohio Senior Member Posts: 5,615 Senior Member

  January 2014 #8

  Grizz1219 wrote: »

  #2 shot is the biggest we can go.. .

  That's terrible. It's about impossible to bring down a big Canada goose with less than BB.
  
  Why?

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• orchidman Senior Member Posts: 8,364 Senior Member

  January 2014 #9

  jbohio wrote: »

  That's terrible. It's about impossible to bring down a big Canada goose with less than BB.
  
  Why?

  
  I routinely use #2 steel for Canada's over here........and none of the 3" stuff either, just 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/4oz loads out of an 1187 with a Modified choke.. These are Giant Canada's btw. Drops them dead out to 40yds.
  
  The main problem is that most shooters look at the birds body when swinging. If you concentrate on the head and swing accordingly, the #2 steel has no problem in passing through the neck.

  Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....

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• Six-Gun Senior Member Posts: 8,155 Senior Member

  January 2014 #10

  orchidman wrote: »

  I routinely use #2 steel for Canada's over here........and none of the 3" stuff either, just 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/4oz loads out of an 1187 with a Modified choke.. These are Giant Canada's btw. Drops them dead out to 40yds.
  
  The main problem is that most shooters look at the birds body when swinging. If you concentrate on the head and swing accordingly, the #2 steel has no problem in passing through the neck.

  That's what I use, but I do occasionally switch to 3" if it's available. With head/neck shots on geese at ranges inside of 50 yards, #2 will drop 'em dead as a brick. I actually remember trying to ground shoot a goose with even heavier BBB steel shot once at about 50 yards after it went down wingshot. It was trotting off and I was trying to "turkey shoot" it in the head without any results. After two shots with the BBB, I put in a #2 steel and folded the bird right up. That pattern density can make up for a lot of what the shot lacks in mass when you hit the spine or head. That said, MA legally limiting someone to #2 "just because" seems absurd at best. If you want to engage them at high altitude or longer distance like when you pass shoot without decoys, BB and BBB have a distinct advantage.
  
  As an aside, I use #2 steel shot for just about everything on public land just because it's legal everywhere and works for ducks, geese and pheasant.

  Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.

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• orchidman Senior Member Posts: 8,364 Senior Member

  January 2014 #11

  Six-Gun wrote: »

  I actually remember trying to ground shoot a goose with even heavier BBB steel shot once at about 50 yards after it went down wingshot. It was trotting off and I was trying to "turkey shoot" it in the head without any results. After two shots with the BBB, I put in a #2 steel and folded the bird right up.

  
  Here is a trick I learned a few years back Luis. If I drop a wounded duck/swan/goose on the water I load a #5 steel shot into the breach to finish it off. The pellets don't penetrate the body feathers but will pass through its head/neck area without a problem. It cuts down on the damage to the edible parts but kills the bird quick.

  Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....

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• Six-Gun Senior Member Posts: 8,155 Senior Member

  January 2014 #12

  orchidman wrote: »

  Here is a trick I learned a few years back Luis. If I drop a wounded duck/swan/goose on the water I load a #5 steel shot into the breach to finish it off. The pellets don't penetrate the body feathers but will pass through its head/neck area without a problem. It cuts down on the damage to the edible parts but kills the bird quick.

  
  Absolutely a good idea and that part I bolded was my lesson learned about the very thing you stated. When it comes to the head and neck, as long as you aren't over-extending the max range of the load, the pattern density of smaller shot makes up for a lot and can be extremely effective. The BBB did a great job reaching those high-flying geese I shot at, but was poor for making kill shots on the small but lethal head and neck area. That's where the smaller steel shot will shine.

  Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.

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• NN Senior Member Posts: 25,123 Senior Member

  January 2014 #13

  Razorbacker wrote: »

  Ned, I've got a butt load of lead 4s and 6s from the good old days. Some of them even have faded price tags like. $3.87.

  I have some lead 4's left too, but, they are not as old as yours as I used 4's for crow hunting.

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• jbohio Senior Member Posts: 5,615 Senior Member

  January 2014 #14

  I use lead #4 frequently. They're readily available here. For wabbits.
  
  I like #4 for wabbit, they usually pass through, and take the ball of fur that's wrapped around the BB with it.

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• NN Senior Member Posts: 25,123 Senior Member

  January 2014 #15

  In the brush #4 can be good fodder, with a pack of dogs I limited myself to #6 so as not to get too much brush penetration
  just in case a dog in out of place. I never shot a dog, but, others have though none killed.

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• Grizz1219 Member Posts: 424 Member

  January 2014 #16

  The plan is to buy land in Wv, build a home and retire there... Close enough to Ma to drive home if my kids need me but is a Red state....

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