Hevishot Chokes for Duck

I shot heavyshot last year in a modified tube for steel or lead. I know that heavishot is supposed to deliver a tighter pattern than typical lead. I wonder why the heavishot choke tube is tighter constriction than a Full choke tube? Doesn't make sense. Or I wonder if this is for turkey only. For duck, I would imagine you would want a looser pattern?

[biscuit jake]

Pop was an ace duck hunter. He hunted in the days when, he said, they would rise and there would be so many it would darken. I can't fathom that today! As a kid in the 50's, I saw him put out decoys and suck them in with his duckcall so far away, I couldn't even spot them. He knew when to be loud, when to be soft, and when to do what he said was a "chuckle." Then they would come in, get ready to light and just at that full wing span, just above the water, bam-bam-bam!

Heh, heh.

But he was serious about using modified choke over decoys, and didnt want to put too many pellets into a mallard. They took some longer chances with high flying geese. Some of the old timers on the Platte River even used buckshot. Well, often a miss, but if it hit, you got the goose!

[brother hal]

I had a heavishot tube I bought for turkeys. Wouldn't pattern with any of the 3 types of ammo I like, so gave it to a buddy. wouldnt patter for him either, he gave it away. wont buy another heavishot tube, that's for sure.. your experiences may vary. good luck.

[bronko22000]

Bigcountry, I don't use the heavy shot and just stick with the steel. I guess cost is the biggest factor. I know you have to use a "looser" choke for steel. (a steel load out of a modified choke is pretty similar to lead out of a full choke - so I've been told and feel).
I haven't read anything on what chokes to used with the various heavy shot materials but I wouldn't use anything too restrictive with the harder stuff as you may damge your choke/barrel.
I would contact the ammo or gun manufacturer and see what they have to say. If you do, let us all know what they said.

[Briman]

The only reasoning I can think of is:

lead shot uses tighter chokes because the lead deforms a bit causing it to fly somewhat erratically and spreading faster. Steel shot doesn't deform, so it will fly alot tighter out of a more open choke.

If I remember correctly, Heavy shot (remington right?) Has odd shaped and oblong pellets of different sizes, supposedly making the pellets a bit more aerodynamic that spheres, but causes more spreading than steel. I wonder if it falls somewhere in between lead and steel shot for the amount of choke constriction needed?

I want to try some of this stuff this year for waterfowl, but I haven't had a chance to do any patterning yet.

No more steel for me. I have shot that last of that stuff. Have to hit em 3 times at 30 yards to knock a bird down. Then see people with one shot per a bird with my very own eyes. I doing some figuring last year. Ok, I take a day off work, and shoot 3 times as much withe steel. If the heavy works, then it would be worth it.

I did this test this week with some partical board. I shot 3" mag high velocity remington steel #4 shot at 30 yards. Hardly any of this steel would embed itself in to the board. Some did. Some bounced off. I then shot #6 2 3/4" squirrel shot. some went right thru it., and all embedded itself. That sold me. If 2 3/4" squirrel shot (lead) beats out 3" high velocity duck shot, then hevishot will do the trick.

Bronco, it is the manufacter selling the choke, the gun and the ammo. Hevi is marketed by remington. Hence the name Hevishot choke. I just want to know if the stuff patterns like a modified does with steel of if this choke is a turkey choke only.

Nevermind, I finally found the answer in Remington's website. Here is what they had to say. Another guy suggested I use the extended briley Inproved skeet choke for heavishot.

Question
Can I use the Hevi Shot Choke tube for waterfowl? If not what do you recommend?

Answer
No. For waterfowl hunters, where the shell usage is generally much higher than for turkey hunting, Remington recommends using chokes recommended for steel shot pellets, such as the skeet, improved cylinder, modified and full chokes labeled for steel.

[Stalker6]

I'm using Trulock's Waterfowler Choke tube. Basically , this choke is harder than the stainless steel that used in the other screw-in tubes. This gives you the ability to shoot steel or Hevi-Shot in true full choke constricitons.

[Briman]

A friend of mine and I patterned a heavishot load for the upcoming goose season. We both used Browning BPSs with the "steel-full" chokes screwed in.
We tried Federal and Winchester steel loads of BB to start with, and weren't too impressed with the patterning past 25 yards- there were big holes in the patterns. Next we tried No. 2 Heavi shot and found that it patterned much tighter and denser than the steel BBs and was easily as good at 40 yards as the steel BBs were at 25. The only odd thing was that that the patterns were slightly elliptical (a circle slightly flattned at top and bottom) in both guns. We found the recoil to be pretty shard in the 3" magnums, the Heavishot seemed to recoil more than the steel, but it doesn't matter that much.

The way the stuff looked, a more open choke such as a modified-steel might be in order for ducks, but we didn't bring any smaller shot loads or try different chokes as we were checking patterns strickly for honkers.

After seeing how the heavi shot performed against steel loads, we were both sold on the stuff, whether its worth the extra cost, we should find out in a few weeks when the season opens for us.

I used modified on Teal the other day. Didn't get a shot. But Briman, I believe hevishot has a longer shot string than lead or steel. Probably the reason for elipital patterns.