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WaterFowl Loads
This is my first year waterfowling,and I Freaking love it, I mean I'm addicted!!! I just have a problem finding the right load for my Browning Gold. I have tried a box of hevi shot and it worked better than any steel but is so darn expensive. I have heard alot of good things about Kent fast steel and was wondering what you experienced waterfowlers found to work the best. Im talking about takeing shots out to 40+ yards. Also, which choke tube is all round better for close and far shots, full or improved modified. Your help is appriciated!!!
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
Yea Kent Fast Steel is a great load. I use 3" #4 out of a full choke, alot of people say thats too tight but belive me, its a deadly combo. It destroys ducks and will bring down geese if you aim to break wings like I do. I have also tried Remington High Speed Sportmans Steel and that works just fine aswell and at a cheaper price.
Now thinking thats its your first year I would try a more open choke like modified for awhile until you start to get the hang of shooting them. Try fast flying teal in the morning for some pratice:D. Good Luck:) |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
Thanks for the reply, I think I will give the Kent and Full Choke combination a try. Good Luck on the on coming hunting seasons, Put'm to the ground!!
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
Dont use any choke tighter than modified. Ive seen a couple pictures of what can happen with a full choke and steel,, not pretty. It CANrip the end of the barrel right off!
I use Fasteel 3" #2's at 1560 fps with a modified, keep all my shots under 35 yardsand very rarelyare follow-up shots required on ducks. If you want too shoot 40+ yards,, stick with the hevi-shot,, price will be about the same per bird because you are going too expend alot of shells on cripples! |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
If you want to use full choke with steel then it is probably best to get a choke that is steel shot approved. I've been using a cabela's full hevi shot choke that is also rated for steel since 2003 with no problems thus far. I have used 4s in it but I like kent fasteel 2s the best(gonna try 3s when I find some to buy). However I don't like anything bigger than 2s with a full.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
ORIGINAL: Roadkillwarrior This is my first year waterfowling,and I Freaking love it, I mean I'm addicted!!! I just have a problem finding the right load for my Browning Gold. I have tried a box of hevi shot and it worked better than any steel but is so darn expensive. I have heard alot of good things about Kent fast steel and was wondering what you experienced waterfowlers found to work the best. Im talking about takeing shots out to 40+ yards. Also, which choke tube is all round better for close and far shots, full or improved modified. Your help is appriciated!!! Roadkill: Don't write off hevi shot (or heck maybe you should..write it off your taxes that is)...just because its expensive. Give this a try. Load one hevi shot shell as your first shot, and then back it up with two steel loads. The first shot is the most important one anyway. Also, your hevi will last longer and you won't ever be shooting a cripple with a $2 shell. Not that you will likely have many cripples with hevi shot. As for a quality steel load, I like Winchester Supreme's. They load in a little higher quality shell, with a higher quality steel. Makes a big difference that is well worth the little bit higher price. One other thing to consider is Hevi-Steel, which I have been shooting as my second and third shell this season. Only a few dollars more than most steel, and certainly more effective. I like #3 shot in Win Supremes or #4 for Hevi-Steel. |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
Thanks guys, you have gave me a better idea of what to use and try. Can't wait till next year to do it all over again being more prepared, since the only thing in season here in Indiana is geese.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
What about 2 3/4" shells? is there enough umffbehind a hevi shot 2 3/4" to put a duck down around 40yrds. I know they make a 2 3/4" shell in Hevi-Shot and was wondering if anyone out there has tried them with some pretty good success.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
With hevishot you could use a 2 3/4" shell. Not much use in using a 2 3/4 steel though. Also, DO NOT usea full choke with steel. My friends Browning Goldlost the end his barrel shooting an Improve Modified (slightly tighter than a modified and not as tight as a full). Bad things can happen happen when you shoot steel thru anything tighting than modified. Winchester xpert #2's and 3's in 3" or 3 1/2's are good affordable loads. I, as well of a bunch of my friends have had problems with Kent steel. If they get wet the will swell and become stuck in the chamber or they will fire and the pellets will fall out the end of the barrel because the powder is wet.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
ORIGINAL: SwampCollie ORIGINAL: Roadkillwarrior This is my first year waterfowling,and I Freaking love it, I mean I'm addicted!!! I just have a problem finding the right load for my Browning Gold. I have tried a box of hevi shot and it worked better than any steel but is so darn expensive. I have heard alot of good things about Kent fast steel and was wondering what you experienced waterfowlers found to work the best. Im talking about takeing shots out to 40+ yards. Also, which choke tube is all round better for close and far shots, full or improved modified. Your help is appriciated!!! Roadkill: Don't write off hevi shot (or heck maybe you should..write it off your taxes that is)...just because its expensive. Give this a try. Load one hevi shot shell as your first shot, and then back it up with two steel loads. The first shot is the most important one anyway. Also, your hevi will last longer and you won't ever be shooting a cripple with a $2 shell. Not that you will likely have many cripples with hevi shot. As for a quality steel load, I like Winchester Supreme's. They load in a little higher quality shell, with a higher quality steel. Makes a big difference that is well worth the little bit higher price. One other thing to consider is Hevi-Steel, which I have been shooting as my second and third shell this season. Only a few dollars more than most steel, and certainly more effective. I like #3 shot in Win Supremes or #4 for Hevi-Steel. |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
ORIGINAL: Roadkillwarrior What about 2 3/4" shells? is there enough umffbehind a hevi shot 2 3/4" to put a duck down around 40yrds. I know they make a 2 3/4" shell in Hevi-Shot and was wondering if anyone out there has tried them with some pretty good success. Me, my father, and grandfather have been shooting 2 3/4" #6 Hevi exclusively (as our first shell that is) for nearly ten years now (at least it seems that long...been since I was in High School..and that was almost ten years).We use it on ducks and geese, and I have personally killed geese with it out to 45 yards. I took a black duck two mornings ago that swung a little wide and rolled him...I broke out the rangefinder to where he lit (he was about four feet off the water when I shot him)....53 yards...farther than I would normally consider shooting period...but it was a monster black duck...probably made it look closer. Even when I was shooting a 3.5" gun...my first shell was always that 2 3/4" Hevi #6. Can't go wrong! |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
-Thanks for the warning about using a full choke with steel. I know there are alot of guys out there that have probably been using full chokes and still with out a problem, but I "probably" wont take the chance because if it can happen once it will happen again.
-What about choke size for hevi shot? is a full choke safe for hevi shot, or what size would you guys recomend |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
I have been shooting more and more steel and the again more and more 3" vs 3.5"......the more you hunt and the more you practice you should learn what are and arent good shots and become a better shot....IMHO use sttel and worry more about shots taken just as you would with archery and you will be happy at the end of the day.....as far as brands, I am happy with kent but I also use a lot of federal too and some winchester...
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
great gun choice, I use the same thing. ive found that using a modified choke for hevi shot and bigger steel shot patterns really well. i never use full... its patterns with steel can be questionable at best. improved for #4 hevi shot works perfect for decoying ducks out to 30 yards
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
Anything after the opener I pretty much us BB fast heavy steel in 1500-1550 ft/sec. They seem to be very effective on both geese and northern ducks. For close in decoy over water I might still shot #1s or #2s.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
Load one hevi shot shell as your first shot, and then back it up with two steel loads. other way around, use steel when the ducks are closer, then use the hevi shot as the last shot to drop em out far
also check out hevi steel, its less expensive than hevi shot, has 25 shells in a box and is better than steel. and yes, hevi shot is safe with a full choke, also with ducks i use #6 hevi shot w/ a modified choke,that combohasa devoted following around my area, its hevier than lead and has more pellets than 4s or 2s, and it still has great down range velocity. |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
I was useing the Remington brand Hevi shot, but I have heard that Remington dosnt make it anymore and what I see at outdoor stores and websites is what is left of it. Isthis true? I did see that there is an actual hevi shot brand now and wanted to know if it is as good. I'm now thinking about useing Bismuth 3" #4 shot high volocity loads because I heard there a one shot one kill load that is hard to beat.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
iv shot bismuth and its good,
and yes remington stopped making hevi-shot, they make wingmaster HD now, and yes the brand hevi-shot is made by enviro-metal, they created hevi-shot and sold the rights to remington, so its the same formula, but iv found that the brand hevi-shot is better than the old remington hevi-shot. |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
ORIGINAL: disco duck iv shot bismuth and its good, and yes remington stopped making hevi-shot, they make wingmaster HD now, and yes the brand hevi-shot is made by enviro-metal, they created hevi-shot and sold the rights to remington, so its the same formula, but iv found that the brand hevi-shot is better than the old remington hevi-shot. |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
3" kent faststeel, BB's,1550 fps for geese
3" kent faststeel, #4's,1550 fps for ducks Over the years I've came to the conclusion that 3" shells pattern better than 3 1/2" shells. JMHO. If your shooting decoyed birds its all you will ever need. If your not shooting decoyed birds, you should try and learn how to. It makes the sport a sport and a ton more fun!!! |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
Remington didn't exactly buy the rights to hevi-shot, they leased it from them and paid them a percentage of the sale of the shells. The biggest thing that pisses me off was that Remington told the creator that they would be selling hevi-shotforless than $10 a box for 2 3/4" and they would pay him something like $.15 on every box. They ended up selling it for almost twice what they said they would. When the contract was up, they wouldn't allow Remington to use it anymore, but Remington all but stole the meathod of making hevi-shot and made their own version (HD), which is almost identical, but still the slightest bit lighter than hevi-shot, but still heavier than lead.
[/quote] yea and the HD is more expencive |
RE: WaterFowl Loads
What about choke tubes, what would be best for my browning gold 12g with #4 hevi shot. I was thinking about buying the browning duck commander in Improved Modified. Also am looking into Kicks chokes, pattern master, or the Jelly head.
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RE: WaterFowl Loads
If your shooting decoyed birds all you need is an improved choke. If your pass shooting you would probably want a modified choke. Never used one, but my buddy swears by his pattern master, and he's a darn good shot. Good Luck.
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