12 Gauge Shells

B

Bill Gass

Active member
What's everyone running for shotgun shells. There are so many choices today. Last season I was using Winchester Xpert Steel #4 3 inch 1 1/8 oz load at 1550 fps. I was reading an article which recommended using one shot size smaller than you normally would for your first shot which should be in close and it would give you alot more pellets in the air for a bigger shot cloud. Sounds good in thoery? Then for the second and third shells go with you usual (#4's). Any opinions on this, thanks.

Bill G
 
Bill, I invented that stunt (I think) back when I hunted with a 16ga Mod 12. Still do it today with the 12 ga 3 inch. I don't use steel, prefer bismuth of one of the hevi shoot combos.
 
I usually shoot 2 shot for the first shot then 2's for the next two. :-) I have to be a little careful on close shots but I error on the side of knowing I can kill a duck out to my max range with any shell in my gun.
I've tried having different loads for the first or last shot but the trouble comes when you have one shot at a duck at 40 yards and you have your close load in. And if you shoot twice do you change the long range load in your chamber for a close load? In my experience not after the first couple times. I've also noticed the using smaller shot in close only shoots up the birds more. Unless they are spreader loads you are just going to have a much denser pattern of smaller shot. I find smaller shot does not spread as fast from a tight choke as larger shot does.

I'm not a big fan of 4's for ducks bigger then woodies, well unless you are shooting them right in your lap. If I can find them I'll shoot 3's for the first half of the season.

Like you I prefer the fast light loads over the heavy slow ones. You can actually get the same pellet counts with 1oz of steel as you can from the tried and true 1 1/4oz lead loads. So for me going from the 4's of the lead days I can get nearly the same count with 3's in 1 1/16oz and am not far off with 2's.

Tim
 
I think that was brought about by the ammo companies to sell more shells. I have enough to think about without putting two different shot sizes in my gun. Like Tim said, what if you had a longish shot? Would you try to jack the shell out and chamber the next in line? I like the #4 in really fast shells for as far as I will shoot at a duck. I used to use BB for everything in the 1 3/8 oz but the fast loads don't have that many pellets in that size.
 
My partner & I have pretty much shot Estate 3" 1 1/4 oz #4s for the last 6-7 years for all our ducks. They work fine for us.
I'm not a fan of different shot sizes first, etc.. The only exception is that I try to keep a box of 3" #6s in the boat to shoot cripples, they are great water swatters.
 
ive been shooting rem sportsmen steel and xpert #4s in 3" the past few years, had good experiences with them. i just bought a case of 3 1/2" xpert 1 1/4oz #2s that are going out at 1625 fps. i anticipate hunting more late season this year seens how i have bucks that need arrows in them in october. i'll let you know how it goes.

eddie
 
Bill,

The two different shot sizes probably date back to the two shoot gun days and upland game hunting. Two chokes instantly available. The smaller shot size in the barrel with the more open choke and bigger shot in the tighter tube to maintain shot density at longer ranges. if you have three shots I assume you have one barrel with a single choke selection at the moment of shooting. If so stay with the larger shot and a choke that gives you acceptable shot density at the longest practical shot your going to take. Inside that range you will have more shot on target and for sure you don't need even more shot in your duck by using a smaller shot size and same wt charge. [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Basically[/font] if number 2s will stone your duck at 40 yards, at thirty yards the load of 2s will smack it hard. If you had fours in the gun you'd be risking having a very shot up bird.

Now back to the two shot gun, improved cylinder will spread the fours out hopefully in a nice pattern that allows for a bit less precision on the shot. A longer range shot you have the 2s coming out of the modified barrel with enough density and energy to handle the job. This is what I did with the lead loads in my 16 ga SXS back when lead was legal. Still serious big water waterfowlers seemed to like their Full & Full barrels. Guess they didn't feel that the benefit of the more open choke was worth the loss of the second shot when required at a distance.

Scott
 
Lee,
Shoot "it" in the head is that the one duck you killed last year? or did you shoot both of them in the head?hehehehehehehe

Since I'm stuck in the office and can't go chase teal till tomorrow I'll throw in my two worth. Besides I haven't been able to let one of these pass since this place got up and running. hehehehehe

2 3/4" #4's for geese
2 3/4" #7's for everything else. I have shot plenty of geese with 7's but 4's do a better job so I don't have to chase the occasional cripple quite as far.
All run through a skeet choke. Know your limits and stay in them. I won't shoot at a bird over 35-40yds. For everything smaller than a Snow goose I haven't seen any increase in cripples, you're either on them or not and no miracle shell will help with that. Like Lee said shoot them in the head.
 
I've only been in this game for a few years and found for my hunting conditions #2 in 3" estate works great for ducks working close. I use 3 1/2 BB's Kent Fasteel for geese decoying or pass shooting. All are shot with a modified choke. I was experiencing problems with cripples out of 35-40 yards until I went up in sizes from 4's and 2's to the 2's and BB'S. Now they are dead,dead, and dead. As long as I can buy them I don't plan to change.
 
2 3/4" #4's for geese
2 3/4" #7's for everything else. I have shot plenty of geese with 7's but 4's do a better job so I don't have to chase the occasional cripple quite as far.
All run through a skeet choke. Know your limits and stay in them. I won't shoot at a bird over 35-40yds. For everything smaller than a Snow goose I haven't seen any increase in cripples, you're either on them or not and no miracle shell will help with that. Like Lee said shoot them in the head.
Click to expand...


But you're special Mark. Yeah, 'special' is a good word for it. hehehe Do you ever shoot the fast stuff or just the plain ol' Xperts?

btw How's your land looking? Do you flood any of it for teal season?

Tim
 
Tim, Mark mentioned 40 yards..he can't even SEE 40 yards. He shoots all his ducks when they cross the transom on his Kara. When you got a spot full of corn that you can lay in you could probably use a butterfly net to get yer birds!
 
Just conograft my 20ga 1oz loads of Bizmuth(5s) this morning.Best load was in an older WW AA case,fed primer,rem RXP wad and 18.5 grains of Longshot.I wanted more velocity,but couldn't find it,unless I can find WW 20F1 wads or Federal cases.Not enough room in a WW or Rem case.Fiocci's are a pain to load without cutting a 1/16"off so the Mec doesn't colapse the case wall.
My 12ga are in a WW AA case WW12R wad,Fed primer,11/4oz Bizmuth(5s) and 28 gr of Longshot.Haven't Cono'd them yet,but looking for 1300fps.
I plan IC and Mod out of my SxS and may shoot #6 Bizmuth as well.This will be on divers under 40yds.
For Geese I shoot factory steel 3" 12ga BBs from a Modified Auto never smaller than#2S.SHOOT 'EM IN THE END THEY EAT OUT OF:^)
 
Nope I've never shot any of the "fast" stuff. Something about spending over 60 bucks for a case of shells just rubs me the wrong way. Plain ol expert 1300 fps, the Winchester rep I buy them from just shakes his head and says you can't do that!! hehehehe

I've been called a lot of things but I can't say "special" is one of them.hehehehehehe

The farm up north with Ira has probably 40-50 ac. of water on it right now. I'm headed up there tomorrow. Rumor has it the teal showed up night before last!! I hope to shoot some rails along with a few teal! I'll take some pics, it's pretty amazing right now. LOTS of millet!!We're doing some more dirt work to add about 6 more inches of water to the entire area which should bringthe total to 230-250 acres of water.

The farm just north of town is still standing corn but the moisture just a bit high to start shelling right now. In a week or so they should get it knocked out. I'm changing a few things for this fall. Shortening the rows I leave standing and doubling the width. I also picked up some poly pipe to flood the low spot in the wheat stubble (of course I disced it and a second crop of wheat is coming up) so the geese ought to like it. That should add about 10-12 acres of additional water up there.
Lee,
There's probably a joke in there about how I can't measure things! I'll make you money selling rope!hehehehehe
 
Last edited:
Bill,

"Stack loading" isn't new. When we reloaded lead, the first shot was 7 1/2's or 6's, followed by 5's or 4's. 7 1/2's will do a number on ducks up close, even "big" ducks.

The problem with it is that you have to remember to re-do the loads after the birds come in - and in a pump or auto, remembering load sequence, etc. And, it's either keep the shells in separate pockets (and which one has 4's? right or left?), separate boxes in the boat, or...

If I shoot Hevi-Steel, I shoot the 3" #4's. If I'm shooting at all well, it's a stone killer load through my Citori. When I shoot normal steel loads, it's 3" #2's. I've tried some 6's or 4's in the timber for a first shot, but just found that keeping it simple is better...one less thing to worry about.

I buy #6 or #4 Hevi-Shot for my wife to shoot. Is it better than steel? Dunno, but what I do know is that it gives her more confidence, and for the few times that she goes with me in a season (3 or 4), I want her to put the gun up knowing the bird is dead. I watched her pass shoot the last wood duck of a three person limit last year at treetops level with 2 3/4" Hevi #4's and an imp. cylinder choke. We killed ducks from over the decoys at 15 feet to treetops high, and watching her shoot was just a pleasure.

I have to get a new load for the 10-gauge this year. Up until last year I shot #1's; it was the single best patterning load for that gun, regardless of distance, and I tried everything from #3 to BBB. From big Canadas in Manitoba, to puddle ducks and divers down here in Arkansas, it was the right load for the gun and would kill ducks and snow geese stone dead at or beyond 60 yards if required. Winchester stopped making the load, however, so I have to find out what #2's will run the best through it.
 
I like very heavy loads of Kent faststeel. 3.5" 1 9/16oz's. They run at 1300 fps. #2's when I have to use them. Close, tight conditions. I really perfer BB's. Open water! NO CRIPPLES. As any of the bama boys on this site will tell you--Gadwalls and large divers will take a butt whooping and fly off/ dive and swim off with it. They tend to break when hit with bb's.
 
I tend to agree with Leslie. Maybe i'm doing something wrong but around here (NC swamps) but it's #2, 3 in and #3, 3 in. for ducks and definitely BB and BBB for some of these big ass resident geese, even in the head. But something different works for everyone. Trial and error have usually been a good trick for me.

Cam
 
I haven't figured it all out yet. Guys were pretty happy with 2 3/4 lead shot and now that there is heavier and much, much faster shot the move is up to 3 or 3.5 shells at any cost. I still haven't figured it out. Then the complaints about cost. I still haven't figured it out. I am pretty much a consistant shooter with either Estates 3" or whatever is cheapest by the case. If I use the Estates I use the same shell throughout the range of shot sizes I use which normally is #3 early, going to #2's later and then BB's for geese and cranes. Sticking with one shell brand and specs eliminates a lot of the guess work with how much do I change the lead with this extra 200 fps I got with these hot new loads. Best advice KISS. But then I haven't figured it all out even after 56 seasons.
 
I will say that I have resolved to using Winchester Dry Lock brand shells. We do alot of swamp hunting and getting soaking wet and so do my shells. I have tried most brands out there, maybe not all but most. I have discovered that when the other brand shells get wet, the next time I go to hunt some my fire and some may not. That's not good with wood ducks coming in a mach 3 between trees. Dry Lock's have never done this with me so I stick with them. Good hunting.

Cam
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top