I use 1 1/8 oz. Federal Steel #2 (2 3/4") in my 12 ga. Parker Repro for ducks and I find that it works the same as lead if I keep the range reasonable (40 yds or less), and put the shot where the bird is. I can't hit much any farther than that anyway, unless it holds still. For Pheasants I've never used more than 1 oz of #6, and I usually hunt them with 7/8 oz. in a 20 ga.
Joe

Joe: You've noted a very important point. Keep the range reasonable. While it is possible to bring 'em down way out there, wounding and loss probabilities increase. I'm a less than 40 yard rooster shooter. Speaking of that, coffee is in me and I'm gonna load the dogs/guns/ammo and see what might be loafing around some habitat I have yet to discover but have been told it's not bad. I'll know in a couple hours.

Cheers,
Jack

Don't believe everything you're told. Spent the full afternoon. Saw 6 hens and one out-of-range rooster and drove twice my normal route. All not lost, got some good old house, old barn pictures.

Cheers,
Jack

Jack, loading blackpowder shells is really easy and they are a hoot to shoot if its a 12 you can get magtech brass.Harry told me how to do it and i'm sure he'd go through it again. One of thoes days when you tell yourself I don't have to kill to have fun:) ch

Shot loads- great post lads!
 

I agree- I've been a serious waterfowler for over 50 years- No steel load will drop big mallards and Canadian geese like the lead- and the Winchester Lubabaloy coppered, the old CIL "Canuck" and especially the coppered Federal Premium loads were first rate-

With steel I use either a std field M12 and No. 2, or my 3" mag M12 and heavier BB for Geese- especially when the season gets into flight birds. I shoot field and water decoys, a lot of pass shooting- both M12's are 30" Full, no damage to the chokes or muzzles from years of heavy use with steel-BUT, I would go back to the coppered lead loads in a heartbeat if the Feds dropped this silly steel shot reg for migratory birds.

If I use either my 12 GHE or 12 LC Smith 2E with 3" chambers- I use the Cabela's Classic doubles- No. 4 for ducks and 3" No. 2 for Geese. Both guns are somewhat "hybrids"- the GHE is a project gun with 28" Vulcan steel barrels, 2 & 3/4" chambers and .015 right and .025 left barrel choke constrictions-(I doubled on Mallards with it last year- a "first ever') The Smith was rebarreled at Fulton in 1927 with a set of 32" Nitro tubes and factory raised ventilated rib- 3" chambers (not marked Longrange) both tubes choked .035"--

I dropped two Canadas on the opening morning this past Sat- 9/Oct- with the Smith and those Cabela's loads- field hunting with decoys- 20 yards and closing- both birds folded in mid-air and dropped (one got the second barrel for insurance) and when I cleaned them later, the pellets had penetrated the feathers, skin and had broken breast bone and wing bone joints at the body juncture- BUT- both birds were incoming and hanging their wings, ready to drop down and greet the K-Mart "foolies" below. Pass shooting at greater distances, taking high over head shots, or outgoing "spooked" birds- those shots I pass up nowadays. By 0930 a Bluebirdy day, so I picked up and packed it in- no ducks working--

For pheasant, here where we don't yet have to use steel or non-toxic- Tower released birds at the area clubs- I usually use that big tight choked Smith 2E- with live pigeon loads- usually a 1&1/8 oz. in first barrel, a 1&1/4 oz. in the second barrel- Towers are high, wind and sun, but other shooters have done well with more open chokes and lighter loads, even in the Winter months. A study of the British driven pheasant shooting might verify the best shell selection. For upland hunting on the same clubs (our area native fezzants are scarce nowadays) I use either the GHE 12 or a 3E Smith with 7 & 1/2 shot AA Trap loads in both tubes--same with pointing dawgs or flushing dawgs-- more pellets in the pattern than with 6's- BUT a hunt in MT. for "Ditch Parrots" with wind and heavy weather, the std. M12 and Express 6's (where lead is still legal) get my nod.

Just my 2 cents worth, but boy do I wish for the good old days more as I get older-:bigbye:

My favorite 20 g pheasant load is the Rem Nitro pheasant 1oz # 5 @1300 fps. Whacks a bird hard.

I havent seen them for afew years now and settled on a flat of Fiocci Golden Pheasant @1250 fps but haven't used any yet.

Chuck:

I just got back from a pheasant hunt in South Dakota and shot my 20 ga dhe repro. I found the Federal Wing Shok 2 ¾" load at 1 oz. 1350fps in #4 to be hard hitting and an effective load. I was shooting an IC/MOD barrel and had my Mod/Full barrel but didn't need it. The guys shooting 12's were using the Fiochhi Golden Pheasant load and they were very happy with the results. In cleaning the birds it was easy to find the ones hit with that Golden Pheasant load since they are nickle plated shot and the shot really stands out against the bird's skin.

We were hunting out of the Parkston, SD area and did not find an over abundance of birds although we limited out daily we hunted long and hard. The area had 10 inches of rain in June and another 9 or 10 inches in July so most of the chicks got wet and cold and died.

It's fun shooting the Parker, even if it is a repro. All of the other guys were shooting newer o/u or semi autos. The guys shooting 20 ga o/u were using 3 inch shells. What a waste of money and overkill.

Jack,

What a mess you have to go through. I feel your pain. I live in the quasi-communist state Peoples Republik of Massachusetts and I have to deal with the restrictions what can and can not be sent to my home. If I want to get something from MidwayUSA like ammo, reloading supplies, or anything the state's Attorney General doesn't like because she thinks it is evil, I have to send it to a friend who lives in a free state in NH. Have you considered trying reloading to bypass the restrictions of having ammo sent to you? If you decide to, are there restrictions in Candada to get reloading supplies like primers, powder, shot? If it isn't, you should because reloading is safe, economical, and fun to do. If you have questions, give me a shout and I'll help you out.

Just curious and hope things work out for you.

Frank

John,
I hunted around Huron. I did my part to get our group's bag avg up using my Win M42 the first day. I was shooting Win 3" 3/4 oz # 6 and never had so much fun. Day 2 & 3, the 20 ga came out. A BSS 28" M/F. Good fun too, just that the .410 feels so much more rewarding to me.

Frank, that stinks seems like that would b mail discrimination.:) ch