Pheasant and Duck Loads

[charlie cleveland]

why not just shoot the 2 3/4 inch steel load lots cheaper and not hard on gun or pocket book.....charlie

[Opening Day]

Charlie is right, in Repo's (not original Parkers) with open chokes you can shoot steel. You need TM or Bismuth if you are going to original old Parkers.

[Feathersjr]

Charlie and Eric:

I agree with both of you. BUT, I do not like steel. Admittedly they are making much better steel shot loads then several years ago, but I've seen to many ducks hit with steel still continue to fly off and you know they were going to die a short distance away. If you don't break a wing bone or get a neck or head shot they continue to fly. Losing a wounded bird, duck, or animal is painful for me and my experience with steel tells me it just doesn't have the same impact and killing power that lead, Bismuth, Hevi-shot, etc. has. I know it costs considerably more but so far I have been able to just "grin and bear it".

John

[Opening Day]

Agree with you on that John, I don't do much waterfowl hunting so I was looking at it from a cost point of view.

[Blind Dog]

I agree, no steel or hard stuff in an old barrel and through no choke tighter than a nominal modified. I use "Black Cloud" 2&3/4", one ounce #3 in the gun pictured below (and recently posted as my grouse/woodcock gun) where notox is required such as certain public hunting lands in SD and waterfowl. The latter game is approached with my sneaky <12' canoe. The gun is a 1901 VH which I bought with barrells cut from 30" to <26". I burst the left barrel at the end of the forend (all fngers accounted for) with a 1&1/2 oz load (obstruction, honed too thin? I don't know) and Kirk Merrington sleeved in a new pair, nominally choked Sk in and Sk out; thus, steel is ok. I also stretched the shortened pull with a Galazan/Silvers pad; comb height is just right; balance point an inch behind the pin.

Clearly steel is not an effective substitute for lead, but maybe better than pebbles or rock salt.

Happy Hunting, Fred