16ga.com ~ View topic - Non-toxic waterfowl loads?

Member Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 1863 Location: Wisconsin

Bismuth worked great this morning! Reno

Member Joined: 25 Jan 2014 Posts: 49 Location: Indiana

Load my own and still use lead.

I want to load some ITX for my Lefever, but I can't find powder (longshot) anywhere. Frustrating.

Joined: 03 Sep 2014 Posts: 398 Location: Rochester, MN

I started using a 16 gauge for waterfowl hunting last season for the first time in many years. I found the commercial loads (with the exception of Sporting Ammo) to be very ineffective.

I started reloading #3 and #1 steel (7/8 oz), VP-80 wad in Cheddite hulls. The load has a published velocity of 1550 fps. It patterns well and I killed several ducks and 3 Giant Canada Geese with it last season.

I was using the same data as John was. NONE of my 16's patterned worth a darn with that load. I backed off on the powder charge a bit and suddenly it all came together. My Mossberg 500B likes it's poly choke ( a real Poly Choke not a C lect choke) at MOD for best patterns with #2 through #6 and my Express 870 likes a IMP MOD Trulock choke. I loaded some B shot and my Express puts enough pellets in a duck silo to be effective at 50 yards. I still shoot a lot of Federal and Remington 16 ga steel and found it works well too.

Darryl

Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Posts: 38 Location: Portland OR

Older 16 - of course you don't mean to say you shoot lead at waterfowl.

One thing I'll say for Hevi-shot is that the "heavier than lead" pellets pack a punch when you connect with a bird. I don't know how they pattern in my Citori, however. I may have to experiment with a couple loads this fall.

Joined: 03 Sep 2014 Posts: 398 Location: Rochester, MN

I am going to try the B loads on big ducks and geese this opener. I use the mica wad lube and buffer for the big pellets. I am shooting Copperhead BB's (actual size B) I got cheap at Wal-Mart. I have no fear of any barrel damage as the express has the thickest barrel walls I have seen on a 16 bore. Not to mention it is not a collector grade gun but a workhorse.

Darryl

Over the years I have purchased reloaded and still have ITX, Nice Shot, Bismuth and Hevi Shot. Using the right stuff for the right distance and critter is the key. It all works. Hevi Shot CRUSHES ducks and geese. I always carry some #2's for long shots on cripples and amazed some '12 or 10 gauge only' guys in the blind with a kill shot at about 70 yards on a rapidly swimming away goose.
Bismuth or Nice Shot for my older fixed 'full and mod' guns. ITX is supposed to work as well in the tight choked ones but I will stick to the Bismuth based stuff for them.
The good thing about the heavier non-tox is I don't have to shoot it super fast for it to work. Easier on me and the gun.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I use nice shot mostly for non-toxic, just easy for me.

I would like your steel load that is 1550fps though!

If a hunter wants to use a good old shotgun, then steel is not a good idea because of the possibility of damage to a fine barrel. I've used bismuth shot and tungsten polymer shot in my guns with excellent results on ducks (like lead shot used to do). Were I forced to the only choice being steel shot I believe I would only care to shoot it through one of the modern guns designed for the purpose, and I would regret not being able to shoot my older favorite shotguns that feel so much nicer to me.