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Duck loads other than steel
- Thread starter pownal55
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COL Jagdog
Member
Simple answer is that almost everyone shoots steel shot -- bismuth, tungsten matrix, etc is simply too expensive. You can buy great steel loads (12 gauge, 3 inch) with 1 1/4 oz steel shot in #3 or # 2 shot which is very effective on ducks out to 40 yards -- we use # 1's or BB's on geese -- I live in south Louisiana and hunted 9 days of our 16 day teal season this year and have made approx 20 duck/goose hunts this regular duck/goose season (for example, hunted 23 December with a friend and we limited on ducks - 7 teal, 2 pintails, widgeon, 2 grays plus 4 speckled-belly geese; and on Christmas day with 3 of us in the blind, limited on ducks -15 teal, 3 mallards plus 3 specks, 1 Canadian, 1 blue, 1 snow)
Steel shot works well as long as you place the pattern on the bird.
Steel shot works well as long as you place the pattern on the bird.
medxam
US Veteran
I agree! Just remember not to ruin your beautiful and wonderful older shotguns with the steel shot. If killing ducks is your passion, go out and buy yourself one of those UGLY camo semis. You can't hurt them and if goes "overboard", what the hell!
medxam
medxam
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
What year did the manufactors start buiding there shotguns to handle steel shot? I have a number of shotguns and several I really dont know if they are modern enough to try it. A browning BSS 12 gauge made about 1978 and a ithica supream skeet 20 guage model 37 made about 1984.
Both are as new.
Both are as new.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Can you post photos? I'd really like to see them esp. that M-37 with Skeet Grade wood.
The mystery novelist Victoria Houston has a B-SS and likes it. I heard that the gun was good, but that Browning had excess expenses or other hassles in manufacture. I believe the B-SS was made in Korea, not in Japan, by Miroku, as with their other guns.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
I remember watching an old Cajun chef on the cooking channel a few years ago, talking about going duck hunting with his best friend Boudreaux, taking a little drink of the cooking wine from time to time as he cooked and talked.
It seems that they had a difficult time throwing the dog high enough to catch the ducks flying overhead.
Pretty funny stuff.
Like most game critters, I took my first several ducks with a .22 single shot rifle way back in the late 1950's. Much easier when they cooperated by sitting still on a shallow pond. A little harder when wingshooting was called for.
Not sure if they have lead-free .22 Shorts available these days. Pretty sure that the Statute of Limitations has expired on any trivial violations my brothers and I may have committed back in the day!
It seems that they had a difficult time throwing the dog high enough to catch the ducks flying overhead.
Pretty funny stuff.
Like most game critters, I took my first several ducks with a .22 single shot rifle way back in the late 1950's. Much easier when they cooperated by sitting still on a shallow pond. A little harder when wingshooting was called for.
Not sure if they have lead-free .22 Shorts available these days. Pretty sure that the Statute of Limitations has expired on any trivial violations my brothers and I may have committed back in the day!
I have a 20 ga bss sporter and they are assemble in Korea with Japanese parts. I would not shoot steel through these guns though it may be acceptable. I have a camo 870 supermag but use only 3" shells for ducks.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Lots of the boys down here have been using a pretty good substitute-heavier than steel and has a knock down power like a sledge hammer. I think they call it lead
Alk8944
US Veteran
When I was still hunting ducks the best way I found was the newspaper! No season, no limit, bigger than wild, better fed, looked just like Mallards. No boat, cold, wet, no dog to feed/train. Never paid more than about $2.50 for any of them. How much do yours cost?
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
Texas star, here they are. The ithica has never been fired, the BSS I took out just one day and shot less than a box. I will have to doube check the BSS but I am almost positive this was built in japan by mirouki. I will correct myself tomorrow or so if I am wrong. I bought both brand new. Think there is a gold paper sticker on the stock yet on the ithica. Got the leather box for the BSS as you can see. EDITED: MY humble appologys, I just checked and it is korea!!
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fat tom
Absent Comrade
Lots of the boys down here have been using a pretty good substitute-heavier than steel and has a knock down power like a sledge hammer. I think they call it lead
Heavy dove loads work much better than steel. At least that's what I've been told.
f.t.
CAJUNLAWYER
Member
I've often wondered why the stores down here have so much turkey loads on the shelf in November seein' as to we ain't got no fall turkey season and there ain't been a turley seen south of I-10 everHeavy dove loads work much better than steel. At least that's what I've been told.
f.t.
Regarding steel shot in a BSS-It is safe as told to me by the gunsmith at Briley in Houston who opened up my chokes to Mod/IC on my first BSS. Just don't shoot anything bigger than #2's like F and T shot. If you look at the steel in those barrels - it's pretty stout, that ain't a lightweight English game gun no.
Unfortunately I sold it 
BTW-my new BSS is having its tubes opened up to SkI/SkII to shoot #3's steel . I hunt with a friend that shoots a BHE Parker Reproduction steel shot special for his duck hunting (he bought it new way back when and it's all he uses) and the barrels on my Browning are a little stouter that the Parker.
Back to the BSS. There is a cottage industry around those. The earlier guns were made in Japan and the later guns were made in Japan and assembled in Korea. The earlier guns were non selective and had a silver trigger. The later guns were selective and had a gold trigger. All the guns had ejectors All the box locks had beavertail forearms and came in either straight stock or pistol grip. The side locks are truly a piece of art and one of the nicest guns you can get for the money. Mine is made in Japan selective trigger 28" barrel and currently stocked m/f The 26" guns were IC/M. There are a few 26" M/F and 28" IC/M out there but those were the exception. It seems like all my shotguns with choke tubes wind up with Skeet choke in them. All I hunt is ducks with occasional dove, rabit or squirrel.
Now what I'd really like to do if I had more money than brains os to take that BSS I have, send it to Turnbull to have the receiver case hardened-the barrels rust blued, have the tang straightened and have it restocked with some exhibition Walnut with a splinter forearm and a straight stock. Now THAT would be the catz nutz!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Caj,
My BSS is a 20ga sporter, gold trigger, with ejectors, and selective trigger date if manufacture is 1978. It says made in Japan - assembled in Korea. It has 26" barrels modified and full. According to Browning that is their first year of production.
My BSS is a 20ga sporter, gold trigger, with ejectors, and selective trigger date if manufacture is 1978. It says made in Japan - assembled in Korea. It has 26" barrels modified and full. According to Browning that is their first year of production.
kwselke
Member
I cannot afford the non-steel non-toxic stuff, and have had good luck using 12 gauge, 3", 1 1/4 OZ, steel #3. It is good for 40 yard shots out of my Ruger Red Label 26". I generally have the first barrel choked to skeet and the second to Improved Cylinder. If I expect the shots to be long I switch the choke tubes out to IC and Modified.
There is a difference between steel shot brands and lines within brands. My preferred load is Winchester Super-X Drylok. It burns cleanly and is water resistant if it gets rained on or dropped in the water. I've also been known to use the equivalent load by Fiocchi and Federal due to prices.
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CAJUNLAWYER
Member
Mine was made in 1980 in Japan. They are beautiful guns!
