10 gauge for predators

You are correct Tim about the lesser weight per BB causing less energy but steel shot also does not transfer this energy to the target very efficiently like lead does. I see it on ducks all the time, steel shot goes straight thru and all you have is the wound channel. by deforming a little lead shot actually causes more trama and delivers the energy to the target better. Thats why you get more cripples using steel shot where as back when lead shot was legal you killed more with out a follow up shot.
 
I don't think steel pellets go completely through a duck very often. The duck would have to be pretty close and if 2 or 3 steel pellets went completely through a duck the duck would fall.

Tungsten pellets are very hard and they don't deform when they enter a coyote. The tungsten pellets penetrate much deeper than Copper Coated lead pellets do and they break bones like crazy.

Copper coated lead and Nickel coated lead pellets where used for waterfowl for years before lead was made illegal to use on waterfowl. The Copper coated and Nickel plated shot were used because it deformed less, gave better patterns and penetrated deeper than lead pellets did.
 
I hunted with an Ithaca Auto Mag 10ga for years, 32" barrel.
You could get the 2 1/2 oz of copper coated lead bb's back then, and 54 pellets of #4 buck(?)

Later on, I got a Browning Gold 10ga auto with invector chokes.

Both were really fine shotguns, but the Ithaca would pattern better than the browning.

65 yards with either with std full choke and #4 buck shot would kill a coyote graveyard dead. I have made shots at further distances, but I consider it luck.

I would not consider shooting a pump or single shot 10ga, they can knock your spine out of alignment and give you a bad flinch on your rifle shooting.
 
Guy I hunt with has 10ga BPS and I have the mag ten.I would not have thought there was that much difference but that BPS really whops you
 
Originally Posted By: ackleyman... I would not consider shooting a pump or single shot 10ga, they can knock your spine out of alignment and give you a bad flinch on your rifle shooting.

The day I bought my single shot H&R .10 gauge I shot a box of 25 shells through it at the range patterning it and busting up some clays on a dirt berm. Guess I'm too dumb to know I'm getting the crap kicked outta me.
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Edit: I probably wouldn't do that today. That may not have been the smartest thing to do at the time but it really didn't bother me back then. Now, who knows it might be a different story.
 
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Usually when I shoot at something when I'm hunting I don't even notice the recoil, too excited I guess. But I don't think i would want to say shoot a round of trap or anything with a 10 gauge.

I usually shoot a bunch of ducks each year and steel shot usaully does pass through. Thats why alot of companies are offering non-round shot now, like black cloud and winchester has some that are actually square. They are supposed to transfer more energy to the target.

I'm not familiar with shot count for buck shot very much, how many extra pellets does a ten gauge give you in say #4?
 
My concern on the 3 1/2" with 54 Buck is that the shot column is so long. Shot on the bottom of the column may seem to take a lot of compression upon ignition.

Would love to see some patterns of this heavy pay load in 12 ga.
 
My concern on the 3 1/2" with 54 Buck is that the shot column is so long. Shot on the bottom of the column may seem to take a lot of compression upon ignition.

Would love to see some patterns of this heavy pay load in 12 ga.
 
Shoots realy well out of a 835 mossberg with a tru glow turkey choke can't remember how many pellets in a 10in circle at fifty yards but I killed a 45 pound female at 60 yards[rangefinder]one shot.Now she is in my gun room on my tv.they may shoot so well out of tha gun because the over bore they have more like a 10 gauge but maybe that me and I don't know everthing
 
I tried a few 3 1/2" loads with my 12 gauge and found that I couldn't get them to pattern well at all so I switched back to 3" shells. Sounds like if your gun and choke will pattern the 3 1/2" they would be almost as good as a 10 gauge. Thats alot of pellets flying down range.
 
The 10ga is a great goose shell/gun combo I have a Browning gold and a BPS. Both with 30" barrels and invector chokes. Reloading for the 10ga is the only way to go. You will not see me packing them for predators. A 2 3/4" load of #4 buck out of a 12ga or 20ga is all you need for them. The biggest factor that a 10ga would bring to the field as a predator gun, it is possible to get ultra tight groups of lead BB out past 70yds. You are going to need to reload, to afford to shoot lead BB loads.
 
I think when it comes to shotguning predators there is no suchthing as to much shot in the air.AND I like to be diffrent.yes I did alot of testing on diffrent loads and my 10ga will out pattern and range my 12ga with about the same recoil.But thats just me with my guns
 
The Winchester 10ga load has 54 pellets of #4 buck not 56. I also have an 870 3 1/2" gun. For me the added weight of the ten gauge guns help make the recoil more manageable than the 3 1/2" 12ga pumps. And I will take on a 2 3/4" gun of any gauge against my SP10. They just aren't the same. And yes, steel will shoot through a duck quite easily. The less energy transferred equates to the difference in cripples and loaded up birds that fly off. For all those who remember shooting lead at ducks, it should come back to you having to pick the feather surrounded shot out of birds.
 


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