Reloading Duck and Goose rounds

R

Rock Knocker

Well-known member
I reload my rifle stuff but have never reloaded for shotguns.

I dont do hardly any clay shooting but have been going through a bunch of ammo for geese and ducks. This would all be in 3in 12ga BB to maybe 6 shot for woodies.

Shot selection would be good to know. We would like to try something other than steel but there are all sorts of shot out there.

Any pointers and some experience would be great. Thanks.
 
I load soft ITX (Ballistic Products) and Nice Shot (Precision Reloading)for my older doubles. Most of mine are in 12ga 2 1/2" shells with 7/8-1oz of 4 or 5 shot. All my ducking is over decoys so I can load pretty light and still killem.

My new favorite duck gun 1941 Husqvqrna Model 51

Husqvarna51001.jpg


Ballistic Products shotshell loading manuel "Advantages" has alot of good info on reloading Steel, Tungsten and ITX shot.

Precision Reloading says you can use lead shot data for Nice Shot. I would double check on that with them.
 
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I've loaded Bismuth and Hevi-shot for about 12 years, both of which are superior to steel shot. Bismuth is not made anymore, but ITX and Nice Shot are very similar in density, around 9.6gr/10.0grs per cc. Hevi-shot comes in at 12.0grs per cc.

I load 1oz of #6 Hevi-shot for the 20ga and 1 1/8oz of #6 for the 12ga. These loads hammer ducks. When I expect geese, I load the same amounts but use #4 Hevi-shot.

#4 Hevi-shot will shoot through mallards in excess of 45-50yds and crush geese. #6 Hevi-shot will cleanly take mallards over 40yds.

I've no experience with ITX or NiceShot.

Ballistic Products and Bucks Run are good places to get the shot and wads, as well as loading data.
 
Actually I load left over Bismuth, one purchase of ITX, and
Hevi-Shot, for 20 ga., 12 ga., and 10 ga. I haven't noticed
a difference in lethality of Bismuth over ITX shot. I will
say that ITX shot was a disappointment. It actually weighs
less than Bismuth, and MUCH lighter than Hevi-Shot...According
to my Denver Instruments MXX-123(accurate to +/- .02 grains
or .000003 ounces) scale. I asked Ballistics Products(BP)
about that, since the advertising implied it was a Bismuth
replacement, and I was severely dissatisfied with ITX shot
weight, for the money I spent on it. I would have
expected it to be at least as heavy as bismuth, and maybe a
tad heavier. But NO, and they weren't all that friendly
about my inquiry. Don't get me wrong, I like BP, and I spend
a fair amount of money there, but their ITX shot is not a
good value, unless you are loading for an older gun that can't
tolerate higher pressures from modern non-toxic loads.
If you are loading for a modern shotgun, forget ITX, and load
Hevi-Shot. Yes, Hevi-Shot is a hammer. With volume
component purchases, one should be able to save 30-50% on
factory Hevi-Shot ammo, and using BP reloading data, tune
your loads to your choke/gun.

Squeeze

P.S. I just checked BP's prices on Hevi-SHot...Gone way up!
I will be shopping around for my next Hevi-Shot purchase.
 
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I just got another 10 lbs of Heavy Weight 13 #4 shot from Bucks Run Sports Supply. It is just a little denser than Hevi-Shot at 13g/cc.

I got 10 lbs shipped to my house for $196.50. The last bag I got was Heavy Weight 13 #6 shot. This shot looks much better than Hevi-Shot, it is round and the size of the shot looks very consistent.

You can reload 142 shells with 1-1/8 oz of shot in them out of a 10 lb bag of shot. So that comes to $1.38 per shell just for the shot. This seems pretty expensive but when you compare what it costs to reload these Heavy Weight 13 shells to what Hevi-Shot Factory loads cost, reloading them is a good deal.

I think the Hevi-Shot at BPI is $229.00 for 7 lbs plus shipping.
 
Holy smokes, didn't expect that stuff to be SO spendy.

We may be sticking to steel.

What kind of pressure signs are there to look for? Im not going to lie the quality of our aim and firearms arent at the same level as AWS. I would like to get some strong loads, these geese are staying further away each day. I may have to try that heavier stuff a little later in the year.
 
Originally Posted By: Rock KnockerWhat kind of pressure signs are there to look for?

In shotgun reloading, there are none, you just blow up your gun.

Stick to published loads and if you're loading for steel, take a look at the MEC Steelmaster.
http://www.mecreloaders.com/productline/SteelMaster.asp

I would also take a long look at the The Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook, 5th Edition (http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publications/shotshell-5.php)

Seriously, stick to published and tested loads. You can't monkey around with shotgun shells like you can with reloading center fire.

Take everything you learned about reloading thus far, throw it out the window, and make sure you are loading compatible components designed for your application. Specifically, steel wads, powder compatible for steel, and good hulls.
 
If steel is working for you, keep using it. Save the good stuff for when conditions are difficult.

You may be a better shot than you think. You may be hitting the birds with steel shot but they show no reaction, whereas Hevishot would drop them.
 

Half the birds that get away are missing feathers. Im new to this much bird hunting and seeing this many wounded animals get away isnt acceptable.


Originally Posted By: SShooterZOriginally Posted By: Rock KnockerWhat kind of pressure signs are there to look for?

In shotgun reloading, there are none, you just blow up your gun.

Stick to published loads and if you're loading for steel, take a look at the MEC Steelmaster.
http://www.mecreloaders.com/productline/SteelMaster.asp

I would also take a long look at the The Lyman Shotshell Reloading Handbook, 5th Edition (http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publications/shotshell-5.php)

Seriously, stick to published and tested loads. You can't monkey around with shotgun shells like you can with reloading center fire.

Take everything you learned about reloading thus far, throw it out the window, and make sure you are loading compatible components designed for your application. Specifically, steel wads, powder compatible for steel, and good hulls.

Thanks for the heads up I will do some research.
 
The one thing that you can do to improve the killing power of your duck gun is to wait till they get CLOSER befor you shoot.

Work on your blind placement, decoy spread and calling. Shoot rounds of skeet with ammo that is loaded to the same speed as you hunting loads. Practice with your gun in a true low gun position, toe of the stock touching the point of your hip so mounting the gun is second nature.

I had a great mentor starting out, it was along time ago. If he didn't kill 20+ ducks per box of shells there was something wrong and that was with 7 1/2 trap loads out of his Model 31 Skeet gun.

If your hnting public land with alot of skybusters look for better spots to hunt. There are always little tucked away areas that people don't go to that can produce some great hunts.

I look at it like this, if I only see seven ducks all day but all seven decoy well I'm better off than being in a place where I see 200 ducks but getting them to comitt to the decoys is difficult.
 
The best bird hunting so far was at some public land next to a creek, we had wood ducks zooming through the trees everywhere. This is the first year I have duck hunted and the second year I've goose hunted. I have always shot for pheasant and grouse using lead, no problems.

These ducks are moving pretty fast but the switch to steel is disapointing. I just picked up a full steel choke. I rather miss clean than let them fly away with a couple pellets.
 


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