Steel shot and choke question

[dak0ta]

Hi,

Can you guys recommend me a steel shot load for large ducks/geese? What shot size, FPS, and charge do you recommend. Also what kind of choke do you recommend? Which brands do you recommend between Remington, Winchester, and federal?

I have a Mossberg 500 with 28'' barrel and IC, M, F chokes.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Take your pick

You would get a lot of different answers on this one; I'm not the "Duck Commander" so here is my style and preferences:

I only shoot over decoys (20-40 yards), I never pass-shoot until the last day of the season. I river hunt out of a jon-boat. Clean-kills only as I have no dog yet. I usually shoot them as they stall or flair. Works good on Mallards, Spoonies and Teal. Not so good on Pintails as the drakes usually hide back or tight in the flocks behind the hens so its hard for me to pick them out.

With that said..

I shoot 3" # 2, usually Fast-Steel and 2 3/4 #2 Remington. I like to get more than 1,400 fps but OK with more than 1,200. I use 3" BB for any cripples in the water. I don't shoot geese any more. I load the 2 3/4 in the barrel and next in the mag, then the 3" is my 3rd shot.

I shoot a variety of shotguns, my everyday gun is a Hatsan Escort; I use the modified choke. What I get are ducks that fall straight down and die. I shoot an O/U as a back up and I only shoot 2 3/4 with it, Mod for 1st shot and Full for 2nd shot.

****Word of caution****

I used to shoot my 870 (made in 1985, a Wingmaster), 26" barrel with full choke using shells like "Heavy shot", "matrix", "tungsten" etc. I peeled back the muzzle like a banana one day. No lie, just like the cartoons, 6 to 8" back.

It was not mud in the muzzle either..

I sent some pieces of the choke to Remington; they told me that my choke tube did not have a rating for steel and to never use full chokes with that stuff that won't roll in the wad,

Even though it had "steel" stamped on it.

There will be some that would differ or question my claim (that's OK) but I promise you, once it happens to you...you will see.

So, I leave my full chokes at home.

Hope this helps.

 

[jmr40]

I use #2 steel for most ducks and if there is a possibility of a goose flying over. BBB if I know I'll be shooting geese. For smaller wood ducks at close range #4 steel. Bought up a bunch of Winchester Drylok shells several years ago when I had a honey hole to hunt over. Lost that place and it will take several years before I shoot up what I have unless I get into a better spot to hunt. There may be better choices out there, but they seem to work OK for me.

I kill more ducks with IC choke. I've used modified some. Probably a better choice for really long shots, but I've found I'm best to use IC and pass on the long shots. Most full chokes are not rated for steel shot and probably would not be a good choice anyway. Steel tends to shoot tighter patterns than lead. Generally a modified tube will produce full patterns with steel. IC will usually give true modified patterns with steel.

 

[dak0ta]

Do I need to use magnum shells or will the regular 2 3/4'' work fine?

 

[MCgunner]

2 3/4 Winchester Hi Speed (1550 fps) works for me in number 3 preferably or number 2 as an alternative. This is for ducks over decoys. I hunt snow geese, a little wiser than your average goose and on a clear day won't come down into 40 yard land, often. For these, since the hevi shot tungsten stuff got stupid in price, I bought a 10 gauge and shoot 3.5" steel T shot at 'em, brings 'em down from way up there.

I generally choke modified for best patterns, but pattern YOUR gun. I have a modified choke in my 10 and it patterns over 90 percent 30" at 40 yards. Inside 40 yards, T shoots right through a snow goose. It will take a goose down at beyond 60, but the pattern is getting pretty thin out there. If they ain't comin' down into 50-60 yards, it just ain't my day. With BB steel and 12 gauge 3", beyond 40 and preferably 35, forget it. I tired of the routine with BB steel. 3" hevi shot BB is effective if you have lots of money in your ammo budget. I've about paid for my 10, I'm sure, in ammo cost savings. I'm now reloading the 10 which helps a lot.

 

[Ole Humpback]

I sent some pieces of the choke to Remington; they told me that my choke tube did not have a rating for steel and to never use full chokes with that stuff that won't roll in the wad,

Even though it had "steel" stamped on it.

There will be some that would differ or question my claim (that's OK) but I promise you, once it happens to you...you will see.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't steel shot rated barrels before the 1970's non-existent? I can't recall a shotgun made by anyone (be it Stevens, Winchester, Remington, or even Browning) that had a barrel rated for steel shot before then. Browning didn't make its first steel shot rated barrel until the B-80 from what I've read on Brownings webpage.

 

[MCgunner]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't steel shot rated barrels before the 1970's non-existent? I can't recall a shotgun made by anyone (be it Stevens, Winchester, Remington, or even Browning) that had a barrel rated for steel shot before then. Browning didn't make its first steel shot rated barrel until the B-80 from what I've read on Brownings webpage.

Before 1980 steel shot and barrels for it were pretty much non-existant. Not sure when they first came available. The law came into affect here in 1980 and in most states. I had to buy a new shotgun as I'd have ruined my old SxS I had been using, well, traded a motorcycle frame for an old one, a Mossberg built Revelation M310 and ordered a steel rated barrel and accu-choke for it. It had a "c-lect choke" on it that wouldn't have lasted one shot. I later bought an all new Mossberg in 1991 or so just because I wanted a new one at the time. The old one was still shooting.

 

[627PCFan]

I like #4 hevi for ducks and #2 steel through a mod choke. If your going for geese I like t steel shot, and moved away from hevi for geese. Performance didn't justify the cost. You should pattern on paper but the rule of thumb is the larger the shot (I say above #2) with a mod choke your patterns start to become blown with steel.

 

[303tom]

I load my own 3in. steel BB`s, 12 gauge & that is all I use for waterfowl !

 

[jmr40]

While no one specifically rated their barrels safe for steel shot prior to the late 70's or so many of the older guns handled it just fine. The older doubles which used very thin steel in their barrels to keep weight down are the least likely to handle steel shot.

As long as you don't use a gun with a fixed full choke most of the older pumps and autos with thicker steel barrels worked OK. I still wouldn't use it in an older gun that had any real or sentimental value in case it did cause any damage. If I found an old 60's or 70's era 870 with a modified choke and wanted to use it, I would. If the barrel splits a new one is easy enough to get.