Hevi-Shot, Tungsten, or Bismuth?

[T Bone]

Its all ridiculously expensive but what is best for long shots?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 12-31-2003 21:55: Message edited by: T Bone ]</font>

 

[mtmiller]

Pass on the long shots, bring them in close and shoot when you see their lips.

Just kidding, sounds like you guys had to pass shoot them so you probably didn't have a choice.

I am no help on your question since I am too cheap to buy those shells. You mentioned that you were using BB. I usually use BBB or T shot, so you may want to try a larger shot size. Also, don't aim for the body. I put it out in front of the bird and try to put the steel in the head of neck. As you mentioned, they are pretty thick on the breast.

On another note, swans are fairly naive. If you are hunting over water, you may want to try tying off some white garbage bags and use them as decoys. Fill them with air and weigh them down, if swans are in the air and there are no live swans on the water to draw them in, you should get them right in your face. Best of luck.

Hope to hear of your success.

 

[MEATHEAD]

If you are going to use this expensive stuff just use lead and if you get caught you would havve saved enough money to pay the fine.

Just use steal and go bigger if you need to.

 

[T Bone]

Mt Miller and Meathead,

I'm thinking that I was patterning the body area. I'll try to extend lead to get the pattern around the head and that long old neck. Maybe go to a modified choke instead of IC.

I drove all over town yesterday looking for the Hevi-shot stuff. Only one store in town has it, and they are proud of it. $30 for 10 shells. Its not the money, its the principal of paying $3 a pop. I ended up buying some T shot.

 

[MEATHEAD]

Should work just fine.

 

[Moosie]

T-bone.... It's funny how Some guys Kill geese/etc. with 2-3/4" 2 shot... then Others need 3-1/2" Toungsten

That being said, I like the Big good shot

Good luck to ya Again !!

 

[JoseCuervo]

T-Bone,

I have only seen two swans shot, and they were illegal. Some kids down on the Boise shot them while we were across the river. They killed one, and wounded the other. I called the game warden, and he came out. We had to chase this big ol' Swan all across a hay field, and into a creek. I finally caught the Swan, after getting beat to death by the wings.

They are a dang big bird, and it would have defeated the purpose if I had hit back, so I just kept getting beat, until it was subdued.

But, as for the shot size, for Geese, I used to be a big fan of T's. Then I started using BBB's, then BB and started thinking more were dying. Then I got some 1's, and had a couple of good days. And then 2's.... GirlGunner used 20ga 3" #2s for her one shot/one goose.

Here's my current thinking, and I may be all wrong. There are two ways to put a goose (or swan) down. A "kill shot" to the head/neck, or a broken wing. Shots to the body will not always knock them down, as I have seen plenty of feathers fall out of birds that never missed a beat. That being said, I do not believe it matters if it is a headshot, if it is a T or a #2. They are both big enough to kill. Look at how we kill Turkeys.

For a Wingshots, I think the chances of breaking a bone are greatly increased with the added number of pellets sent toward the goose (swan). And I believe #2's still have adequate energy to break a wing bone. I still prefer BB for Geese, but I will not hesitate to mooch a #1 or #2 from somebody else, and kill geese.

 

[mtmiller]

I guess I now have a use for those two cheap boxes of 7 1/2 steel I picked up last year.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I am guessing the "effectiveness curve" has an inflection point, and the advantages to my theory fade.

What size shot do you use for Turkey? Wouldn't the theory be the same???

 

[T Bone]

Gunner,

Another factor I was wondering about is penetration. Wondering if the smaller shot at the same velocity will penetrate better than the bigger stuff.

That theory hinges on whether small steel looses velocity faster than big steel. I'd guess it does, but the big stuff has more exposed mass, thus more drag.....hell, I'll buck up and buy some hevi-shot.

I'd guess that any 2 or larger shot will kill out to 60 yards if you hit the head or the looooong neck. That was my problem I think, I wasn't aiming for the head/neck. The pellets were being stopped cold by the 4" of down.

Miller's 7 1/2 shot waterfoul loads might be the ticket to folding them up on those long shots.