Next Year....What will you do different!

[D3Smartie]

Work on getting a petition together and letter to the commission to end flooded corn adding in invisimans, long lines setups and a new secret weapon for hunting off rocks.

Go watch the commission briefing on corn ponds from 2019 before you spend too much time on that one.

Invintus Media Inc. — Media Player

Hour 6 or so

 

[paulm]

Field decoys for me. Ordered some for last hunt and more yesterday. Kent #4's

 

[Spencer5100]

The question I am wrestling with is if I go away from steel and go to one of the heavy shot alternatives. I have not done this due to the expense. But when I look back at my season what I am realizing is the sheer number of shots I am taking waterswatting crippled birds. If an alternative to steel would give me better performance I might be able to justify the extra expense by actually using less shells.

Any thoughts on what to avoid or what to get?

Keep shooting steel and be more selective with your shots. Federal is my favorite, Rio is decent too.

Tungsten is absolutely ridiculously effective and at silly ranges, but way overkill for day in day out decoying birds and not feasible if adding a few layout blinds is already a stretch from a budgetary perspective. Bismuth is a hilariously poor value given how nominal the density improvement is over steel and the issues it has that steel doesn't.

 

[All Day]

Work on getting a petition together and letter to the commission to end flooded corn adding in invisimans, long lines setups and a new secret weapon for hunting off rocks.

Our commission doesn't read petitions. BUT, being stacked with anti-hunters, do you REALLY want to give them more to close?? Someone didn't like the spring bear hunt.....

 

[WidgeonmanGH]

Bismuth is a hilariously poor value given how nominal the density improvement is over steel and the issues it has that steel doesn't.

Not sure what specific issues it has. But I have watched quite a few youtube videos where they shoot steel into ballistic gel and boss into ballistic gel at 40 yards. Usually at least an inch difference in penetration. Add that to the fact that I could go down in shot size (from 3s to 5s) increasing the number of pellets (158 1oz 3" 3s vs 285 pellets #5s) on target and I am thinking this is significant.

We are forced to be fairly selective on our shots due to having a 25 shell rule on our marsh. Later in the season though the birds get educated. You can get them into the deeks but you need to be sitting 30 yards off your deeks or they just flare off. If on your first shot you feather the bird now you are going to be at 40 yards+ on any follow up shots. I also hit birds, feathers drifting in the wind on 30 yard over the decoys shots and they just fly off. I went to 6s on the first shot, but in the wind that does not work. So I am thinking that significant bit of penetration is going to make a big difference in my situation. I am definitely going to try a few boxes next year. If I can reduce my shell count per hunt it can make the difference in the $$.

 

[Spencer5100]

Not sure what specific issues it has. But I have watched quite a few youtube videos where they shoot steel into ballistic gel and boss into ballistic gel at 40 yards. Usually at least an inch difference in penetration. Add that to the fact that I could go down in shot size (from 3s to 5s) increasing the number of pellets (158 1oz 3" 3s vs 285 pellets #5s) on target and I am thinking this is significant.

We are forced to be fairly selective on our shots due to having a 25 shell rule on our marsh. Later in the season though the birds get educated. You can get them into the deeks but you need to be sitting 30 yards off your deeks or they just flare off. If on your first shot you feather the bird now you are going to be at 40 yards+ on any follow up shots. I also hit birds, feathers drifting in the wind on 30 yard over the decoys shots and they just fly off. I went to 6s on the first shot, but in the wind that does not work. So I am thinking that significant bit of penetration is going to make a big difference in my situation. I am definitely going to try a few boxes next year. If I can reduce my shell count per hunt it can make the difference in the $$.

Mostly comes down to it not patterning well and the pellets shattering.

 

[WidgeonmanGH]

Mostly comes down to it not patterning well and the pellets shattering.

I did read some stuff on the patterning. I think folks are saying it likes a tighter choke than steel. I figure since it is a new shell I will have to take it out and shoot the cardboard at 40 yards and see what works in my gun.

I saw the shattering pellets thing too. Watching for that will be interesting. Tradeoffs in everything.

 

[D3Smartie]

I did read some stuff on the patterning. I think folks are saying it likes a tighter choke than steel. I figure since it is a new shell I will have to take it out and shoot the cardboard at 40 yards and see what works in my gun.

I saw the shattering pellets thing too. Watching for that will be interesting. Tradeoffs in everything.

FYI found a bunch of shattered pellets in some ducks we have been eating.

 

[Billy hill]

Bismuth. I shot 167 birds this year. 12 birds had pellet fragments. Really cold, faster than 1325 fps is where the fracturing problem seems to come from. Almost all the shells were shot from a maxus with a briley imp modified. One oz of #4 rotometal reloaded through 2 3/4 gun clubs with lead wads. At 1 oz and buying bulk the shells cost is less than $1.00. I would offer to have a reloading day with a couple western WA. hunters.

 

[WidgeonmanGH]

FYI found a bunch of shattered pellets in some ducks we have been eating.

Do you use a metal detector or is it obvious?

Bismuth. I shot 167 birds this year. 12 birds had pellet fragments. Really cold, faster than 1325 fps is where the fracturing problem seems to come from. Almost all the shells were shot from a maxus with a briley imp modified. One oz of #4 rotometal reloaded through 2 3/4 gun clubs with lead wads. At 1 oz and buying bulk the shells cost is less than $1.00. I would offer to have a reloading day with a couple western WA. hunters.

That is really generous of you to offer. I will probably try factory loads this year and go from there. Starting to get tempting though and I might need to think about it. Between my son and I we go through 13-15 boxes of shells (with steel and lots of water swats). That could be substantial savings.