Anybody waterfowl with ML's?

[barebackjack]

I have access to a 20ga. side by side ML shotgun. We mostly hunt snow geese up here, and big ducks. Would this gauge even be worth messing with for large ducks and geese? I would of course be using bismuth.
Id say our average shots are right around 30 yards.
Id like to try it. Im already planning on taken it out upland hunting a few times.

Thanks

Boone

 

[No Deer]

I went out a couple of times last fall for duck, but did not get a shot. I intend to try again this year for duck and Canada geese. I am using my 20 ga. fusil. Hopefully I will be successful this year.

 

[Rebel]

I hunted ducks and geese for a few years with my Navy Arms double barrel .12 ga. They are a challenge. I wouldn't use a .20 ga, especially for geese, unless shooting close over decoys.

 

[Alberta Black]

We are planning some black powder ML hunts this fall for mallards and geese (Canada's)

We use 12 and 16 bore guns with No4 Bismuth and heavy shot loads (1 1/4 oz min) and moderate powder charges. I am thinking that #2 bismuth might be a better choice for geese.

The 20g ML would do fine but I also think that 30 yards is a long way for a cylinder bore gun. You may be able to develop some loads with shot sleeves that improve the pattern at 30 yards. It will take some testing in your gun.

There are some excellent posts on shot sleeves under the smoothbore section.

Richard

 

[colt100]

I bought a pedersoli 12 ga SxS last year. Took it out late in the season (that's when I bought it) but never have a duck or goose come close enough to shoot.

I did take it out for grouse though and had a blast hunting with it. I seemed to kit more birds in the air and it seemed to kill them better then my 835 does. The grouse don't flop around much when shot with the muzzleloader.

This year, my ML will be duck hunting in WI, and phesant hunting in SD. Our duck season opens here in sep and I'm getting excited. Actually we have an early goose season that opens on 09-01 so I'm hoping to knock a few out opf the sky.

The only down side is that bismuth is close to 100 dollars for 7 pounds (about 85-90 shots). Ouch!!

I plan on using #2 bismuth for geese and #4 for ducks. During duck season, I'm going to load #4 in the first barrel and #2 in the second as the second shot will be at a longer range and we can get shots at Geese while hunting.

Good luck and report back!!

 

[Rebel]

I used steel shot in my Navy Arms double barrel for ducks and geese. It isn't as affective as Bismuth, (have to keep your shots closer) but it is a LOT cheaper to shoot. Just use the special heavy plastic Steel Shot cups with it. I get mine from Ballistics Products. Used it for years and shot a lot of Steel through it, and no sign of bore wear. And if you have screw in chokes, use the open choke tubes.

 

[NORD]

I used steel shot in my Navy Arms double barrel for ducks and geese. It isn't as affective as Bismuth, (have to keep your shots closer) but it is a LOT cheaper to shoot. Just use the special heavy plastic Steel Shot cups with it. I get mine from Ballistics Products. Used it for years and shot a lot of Steel through it, and no sign of bore wear. And if you have screw in chokes, use the open choke tubes.

Good point...I use steel shot cups too...I just put an over the powder card under the shot cup to keep the powder from melting the plastic shot cup. Works great!

 

[NORD]

I seemed to kit more birds in the air and it seemed to kill them better then my 835 does. The grouse don't flop around much when shot with the muzzleloader.

I noticed this too when hunting ducks over decoys...and I found out why. It is because black powder doesn't 'shock' the shot in the shot cup when the powder charge fires therefore you get fewer flyers and more consistant shot groups. I guess the black powder more or less 'pushes' the shot cup out of the bore...more consistantly increasing velocity as it travels down the bore. Basically when you hunt with black powder you get more shot hitting the bird then with smokeless powders.

Have fun!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Nord is correct. Another benefit of using non-toxic shot and black powder is that you rarely will be shooting the shot over the speed of sound. All that velocity is lost in the first 20 yds, and with the limitations most BP shotgun shooters place on themselves, by waiting for the geese and ducks to get under 30 yds, their shot patterns are a lot more full of pellets, and the shot string has not had the time to string out as much as when shooting modern cartridge, and faster velocity loads. Rather than using that expensive Bismuth, I would think using something like the Iron Polymar would be a better buy, and give you denser patterns over longer yardage. Bismuth is brittle, and fully a third of the pellets at the bottom of the shot column will be ground to dust before it leaves the barrel. BP helps that problem because of its progressive burning, and slower pressure curve, but ou still lose some of those expensive pellet you are paying for, every time you pull the trigger.

 

[bron]

COLT100 mentions hunting grouse. Anybody try hunting pheasant? :hmm:

 

[NORD]

COLT100 mentions hunting grouse. Anybody try hunting pheasant? :hmm:

I have and I like it more than duck hunting(the other hunter in the blind don't tease me about making a smoke screen so they can't shoot any birds :rotf: )! Black powder works great on phesants I use 1 1/8oz #5 lead shot over 85 grains of 2F for them. Like I said before I think black powder brings birds down better then using smokeless shells and I really don't lead the bird any different.

 

[paulvallandigham]

PHeasant? Sure. I have killed a number of them with my double barreled shotgun. I use a 12 ga. and load it with 2 3/4 drams of FFg powder( 75 grains), and 1 1/4 oz. of #5 shot. Takes them down like a mac truck out to 35 yds, or so. No choke in either barrel. The load stays under 1100 fps, so I don't have to worry about the sound barrier opening up that pattern, and the added pellets gained by using a 1 1/4 oz. load instead of 1 1/8 oz. gives me about the same number of pellets i would have using #6 shot, with a 1 1/8 oz. load. I got this load, BTW, out of a reprint article in the American Rifleman magazine, about the commercial duck hunters on the Illinois River in the 1870s and '80s. This was their favorite 50 YARD Duck load!!

 

[No Deer]

I went quail hunting last fall with my trade gun. Was really cool. Even managed to score on a couple. Them lil buggers is fast. Gonna do it again this fall. Plan to try duck and goose also.

 

[caplock28g]

Cant help with waterfoul but I just got back from a high country Blue grouse hunt. My 12 bore IC & Mod slams em hard w/ 78g FF & an ounce of 6s on the right and 5s on the left.
The season is finally here--next up--Huns & Sharptail. Anyone hunt Quail in Nebraska?