Where can I get a couple pounds of HEVI-SHOT ?

[roundball]

Was delivering Christmas hams & presents to the landowner families today who let me hunt on their land.....and one of them asked me if I'd be interested in helping them get rid of some Canada geese on the farm.

They have a couple ponds close to the farm buildings and Canadas stay there year round...they said the flock has just gotten too big and is really a problem this year in particular...due to the drought they have to buy truckloads of hay for their livestock...and the Canadas go to the rows of round bales of hay and just eat away at it all day, every day.

Just checked to see that the season is open until January 26 with a daily limit of 5...would like to try and snag some with a Flintlock smoothbore...but need some non-toxic shot to do it...I have steel but won't use it as I'd have to use a plastic shot cup for steel and the settlers didn't have plastic shot cups.

Smallest quantity I can find is a 7 pound bottle for $140 at Midway, but I only need a pound or so...does anybody know where I can get a couple pounds of non-toxic shot like HEVI-SHOT (Tungsten, Bismuth, etc). If I can get #7.5s or #6s I'll take head shots like turkey hunting...but I can probably make #5s or #4s work too.

 

[roundball]

After additional research it looks like I'll actually need "Tungsten-Matrix shot" to avoid needing a shot cup like that used for steel shot...

 

[pmwest]

I have not been able to find Tungsten-matrix available anywhere except loaded in shot shells (Kent). About $37 for a box of 10 shells. 2 boxes of shells will get you a pound and a half of shot. #1 shot should do well for close range geese.

 

[roundball]

I have not been able to find Tungsten-matrix available anywhere except loaded in shot shells (Kent). About $37 for a box of 10 shells. 2 boxes of shells will get you a pound and a half of shot. #1 shot should do well for close range geese.

Yes, I was looking at that as a possible alternative myself...and I suspect there are very, very few people whould even have loose T/M shot on hand for reloading...it would basically only be used by duck & goose hunters and no more than they'd probably use in a season they probably all just buy the shells.

By the time I add shipping...or bought some locally and paid sales tax...it would probably be $80-$90 for a couple boxes of shells and then there would be all that waste of hulls, powder, primers, etc.

If I can't find a couple pounds loose...and if I still decide to go through with the Flintlock approach...I'll probably just bite the bullet and order a 7 pound bottle from Midway...$150 to my door but then I might be able to sell a couple pounds to somebody else who had a similar interest next year or something...guess I'll give it a couple days and see what turns up. (or use it for turkey hunting with it's 40% greater pattern range & penetration)

PS: This is a good read comparing the various non-toxic shot and whether or not protective shot cups are required like they are for steel...if I read it right, Tungsten-Matrix is the only one that can be used without them, said it was even safe in old vintage guns as it so closely matches the properties of soft lead.
[url] http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/guns-shooting/gf_aa116802a/#cont[/url]

 

[boar]

No offence Roundball, but if it were, me I would bite the bullet and put in the shot cups and pretend I am in the 20's Century. I only ate wild geese once, it was the breast fried in butter,good. That was all that was used from the goose. Just think my vehicle has plastic and you will be alright. Good hunting

 

[roundball]

I hear you and no offense taken...just to help out this couple I could run up there with my Remington 1187 & a box of steel #2s I have but don't want to do that either...this Full jug choked .62cal throws outstanding patterns to 40yds just using the bare bore...kind of like that approach.

Can't do anything about the coil mainspring in my TC Hawkens that keeps a few special people's shorts in a knot :rotf: but I can at least choose to stay away from plastic shot cups...I know the Tungsten-Matrix shot is ridiculously expensive but if I didn't spend the money on the Tungston shot I'd probably fritter it away on something eles :grin:...and I'm not even certain I'll do it, just tossing out some feelers and I appreciate getting feed back like yours.

Merry Christmas!

:thumbsup:

 

[bpbrs]

Roundball, hevi-shot is as hard as steel.
You want bismuth it is softer.

You might be better off purchasing a box of bismoth turkey loads and cutting the hulls open. Turkey loads carry a heavier load that waterfowl shotshells.
this will give you your pound of shot.
OR
Ballistic Products sells all kinds of shot and loading components.

bpb

 

[Halftail]

Use whatever you want but once the shooting starts them Geese(If they are wild born) aren't likely to stay around there forever,SO YOUR PROBABLY not going to kill off every last one.If you bake a Plucked and cleaned Goose it's tasty to STUff the insides with apples and /Or Oranges before putting in the roast pan.We ate 10 up to the hunting camp this fall that way.They were Big un' too.....Bozo(The Cook) made Soups out of the leftovers a couple of times and that too was Awsome.Never had a goose soup afore but man it was good!
Good luck. :v

 

[roundball]

hevi-shot is as hard as steel.
You want bismuth it is softer.

My first thought was Bismuth, but after further researching (see article link above) the articlae noted that Bismuth was still hard enough that it required a cup like that for steel...conversely, Tungsten-Matrix shot does not as it's has the same properties as soft lead. (according to the article)

 

[No Deer]

Take a look at this roundball, ecotungstun. It is slightly harder than lead, and you can buy it by the pound it looks like. I have not tried it, and don't know anyone that has, but is looks like it is the next best alternative. Reports that I have read indicate that no shot cup is needed.
[url] http://www.ecotungsten.com/shots.html[/url]

 

[paulvallandigham]

Interesting: But they are out of BB and #2 shot, which are the sizes you want to shoot Canada Geese. I suppose it would be worth while giving them a call, just to see when they are going to have some to sell. I am not very happy about that price, but considering how few shots you are going to get at geese anyway, a couple of pounds of the stuff is going to last a long time. The bag limit here for Canadas is only 2 birds a day, so the opportunity to take 5 seems a wild dream. I would take two shotguns to the blind with me, just in case enough birds are in the killing zone that I might be able to get the second gun up and a shot off before they are out of range.

If I were going to use this " Nice Shot ", I would still grease my barrel after seating the OS card, so that the shot slides over the steel, rather than rub against it, no matter what they claim the working characteristics are for the product. I have killed Geese with both Steel BB and Steel #1 shot, so I think either BB or #2 Nice Shot will do the job.All we can hope is that as these products become more available, competition will reduce the cost of all of them, and make them more attractive to buy as a reloader, and for those of us crazy enough to want to hunt with Black Powder.

More power to you Roundball! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Take a look at this roundball, ecotungstun. It is slightly harder than lead, and you can buy it by the pound it looks like. I have not tried it, and don't know anyone that has, but is looks like it is the next best alternative. Reports that I have read indicate that no shot cup is needed.
[url] http://www.ecotungsten.com/shots.html[/url]

As soon as I saw the word ecotungsten in your post I remembered I'd heard of it a few weeks ago...had completely forgotten about it.

If it's performance is in fact as the article says, it sure looks promising...particularly attractive is the fact that they'll sell it direct in 2.2 lb quantities, so thanks a lot for that tip !
:hatsoff:

In checking, I see they're sold out of #4s...as an alternative I could do as many settlers probably did which was to take head shots like turkey hunting so I might try #6s...will research a little further...thanks again.

 

[No Deer]

Glad to help out. If you get some be sure to post results as I have not seen anything from anyone that has actually used it. I have a 7 lb. bottle of bismuth that is still almost full, so I don't think I will need anything else for a long while yet, but would still be interested in this stuff.

 

[roundball]

Glad to help out. If you get some be sure to post results as I have not seen anything from anyone that has actually used it. I have a 7 lb. bottle of bismuth that is still almost full, so I don't think I will need anything else for a long while yet, but would still be interested in this stuff.

Haven't ordered it yet...hope to scout the farm in detail today...see if I can pattern the geese, see where they hang out, see if they're within 40yds of something that I can use as a natural blind that would also give me a clear/safe line of fire...there is the landowner's house, cars, trucks, machinery, farm buildings, tobacco barns, and a neighbor's house 150yds across the road, so it would be tough to get into a typical wingshooting situation...if all that works out I'm thinking of just setting up to try head shots like turkey hunting...I'm sure settlers didn't run out and flush them up just so they could try a wing shot anyway if they could have avoided it.

But looking at the calendar last night, if I order it this week and get it in after the weekend, then I'll only have 2 Saturdays to try the geese before the season closes and that's without any chance to pattern test the shot...would just be going on the assumption that they'd work fine like my turkey load of hard lead #6s...so this is starting to look like more like it may actually have to be the beginning of a plan for next season, rather than the next week or so.

If you google up ecoTungsten, you'll find some forums that talk about it and every indication is that it works fien, and can be loaded / treated just like it was lead, safe to shoot in older guns, any guns you'd use lead in, etc

 

[Joel/Calgary]

I would take two shotguns to the blind with me, just in case enough birds are in the killing zone that I might be able to get the second gun up and a shot off before they are out of range.

Anyone contemplating this should check their regs (the full regulations, NOT the usual summary hunters get), and probably talk to their local wildlife people. I asked about this concerning having a second fowler available with a swatter load (for reference, I'm in Alberta, Canada), and the regs say only one loaded gun with you - any others must be unloaded, disabled, and/or cased. We discussed rates of fire with a single or double flinter compared to modern guns, and they checked up the line with the feds. They commiserated with the inequality, but said there was no wiggle room. It sounds like this is written into the migratory-game-bird treaty. Whether your locals would be reasonable enough to ... "not remember" ... that part of the regulations for a front stuffer is a separate matter.

Joel

 

[roundball]

Even if it was legal I wouldn't bother with all that...not interested in the "how many", just the "how"
:wink:

 

[uncrichie]

RB, these local geese as we call them are a real pain. What you need to know is if they are nighting on the guys pond. If they are you have to do the old belly crawl to your hunting position. If they come in to his pond early morning then you can beat them there. What you need is a frag grenade to take them all at once, haha. Try to get a few of them swiming by each other at the same time a squeeze. Good luck. Uncrichie.

 

[roundball]

"...Try to get a few of them swiming by each other at the same time..."

Thought about that some myself...it's just a small farm pond about 1/2 acre...20-30 canadas milling around together either in the pond or on a bank...going for a head shot on one may well tag a couple behind it...

 

[Smk50]

RB, let me know how it goes. I plan on doing the same thing, though my smoothbore is at this point only about 1/2 done. AND being a rabid waterfowler, a 10 guage double,either the pedersoli or my own build is going to in my hands someday. For now i have my SP10 for our feathered friends. I really wish Kent would sell just teh shot, that tungsten matrix is awesome, I use that in my 1928 A5.

 

[roundball]

RB, let me know how it goes. I plan on doing the same thing, though my smoothbore is at this point only about 1/2 done. AND being a rabid waterfowler, a 10 guage double,either the pedersoli or my own build is going to in my hands someday. For now i have my SP10 for our feathered friends. I really wish Kent would sell just teh shot, that tungsten matrix is awesome, I use that in my 1928 A5.

Will do...the Tungsten-Matrix is what I'm interested in as they say it can be used just like lead and doesn't require a stiff shotcup like those required for steel or Hevi-shot...looks like I'll be out of time to pull this all together before the goose season closes so it'll be this time next year if their offer still holds