doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Non-Tox Shot Woes....

Arrrr, this is looking more and more like a "too tough to achieve" scenario. At least in a reasonably cost-effective way.

It's looking pretty hard to justify for a couple of outings a year.

$65 Bucks for the shot for 50 shells would buy a lot of dog food. Not to mention Ribeyes. Considering the number of snipe breasts I'd bring home. If I want a treat, I'll buy Caviar.

At least until I find a gun like Ted suggested, although even that's hard to justify for a hunt or two a year. I guess the best answer is to use my first gun, (my Grandfather's) a 20ga Mossberg bolt action, and shoot steel through that. I doubt 2 3/4 loads are even available.

But, thanks everyone.

Regards
Ken

Stick to grouse hunting. The cost of ammo is insignificant.

Good advice.

Thanks

For waterfowl hunting I don't shoot that many shells a day, the limit is only seven birds so $10-$20/day doesn't hurt too bad. I buy components through the year so it isn't a big hit at one time and by opening day I have a case of shells ready to go. I'm walking distance to one of my favorite hunting spots and retired so I can pick and choose my shots.

For high volume hunts where nontoxics are required I have a little CZ Bobwhite 20ga and keep a couple cases of Kent Upland Steel 2 3/4" 5's and Win. Steel #7 target loads around so I don't have to try and find them on short notice.

Well, my take on the subject is just to keep right on hunting with whatever the required ammo is and to shoot the steel in guns that are suitable for it and bismuth in most of my doubles. I quit reloading years ago when steel shot became mandated for waterfowl, and use only store-bought. The Rio brand bismuth suits me just fine.

Personally I don't shoot enough ammo at ducks anymore to worry about the expense. I wonder what the rule is for our clapper rails on the Georgia coast? Probably non-tox only, but I don't do that anymore anyhow.

Of course, I think all this non-tox regulation is just a ploy to end hunting. I won't quit till my body gives out though...Geo

Hi Ken. My jump shooting-behind-the-house-gun is a bolt action Savage in 20 ga. While it has 3" chambers, I do shoot 2.75" steel in it also. My local gun store has 2.75" 20 ga steel. Its not hard to find. I would advise you open the choke up, and if you know somebody with a forcing cone reamer, I'd lengthen them also. As to a low cost choke opening tool, the ever so helpful guys on the Brownells Tech Line advised me to wrap wet or dry sand paper around a half inch dowel rod and sand away in a back and forth circular fashion.

I know that statement will rankle most on this site, BUT, it is an inexpensive gun, and doing so didn't hurt a thing as this Savage is no classic.

Between the weight of the gun, plus the reduced kick of 20 ga shells, I accidentally created a great gun to loan to beginners and small statured people who just want to try shooting a shotgun.

Mergus

Well. Thanks.

Hope springs eternal. My Mossberg has the old screw-on chokes, with the external threads. I'll just keep'em off and use the open bore. Now, I just have to find some 2 3/4" 20ga steel loads. At least I have plenty of time.

This'll be exciting, Snipe hunting with a brace of English Setters...I used to hunt'em with my Springers..

Once lead is deposited in the environment, it is a very long term toxic problem, right?

That's why lead shot fired by the ton over lakes, rivers, seashores, and swamps continues to kill millions of waterfowl, right?

No... wrong. The lead is still there. It will be there a hundred years from now just like those Minie balls and bullets found on Civil War battlefields. The bottoms of those aforementioned bodies of water are frequently churned up by storms and wave action, but miraculously, the poor ducks and geese are no longer dying. The heart wrenching pictures of dead and dying birds stopped soon after they got what they really wanted. Never mind the greater crippling losses due to use of ballistically inferior ammo.



Good advice until they come for the grouse hunters. Then what?

Most lead ammunition bans are nothing more than a scam aimed at ultimately pricing the average guy out of hunting and shooting. When interest in the shooting sports decline enough, it becomes easier to get the public to accept new restrictions on the guns too. The DNR in Iowa probably had a period for public commentary on their proposal to ban lead ammunition. It may still be worth it to contact legislators and mobilize other hunters to reverse this ban or at least prevent it from advancing to other hunting lands.

Ammunition bans are yet another good reason to join and support our NRA. Membership is as cheap as a box of most non-tox ammo. The NRA was instrumental in prompting lawmakers to prevent the recent attempt by the Obama administration to ban 5.56 m/m green tip ammunition.

George, on Georgia Marsh Hens, primitive weapons, you can now use a composite tennis racquet in addition to the environment friendly wooden racquet. With modern weapons, lead shot is still permitted.

Hi Again....if your cyl bore gun does what I think it will with those steel loads, it'll probably pattern tighter than what you expect from a cyl choke. Steel shot doesn't deform going through cone-barrel-choke, so when it comes out the muzzle, it's usually more of an improved cyl choke. One last thing, from one who has used a bolt gun jump shooting, watch the looks on your buddies face(s) as you load the clip into the bottom of the gun. the look of surprise is pretty good

Mergus