Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Hevi-shot

I am not selling anything, but for those of you who don't know there is a real solution to having to use steel, or tungsten, or bismuth shot on ducks. It is called hevi-shot and is approved for migratory birds by the USF&W. It is a tungsten, nickel, iron alloy that is about 10% HEAVIER than LEAD. Has great patterning ability they say.<P>I just ordered 3, 7 pound bags of it in BB,2 and 4 shot sizes for a mere $60 a bag, more or less. Still loading 1 1/2 ounce loads that is less than 75 cents a shot as opposed to buying them at about $2 a shell. I can't wait to try some. It is supposed to be the best thing EVER for long range shotgunning.<P>At any rate, Ballistics Products has the shot, <A HREF="http://www.ballisticproducts.com," TARGET=_blank>www.ballisticproducts.com,</A> or you can buy shells or check the whole idea out at <A HREF="http://www.hevishot.com." TARGET=_blank>www.hevishot.com.</A>

Why the bigger size shot? Seems to me that using a step down from normal lead sizes would be in order, or will you be using this just for big birds? Seems the decline in pellet count would be meaningful and would make you want to step down a couple sizes smaller than what you would shoot if it were lead.<P>How about hardness, can it be used in older double guns with fixed chokes? Only got to do a week-long duck shoot last year, but went through almost 2 cases of shot shells. This stuff would be steep, too.<P>Did you get it yet?<BR>art

Art,<P>I'm looking for a reasonably priced means of shooting waterfowl with a Winchester model 12. Hevi-Shot isn't it. Take a look at this:<P><A HREF="http://www.ballisticproducts.com/BPI%20Home/Product_Info_links/hevishot/Hevi-Shot-ed.htm" TARGET=_blank>Hevi-Shot info</A><P>So, looks like Tungsten and Bismuth are still the way to go, if you can't shoot steel.<P>Scott

Art:<P>No, have not received it yet.<P>Since lead 4s are a somewhat marginal killer on Mallards at 40 yards, meaning, everything that is legal today is more marginal or downright ineffective in size 4 at that distance, and I try to just shoot Mallard drakes and Big Canadas when they are available, I am a firm believer in big shot. However, your logic is correct and slightly smaller shot may prove a real possiblility in the field given increased patttern density as well as more mass. These 3 bags are a trial run, since you will only get about 4 boxes/bag. Only dead birds will tell, but, I believe in choosing my shotshells for the longest distances I might shoot and then I know that I can handle anything closer. Some people try to maximize their close shots, with smaller shot sizes, but then have no real chance on longer birds and should not shoot.<P>NO, it is roughly as hard as steel and should NOT be used in older guns with softer barrels or doubles with soft soldered barrel connections. That's why they make 870s and thankfully, Winchester 101s are still around.<P>Reloading it, and making greatly superior shells, it will be about 50% more expensive than good steel loads and about 50% less expensive than bismuth or tungsten factory loads.<P>I'm as cheap as the next guy, and I usually shoot good steel loads, 3 inch 1 3/8 ounces, but I love long range shooting and this makes crippled ducks and those 60 and 70 yard Canadas that slide by the set possible again, something that is nearly impossible with steel and not very effective with bismuth, etc.<P>Capt-e:<P>I often wondered why someone never came out with a heavier replacement barrel for Model 12s to shoot steel with? I guess with all the machining and pins, etc on them that it would have been too expensive to sell enough of them to be worthwhile. I am not a machinist but it still seems like a good idea, and is certainly not high tech. Since I am not a shuck gun shooter most of the time, I don't know if, say, Briley tubes might allow steel in them or not. Would seem logical that it would, but I don't know. I wouldn't try it with high grade doubles but I would consider it with a m12. Particularly since I think tubes are one of the greatest inventions in shotgun technology since the choke.

Doesn't make any difference if it is lead or steel, I'm a marginal hitter beyond 40yds [img]images/icons/crazy.gif" border="0[/img] (this is me looking at them fly away, directly overhead)<P>With sintered shot and all the little gimmicks, I'm expecting a line of conical, or prolate-sphere shaped shot to come out soon, that would have to fly truer than a sphere.<P>Saw an "octling" quite a few years ago which had been built by krieghoff which was 8 .22LR barrels, 2 high and 4 wide, that all fired simultaneously, for pass shooting big geese.<BR>art

Art - Re: Krieghoff - I LIKE !!! [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] [img]images/icons/laugh.gif" border="0[/img] <P>IIFID - "Collector Scott" says "be nice to the Model 12, and keep it original. Shoot Bismuth or Tungsten".<P>"Utilitarian Scott" says "It has a heavy 3" barrel! Re-choke it or put Brileys in it and go kill things with cheap steel shot."<P>Decisions, decisions...<P>Scott

Capt_e:<P>I would satisfy the collector if I had a pristine 3 inch--or 2 3/4 inch, for that matter--M12, but I see a fair amount of 3 inch M12s for sale at very reasonable prices these days. They are not the latest, greatest, and the "modern" shooters do not appreciate how well they point and shoot, so the prices have come down to very reasonable levels for "using" type guns.<P>Point is, you can satisfy both sides of your split personality and still have a great duck gun shooting steel.<P>Quack, quack, qquak, cak, ckak, cak(that's me calling, missing the occasional note, lol) get down, here they come, all right, take 'em. Boom, Boom, boom boom, ummmmm, what happened? I thought you could shoot? Me, where are your ducks? ummmm, I was trying to kill your cripples, yeah, that's it. And that is my story, and I'm sticking to it. LOL And our labs just cover their eyes with their paws.

IIFID<BR>Forgot to ask about your comment on the 101, do you use steel in them? I have a late 60's vintage special waterfowl 101 which I have not shot steel through, and cannot find a smith willing to put tubes in it. It was my pet gun for a long time and I felt like I shot it as well as I am capable of shooting.<BR>art

Sitka Deer:<P>As far as I know,and I am reasonably sure about this, but not 100% positive, all 101s are OK for steel, but I would double check this on an early model, but they were all made basically the same in the same plant, as far as I know. I've shot everything but rocks through mine and they are still in good shape. Lots of steel shot, but they are later Pigeon Grade models with tubes, but, to repeat, I think they are all basic clones. I think there is little doubt that they are one of the toughest over and unders going, and the choice of many serious high volume bird shooters around the world. As over and unders go, they are slightly heavy, but I think this leads to better pointing and better recoil control. If all I did was follow bird dogs around, all day, I might choose a lighter gun, but day in and day out, it is a truly great gun and the continuing increase in their prices on the used market reflects this fact. Unless yours is a skeet and skeet I would not be in all that big of a rush to tube it, modified and full work fine for most situations and I would take on the world with Improved Cylinder and Modified. If I was going to tube it, I would seriously consider Briley's in Houston. They aren't the cheapest, but they are probably the best. Although it ain't rocket science, and any good machinist/smith could do it if they were familiar with whatever system they use. Briley's could also definitively answer whether you could use steel, I feel sure. Without tubes, you can adjust your patterns by reloads, either way, if you need to, but it is a pain to keep up with the various shell combinations.

IIFID<BR>Have been keeping the 101 retired, but really like shooting it and will have to look into whether or not steel is ok. Do you know anything about Kawaguichi? It is identical to the 101, and I suspect came from the same tooling as the Japanese made 101. I have one in skeet and skeet, but the stock has been slimmed down, and it shoots quite handily as well. I wonder if it too might be ok with steel?<BR>art

Sitka Deer:<P>I've owned a couple of kawasakis. Great bikes.

I shoulda known better!<BR>art

Well last year I went by the way of the "Heavi Shot"
<br>road for my duck and goose hunting chores. I tried many combinations of Steel Shot and factory loads as well as some of my own. Heavi Shot is the answer for this water foul hunter. The End.