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I've got a good mixture of cartridges to use against geese. I've got factory loaded 1 1/2 oz BB/1/3 in steel. I've got some 1 3/4 oz hevishot in size 2. I also have 2oz tungsten in 1's.

I've started reloading my own 1 1/2 oz steel loads in BB and T. These are all 3 1/2" loads.

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I am in Motty's camp on this one. Geese are tough and unless you want to feather a bunch of birds you better have some large shot in the chamber. I pass shoot mostly with 1 1/2 oz. of steel BBB or T's going around 1400 fps. out of a 10 ga. Probably one could employ BBs or 1s over decoys with T's as your backup shot. As important as shot size is choke constriction.If you have screw in tubes you will most likely find that large shot will pattern best out of a .015--.020 constriction, each gun is different. In my gun .020 does really well with T's any tighter and it gets ugly. It is amazing what a change of .005 in choke will do with steel shot. If you have fixed chokes modified is probably your best bet.

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no matter what anyone says you must do a penatration test at 40 and 50 yards into a 6 or 8mm board so you can understand what you are pointing at a goose, once you have you will endorse when folk say nothing less than BB (4mm) in steel shot over deeks, pref T Shot (4.7mm)

 

i use 5mm on the marsh in my 10 and 12 both are3 1/2 chamber , all on open choke as steel tends to blow out with any choke, you will hear lots of theory but take the time to test so you can really understand is a very wise move.......

 

we had a lot of pricked Geese on marshes last season from nobs who undergun and shoot high birds...... they can talk all day about the fine points of fowling but cant even select the right carts for the job, if you shoot 3 inch carts its wise to use Biz or heavy shot if you shoot 3 1/2 you can shoot big steel..........

 

32 grms of number 3's steel is a duck load but our local shop sells lots to folk going out on geese :no:

Edited by pavman
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Guest cookoff013

32 grms of number 3's steel is a duck load but our local shop sells lots to folk going out on geese :no:

 

+1

 

ultimately, its the end user who makes the decision to buy carts. influencing him is often gunshops that have no clue about steel shot.

they just want to shift shells, the more the better.

steel 3s are a great duck load.

 

ive heard people using steel 7.5s too. just because they can go fowling on £3 box of shell to last all season.

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I tend to use either Tungsten 42Gm 1's or Gamebore Super Steel 36g 1's for medium geese.

 

I use either standard steel 32g 4's or high performance 32g 5's for duck at medium ranges.

 

For Teal on a flight pond i use 24g 7.5's, and i guarantee you that you will not notice the difference at the range flighted teal is shot at; runners are quite rare because you have a good pattern.

 

I also have some buismuth and tungsten duck loads to use in extreme conditions.

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I am on 3 1/2" Remington 1 3/8oz sportsman Steel #2 and 3" Remington Nitro BBB (78 bits of shot) steel for Geese.

Widgeon + Teal on the edge of the green I have 34g of #4 shot. That dont mean I have been taking higher Mallard with 34g, although I have taken some good birds with it, I would recommend and use the 3" for higher Mallard on the foreshore.

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I am on 3 1/2" Remington 1 3/8oz sportsman Steel #2 and 3" Remington Nitro BBB (78 bits of shot) steel for Geese.

Widgeon + Teal on the edge of the green I have 34g of #4 shot. That dont mean I have been taking higher Mallard with 34g, although I have taken some good birds with it, I would recommend and use the 3" for higher Mallard on the foreshore.

 

 

I think you rightly meant to say its the shot size in the cart that matters not the size of the cart or weight of the load of shot. so if you have a 3 1/2 cart it will take more bigger size pellets but due to space between them the load is not as heavy as a cart full of smaller pellets but they will have more power at distance than a mass of small pellets which fall of very quick.

 

the rule of thumb for steel is a loss of 9 yards effective range from your tested datum for each reduction of 0.5mm in size (or if you like a 9 yard extension of range for each 0.5mm increase)as tested by IC at clay game

 

So lets say 30 yards is your tested range on duck for a 3mm steel pellet, go up to 4mm (BB) and its 48 yards and 5mm will be about 75 yards. I have done extensive pattern and penetration testing for my home loads and have found a 5mm pellet will go right through a 6mm board at 50 yards whilst 3mm just bounce off and hardly make a mark. So as far as steel is concerned for fowling pellet size is crucial not pellet count or load weight. As I have often said when shooting at Geese throw a few bricks not lots of ping pong balls :yes:

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I think you rightly meant to say its the shot size in the cart that matters not the size of the cart or weight of the load of shot. so if you have a 3 1/2 cart it will take more bigger size pellets but due to space between them the load is not as heavy as a cart full of smaller pellets but they will have more power at distance than a mass of small pellets which fall of very quick.

 

the rule of thumb for steel is a loss of 9 yards effective range from your tested datum for each reduction of 0.5mm in size (or if you like a 9 yard extension of range for each 0.5mm increase)as tested by IC at clay game

 

So lets say 30 yards is your tested range on duck for a 3mm steel pellet, go up to 4mm (BB) and its 48 yards and 5mm will be about 75 yards. I have done extensive pattern and penetration testing for my home loads and have found a 5mm pellet will go right through a 6mm board at 50 yards whilst 3mm just bounce off and hardly make a mark. So as far as steel is concerned for fowling pellet size is crucial not pellet count or load weight. As I have often said when shooting at Geese throw a few bricks not lots of ping pong balls :yes:

 

 

Agree totally about shot size, I have looked into what they do 'across the pond' as they have been using steel for many years. I dont always agree with some of their theories but by and large they reiterate what you are saying.

If I.C. from clay game (actually he has now sold up and retired) come up with formulas etc he was spot on. He was pretty much what I would call the bible of home loading. It also helped me as he only lived 15 miles from me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some people will disagre with me here but i use 4shot for geese rather than use big pellets in a gappy pattern i go for a tight pattern with 34g of 4's and try to get a pellet up front (head and neck) but this only works if you put it in the right place! which is easier said than done as you probably know! at the minuet i have some gamebore mamouth steel (3in)which have patterned well and i have got a few good ducks with them :good: but i have yet to have a shot at the geese this season.. <_<

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