Choose the Right Shotshell for the Game You Are Hunting

[Bumpus]

NGPC news release, 8/7/08:

Nebraska Outdoor Notebook by Tom Keith

There are still a few weeks before September rolls around and with it the return of large numbers of wing-shooters to the field to hunt dove, grouse, snipe, rail and woodcck. There is still time to pattern your shotgun and shoot some bluerocks in preparation for the upcoming seasons.

Modern shotguns and shotshells are available in 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 gauges. The 12 gauge is the most popular and readily available, followed closely by the 20 gauge.

In this country, shotgun shells are made in 2 3/4-inch, 3-inch, and 3 ½-inch lengths. Be absolutely sure that you use only the shells your gun is made to shoot. The gauge of the gun and the size of shells its chamber is designed to hold are plainly marked on the gun barrel. If you put the wrong gauge shell in the gun, it may lodge unseen in the barrel, and if you put another shell in the gun’s chamber and fire it, it could rupture the barrel causing severe injury to the shooter and destruction of the gun.

Although lead shot is used for most shotgun shooting and hunting, Nebraska requires the use of nontoxic shot for hunting waterfowl and for all game on a few designated areas. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists 11 shot types as legal nontoxic shot: steel, bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix, iron-tungsten-nickel, tungsten-bronze, tungsten-tin-bismuth, tungsten-tin-nickel-iron shot, tungsten-tin-iron and tungsten-iron-copper-nickel.

Here are some recommendations for what shot sizes and shotgun chokes to use with different game species:

Squirrels – Nos. 5 or 6; modified cylinder; in tall timber most hunters prefer heavy loads.

Rabbits – Nos. 6, or 7 ½ ; improved cylinder or modified cylinder when hunting brush, full choke for long open shots; the lighter loads are suitable for cottontails at normal ranges. Jackrabbits require heavier loads and larger -- perhaps No. 4.

Mourning Doves – Nos. 7 ½, or 8; modified or improved cylinder; use lighter loads and No. 7 ½ or No. 8 shot on mourning doves at normal ranges, but for longer ranges use heavier loads and No. 7 ½ shot.

Woodcck – Nos. 7 ½, 8 or 9; improved cylinder or modified; most shooting is fast and shots are close in moderate-to-heavy cover. No. 8 shot is a good choice.

Rail – Nos. 8 or 9; improved cylinder; most shots are at close range.

Pheasants – Nos. 5, 6 or 7 ½; improved cylinder for close cover, modified or full for long range shots; where long shots are common, use No. 5 shot. For closer shots as when working with a pointing dog, No. 7 ½ shot is adequate. For all-around use, choose No. 6 shot.

Quail – Nos. 6, 7 ½ or 8; cylinder, improved cylinder, modified cylinder; for early season bobwhite shooting No. 8 or No. 7 ½ is popular especially for close-holding birds over pointing dogs, but later, when birds flush at longer distances, some hunters step up to No. 6 shot.

Hungarian Partridge – use Nos. 7 ½ if birds are rising fairly close, No. 6 for longer shots.

Grouse – Nos. 5, 6 or 7 ½; improved cylinder or modified for working brush, full choke and No. 6 for open ranges on both prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse.

Ducks under 35 yards – (steel shot) Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6; use at least 3/4 oz. of steel shot.

Ducks 35 - 45 yards – (steel shot) Nos. 1, 2, 3; use at least 1 oz. of steel shot.

Ducks 45 yards or more – (steel shot) BB, Nos. 1 or 2; use at least 1 1/8 oz. of steel shot

Small Geese – (steel shot) BBB, BB, No.1; use at least 1 1/4 oz. of steel shot.

Large Geese – (steel shot) F, T, BBB, BB; use at least 1 1/4 oz. of steel shot

Trap Shooting – Nos. 7 ½ or 8; full or modified; No. 7 ½ is used for trap, check the club’s official rule book.

Skeet – Nos. 8 or 9; skeet choke, improved cylinder; No. 9 is usually used for skeet. Check the club’s official rule book.

[Kickinbass]

What size and load for my neighbors cat that seems he has to pee on everything that shines?

[jimbosan]

Originally Posted by Kickinbass

What size and load for my neighbors cat that seems he has to pee on everything that shines?

Dont waste a shotgun shell on a cat thats what God invented the .22 long rifle for!

[elkstalkr]

Originally Posted by Bumpus

Large Geese – (steel shot) F, T, BBB, BB; use at least 1 1/4 oz. of steel shot

Does Tom Keith even hunt, or does he just get these reccommendations straight off the box?

F shot, do they even make that anymore?? If so, who and where?

Last I checked, the USFWS did not reccommend using F or T shot on any waterfowl as the pattern is so sparse at even medium ranges it often results in too few lethal hits.

Also, I have to add this and it will cause a huge debate as usual. 3 inch #4's is my favorite late season pheasant load!

[jimbosan]

Also, I have to add this and it will cause a huge debate as usual. 3 inch #4's is my favorite late season pheasant load![/quote]
I agree! I even like to throw some #2 mags in there when the birds get spooky late in the year.