Hevi Shot

[Bates]

My sister hooked me up with some Hevi Shot for Christmas (Cool Sister). I didnt realize the stuff is heavier than Lead. Is it as leathal as it sounds?
I'm to cheap to buy the good stuff, I miss too much. It would cost me 5 bucks a bird. What do you guys think about Heavy shot and the other alternatives, Bismuth...etc?

[birdman]

I like the hevi shot. I have just started duck hunting but have shot both hevi and steel. From what I have seen the hevi generally stones a bird much more frequently than does steel, and keeps you from having to chase as many cripples. It is a good bit more expensive, but you can find it online for less than you will buy it in the store. Happy hunting!

[Wingman]

Never shot it, but I too, am a member of the "cheaper is better" club.

Until yesterday; I bought a couple boxes of Estate 3 inch BB's a couple of weeks ago and have not knocked but one bird down with almost a whole box. I'm talking Canada geese at 15 yards, mallards at 20, specks at 40...I'm crippling them at best. I normally shoot Dryloks and don't have much of a problem.

Now my gun is an 870 Express, factory modified choke. I set up a piece of cardboard yesterday and shot it from 40 yards with the Estate BB's. There was a hole almost directly in the center of the pattern that a mallard would fit in. Looked almost like a donut. I actually put both hands side by side in the blank space. I am starting to realize the advantage of patterning your gun with as many loads as possible. I don't know if it's just my gun that may not be patterning the Estates well or what, but I'm gonna start experimenting from now on out.

Check out Dan's website and help topics over at the Shooting and Reloading forum on the Fuge or here: http://www.gunmaintenance.com/ . He really knows his stuff when it comes to thunder sticks.

Of course, none of this pertained to Heavy Shot...sorry

Wingman

[judge jb]

Bates, your cool sister did better than my cool bro. in-law. i got two boxes of them X-spurts {like in spurt the shot out}. like Wingmans estates, they don't pattern well for me... i shot 1 box last year but didn't give them enough chance to impress me enough to pay the high dollar..{it really hurts when you miss} with hevi-shot. i think they have proven on paper to be more effective than steel...

judge jb

[privb9121]

Being a poor slob that works for a coop, I have always tried the cheep shells. I've done my share of killing, and I've done fairly well this year. I like to shoot Nito Mags, but boy do they dirty up a gun in a hurry. This weekend me and a couple of buddies hunted a pit blind in Harrisburg. We could work the ducks in to about 30 to 40 yards. I shot one bird and my buddy Killed it after it went another 15 yards. out DEAD AS A HAMMER!!!!! He pulled off another 50 yard shot... same dead end. I kills dead no flopping around no swimming away. I'm thinking about buying a box for my third shots. Use two steel and follow up with the heavy. I try not to shoot that last shot anyway and knowing that it's gonna cost me 2 bucks I might not shoot it at all.

[Buckingham]

Shoot hevi, and you will spend less on shells..........Just like the old days....throw in a imp cyl choke, som 2.75" #7.5, or 6, and pound away, don't worry about all that patterning, and fire drilling around with your shot gun. Birds are DEAD on the first shot 9 out of 10 times, and if they are swimming, it's all nerves. Hell, I got so ecxited(sp?) I started shooting my franchi 20 gauge and was killing stone dead with 2.75" #7.5 at 35 yards! And her's the coup de grace.....I can't shoot worth a damn!

[Duck$$$]

It is the deal. Stone dead birds. I shoot improved and modified in a citori and it is working great. After rebate it is costing me about 1.50 a shot for 3.5" #6

[chance]

Cleaned some birds the other and found #2 steel in about 2". Found #4 Hevi in as much as 6" deep in same bird. Without a dobt the Hevi penetrated deeper. Just a matter of hitting them and Hevi will be better and cheaper.

[ShovelerChef]

Which were you shooting, chance?

[RedLeg84]

I shot a mallard at about 20 yards or 25 or so with 3.5 bb kent fast steel and 1 shot killed it...nobody else even got off a shot . I am sticking with them to say the least. Then again I have a great gun so that could be it.

[chance]

The #2's. I like the Winchester Supreme in 3.5" number 2. I have purchased some #4 Hevi to shoot just haven't broke em out yet.

[hillhunter]

i've only shot one duck with Hevi-shot but that one met his maker very fast. Maybe i'll get to shoot some more and really test'em. I usually shoot those Kent Fasteels, i think they're good shells.

Wingman your right about those Estates....i shot a couple of boxes two years ago and they aint worth the cheap money. If you look at the 3 1/2" you'll see that they're only 3 1/4"....a rip off in my mind. They don't feel right when you shoot'em either. just my opinion.

[Model12]

It's about all I shoot now. Hevi-shot or Kent TM 4,5,6. It just pounds um stone dead. I love this stuff. But....I do wish it was $5 a box....

[iron grip]

I'll tell you guys I'm addicted to the hevi-shot i killed a widgeon a couple weeks back, and there is a couple guys on the board that can testify it fell for about four seconds after I hit it (stone cold dead). Even on long shots you rarely if ever have a cripple.I've shot faststeels, nitro mags, x-spurts along with many others and NOTHING works better, period. you just have to put it on 'em, shooting more expensive shells (i'm pretty cheap too) makes you pick shots better and concentrate more on technique. The latter is the most important thing you will realize with it (hevi) to take your time and focus; think to yourself as you do it: shoulder your gun (correctly) start your swing and say while you swing: butt - belly - beak - BANG!

[BBR12]

I shot two boxes a couple yrs. back. I loved it. I did some "testing" jump shooting catfish ponds, basically it turned out 3 steel/1 hevi. On several occassions I would shoot a close bird twice with steel have hevi in #3 and on the 3rd shot he died even if he was 20 yards farther then first shot. This was shooting down so you could see your pattern as it hit the water around the duck, they would fly through a steel pattern but they didn't fly though hevi atleast not without meeting their maker.

It basically boils down to doing what your supposed to, take your time pick good shots and make a clean kill. Like the other guys were saying you start shooting $1.50 shells you quit taking those bad shots, and take more time on the ones you do take. I plan to start shooting it again atleast where I may be taking 30+ yd. shots.