Goose and duck with a single 12gauge
- Thread starter Don'tkillbill
- Start date
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
Just watch that you don't shoot large steel shot through a full choke, I would avoid anything large than 3's . Judging by the fact you are in the maritimes this shouldn't be too much of a burden, as far as I know geese are not as common so if you shot the odd 2 at them it wouldn't hurt the gun.
Cut my teeth on Baikal single shot. For 40-50 bucks you can have it (the Cooey) bored out to modified. Or you can buy Bismuth and Tungsten Matrix shot and shoot what you want (at $40 for 10 though the boring out method is cheaper). Or as TS 1300 says, keep the shot size low. In the thread I started here with us shooting a double limit of geese and ducks, we shot nearly all the geese with #4 steel. You just have to get them really close to do that and hold of on marginal shots.
When I hunted with a single I kept a round pinched between the fingers of the hand (my right since I'm a leftie) on the forestock. Made for a quick reload.
When I hunted with a single I kept a round pinched between the fingers of the hand (my right since I'm a leftie) on the forestock. Made for a quick reload.
I put #1 steel through a fixed full choke gun all the time. Never had a problem (knock on wood). The pattern isn't the best. Very dense in the middle and very light on the outside.
Do not put any buffered steel shot through a full choke. Fast way to bulge the barrel.
Do not put any buffered steel shot through a full choke. Fast way to bulge the barrel.
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
I am not aware of any buffered steel loads, by steels hard nature buffering would do little to improve patterns would it not?
WHY LIMIT YOUR SELF TO ONE SHOT .I TO STARTED WITH an old singel shot and when the birds finally did come in the all came at once so i was lucky to get one or two birds .a cheap pump would be a far better choice .and you can get one with chokes .the laws about the singel shot ia for bullets like slugs and rifles.not shot guns when you are shooting a shot shell loaded with many small balls .no slugs or rifles or crossbows for wtaer fowl .DUTCH
My opinion here ,but I think all new hunters should start out with a single shot just because it makes you take your time as you have to make that shot count,with a pump you might get a second bird but in forty years of bird hunting I can count on one hand the amount of triples I have taken.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
More important to learn proper shooting technique, stance, gun mount, lead, etc,... for the beginner that worry about getting more shots off IMO. With this said, I first shot a cooey 16 choked way too full that kicked like a mule. Very frustrating and a bad choice for a kid to learn with a shotgun like that.
My old man soon moved me up to a 12 gauge pump. When I started throwing multiple shots out there and missing he then restricted me to one shot in the chamber and none in the mag. I remember the day like it was yesterday, cold windy and the bluebills were flying. Must say I had a lip on for some time. Didn't take me more than a couple seasons to become more proficient.
I'm not trying to open a whole can of worms here, but is a single shot really the best ethical option for waterfowl? A quick follow up shot can be the difference between a cripple that gets away and dies unrecoverable and wasted and one that gets finished and becomes dinner. A used pump or double can be had fairly economically, and can make the difference between the two, as a cripple that isn't swatted quickly can be lost, as I've learned the hard way.
Single shots are great to learn on targets and small game, where you can see clearly if you hit or missed.
But in my opinion, waterfowl do need that quick finishing shot sometimes, cause you can loose dinner real quick with a wounded wiley bird, as was mentioned.
Waterfowl are a lot more tenacious than rabbits or grouse, therefore needing a bit more fire power in some cases.
But in my opinion, waterfowl do need that quick finishing shot sometimes, cause you can loose dinner real quick with a wounded wiley bird, as was mentioned.
Waterfowl are a lot more tenacious than rabbits or grouse, therefore needing a bit more fire power in some cases.
I started with a single shot 12 gauge. No problem. Make the first shot count and you'll do as well or better than most guys using repeaters. Try to get one with modified or improved cylinder choke, which works better with steel shot.
Back when we were all shooting lead, you could put a couple of pellets in a duck and down it would come, no some much anymore with steel shot. I wouldn't recommend that anyone start out waterfowling with a single shot. Heck my 11 yr old has a 20 gauge that shoots 3 inch ammo in his Mossberg youth pump. FS
Yeah.... I'll stick to the theory if you miss with one you probably miss with 3. Although it's quite possible to cripple 3 times as many ducks with an autoloader as with a single shot.
