Prairie Storm failure

[Brutus]

Last week I was out for small game at my favorite rabbit hunting spot. Earlier on with most recent snowfall, I pulled the trigger on a stump covered mostly in snow. My eyes said that is its rabbit ears held low, a single black eyeball watching me! Bang went my 20 gauge Ithaca and full choke with #6 Prairie Storm. I can plainly see the fan of shot on the snows surface around my mistaken target.
Yeah. Humiliation.
25 minutes later, I see a ruffled grouse. Bang and nothing. 30 yards should have been a sinch. The report was odd. Bird flew away healthy as can be!?
Barrel was clear. I feel the shotshell was underpowered. ???
The fluffy snow surface and low bushes did not show evidence of a birdshot pattern.
Feels odd coming home, after pulling the trigger and an empty game bag. This is a first.

 

[0faustus0]

Brutus .... I am assuming this is the lead shot version of Prairie Storm. And not the steel shot version .... right?

I have shot the 12ga version of Prairie Storm (lead), and mine definitely have a "kick" to it. Mine I believe are advertised 1500fps ....

Two things I can think of ....

1.) Was it cold that day? Maybe the powder Federal uses in these shells is temperature sensitive?

2.) You are shooting a Flight control wad through a Full choke. In theory this should be fine .... but then I don't know what kind of choke you are using. Flightcontrol ammo does not like ported chokes for example. Have you patterned that combination of choke and ammo?

 

[Brutus]

Yeah for sure was minus 22 that day. The barrel full choke with the lead version of Storm. No ports, no interchangeable chokes. A plain fixed full choke circa 1971 Ithaca. Can't say I patterned it.
At over 30 yards, I thought it was okay.
When I mistakenly shot that stump earlier, was aiming it like a .22 rifle. Because groups so tight with that Federal wad.
And it was close. About 12 yards or thereabouts.

 

[0faustus0]

My guess ... at - 22C it was too cold for those shells. Who knows what powder Federal is using in those loads ...

You can do a test ... next time it is that cold ... keep a couple of those shells close to your body... keeping them warm ... and then shoot one or two cold shells and one or two warm ones ... and see if there is a difference ....

 

[stripperclipper]

Every time I shoot and don't kill something, it's definitely the fault of my ammunition, my gun, or my sights.

What else could it be?

 

[0faustus0]

One more thought ... if you shoot a Flightcontrol wad with not enough velocity .... the rear pedals of the wad will not open ... and the whole payload becomes a tumbling slug ....

Federal makes different versions of the Flightcontrol wad and for different velocity loads and for exactly that reason ...

 

[canvasback]

Most powders are temperature sensitive. -22 is certainly cold enough for that to be at least part of the problem.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Every time I shoot and don't kill something, it's definitely the fault of my ammunition, my gun, or my sights.

What else could it be?

The Credit Card.
It has to be the Credit Card's fault.

 

[waldo54]

It is entirely possible that you got a squib load, I have had a couple even in the summer shooting trap with AA and STS, it happens, unfortunately in trap if the wad clears the barrel it's considered a lost target

 

[sillymike]

What else could it be?

God trying to give you a sign ?
- reading my tea leaves, I can see that Brutus needs to add a cold weather gun (and some cold weather ammo) to his arsenal.

-+-+-

Personally, when it's cold out. It's usually my mind that works in slow motion... As in, a few weeks ago walking an old timberjack trail, a bird flies at me (I missed) and it lands maybe 5 yards away (way to close for a second shot with a shotgun). As I'm kind of waiting for it fly off again (and try to see if it will go left or right)... The thing just slowly lifted straight up (like a chopper) for 50' to 60'... Them off it went...

By this time my brain had kind of forgotten that I was out hunting... And I'm just looking at it, telling myself "what am odd behavior"...

By the time I came back to reality, the bird was long gone, and I realized I needed a new tuque

 

[Brutus]

Waldo
That is a possibility certainly. Last time I used Storm up here, sharptail grouse still had a season up here. Canvasback and Sillymike, regarding colder temps. Thinking back now two seasons ago with my 28 gauge M37 Ithaca and modified choke. With Winchester 1 ounce lead #6. No problem rolling bunnies at 30 yards or thereabouts. It was a colder day as well. 0faust0. You have a good point.
On a similar note:
Lightfield slugs some years ago. Infamous reputation for cracked wads in the more northern states in the fall, before they resolved this issue. I am thinking of bringing the 28 next outing, as long as I have those Winchester shotshells.
Thx guys!