Thread: Best ammo for parries?

Hi guys,

I'm new here. Have got back into bird hunting after a long break. During the last season I spent a bit of time chasing parries up the rivers of Canterbury. This was my first experience with steel shot, and I'm not very impressed. I saw a lot of feathers fly from parries but only dropped one, that I managed to get clean through the head. I'm shooting 2 3/4' shells out of a Beretta S686. What is the best option for harder hitting/longer range shells? I don't mind spending a bit more as I don't get through a lot of ammo when stalking. There is a limited summer season for parries soon and I'm keen to give the dog something to do. I considered getting a 20g semi but I really like the under-over, and have heard that 20g lead will be banned soon as well.

Cheers.

I personally don't notice any difference between lead and steel . I also think a larger pattern from a 12 g will out perform a 20 g . I use falcon high velocity steel n.o 3s . I'll be interested what others think . And welcome to the forum

You need to go up a couple of sizes from what you used in lead, so I used no.4 lead but use no.2 steel, also the falcon high velocity steel. If you really want some hitting power try the tungsten stuff, pricey though!

As Munsey says, shoot faster velocity 3" shells #3 shot. 2 3/4" just isn't going fast enough.

Welcome to the forum Offcut.

I hated steel for the first couple of years for reasons similar to yours. I have now become used to it and have a good success rate. The lack of clean kills is most likely due to a lack of pellets hitting the duck, pellet energy could be another factor depending on the ranges. For me #3 steel would be a minimum for parries unless they were decoying.

My shooting is on a lake and the shots are often medium to long. I patterned as many different loads as I could get my hands on, through the skeet,1/4 and 1/2 chokes at 25 and 40 yards in MY shotgun. The results were really interesting. with a lot of the ammo there were 'duck sized' holes in the middle of the pattern. Some patterned really will with one choke and then really crap with another. I eventually settled on (this only applies to my shotgun) 1/2 choke and Remington 3"1/18 sportsman for the first 3 shots, then Federal 3" 1/14 Premium for the rest - which patterned tighter than the remington with the same choke.

It's amazing what the patterns are actually doing compared to what you think they are doing!

I use GB 2 3/4" #3 lead and GB 3" #2 steel. Let he birds get a little closer with steel.

Hornady 55 Grain Training ammo .223 cal for me... (Joking of course )

Welcome to the forum.. Specially as a Beretta owner dont you just love them !!

+ 1 Check the pattern of your gun. Get as many mates togeather as you can with a box or two each and

check whats going on. You ll double your strike rate by finding the one that suits your gun.

Dont just use something cos its works for your mate and sorry but the guy in the shop may help with

shot size etc but he cant help you with which brand will work for you.

Mines B&P 3 " 2 + 3 Steel for my Beretta but there was none last year so I sucked all season.

Will repattern this year and start again..

Originally Posted by Happy

Hornady 55 Grain Training ammo .223 cal for me... (Joking of course

Yeah joking

I think the whole go up two sizes for steel recommendation is a bit dangerous. 2s are quite big shot and you run the risk of missing a small bird (i.e. not a goose) completely. I wouldn't go any bigger than steel 3s. When shooting steel get the highest velocity shells you can. Of course you would be a lot better finding a paddock of parries and decoying them rather than jump shooting the.

If ducks died of lead poisioning do they now jus rust away?

Originally Posted by Munsey

I also think a larger pattern from a 12 g will out perform a 20 g .

You could just shoot better.

Welcome offcut,I found no 2's steel did the trick for me. Not long now till parrie season

Heres last years effort for you 'offcut' The summer parrie season.

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...43/index2.html

Get a double and pull both triggers...

Originally Posted by Spudattack

Get a double and pull both triggers...

You mean rifle not shotgun aye?