Thread: has 10 years steel use been benificial for waterfowl numbers

I wouldn't choose steel over lead. Leads cheaper and kills better end of story. Thats if I got to choose... Oh wait I do 20g!!! :p

So for those who really want the best ballistic and terminal performance how many of you are shelling out for tungsten shot loads?

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

Whats it worth? I see that tundra stuff which is denser then lead but at $45 for 10 shots they can piss off back to dream land

There are other factors driving lead out of ammunition - This being a fairly major one REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals - Chemicals - Enterprise and Industry

It is an area of keen interest and many papers are out there showing lead to be detrimental to the environment, one example - http://www.falw.vu.nl/nl/Images/2014...m19-364075.pdf

Rangers found most hunters were enjoying themselves with no significant problems reported. A few hunters still have lead shot in their possession but most have got the message now that this is not allowed in 12 gauge guns.



Not many users of 20 ga guns were found either. It is hoped that the recent efforts by Fish and Game to promote better understanding of the characteristics of shotgun pellets when they are fired from a shot gun has had some beneficial effect.

i get accused of picking on southland f&g
but when they,re the only region to mention a percieved drop in 20gauge opening weekend use,the only region to even mention it in thier opening weekend both barrels, they really do ask for it this supposed drop is about as reliable as thier originel reasoning to justify the ban in the first place also no,ones said they,ve been surveyed yet either.

interesting older post.....
having used steel since the begining.....and seen the good,the bad and the ugly
here is my take on it....
get your birds into range and it kills fine.
woundies is NO LONGER an issue...during the first 2 seasons of steel useage we saw lots of them,I shoot a public lake and spend good part of opening weekend zooming around in dingy (cause I get bored sitting still) keeping ducks moving for everyone and picking up woundies and dead birds from center of lake....during early years it wasnt uncommon to pick up 12-15 birds off centre of lake...last 3-4 seasons its been more like 5-6
I firmly believe once we got shot speed above 1400 fps the killing power was fine,once it hit 1500 fps it was great.
we normally use #3 shot and I will often use #2s happily.....the #4s just dont do it for me with the often extended ranges we get on lake.
as to the original question.....yeah nah....think there is just as many birds as ever before....the geese come and go,some years we see heaps,other years bugger all.... I truely hope they arent being poisoned as a lot of other ducks will die too.
geese are awesome sport and great eating.

There are also some interesting ammo research coming from the ammo company's these days.
Be good to see the end of plastic wads!
The one thing I don't like about autos and pumps is the how they throw out the shells. Hope all out there are doing there part and picking up there spent cases!
I still believe that birds would only ingest the lead in certain environments. Clay bed lakes being a prime example where the lead would sit up on the top of the lake bed.

Where as if you have a peat of soil based lake bed the shot will sink down into the bed thus out of reach of the birds.

How many predator birds where poisoned through eating lost shot birds in NZ?

Anyway steel is here so lets crack on.

Originally Posted by muzza

The change to lead was bought about to appease the animal rights people. No other reason.

As a dairy farmer with a river that others shot , I often found wounded ducks with very messy wounds days after the shooting , the steel does what steel does when it gets wet and starts to rust in the wound . Its not overly pretty.

Theres definately less licences issued these days , whether that means less shooters or not I cant say for sure , but Fish and Game in some areas dont appear to do SFA to enhance or promote shooting sports , let alone fishing.

Surgeon made a statement to me last year, people have had lead in them for many years without serious consequences, can't make the same statement about steel.

to be honest i dont steels made one bit of difference that i can tell.
its still the big three predation wheather and habtat.
in nid canterbury and southland its dairying and the extra feed it offers

we were discussing the dairy farm thing today...as we were on one.... when grain is being fed,particularly if its not being cracked properly before being fed,the ducks do very well.....when maize silage is being fed out,or indeed harvested,the ducks do very well.
if farm is only grass,the parrie ducks do well...
if main supliment feed is palm kernal...there isnt much perk tucker for ol Donald duck....
the 9 ducks we shot were in OK condition but certainly werent overly fat.
the ducks living around grain production areas do the best of anywhere from what Ive seen.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

we were discussing the dairy farm thing today...as we were on one.... when grain is being fed,particularly if its not being cracked properly before being fed,the ducks do very well.....when maize silage is being fed out,or indeed harvested,the ducks do very well.
if farm is only grass,the parrie ducks do well...
if main supliment feed is palm kernal...there isnt much perk tucker for ol Donald duck....
the 9 ducks we shot were in OK condition but certainly werent overly fat.
the ducks living around grain production areas do the best of anywhere from what Ive seen.

in mid canterbury its not only the extra feed but the irri ponds to.
i dont know if theres lesss ducks or thier more spread which is what the moult counts seem to indicate
ofcourse its still what feeds available to the flappers and how predated on they are.
bad wheather knocks the shit out of them at vulnerable times to.