Guns of choice

I’ve been shooting a Benelli Super Black Eagle, synthetic and camo for the past few seasons. Prior to that I shot a Remington 1100 for over 20 years. The Super Black Eagle was an expensive gun (about $1100) but when you only buy a new gun ever 20 years the cost per year is pretty low.

I like the weight and balance of the Benelli SBE better than the Remington 1100 but my records indicate I shoot about the same. At the end of the pheasant season I will have retrieved about 85% of the roosters I’ve shot at. I’ll hit about 3-5% that I don’t retrieve, either birds that get knocked down but we can’t find or birds that get hit and keep flying, and I just plain miss the rest. These figures are birds shot at, not shots fired. Sometimes I have to shoot twice and once this year it took three shots

I bought the SBE because it could handle anything from light 2 3/4″ loads up to heavy 3 1/2 loads. I’ve found this to be true. I haven’t had any problems. However, I’m dissappointed with the turkey loads I’ve patterned with this gun. I tried Federal 3″, 2 oz. #4 buffered loads and Federal 3 1/2″ loads and did not get what I consider to be a very tight pattern using the full choke. I also tried the improved modified choke thinking maybe the constriction was too tight in the full but that resulted in an even more open pattern. For turkey hunting I use my dad’s Mossberg pump and it shoots a much tighter pattern with the Federal 3″ load than the SBE. I measured the diameters of the choke tubes and the SBE tube had a slightly smaller diameter. One other thing I’ve noticed with my SBE is that the matte camo has developed a shine where it rubs against my hunting jacket or where I hold it.

Boone

Boone:

Try patterning some Hevi Shot sometime. It patterns much tighter than lead. It is expensive, but it’s not like you blow through box after box turkey hunting.

An extended choke tube (like a Briley’s or a Trulock) may also help.

Call Trulock and talk to George Trulock himself. I did and he gave me recommendations on what to use for my specific gun and needs. http://www.trulockchokes.com/

Boone:

Try patterning some Hevi Shot sometime. It patterns much tighter than lead. It is expensive, but it’s not like you blow through box after box turkey hunting.

An extended choke tube (like a Briley’s or a Trulock) may also help.

Call Trulock and talk to George Trulock himself. I did and he gave me recommendations on what to use for my specific gun and needs. http://www.trulockchokes.com/

MossBoss,

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about Hevi Shot too. My buddy shoots it for Snow geese and has only had great things to say about it. There was a good article about it in the January 2003 issue of the “American Rifleman”. Do you know if you can shot Hevi Shot through a full choke or wouldn’t it be necessary?

Maybe I’ll try the Hevi Shot before I buy an extended choke tube.

Thanks,

Boone

MossBoss,

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking about Hevi Shot too. My buddy shoots it for Snow geese and has only had great things to say about it. There was a good article about it in the January 2003 issue of the “American Rifleman”. Do you know if you can shot Hevi Shot through a full choke or wouldn’t it be necessary?

Maybe I’ll try the Hevi Shot before I buy an extended choke tube.

Thanks,

Boone

Boone:

I have used Hevi for ducks, the stuff is AWESOME. My buddy handloads it and uses it for all his bird hunting. Even at 85 cents a shell reloaded, that’s too much for me to use all the time though. What I’ve noticed is the amount of birds that fall stone dead to the water, rather than alive and flopping.

Hevi and a full choke is interesting. I think the gun manufacturers would say no. I know Trulock says no steel through their full or turkey chokes, but Hevi is OK. Hevi is harder than steel, but typically loaded to lower pressures I believe.

The one thing I found with extended chokes through my Browning was my pattern was far more even. My friend with an SBE gets good patterns with his factory chokes, so I would shoot a few and try.

Boone:

I have used Hevi for ducks, the stuff is AWESOME. My buddy handloads it and uses it for all his bird hunting. Even at 85 cents a shell reloaded, that’s too much for me to use all the time though. What I’ve noticed is the amount of birds that fall stone dead to the water, rather than alive and flopping.

Hevi and a full choke is interesting. I think the gun manufacturers would say no. I know Trulock says no steel through their full or turkey chokes, but Hevi is OK. Hevi is harder than steel, but typically loaded to lower pressures I believe.

The one thing I found with extended chokes through my Browning was my pattern was far more even. My friend with an SBE gets good patterns with his factory chokes, so I would shoot a few and try.

i use an 870 wingmaster, remington. I shoot #2, #4, and Triple bb, but the thing about my gun, it is only 2 3/4 and that is it. I shot my first goose this year, and also piled up some ducks this year with it also. I think the gun is just a way for people to get money, it is the person hunting that makes the hunt. not the gun!!!! if you can’t hit the broad side of the barn with you standing in it, you can have the best gun on the market and still miss. it took me almost the whole season before i started to hit birds, hopefully I will be able to continue my streak.

i use an 870 wingmaster, remington. I shoot #2, #4, and Triple bb, but the thing about my gun, it is only 2 3/4 and that is it. I shot my first goose this year, and also piled up some ducks this year with it also. I think the gun is just a way for people to get money, it is the person hunting that makes the hunt. not the gun!!!! if you can’t hit the broad side of the barn with you standing in it, you can have the best gun on the market and still miss. it took me almost the whole season before i started to hit birds, hopefully I will be able to continue my streak.

I shoot a Benelli M-1 and have been reloading for several years. I’d look at prices at Ballistic Products for reloading supplies, they are the best in overall price for most components. I think the reason the manufacturer’s say no to the full choke is the fact that steel pellets can’t compress like lead. If you shoot a lot of steel through a full choke, you find it really hard to spin that choke out (that’s what I’ve heard), I would assume it is the same for hevi, since it is “harder” than steel.

I shoot a Benelli M-1 and have been reloading for several years. I’d look at prices at Ballistic Products for reloading supplies, they are the best in overall price for most components. I think the reason the manufacturer’s say no to the full choke is the fact that steel pellets can’t compress like lead. If you shoot a lot of steel through a full choke, you find it really hard to spin that choke out (that’s what I’ve heard), I would assume it is the same for hevi, since it is “harder” than steel.