17 replies to this topic

[D-Man]

Waiting for my new shotgun to arrive so it can get out of jail and come home to daddy. Bought some BB size steel shot for hunting coyotes today. That being said, does anyone know of any lead free slugs that are designed to be fired out of a smoothbore? Would sure be nice to have a couple slugs in my pocket for those just in case times when you are out in the middle of nowhere. When I went over to Bass Pro shop they only had copper point for rifled barrels. If there isn't a commercially available one, who makes a lead free rifled / Forester slug that I could possibly reload?Darren

[DirtyDave]

this is the only one i know ofhttp://www.jgsales.c...cts_id/4296?SIDAnd the Hevi-shot Dead Coyote loads will give you more range than the steel BBs

[ShooterJohn]

I'm not sure you are going to be happy with that BB sized steel shot for coyotes. If just doesn't have the weight that Dead Coyote or the other non-lead products do in the #4 Buck.

[ShooterJohn]

Did you order the turkey gun with the extra full choke? If you did it isn't recommended to shoot steel shot out of those chokes and you can't shoot slugs out of them either. You'll need to get a more open choke to use for either of those loads.

[D-Man]

No, ordered the Mossberg Maverick 88 instead. Might pick up the 24" barrel they have that comes with all the chokes for it after I get it. Right now just the 18.5" stock smoothbore that comes with it. At Bass Pro Shops they only had the Dead Coyote in 3 1/2" which this shotgun will only chamber up to 3".Darren

[BullsEye]

Here is an interesting lead free expanding slugHexolit 32 Lead Free Slug 12 Gauge 2.75 Inch 1410 FPS 1.125 Ounce Hexolit Steel 5 Per Boxhttp://www.davescata...=...T&pid=20997

[BullsEye]

Also talk to these guys at Custom Cartridge.http://www.customcar...e.com/index.phpIf I remember they where talking about a lead free 12 gauge slug?

[D-Man]

I bought two boxes of the DDupleks Monolit as I wanted a solid slug. Pretty sweet video of it busting through an engine block on the website. The Hexolit would be great for pig hunting though.Darren

[BullsEye]

Cool. Let us know how well they shoot. I may have to get some for the 20.

[D-Man]

Need my shotgun first!Darren

[D-Man]

I bought a box of Dead Coyote along with the new 00 Buck Hevi-Shot for bear since it was only $15 a box. While online I found Fiocchi T Steel shot in 3" shell for around $10 a box. Since that isn't priced into the stratosphere do you think it would be worth picking up a few boxes to have around? Seems like it would be a decent game load and could even be used on coyotes in a pinch. Thoughts? Very new to this whole shotgun thing so lots of questions.Darren

[4RHUNTS]

In California you can only use slugs in a shotgun for hunting bear, deer or pigs.. No buckshot. Although you can use 0 or 00 buckshot in areas for deer if rifles and shotgun with slugs are prohibited by county ordinance.

[BullsEye]

From the research I was doing #4 buck lead is .24" (6 mm) in diameter and 21 pellets per ounce. I used this as my comparisson since many swear by it when useing a scatter gun.Steel T shot is .20" (5.08 mm) and 53 pellets per ounce Steef FF shot is .23" (5.84 mm) and 35 pellets per ounce (This seams to be the largest steel shot I could find in lead free) Would this be adequate for yotes based on the above info?What if one where to reload shot shells could it be safe to assume the .22 caliber copper BB's could be adequate for coyotes too?Sorry Darren I think I answered your question with questions. :lol:Here is where I found the data:http://en.wikipedia....i/Shotgun_shell

[BullsEye]

In California you can only use slugs in a shotgun for hunting bear, deer or pigs.. No buckshot. Although you can use 0 or 00 buckshot in areas for deer if rifles and shotgun with slugs are prohibited by county ordinance.

§472. General Provisions.Except as otherwise provided in Sections 478 and 485 and subsections (a) through (d) below, nongame birds and mammals may not be taken.(a) The following nongame birds and mammals may be taken at any time of the year and in any number except as prohibited in Chapter 6: English sparrow, starling, coyote, weasels, skunks, opossum, moles and rodents (excluding tree and flying squirrels, and those listed as furbearers, endangered or threatened species).§475. Methods of Take for Nongame Birds and Nongame Mammals.Nongame birds and nongame mammals may be taken in any manner except as follows:(a) Poison may not be used.( Recorded or electrically amplified bird or mammal calls or sounds or recorded or electrically amplified imitations of bird or mammal calls or sounds may not be used to take any nongame bird or nongame mammal except coyotes, bobcats, American crows and starlings.© Fallow deer, sambar deer, axis deer, sika deer, aoudad, mouflon, tahr and feral goats may be taken only with the equipment and ammunition specified in Section 353 of these regulations.(d) Traps may be used to take nongame birds and nongame mammals only in accordance with the provisions of Section 465.5 of these regulations and sections 3003.1 and 4004 of the Fish and Game Code.(e) No feed, bait or other material capable of attracting a nongame mammal may be placed or used in conjunction with dogs for the purpose of taking any nongame mammals. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an individual operating in accordance with the provisions of Section 465.5 from using a dog to follow a trap drag and taking the nongame mammal caught in that trap.(f) Methods of take within the California condor range. Except as otherwise provided, it is unlawful to use or possess projectiles containing more than one percent lead by weight while taking or attempting to take any nongame birds or nongame mammals in those areas described in Section 3004.5, Fish and Game Code.(1) For purposes of Section 475, a “projectile” is defined as any bullet, ball, sabot, slug, buckshot, shot, pellet or other device which is expelled from a firearm through a barrel by force.(2) Except as otherwise provided, it is unlawful to possess any projectile containing lead in excess of the amount permitted in subsection 475(f) and a firearm capable of firing the projectile while taking or attempting to take any nongame bird or nongame mammal within the area described in subsection 475(f). The possession of a projectile containing lead in excess of the amount allowed in subsection 475(f) without possessing a firearm capable of firing the projectile is not a violation of this section.Amendment 5-15-08, effective 7-1-08.

[4RHUNTS]

Bullseye, I understand the part for non game mammals. I was referring to the part of D-Man's post on using the Hevi Shot buckshot for bear.

[D-Man]

Sorry I wasn't clear earlier. The Hevi-Shot was designed to be lead free and able to be able to take a bear, not that I was going out to do that. I can't even find Steel FF shot, or even F shot. Biggest I could find anywhere was T shot. #4 buck does seem to be the lead standard and I don't want to use T steel shot on a regular basis for taking yotes. But having a couple of boxes there is a good chance that is what I would have in / on the scattergun at any given time so it would seem to be a viable alternative for a close in shot is all. The stock saddle can only hold 5 rounds. My thinking was 3 T steel shot, 1 00 buck Hevi-Shot, and 1 DDupleks Monolit slug. Or even 2 7 or 8 steel shot, 2 T steel shot, and one steel slug. Could handle just about anything with a mix like that. If I was specifically going out hunting coyotes then I would grab the box of dead-coyote and the slugs and go to town.Darren

[BullsEye]

Bullseye, I understand the part for non game mammals. I was referring to the part of D-Man's post on using the Hevi Shot buckshot for bear.

OK. Just making sure. There are so many regs it can be confusing at times.

[4RHUNTS]

They are at that for sure. Sometimes I get a headache from reading that stuff.