17 replies to this topic

[Bisley]

I said I wanted to do it, just didn't think I would do it the first day up here! I have never hunted waterfowl before but picked up the stamps and some steel shot last night before getting up here around 1:00pm. After we settled in and unpacked I had just enough time to run down to the creek run-off and see what I could do. We jumped birds twice on the way before getting to where I wanted to go . I finally park the truck and we walk about a half mile and see nothing. Then we jump a dozen ducks in the last 100 yards of our journey. It is the perfect setup with trees too thick to fly through on the opposite side of the water so they have to fly in front or across us. Damn I know how to find a spot! Less than 1 hour between leaving the house and returning with two ducks on my first ever duck hunt, and on public land to boot. Kid took a hen, I hit a drake. Only slight hitch was that they both got a little wet "fetching" the birds . But they were so excited that they could care less. We then jump a covey of quail too and only had enough time or me to drop this one. Did I mention how great a day this has turned out to be? And we still got three more days to do this . Hopefully more pics to follow. To say these two kids were ecstatic is a major understatement. Rabbits 2 weeks ago, pheasant last weekend, ducks this weekend. No, I'm not spoiling them..................
A special thanks to SJ and clampdaddy on here for giving me the info last year on Americhoke so that I could get my favorite shotgun tapped for choke tubes to be able to finally do this. Couldn't have done it without your help.

[turkeyman85]

Nice I've been duck hunting a few years now and I have yet to shoot a green head! Congrats bisley! Heck come to think of it I havent even shot a hen. I did miss a nice GH when hunting in late october!
Oh ya did you get my PM?

[Bisley]

Oh ya did you get my PM?

Didn't see it until this morning, I was out by the cafe using the wi-fi in 40 degree temps and was in a liittlleee bit o a hurry to get inside . Much appreciated, and I will get to ya after we get back later today, got some more duck to kill first

[ShooterJohn]

That's a great story and pic too. The smiles say it all everyone looks to have had a great time. Like you said and all on public land.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

That is great! The boys look like they had a great time too. Way to go for your first duck hunt.

[Bennie]

Congrats on your duck hunt. Good of you to get the kids out. Going out and jump shooting them, you earned them. I know that always makes me feel better about a hunt. I hope it does you and the kids too.

[Frank]

Yep, the boy's smiles says it all... And many kudos to you Bob, for spoiling them like that too. You are the man!

Great write up, and pics as always. I could never get my pics that good. OH, and when did you get the "Ford" truck?

Anyway, Good Luck on the rest of your hunt.

[Bisley]

OH, and when did you get the "Ford" truck?

Had her or about 7 years now. She looks like she was rolled down a hill, then dirt thrown on her, then the doors opened and dirt thrown in her, but she still keeps on ticking. And the way I drink, we just had to name her Betty (Ford)

[Thumper Dunker]

Way to go . Sounds like a bunch of fun.

[clampdaddy]

There is still hope Bob, stop hunting ducks before it's to late!! If not you will end up like us abnormal fellas that wake up, see it storming outside and wish that we could be sitting in a muddy hole, soaking wet, shivering.........and loving every freakin' minute of it. Lol!

What load are you using?

[Bisley]

Too late, I think the nephew has it real bad. He said he didn't care about quail anymore..........until we jumped another covey just in front of the park on the way back. It still gets him going, thank God . And I'm already abnormal so I may as well have yet another bad habit .

I started with Remington 3" 1-1/8oz BB and Chris was using the only 2-3/4" loads I had or could find on short notice which were Remington UHD (Ultra Home Defense) that were not only reduced recoil tungsten for the kid, but also BB. I never expected to see or shoot this many so I had to go buy some more Friday, but they only had the Remington 3" 1-1/4oz BB (ouch) and Winchester 2-3/4" 1-1/8oz #2's. Never did get to try the Winchester stuff, but the 1-1/4oz worked alright, just not sure if it worked twice as well as it was twice the price. And it just kills a reloader like myself to buy loads . So I know what I will be looking into next. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to do this until Christmas again. If I hunt all day Thanksgiving, why not Christmas too, right???

[Frank]

oh... for some reason I had chevy on my mind... then again, obviously what mind, eh?

[clampdaddy]

Too late, I think the nephew has it real bad. He said he didn't care about quail anymore..........until we jumped another covey just in front of the park on the way back. It still gets him going, thank God . And I'm already abnormal so I may as well have yet another bad habit .

I started with Remington 3" 1-1/8oz BB and Chris was using the only 2-3/4" loads I had or could find on short notice which were Remington UHD (Ultra Home Defense) that were not only reduced recoil tungsten for the kid, but also BB. I never expected to see or shoot this many so I had to go buy some more Friday, but they only had the Remington 3" 1-1/4oz BB (ouch) and Winchester 2-3/4" 1-1/8oz #2's. Never did get to try the Winchester stuff, but the 1-1/4oz worked alright, just not sure if it worked twice as well as it was twice the price. And it just kills a reloader like myself to buy loads . So I know what I will be looking into next. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to do this until Christmas again. If I hunt all day Thanksgiving, why not Christmas too, right???

#2 is a good all around size. It's big enough that it'll reliably break big wing bones yet its still small enough that you get a decent pellet count. There used to be a guy that went by Ned S on the duckhuntingchat reloading forum that cooked up a load of steel #6 that got up to 1800 fps!!! He swore by that load. It got nicknamed "the angry swarm". Lol!

Lately I have been getting absolutely beautiful patterns from the 3.5 inch Rio Blue Steel #3 loads, and to top it off they are cheaper than what I was buying at Walmart.

[Bisley]

Was he using 3" or 3-1/2" for that kind of speed? My O L D 1100 is the only 3" chamber I think we own. I currently push about 1600fps with 1-1/8oz of lead and still get excellent, if not better, patterns than the 1200-1300fps typical factory stuff. Hmmm, wonder if I can get into the 2000's with steel . The last box of Hyper-Sonic were supposedly pushing 1700fps, and my shoulder would have to agree. I went with the larger shot because I knew they were jumping at 30-40 yards, but a smaller shot at quicker speeds (and more short) would certainly do it too I'm sure. Like I said, going to have to finally break down and look into reloading steel. I have only put it off, and hunt fowl also, because I hate steel shot, and the hevi-shot, tungsten, or ITX is just way too darn expensive.

[clampdaddy]

I think that he was using a 3.5 inch hull for the most part but I believe that he also had a once ounce load for the three inch hull as well. I don't reload for my shotguns so I never paid it much mind. The ol' boy just kind of had a reputation for being a mad scientist when it came to ultra high speed steel loads. I guess loads like that are the norm in some Scandinavian countries so he was duplicating their loads.

[sxshooter]

Bob
Great job. Those kids will think you're the hunt god for the rest of their lives.

[Bisley]

Until they wise up and realize that I am not good, just the luckiest SOB I know of to hunt birds
We'll have to wait and see how much they love me after I tell them that we can't hunt for a couple weeks and that their Christmas present are going to finally replace these worn out things



I can deal with putting air in the leaking plug every day for one more year, but I don't think the one with the steel belts showing will make it another year

[sxshooter]

I've found that Firestone tires gave me tremendous mileage. I was getting 60,000 miles plus on my 2500 out of a set. And they were less expensive than comparable tires of other makers.

I have Toyo A/Ts on the current truck, but that's because I didn't like the Firestone Destination A/T tread and had a set of the Firestone Destination M/T and didn't want the noise on this truck. Toyo's cost twice what a Firestone costs.