Here in Tennessee, number four shot is the largest legal size for Turkey hunting. Many moons ago, before lead free shot was mandatory, for waterfowl, larger lead shot was used.
I’m not just interested in waterfowl, but any game taken with larger lead shot. Please tell me all about the larger lead shot and what it was (is) used for.
“Turn up the heat, and cast cheap!”
Barry54
My grandfather and I often used lead #2 and BB shot for turkey and waterfowl - but this was in Texas, and I quit hunting both in the 1980’s. Since then, I’ve used my remaining stash on varmints such as coyotes, coons and other small to medium critters. My great uncle always liked larger size shot because it carried further and usually punched through the animal.
Typically in the north country its mostly goose hunting. We do not have a Sandhill crane season in Minnesota.
Buckshot for deer is a big no no.
I discovered by accident that I had my Remington 870 Wingmaster 30" barrel loaded with duece's when a flock of Canadian Honkers came over low. I dropped 3, dead before they hit the water.
Large enough to penetrate, small enough to slip through big feathers. And if you had the lead right and hit them in the head they fold right up.
The last couple of years I hunted waterfall I had really amazing results. 6's for close ducks, 4's for long ones, 2's for geese and if they are not in range your not hid well enough. Those buggers have eyes like eagles.
I have seen honkers that I had hit, and hit hard, ruffle their feathers and see buckshot fall out. Then pop their wings and up up and away.
I truly believe we need to get back to basics.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Never more evident than right now, it is everywhere. Powers of darkness, minions of the evil one, the one that God Almighty cast down.
Open your eyes that you might see.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
This thread takes me back to my hunting days. The thickets in Louisiana were great cover for deer. It is/was legal to use dogs and buckshot was the ammo of choice. I can’t tell you the size of the shot but it was needed to be able to shoot in those thickets.
The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with
My favorite all around was #4. In a 12, good pattern density, good penetration out to 40 yds. That was in the days of lead. Now with all the steel and more exotic shots being used, I'm pretty clueless. jd
It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.
IIRC, a couple of months ago, SG Ammo had some Winchester 12 gauge #2 loads that they said were intended for export to Australia for shooting fruit bats.
Looking at their site now, the only #2 load I see is marketed for self-defense.
https://sgammo.com/product/12-gauge-...ammo-s122pd25/
Remember: Ammo will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no ammo.
A Big Shot story: A while back a friend of a friend wanted to try skeet shooting. We told him to get some #9 loads, or #8 if he couldn't find any #9. He shows up to shoot, and can't hit anything. Checking his ammo, we found he was shooting "9 pellet" 00 buckshot.
Remember: Ammo will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no ammo.
Pass shot a lot of geese in the lead shot days with copper plated #2 or BB. Very rarely had cripples for the dog to run down. Also used the same for turkeys before the PA Game Commission made anything larger than lead #4 illegal. They worked very well.
#2 shot will roll a running Jackrabbit (and pierce its ears….)pretty far out there with a 12 gauge full choke in my experience decades ago.(when we shot Jackrabbits).
It will drop a running or flying turkey, too.
My house 870 has a #2 shotshell up first; then buckshot.
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Killed a fair amount of coyotes with copper plated buffered lead BB's out a 10 gauge. Any yote within 80 yards was DOA.
2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
"Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
– Amber Veal
"The Highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about".
- Wayne Dyer
Twenty five years or so ago my cousin turned up a couple cases of 12 ga, magnum shotgun shells made in Mexico. Box said #2, my Dad left almost half a case under the bed and the heads corroded so I broke it down for components. I measured the shot, it was inconsistent but most were just under #2.
It is some nasty stuff, feral dogs chasing calves, foxes after the chickens, ground hogs feasting in the garden or anything sales that needed to be disposed of. No problems, boom flop. I got the south end of a north bound ground hog just as he went over the bank at the end of the garden, 65 long paces. Still got some stashed away on an ammo box. I like my rifles best but there in no getting around a good shotgun.
I've been meaning to load some 2-1/2 inch, 410 loads with #4 shot for squirrels.
I bet your shoulder was, too.Originally Posted by M-Tecs
A while back, we were shooting crows at the hunting club and I was knocking feathers out of them with 7 1/2's and they would continue to fly out of sight. A buddy gave me a box of Remington 2 3/4 Express #2's and the crows started hitting the ground dead as a hammer. I can't find #2's now but 4's kill them just as quick. My 870 patterns Estate high brass 4's best with the modified choke screwed in.
IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. "All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away"--John 6:37
Thank you all for your replies! I had put a 10 kg bag of BB shot in my cart at BPI and was waiting to take advantage of one of their shot shipping deals that rotate around every so often. Now it’s out of stock…
I don’t have a 10 gauge but hopefully my 12 will be almost as effective on coyote!
“Turn up the heat, and cast cheap!”
Barry54
The 2 1/4 oz buffered copper plated 10 ga loads I use are some of Tom Roster's loads. They will produce 98% patterns at 40 yards 100% of the time. I started using them in the 70's for geese when lead was still legal. They work great on coyotes. That being said if I was developing a coyote load today it would be with Tungsten Super Shot or TSS factory shells.
https://coyotestuff.com/tss-shot-for...-secret-sauce/
https://www.predatormasters.com/foru...-2-tss.360415/
Last edited by M-Tecs; 08-21-2025 at 09:28 PM.
2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
"Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
– Amber Veal
"The Highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about".
- Wayne Dyer
Mid 70s when lead shot was legal for waterfowl; Alcan 12 gauge 3" mag case, 220 magnamax primer, Al-8 powder, combo wad and 1 5/8 of #2s. That was the goose load!
No-bama
In a 2 3/4" hull with 1 3/8" of #4 shot, AL-8 is still the go-to powder for varmint reduction in the back yard.
Early 70's we used #2s for pass shooting ducks on the South Plate River or #4s over deks. For the greater Canadian geese it was 00 buck over decoys out of 2-3/4" baby magnums.
Steve,
Life Member NRA
Colorado Rifle Club member
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