Crow Busters Forum

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Re. 8-21-12 hunt with pics (and shot size)

Gadget Bob · Guru

Hi OA,

You get a wide range of opinions on shot size and chokes. In the Texas Crow Patrol, we take a lot of crows at 20 - 30 yards with our "Metro Guns" and use IC chokes with 7 1/2 and 8 shot.

Take care,

Big Honkers · Guru

OA,

I also am from SW MI. Allegan county. Where are you from?

Opinions on shot size are like buttholes...everyone has them. Most folks that shoot factory shells opt for 7 1/2 or 8 shot as it is easy to find and MUCH cheaper than buying some sort of high brass lead. 7 1/2's or 8's will kill crows. The guys who shoot mostly 5's, 6's, or 7's are those who reload.

I shoot modified choke all year long.

Feel free to ask reloading questions here, there are some knowledgeable folks here.

BH

Big Honkers · Guru

OA,

I now see that your profile says you are from South Haven. Not too far away!

Happy hunting!

BH

PS - You are right about not many crows in our area. The hunt I posted took place outside of our respective counties.

Bob · Guru

I reloaded for 40 years for crows, for the first 16 years all I used was a 7/8th ounce load of 8's, 8 1/2's and 9's. I used Dupont 7625 powder and Dupont 700x. I used the Lage wad with Winchester # 209 size primers. I mainly used Remington Premier hulls and Winchester AA hulls. I shot 50,000 crows during that time with a pair of model 12 20 gauge Winchesters, one modified one full choke.I also used a pair of 20 gauge Remington Wing Masters, both full choke. The next 12 years I shot another 50,000 crows with both a 20 and 12 gauge. I reloaded 700x with a 1 1/8th ounce load in the 12 bore using 7 1/2's and 8's. My 12 gauges were improved modified and full chokes. I used an 870 Remington Wing Master, two Benelli Montefeltros and three Beretta model 391's. The past 11 seasons I have shot a tad over 44,000 crows so with any luck I should hit 150,000 within the next two seasons using mainly 7 1/2's and 8's.

I don't reload any more haven't reloaded in close to 10 years now. I have been using the Remington Gun Club loads, Federal Top Gun loads and the Federal loads from Walmart in the maroon colored boxes.

Bob A.

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Well, given these recommendations, it's surely "OK" to shoot/reload smaller shot for crows. I think the recommendations I received for using #4s were based on their respect for the crows' toughness. I need lots more practice anyway. Thanks!

BH: I thought somehow you had hit the Southwest MI Mother Lode, given those hunt photos! Glad you said your big hunt was far from here (Big Honker in Allegan Co. and me in Van Buren Co., MI, share a N/S border), as I was feeling really deprived! In my limited but growing experience around here, the murders get as large as 7-10; 2-4 being more the norm. I guess we're not in any kind of flyway. It does seem that there is a different murder every section or so, N, E, S, or W of a given location. Also, in town, they are supremely arrogant, strutting about, knowing they are safe within the city limits.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

Old Artilleryman, don't simply take anybody's word for what works best for you. Try different things. The selection of choke depends on shooters wingshooting skills more than any other reason. A better shot can handle close birds with tight chokes and has the right choke for longer shots. If you reload you have more options in shell/shot combo. I have found throughout the wingshooting spectrum #6 substituted for a smaller shot size in a 1 or 1/8 ounce trap/skeet load, 1145 to 1200fps is a much more effective load on crows than the smaller shot sizes. Again don't take my word for it, try it and see for yourself. Reloading is a great past time, you're gonna enjoy shooting stuff with your own ammo.

M12Shooter · Guru

I started shooting crows well over 30 years ago with 12 gauge 1 1/4 ounce heavy field loads of #5 or 6 shot and full choked barrels. Was told by some and read in a few magazine articles that crows were tough to kill and all that, so I opted to use the aforementioned loads. I can remember plenty of pounded shoulders and excedrin headaches but did kill a lot of crows confuse .

As years passed and I became older and a more proficient wingshooter I found myself steadily moving toward smaller shot sizes, lighter shot payloads and more open choke constrictions. Today I prefer 1 1/8 ounce of# 7 1/2 or 8 shot in conventional trap loads with my 12 gauges or 8, 8 1/2 or even 9 shot through the smaller tubes. I believe in getting crows in tight as conditions allow, using more open chokes and dense patterns to kill good numbers of crows smile .

Ted

-- Edited by M12Shooter on Wednesday 29th of August 2012 08:43:15 PM

Old Artilleryman · Guru

nhcrowshooter:

More good advice. Liked your "eat crow" article.

wingmaster · Senior Member

So glad had a good forum talking about shot size and no big blow out. I use same as most guys use hear to. Use 12ga Stogar with mod with 7 1/2 or 8 while leaves on trees. Now when leave go I use full choke. I will blow dust out of my Remington 20 & Benelli 20ga with 7 1/2 or 9 in IMP Mod choke. Most of all pattern gun on any shot & choke. Than when u go in filed your ready to watch the feathers fly lol

shaddart · Guru

Like NHcrow said, try some different loads to see what's best for your gun & the areas you hunt. I personally handload 1 1/4 oz hardened 6's in win AA cases . You have to decide, but for what it's worth thats my choice. Jerry

nhcrowshooter · Guru

In 12ga I settled on the following reload, Federal Value Pack/Top Gun hulls because they are readily available at my gun club, everybody shoots them, nobody keeps them so I don't care if I lose them.

Federal 209A primer, 19.5 grains of Green Dot (a powder known for tight patterns and mild recoil), Federal S3 wad or WAASL (pink) wad, 1 1/8 ounce of magnum 6 shot. Federal gives pressure on 8000 psi and velocity of 1200 fps with 21 grains. I am slightly lower on both pressure and fps with 19.5gr which is a kinder load for 100 yr old guns. Work great, slams them as far as 12ga full choke can shoot. At the current component prices I am paying this crow hunting load is costing me $4.96 a box of 25.

Anyone else rolling their own, what are you shooting?

Here is the Federal reloading date for the cheapo hulls, of course it's all Federal components.

http://www.federalpremium.com/pdf/FP294_ShotshellReloadingData.pdf

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Thursday 30th of August 2012 05:02:54 PM

chip · Guru

NH I reloaded for 25 or 30 years and just stopped about 15 years ago. I used to laugh at those folks who shot factory loads. I will have to say that the remington blue peters hulls lasted the longest and were the toughest hulls around. I just wondered, do you have trouble resizing the hulls now that they seem to be made of cheaper components than they used to be??? I always hated reloading the hulls with anything except brass on the bottom of the hull. The only time I find a brass hull now is about one in a 1000 out of a rogue case. Do the hulls last as long as they used to??? I am contemplating getting back in to reloading,, (depending on the election results of course). wink

nhcrowshooter · Guru

Chip, I remember shooting the Peters Blue Magic hulls too. There are still brass at the bottom hulls, AA's and Remington STS/Nitro 27 and Federal Gold Medals are available. Winchester changed the AA hull, it's a two piece design and not as good as the old style but still good. The Remington STS/Nitro's are the best for reloading right now IMO. I have no trouble resizing the cheapo federal shells that use a steel base, but I use a MEC Super Sizer on them first. You can get a lot of reloads out of the Rem's and AA's. The cheapo will still give at least 4 good loads and often more.

chip · Guru

Thanx NH it has been a while, When I retire Im gonna get back in to it.........

M12Shooter · Guru

The cheap Remington Gun Club hulls load up as just as nice as the more expensive STS stuff IMO. I load 7/8 th ounce 12 gauge loads and #8 shot with these for clays and 16 yard trap. Back in the day the Blue Magics were nice. I still have a couple pails of them somewhere in the back of the garage.

Ted