Another note on the difference between the shells Nick shoots and regular buckshot...because they are copper coated, they are actually round, and tend to fly more true...the lead BBs in mine are imperfectly round, and occasionally you'll put five pellets in the chest and then one will graze the back leg 20 inches away...you get some fliers!

Fish on...

Todd

This is what I used this year:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601190866

...and the main reason why is that back in March when I was shopping, I was unable to get buckshot anywhere, from anyone, due to Zombie Invasion Pandemic Concerns.

Even though these, too, were out of stock everywhere, I made a few phone calls and was able to locate a case in a back room

We were shooting some other shells...

These: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900857119

...that had softer brass, and they jammed consistently...loading and unloading the same shells a few times per day would really mark up the brass and the burrs would get stuck in the works.

No problems at all with these Remingtons, and they killed things pretty damn dead.

Fish on...

Todd

I'm kinda surprised the full choke gives the better pattern, as I figured a loose modified would be better for trying to jam those marbles down the pipe? But what do I know?!?!?

Todd, when you mentioned your shells..have you cut open one of the shells and noticed the 00 deformed before firing? Is there an actual wad cup surrounding the shot, or just an over-the-powder wad?

I'd wager Knick's pellets have some/more % antimony in them (premium shell), which makes them "harder", but a tad bit lighter. Copper coating is supposed to be slicker in transit down the pipe, less deformation through the choke as well. I'm a believer in buffered loads, especially if they're HOT as the buffer mitigates deformation on ignition.

Copper-I always thought was a sales pitch. As long as I had a high antimony content shot (like 5%+) that made the shot "hard", way harder than "chilled" lead shot. Easily distinguished by the "crush-test" with needle-nose pliers. When shooting trap at night, if one really paid attention, you could tell who was shooting copper shot (and on the rare occasion, who was shooting nickel plated shot) by the reflection. Kinda cool useless info..

On the two guns I shoot, one has an extra long barrel and a full choke, and it shoots virtually the identical pattern as the regular barrel with a modified choke.

I haven't cut apart any of the shells, I am going by the ones I find in the deer while cleaning them! If they hit bone, of course, they are blown up...but if they end up in soft tissue then you can see that they aren't perfectly round.

Not sure if it makes all that big of a difference, honestly, and the fliers are out of the ordinary, but it happens enough that I know something is going on in there.

It's no big deal, unless one ends up in the belly...which it hasn't, not yet.

Fish on...

Todd

gotcha..thanks. very interesting!

Good buck, Todd.

I haven't seen a big buck yet in my area. The camera's have yielded a couple of photos of some dandy bucks. Haven't had the opportunity to encounter them yet as they have been mostly nocturnal. Still a little over a week left.

Snit - all I know is that my shells are a couple hundred FPS faster than normal shells and the copper is hard, hard under pliers. The pellets blow / crush thru everything and we often find them on the back side hide (or blown clean thru). Heavy damage. It's frickin' fun gettin' BT's with a shotty.

So...I'm actually off to chase Elk at 0'dark tomorrow morning for 3 days and then 4 days next weekend. Seriously - this Elk season has been such cluster fvck of epic proportions. First the September fires shut me down and now late archery season has been unbelievably hard to pull off and make happen. Every plan has been shot to shreds with 00 buck. I'm not on plan b, c, or d.....I'm on plan p. Cluster fvck! I haven't spent 1 minute in the Elk woods all season and that changes tomorrow.

But here's the deal...I'mma shoot myself a nice bull or a big fat cow. Come hell or high water, something is going to get some fletching.

Toodles,

PS...I'mma be on the Elk tomorrow and whatnot, but just in case plan P goes sideways...I'd like to ask for anyone that reads this...whom happens to have any wet side cows located...let me know!

TWACK!

Elk hunting be like....

Heavy steep timber and swampy bottom lands, so quads & knees are toast. Lots of does, grouse and chanterelles. Picked 5 gallons of freshies. Zero Elk and zero fresh sign. Bummer.

But, I got to do 3 days worth of those "armed nature hikes" Paker is always raving about. That was cool enough I guess. Got to see a big fat frog hop about and do his frog things. GO NATURE!

It wouldn't have mattered if he was. Todd can't shoot a bow for [Bleeeeep!]. He's taken exactly one shot with a compound and absolutely slayed his entire forearm from his elbow to his wrist. One and done.

I like to bow hunt solo if I can. I like my peace & quiet and if anyone steps on a branch, it's me so I only yell at myself internally instead of somebody else. None of island crew has the right gear anyway. Steep timber is a whole other ball of wax and those guys are pretty lazy.

This past hunt was my first time in this area and I learned a lot over 2.5 days. There are some animals around including a 6x5, but finding them is hell. The good news is the new 600 acres of private land I got access to is LOADED with deer and nobody hunts it. It backs up to 35K acres of timber company. There's a book buck in there 100% guaranteed.

+1



Fish on...

Todd

How much did your pack weigh?

I said armed. That does not include items that fling things with string.

Damn fly hunters!

Not 60 pounds I can tell you that!

I did test out a new 40L waterproof day pack that I picked up specifically for the rain forest. It's basically a heavy vinyl roll top dry bag with external Molle webbing on all panels for attaching whatever. It's not a big load hauler or meat pack, but it did it's job perfectly and appears to be bomb and rain proof.

Armed enough! I mean...do you want to get shot with a broadhead?

I didn't carry my side arm this trip and I probably should have. Holy tweakerville! I thwarted a little punk from breaking into my truck Sunday morning at 4 am. He wasn't planning on anyone being up and active and I caught him by surprise. He took off like a rocket once I popped my head up and bellowed that the arse beatings will now commence. Gotta be smarter than that bud! It's Elk season and we get up early. Dumbass.

Paker is funny. True that. He thinks spin fishers who use bobbers are using training wheels. All the while he doesn't see that his entire fishing and hunting universe, choosing the most efficient drift fishing gear and boom sticks and lazy methods, are all about training wheels.

Every now and again during the dead of full moon nights, he takes that Kimber Mountain Ascent 300wsm out of the safe, caresses it softly while lovingly whispering sweat nothings. One day that 300wsm will speak, but today is not the day. He should probably sell it, so the new owner can unmute it.

Surprised he got away with keeping it when she confiscated his testicles.