Improved birdshot

[hoary beacon]

Geese are stupidly tough and stay out of range for the shotguns in most setups. They need there own shot. Consider them class 1.5 and add shot specifically for large birds, something common irl and generally written into the regulations for waterfowl hunting.

Steel shot is avaliable for all shotgun gauges and most are loaded specifically with geese and larger birds in mind. This means much larger individual pellets and higher speeds than traditional lead shot loads. Of course these shells come with higher recoil but that's to be expected.

Steel shot, BB size, has a greater effective range and penetration compared to regular lead shot (which is largely illegal for waterfowl in general) at the cost of a higher price and more recoil.

Please make this shot type available

Let's be totally honest, buckshot needs a massive change as well.

12ga MAGNUM BUCKSHOT is lethal to 70 yards

Slug hunting has changed a lot as well and improved shotguns can make a massive difference.

Sabot slugs and fully rifled 12ga barrels have led to a massive increase in the reliability and effectiveness of slug hunting everything from feral pigs and whitetail deer to elk and moose

Snow goose populations exploded a few years back and conservation hunts have been established to try and wrangle the numbers back to a safe level so certain measure have been taken to encourage hunters to help with this.

Limits on magazine size, ecaller restrictions, and bag limits were slacked and companies have even stepped forward with shotguns designed with these conservation hunts in mind.

Beretta recently introduced their semi-auto Arctic Fox model with a magazine capacity of ten rounds of steel shot.

[hoary beacon]

Bump

[pseudo palm]

Shot at a Canada Goose last night as it was fleeing. Executive 10gage. It took two cartridges and continued to fly a further 300 meters. The last of the two shots was at 107 meters. First shot at 70 meters A personal best on distance but they are one tough cookie. 🙂

[hoary beacon]

Oddly strong for a bird. I'd rather have the better shot for them. And turkeys for that matter

[pseudo palm]

Absolutely, I didn’t even know those cartridges existed. Would love to have something with a bit more power on the bigger winged animals.

[peak oxide]

I’ve noticed 10ga buckshot works shockingly well, same with the slugs.

Also buckshot works good for farther away birds. Bit hard to hit but it works with practice

[hoary beacon]

Hey, yeah we got a whole reserve for hunting birds now.

Perfect time to upgrade birdshot huh? PLEASE

[pseudo palm]

As an almost exclusive shotgun user I have to agree. It’s time.

[hoary beacon]

Seriously, better ammo will only make the game better

[foggy trail]

Steel shot is the only legal shot to shoot on ranges for me

[hoary beacon]

Lead shot is losing ground and bismuth is just as effective

[foggy trail]

Lead shors are illegal to shoot on ranges here

[peak oxide]

Which reserve?

[hoary beacon]

Salzweisen Park, I do not know if it spelled it correctly though

[peak oxide]

Is it out yet?

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December 3rd

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[solid lichen]

Basically shotguns need a full rework (again). Birdshot should be available in multiple sizes and various power levels (light for things like quail, standard for most class 1, magnum for turkeys, and non tox for waterfowl). Buck shot is pretty much useless in game and is limited to way shorter distance than what it should be. Slugs are, alright I suppose but it would be nice to have different types (rifled vs saboted). Chokes would be great to have as well so you can make the pattern better for what your hunting, or with slugs use a rifled choke for better accuracy (simply require one for sabot slugs). A simple list of chokes would be, cylinder for rifled slugs and wide patterns for close range (20m and in) improved for close to mid range (roughly 15-30m) modified for mid range (25-35m) full for long range (35-45m) and extra full for extremely long range turkeys and waterfowl basically (40m plus).

[hoary beacon]

None of this is wrong but I have to point out that rifled chokes are not a replacement for a fully rifled barrel,

It adds a split second of twist that stabilizes the slug a bit farther but these days sabot slugs are designed with fully rifled barrels in mind so the chokes are doing almost nothing.

Several companies offer models that can switch between field/smoothbore barrels for shot and rifled for slugs, but the best possible accuracy is from fixed barrel models like Savage 212 and 220s. They allow for the best possible accuracy and extend the effective range to 200yds or beyond

[solid lichen]

It would be cool with a rifled barrel gun or ability to change to one, I’m just thinking of what could be easiest to use so existing gun models don’t need changed much if at all.

[finite grove]

Don't the 10 gauge birdshot being 1 and 2 now help with this?

[hoary beacon]

Maybe, I haven't tested it much and idk if any other shotguns changed

[finite grove]

I don't think so. Just the 10 birdshot.