snow geese trip

[Sas874runner]

So my dad has planned a snow geese trip for us for this upcoming weekend. I have only done upland birds. Shiuld I be using an improved choke. 12ga remington 1100.

 

[FOTIS]

Depends what type of hunting you will be doing.
Pass shooting, decoys calling in close etc.

 

[Hegland]

We always used full or tighter, usually what we used for regular Canadas.

 

[elkeater2]

Some of those 12 gauge 3 1/2" loads through a Patternmaster do shoot almost like a rifle! :lol: :lol: Good luck!
Seriously, you'll get a lot more info (and more useful) from this forum:
http://www.snowgoosecentral.com/forum/v ... .php?t=130
EE2

 

[cloverleaf]

I get better patterns from a Modified when I use steel shot. Sad to say but it seemes to depend a good deal on the ammo. As a rule full choke is now to tight for steel shot,. But then that is based on 20 year old knowlege about steel shot. However, the load that patterned tightest from my 20 Ga, Win. was #6 Hevi Shot through a maodified choke. It was my turkey load a few years back. Where you going goose hunting? CL

 

[Sas874runner]

Thanks for the info. We are headed to a place in kearney nebraska. Excited to be getting out of the house we have been having snow and ice storms here in colorado for a while so I have had not had a chance to go shooting for a while.

 

[super-7]

We use modified up here as a do it all choke aswell. Have fun if they decoy and come in you will have a surreal expirience nothing like it, if they flock in chances are it'll be so loud with them squawking you won't even here the (" TAKE EM"). We mostly hunt Canada's here because they decoy easier , they come in pairs up to a dozen at a time over a longer period. Snows we have hunted come in with hundreds to thousands at a time, ussually we will get one or two good wacks at em and there gone. My only advice is for you and your dad to pick up good ammo and pattern your shotgun I check mine at 30-40-50 just for my personal knowledge. I've used everything from Kent, federal, Remington, heavy metal. So my personal experience is my gun hates Black cloud, but shoots federal premium like a hot damn. Heavy metal is also great ammo but comes at a cost and personally I didn't find it killed any better for me then federal premium . I can purchase up here 2 cases of Fed Pre for 1 HM. So that adds up. I go with # 1 or BB s . 50 yrds is a max range even with 3-1/2" shells although guys will claim more its tough for a clean kill past that. Good luck and if you have a good shoot you Will be hooked!!!!!

 

[sask boy]

When I hunted those goofy white birds we used full chokes in my SBE.
They are a tough bird to decoy so full choke will let u pass shoot & still decoy as well.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Woodycreek]

I would pattern the shotgun with the Mod, Full, or whatever else you have (Patternmaster/Carlson's) . Use the one that shoots the tightest at 40-50 yards. I'm currently using a Patternmaster with the SBE II with Hevi-Shot. Just got a Carlson's Hevi-Shot tube to try with some #2 Hevi.

 

[HTDUCK]

Mine is a 10 ga Browning Gold and I shoot a Briley extended Modified.
Creedmore has a load worked up for us that is 1 1/2 oz of steel 1s at around 1650 fps.
It's like lightning out to about 70 yards.

When I do shoot my SBE, I prefer an IC choke and 3 inch #4 Hevi-shot.

 

[Guy Miner]

I haven't been snow-goose hunting since I was a kid. Great fun then though.

Used a 20 ga double with 3" chambers, icyl & modified chokes, and lead #3 buck back then. It worked fine when they came in to the decoys. Also used 20 ga 3" mag #4 birdshot on the snow geese and on ducks too.

Don't get out for birds often anymore - and like the OP - usually for upland game.

Guy

 

[FOTIS]

My next purchase will be a 10 gauge I think!

 

[Sas874runner]

I gave up on what gun I'm buying next. I always say one thing and i end up buying something completely different

 

[FOTIS]

That is the fun of it!

 

[Sas874runner]

Very true

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I've found that modified chokes were fine for ducks if they patterned good but Geese demand a full choke for shots over 25 yards.

 

[super-7]

I've found that modified chokes were fine for ducks if they patterned good but Geese demand a full choke for shots over 25 yards.

That may have been true 20 years ago, but with the advent of steel shot and high velocity loads it is not anymore. In fact if his 1100 is an older pre-steel barrel a full choke may be dangerous and coulkd split the barrel. Terry Weiland has a good article some years ago on chokes and patterning the modfied choke with todays hunting loads are the most versatile of the bunch.

 

[HTDUCK]

My next purchase will be a 10 gauge I think!

Gold 10 Light with a 26 inch barrel would be my reccomendation.
Mine is the original Gold with a 30 inch tube and it weighs about 11.5 lbs empty.
You never have to worry about "stopping your swing" when you get it moving.
Get ready to kill things a long ways off.

Also, steel shot is about $25.00 box. On sale.

And wait til you see the raised eyebrows when you take it to the skeet range.......
Just ask Creedmore :mrgreen:

 

[HTDUCK]

I've found that modified chokes were fine for ducks if they patterned good but Geese demand a full choke for shots over 25 yards.

General rule of thumb with steel shot and HeviShot; it patterns one choke tighter.
IE a modified w steel is the equivalent of a full shooting lead.
Since the shot doesn't deform during setback it patterns tighter.
I duck hunt alot and rarely ever shoot anything other than IC and high velocity steel 4s and 6s in a 12 ga.It's enough to kill birds out to 50 yards if I do my part.
Most of our shots are alot closer, under 30 yards when the birds work right.

You'd be surprised how far away a 20 ga shooting HeviShot #7s will kill ducks w a skeet choke.

 

[Sas874runner]

My 1100 is only about 6-7yrs old. And I think we will be shooting 2 shot, BB, BBB something in that range. 2 3/4