doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Smokeless loads for 2 & 1/2" 12 Bore

Joe, I now have a clear image of you: Bill Murray in "Caddyshack". "Licensed to kill gophers, by the government of the United Nations . . . "

I must admit I laugh at the parsimony regarding shotgun ammunition displayed by people who will happily drive 100 mile round trip in a Range Rover and pay �700 to shoot driven pheasants with their �15,000 gun. In truth shotgun shells are at a historically low cost and a historically high quality and choice.

BTW - that is not a dig at people who like to re-load. Do what you like in your spare time.

Then I'd have even bigger holes in my alfalfa field. Truth be told, I like to hunt them with a shotgun. It really makes the stalking a lot more challenging. If it was merely pragmatics, I'd be dropping them at 350 yards with a varmint rifle, but that would be boring. Much more enjoyable stalking them with a 132 year-old double hammer 12 bore. Sometimes, it takes me numerous tries over a period of many weeks before I will successfully bag a particular sharp Woodchuck.

Point taken Small Bore. The other day I was making a filthy mess reloading grimy reclaimed shot with this cheap powder that leaks from the press because it is flat and flaky. Incidentally the powder is named Titewad. I thought: Perhaps it is about time I get a full time job.

Could be that 2 1/2" shells are relatively cheaper in Great Britain than they are on this side of the pond. But driving my wife's relatively inexpensive to operate Honda CRV to the range and shooting up 4 boxes of shells, the difference in price between my reloads and factory 2 1/2" shells pretty much pays for the gas I use and the targets I shoot. As I said earlier, I really like RST's (and Kent Gamebores) for hunting, but then I won't shoot a flat of shells in an entire season's worth of "rough shooting", while I might go through that many in a week on the range.

What shotgun load do you like for stalking wood chucks Mr.Brown ?

Have yet to see any on my property in Wisconsin, Joe. Only dealt with one back in Iowa, although we did have the occasional gopher/ground squirrel/mole problem. The Iowa woodchuck got too close to my dog runs, must've gotten spooked and climbed about 10 feet up a small tree. Dispatched him with a .22 handgun.

We do have porcupines in this part of the country. And while most folks don't actually stalk them, we've found that grouse/woodcock loads are quite effective. Just make sure the dog doesn't think it's something he should be fetching . . .

Very good point Larry, I learned that the hard way in Montana a couple years back I dispatched a porky and my Brit pup went charging in to get it...Ended the day..Miles City to the vet...

LD, my Brittany retrieved a LIVE one in ND a few years back. Fortunately, it was a young porkie, and he actually got more quills in one paw than he did in his mouth. Old Diesel was a tough little guy, and he pretty much just stood there while I pulled quills with my Leatherman.