doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Non-Tox Shot Woes....

I'm thinking about Fall and my usual Snipe spot. It's a huge 10,000+ acre Public WMA consisting of a large river bottom bordered by wooded hills. It's always swarming with Snipe and Rails, and I always seem to have it to myself. I almost always get my limit in a couple of hours, not because of the birds, but because it usually takes two boxes of shells to do it. I was reading the DNR regs and they mentioned that a few WMAs in a different part of Iowa were going to require non-tox for all hunting. To be safe, I called the management area to make sure. Of course, they informed me that non-tox would be required for Snipe and Rails. What a bummer. I can reload it, but Bismuth is crazy expensive. Particularly for such a small bird that's so hard to hit. Steel is not an option with my Vintage guns, I don't even own one new enough to consider it. I may have to just concentrate on Doves and Woodcock before Pheasant Season opens from now on.

Ken, Nice and ITX are also to be considered. Expensive, but won't hurt older guns. Nice Shot is probably your best choice.
https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!c=136

Loading $63 worth of # 7.5 loads almost 2 boxes of 3/4 oz.
https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!c=136

Gil

Yeah, but at $63 Bucks for enough to load 35-50 shells? Not including shipping.

It's like my hunting and fishing buddy and I always joking about "how much per pound" our Game and Fish ended up costing. In the case of Snipe, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. At least Dove season opens at about the same time.

Don't give up on 'em just yet Ken. This could be part of your 'good old days'.

Small steel and a crazy thick wad. Open chokes, let the shell be your choke control.

I shoot many rails, and obviously they aren't all that strong flying. Snipe I take on the flush typically. So the shots are usually within skeetish range.

Not a great answer, but economical. I'd prefer fiber wads, as the MM 2 3/4 wads are very heavy and don't break down via sunlight for years.

In a Twist or Damascus gun? I'm all set up for roll crimping with fiber wads and paper shells. Could I make this work with #7 steel? Is zinc-plated steel better? How about buffering with sawdust or cornmeal?

I duck hunt on big coastal water and understand the dilemma. Most of the no-tox is so expensive it's only sold in 10 round boxes . . . I am guessing you want to load 50 rounds.

Here is my take after looking at the landscape for a while:

Rio Bismuth shells. At about $2 per shell (when on sale), I can't buy the components that cheap if I wanted to handload. The patterns aren't the best (a lot of fliers) but I don't complaint. However, they are only available in full strength or magnum loads. I think the current price is about $2.20 per shell.

Bismuth shot. You're looking at $1.55 per shell in just the cost of the shot. https://www.precisionreloading.com/cart.php#!l=BS

ITX. Pretty sure this is handload only. There are lots of light load data available (although there is a real lack of heavy loads for it, unfortunately). And it's supposed to be soft enough for old barrels. It is not as good as lead; but it's certainly better than steel (regarding downrange energy). I've been strongly considering it, but have never used it. The cost is basically the same as Bismuth is currently.

Nice Shot. Other than lead, the gold standard as far as I am concerned. Pricy though. And the website is currently broken so you can't order any more. You can buy already loaded shells from RST. For $75 per 25 rnds (or $3 per trigger pull).

I would love to see a load for $1.50 per round or less but I'm not holding my breath.

All my research and recommendations are for post-1930 fluid steel guns though.

I've been shooting ITX for a few years now and it works great for me. Cost at current prices is right at $1.35/shell using 7/8 oz of shot in my 12ga 2 1/2" shells. It sounds like a light load but has proven to be very effective on waterfowl.

Ken, it's possible that you've missed it in the regs, but nontox has been required everywhere in Iowa for snipe and rail for at least 10 years, probably longer. I used very small steel out of modern guns like SKB's back when I was still looking for early season sport. These days, I tend to get my early season kicks by heading west and chasing prairie grouse in Sept.

Larry,

I'd say you're right. The WMA guy said that they were classified as Migratory Waterfowl. It looks like I've been unintentionally violating the reg, albeit only for a day or two a year. I believe you can still use lead for Woodcock though....