What are you using to down Sandhills?

Tipsy Mcstagger · January 28, 2016, 09:30 PM

No luck here in west texas. Many shots with bbb, bb, 3 and 3 1/2" steel using pattern master extended range choke. No dice. I've made several hits and saw feathers drop, it seemed like it didn't phase them. Is sky busting a legitimate method? We've even gone so far as to try 3" 0 buckshot (15 pellets) with still no downed birds. Please help fill me in. Thanks.

MarkCO · January 28, 2016, 10:08 PM

I use 3" magnum T shot and a Steel full choke. Sky ribeye.

bamaranger · January 29, 2016, 02:46 AM

I've done a bit of mallard hunting, but my waterfowl experience is slim. I only saw my first sandhills just a year or so ago. Dang things are enourmous. Their protected here in AL BTW.

"Skybusting" is largely frowned upon in general I should think. Birds are either in range, or they are not. You don't say what distance you're shooting. I can say that steel is notorious for running out of punch at longer shotgun ranges, much more so than lead or space shot, as you likely know already. BTW, are you sure buckshot is a legal load. Using "blue whistlers" was also a big no-no back in the day? You will know more about TX law than I do.

I notice that TX does allow sandhill hunting, and certain areas do allow lead for them, but federal areas may have their own spec regs, they ususally do. Were I to try sandhills, I would take a hard look at "T" hevi-shot . "T" is some times listed as "T-buck" so the legality issue comes up again, maybe I guess.

Anyhow, Such loads are sold under the moniker "Dead Coyote" for one source. I hear they are indeed great table fare.

Tipsy Mcstagger · January 29, 2016, 07:19 AM

Thanks so far. They have been what looks like to me to be in range, but they are also very large. And lead is legal here for them. And I think you hit on what I'm looking for with the coyote load. We've been having trouble finding anything between #4 and buckshot. The reason I asked this was to see if there were any larger lead loads (but not buckshot) before I started loading my own custom shells.

buck460XVR · January 29, 2016, 12:07 PM

Quote:

"Skybusting" is largely frowned upon in general I should think. Birds are either in range, or they are not.

^^^This.

While it's illegal for us to hunt them here, it has been proposed several times. I would think they would be very similar to turkeys, where body hits with a shotgun, generally lead to a wounded and lost bird, whereas head/neck/spine shots put them down for good.

Tipsy Mcstagger · January 29, 2016, 10:01 PM

Ok, fair enough. What I mean to say is that I'm taking shots as they pass overhead at distances I think should be in range. I pass up shooting on wave upon wave, thousands of birds. So, they're not decoying or landing, but passing overhead and I think I should have a reasonable chance to down one. That is what i mean by sky busting, which may or may not be what you had in mind. So, I'm asking if anyone knows any ammo different than I'm trying, or are my tactics totally flawed and I should be looking to get them to decoy? Initially, this started out as duck hunting and then noticing a lot of low cranes and then having larger shotshells on hand for them with no success. However, upon reading upon what you guys are presenting, maybe opting for patterning smaller shot and trying for headshots does make some sense. We've been trying to break bones with large shot.

MarkCO · January 29, 2016, 10:38 PM

Pass shooting cranes with head shots with turkey loads is at least as bad as body shots on Cranes too far away. If you hit them, you want to kill them, not have them die 3 miles away.

They are big birds and if you are pass shooting flocks, they are likely 70 to 100 yards up, or more. We see them as high as 300 yards up.

I do take Turkey shot, and if I can find where they are landing and feeding, I snipe edge birds like I would shoot a turkey, 2 ounces of #6 at the head.

Doyle · January 30, 2016, 09:40 PM

I still think it is funny that people hunt sandhills. I spent the last 20+ years in SW FL where sandhills are lawn ornaments. You can walk close enough to them to lasso them with a rope.

bamaranger · January 31, 2016, 01:46 AM

Okay, a quick check for "T" buck (T-shot) yields the following.
dia- .20"
pellets per oz, lead- 31

Dead Coyote load is made with hevi-shot, a mix metals heavier than lead (by 10%) so:
-pellets in "Dead Coyote" load- 50, 1-1/2OZ load (3" 12 ga)

They make a 3.5" load, but you don't gain but a handful of pellets 57, I believe.

January 28, 2016, 09:30 PM	#1
Tipsy Mcstagger Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Location: South Texas Posts: 190	What are you using to down Sandhills? No luck here in west texas. Many shots with bbb, bb, 3 and 3 1/2" steel using pattern master extended range choke. No dice. I've made several hits and saw feathers drop, it seemed like it didn't phase them. Is sky busting a legitimate method? We've even gone so far as to try 3" 0 buckshot (15 pellets) with still no downed birds. Please help fill me in. Thanks.

January 28, 2016, 10:08 PM	#2
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	I use 3" magnum T shot and a Steel full choke. Sky ribeye. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 29, 2016, 02:46 AM	#3
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	sandhills I've done a bit of mallard hunting, but my waterfowl experience is slim. I only saw my first sandhills just a year or so ago. Dang things are enourmous. Their protected here in AL BTW. "Skybusting" is largely frowned upon in general I should think. Birds are either in range, or they are not. You don't say what distance you're shooting. I can say that steel is notorious for running out of punch at longer shotgun ranges, much more so than lead or space shot, as you likely know already. BTW, are you sure buckshot is a legal load. Using "blue whistlers" was also a big no-no back in the day? You will know more about TX law than I do. I notice that TX does allow sandhill hunting, and certain areas do allow lead for them, but federal areas may have their own spec regs, they ususally do. Were I to try sandhills, I would take a hard look at "T" hevi-shot . "T" is some times listed as "T-buck" so the legality issue comes up again, maybe I guess. Anyhow, Such loads are sold under the moniker "Dead Coyote" for one source. I hear they are indeed great table fare.

January 29, 2016, 10:38 PM	#7
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Pass shooting cranes with head shots with turkey loads is at least as bad as body shots on Cranes too far away. If you hit them, you want to kill them, not have them die 3 miles away. They are big birds and if you are pass shooting flocks, they are likely 70 to 100 yards up, or more. We see them as high as 300 yards up. I do take Turkey shot, and if I can find where they are landing and feeding, I snipe edge birds like I would shoot a turkey, 2 ounces of #6 at the head. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 31, 2016, 01:46 AM	#9
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	T buck Okay, a quick check for "T" buck (T-shot) yields the following. dia- .20" pellets per oz, lead- 31 Dead Coyote load is made with hevi-shot, a mix metals heavier than lead (by 10%) so: -pellets in "Dead Coyote" load- 50, 1-1/2OZ load (3" 12 ga) They make a 3.5" load, but you don't gain but a handful of pellets 57, I believe.

January 29, 2016, 07:19 AM	#4
Tipsy Mcstagger Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Location: South Texas Posts: 190	Thanks so far. They have been what looks like to me to be in range, but they are also very large. And lead is legal here for them. And I think you hit on what I'm looking for with the coyote load. We've been having trouble finding anything between #4 and buckshot. The reason I asked this was to see if there were any larger lead loads (but not buckshot) before I started loading my own custom shells.

January 29, 2016, 10:01 PM	#6
Tipsy Mcstagger Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Location: South Texas Posts: 190	Ok, fair enough. What I mean to say is that I'm taking shots as they pass overhead at distances I think should be in range. I pass up shooting on wave upon wave, thousands of birds. So, they're not decoying or landing, but passing overhead and I think I should have a reasonable chance to down one. That is what i mean by sky busting, which may or may not be what you had in mind. So, I'm asking if anyone knows any ammo different than I'm trying, or are my tactics totally flawed and I should be looking to get them to decoy? Initially, this started out as duck hunting and then noticing a lot of low cranes and then having larger shotshells on hand for them with no success. However, upon reading upon what you guys are presenting, maybe opting for patterning smaller shot and trying for headshots does make some sense. We've been trying to break bones with large shot.

January 30, 2016, 09:40 PM	#8
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	I still think it is funny that people hunt sandhills. I spent the last 20+ years in SW FL where sandhills are lawn ornaments. You can walk close enough to them to lasso them with a rope.