Target Sports

Why are people buying up the birdshot?

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  • skyydiver

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    Half inch slit, leave about an 1/8th inch attached..another half inch slit. Basically 4 little spots it's still connected.

    You don't cut the whole thing. Feeds fine.

    Thanks! The one video I watched had a full cut around with just 1/8 inch overlap at the end. Damn shell was basically bent after that. Good to know a 4 cuts method works. Makes more sense to me without shooting myself. Time to experiment for fun I guess.


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    FrommerStop

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    A little bit of history here for cut shells that was often in disperation. This was done when times were hard and people did not have the money for ammunition. During the depression one likely could always find a paper shell with birdshot in it. Buck shot maybe not and you knew where you could get close to a deer. Maybe your gun was a 16 ga and the shell was twenty ga, but cut it and wrapped it enough with cardboard & tape around it to stick in the chamber so eventually it fired. A single barrel shotgun was what most poorer people had. You knew were there was a deer and with luck maybe your family ate real good for a change. Times continued to be hard for many years in some parts of the south and also in the Appalachians.
    I talked to people that grew up in AL during that 40's and 50's and claimed that deer were rare that is certainly not the case today. Lots of share croppers/tenant farmers in those days and such people tended to be poor.
     
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    skyydiver

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    A little bit of history here for cut shells that was often in disperation. This was done when times were hard and people did not have the money for ammunition. During the depression one likely could always find a paper shell with birdshot in it. Buck shot maybe not and you knew where you could get close to a deer. Maybe your gun was a 16 ga and the shell was twenty ga, but cut it and wrapped it enough with cardboard & tape around it to stick in the chamber so eventually it fired. A single barrel shotgun was what most poorer people had. You knew were there was a deer and with luck maybe your family ate real good for a change. Times continued to be hard for many years in some parts of the south and also in the Appalachians.
    I talked to people that grew up in AL during that 40's and 50's and claimed that deer were rare that is certainly not the case today. Lots of share croppers/tenant farmers in those days and such people tended to be poor.

    Due to whatever conditions, when the proper ammo is in short supply, it is good to know proven ways people have overcome in the past.
     

    Ninerempire850

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    I have been looking for birdshot for 12 and 16 gauge and it is all gone. Steel waterfowl loads are around at normal pricing.

    even the competition clay rounds are hard to find.

    Why are people buying it all up?
    Jim's firearms has some boxes
     

    HayesGreener

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    After doing some research years ago my department opted for #4 buckshot as our duty load. Three times the number of pellets as 00, but still potent. We considered #4 buck effective at 15 yards, and 00 buck effective at 25 yards, but the pattern spread makes a good hit less likely with the smaller number of pellets. Federal control flite wads have changed that somewhat with the tighter patterns at distance.

    At across the living room distances, #8 birdshot center mass is devastating; even more so with a modified or full choke, and is less likely to overpenetrate drywall.
     

    fl57caveman

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    After doing some research years ago my department opted for #4 buckshot as our duty load. Three times the number of pellets as 00, but still potent. We considered #4 buck effective at 15 yards, and 00 buck effective at 25 yards, but the pattern spread makes a good hit less likely with the smaller number of pellets. Federal control flite wads have changed that somewhat with the tighter patterns at distance.

    At across the living room distances, #8 birdshot center mass is devastating; even more so with a modified or full choke, and is less likely to overpenetrate drywall.

    #4 is a good choice, i like it...
     

    theangrydolphin

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    We were lucky and found enough for our bird hunt in Santa Anna, TX. Of course, I’m toting the 28gauge to save on weight and to make sure we have enough for pheasants and stuff in the TX panhandle.
     

    panxerox

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    I have been looking for birdshot for 12 and 16 gauge and it is all gone. Steel waterfowl loads are around at normal pricing.

    even the competition clay rounds are hard to find.

    Why are people buying it all up?
    I personally have bought 1000 or so birdshot taken out the lead and recast as buckshot and reloaded. Anything that goes bang at this time is gone.
     
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