Wing Shooting Articles

Federal Cartridge & Wing Shok Plus BSA USA & A New Breed of Smooth Bores

Harpoles Heartland Lodge, located in Nebo, Illinois, was the opening act regarding the introduction of Federal Cartridges faster upland load offerings for 2005. Federal has been in the middle of some massive redesigning in terms of load offerings of late, and their attention has not turned away from upland hunters and their specific needs to be sure.

Speed Kills

Back in the 1990’s, when steel shot became the law of the land for waterfowlers, the ammunition companies discovered that in order to give lightweight steel shot (compared to heavier lead shot) any sort of killing capability you pretty much had to crank up the velocities to the 1300 to 1500 FPS range. Regular lead field loads are in the 1100 to 1200 FPS range.

Hevi-Steel - Low Priced and Effective in the Field

No, it is not Hevi-Shot, the very impressive non-toxic shot that has been out gunning everything on the market of late, but it is manufactured by the same people, Environmetal Inc. I am talking about Hevi-Steel and what it amounts to is a lower grade non-toxic shot product that will still outgun steel shot, but not burn a hole in your pocket as you try to pay for the stuff.

The Quail Hunter

When nontoxic shot became the law of the land a decade ago, a whole new learning curve was created for waterfowl hunters. Now, with more and more public and private upland hunting land coming under nontoxic shot requirements - not to mention our own personal environmental concerns - we all need to get ahead of the curve on our nontoxic shot options.

The 16 Gauge-- It is Deja Vu All Over Again, Baby!

Don Zitz had it right when he said: "If we started from scratch to reinvent the ideal shotgun shell - - it would end up looking a lot like the 16 gauge." Phoenix-like, the 16 gauge has risen above 50 years of benign neglect and corporate rejection to regain its rightful place as America's premier upland game gun.

Hevi-Steel - It is New, Low Cost, and Effective

With the exception of some of the more common iron, or as we know it steel shot, non-toxic shotshell ammunition designed as an advanced pellet system is not what anyone would call a bargain. Poly plastic bonded types of shot are costly to make, as are the tungsten iron shot products that shoot well, but cost up to $ 2.00 per round. As we move into the fall of 2004 there will be one difference at the ammunition counter of some outlets, and that change will be a new type of shotshell called Hevi-Steel.

Firearms Safety First

1. Always Keep The Muzzle Pointed In A Safe Direction
This is the most basic safety rule. If everyone handled a firearm so carefully that the muzzle never pointed at something they didn’t intend to shoot, there would be virtually no firearms accidents. It’s as simple as that, and it’s up to you.

About Water and Quail

Many years ago, as a student, I remember listening to one of my wildlife professors lecturing our class about some of the animals he had worked with in the arid regions of Africa. He showed us a picture of an Oryx antelope. This critter has long sharp horns, weighs about 400 pounds and looks as if he just came out of a Dr. Seuss book. The professor said that it was possible for this animal to live out its life without having to drink "free" or standing water. It survives by modifying its habits during the day and utilizing the moisture it obtains from the vegetation it consumes.

Remington Hevi-Shot "B" .017 Cal

In a pellet size just under buckshot, BB is classed as the last of the normal waterfowl shot sizes, Remington Hevi-Shot "B" at .017 caliber is coming into the market place for 2004, and its effective range is just about unlimited. "Unlimited" is not a misprint here and I mean the B shot can be lethal on waterfowl to ranges as great as 90 yards based on early computer ballistics reviewing.

What in the World is a British Game Gun?

It turns out that the English and American shotguns and shooting techniques are separated by more than the Atlantic Ocean. In Game Gun, Rich Grozik defines the English Best game gun like this: "Straight-gripped stocks with slender forearms complement hand/eye coordination like no other design. Pistol grips and ponderous forearms serve only to depress the instinctive response of hand to gun, and eye to target.”