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. (Continue)

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. (Continue)

That Shot-String Thing
Many years ago, I spent many happy hours hunting ducks and geese on the Solway Firth in Scotland. During a lull in the activity (somewhere in between fumbling with the top of a Thermos flask with frozen fingers and nudging the dog to make sure it hadn’t succumbed to the freezing temperatures), I would absentmindedly watch the huge flocks of Barnacle and Pink-foot geese flying in to the feeding grounds in the early morning. I have often seen the lead gander, buffeted mercilessly by a strong offshore headwind, drop back and change places with the next in command as he tires. So what have Scottish geese and French guys on bikes got to do with shooting? Something known as shot-string effect.(Continue)

Thanks, Coach! The Real Secret to Better Shotgunning
The point was perfect. Hard and frozen like a rock, my young Brittany had investigated a small clump of brush in the middle of a plowed field and now had been seriously rewarded. I stepped in for the flush and saw a gargantuan pheasant blow out from under my feet. As he turned for the wind, my shotgun found my shoulder and rapidly fired. The pheasant flew, unhindered, to the next county. I can still see him jetting away while Ranger looked at me with an expression best translated as, “Doh! Why am I hunting with a guy who can’t hit anything?”(Continue)

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. (Continue)

You and the .410 Shotgun
The .410 shotgun gets short shrift in today's hunting journals -- not that its anyone's first choice as a game gun -- but because people who write about shotguns start with the premise that their readers "need all the help they can get" -- so better they should go afield maxed out in armament.(Continue)


 

Waterfowl Shotshells
This year the ammunition industry has continued to roll ahead with advanced load development so as to make the job of gunning ducks and geese more effective for the hunter. If anyone thinks that lead shot is ballistically good, well you have not seen anything yet, because many of the advanced loads that are on the drawing board and being packed in boxes for the store shelf are almost beyond belief in terms of effectiveness afield.(Continue)

The Magic of Cast-off
The concept of a butt stock with cast-off (for right-handed shooters) and cast-on (for left-handed shooters) is a European import. The subject gets little exposure or discussion from American shotgun manufacturers or those who write about hunting. (Continue)