Lead or Non-Tox: Which is more prevalent for Pheasant in SD?

H

hlj3

New member
Here in Western WA State, Pheasant hunting is only available in release areas, whether State Release Sites or Private. We have to use non-toxic, no lead.

I was wondering how prevalent the use of non-toxic shot is in SD? Are there still plenty of places you can hunt with lead shot?
For the life of me, I cannot bring myself to shoot steel shot through the barrels of my guns, but the development of ammo like Hevi-Shot Classic Doubles, Nice Shot, etc. seems to be making some progress.
Good thing I can practice with lead....less misses with the $3/rd. stuff when I'm hunting.:D
 
Federal and state lands require non-tox but on private land lead is ok :D
 
hlj3 said:
Here in Western WA State, Pheasant hunting is only available in release areas, whether State Release Sites or Private. We have to use non-toxic, no lead.

I was wondering how prevalent the use of non-toxic shot is in SD? Are there still plenty of places you can hunt with lead shot?
For the life of me, I cannot bring myself to shoot steel shot through the barrels of my guns, but the development of ammo like Hevi-Shot Classic Doubles, Nice Shot, etc. seems to be making some progress.
Good thing I can practice with lead....less misses with the $3/rd. stuff when I'm hunting.:D
Click to expand...

I shoot steel loads thru my cz guns all the time, my 686 also, never have seen any problems, I don't use full chokes however. as far as the 870, it came from the factory hurt so don't worry about that one, my two lc's get left at home or used with bismouth. with the higher speeds of steel I see no diff. in what I can shoot.

cheers
 
Thanks guys,
I just bought 3 flats of AA 7.5 20ga. to use stricktly for for hunting Grouse, Quail, Rabbits, etc. That should last me for a while.

I'll look into what would be a good 20ga. Steel load for Pheasants and see what happens from there.
 
SDJIM said:
Federal and state lands require non-tox but on private land lead is ok :D
Click to expand...

You can use lead in SD on WIA's (Walk In Areas). For the most part, the only land requiring non-tox are Federal Waterfowl Management Areas and state Game Production Areas.
 
hlj3, regarding what works the best for no-tox shot, the original Hevi-Shot loaded by Rem has no peers...if you can find it. Unfortunately, the new version is a different formula and does not work as well. As for Hevi-Steel, don't bother wasting good money on that crap. I was given a case of 12 GA (High-Velocity) 3" #2 and #4 to test, and in turn offered several boxes to other hunters in the area. When asked how it worked I got a big "thumbs down" which mirrored my own experience.

There are a few other no-tox (not steel) versions available that work as well as the original Hevi-Shot, but the cost per round is way beyond what most folks will pay.....
 
I've been using Winchester Xpert Hi-velicity steel for hears now and have had no issues with it. Early season to late it brings them down as good as anything I've seen. Personally use 3" #2's. No need to spend big money on shotshells. I've found it's never usually the shotshell that is the problem. If you get what I'm saying.
 
Most manufacturers make cheap steel loads because some buyers want nothing but the cheapest ammo on the shelf. Because of the lousy killing power and crippling effect of steel shot since its inception, we now have BlindSide, Drylock, Prairie Storm, FastSteel, Tungsten Matrix/Iron etc., as well as the latest HyperSonic loads from Rem. Because steel loses energy so fast compared to lead, all they can do is crank up the velocity, and that technology costs $$.

Shotshells are like anything else, you get what you pay for. With the total cost of hunting these days, shotshells are the lowest cost item you have on your trip. If cheap is all you can afford, that's understandable. But, why not spend a bit more and get the right ammo for the task?
 
Heck, I use Winchester Experts #6 low brass ($5-$7 a box) for duck hunting down here and kill many, many more ducks than my counterparts who shoot those super expensive shells (Blackcloud). It is all about the shooter and what patterns well in your gun of choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top