With the Montana waterfowl season set to open on September 29th, let’s take a look at some of the ammunition available to duck and goose hunters. Federal law requires hunters to use non-toxic shot when hunting migratory waterfowl. The US FWS website lists the various types of non-toxic shot that is approved for hunter’s use. Here’s a link to that site: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/nontoxic.htm There are many different types of non-toxics approved for hunting use; they include steel, bismuth-tin, and a bunch of tungsten combinations. The cost varies depending on which combination is used with plain old steel usually the least expensive option. Nearly all ammunition manufacturers have non-toxic loads available. A couple of the newest choices are Federal’s Black Cloud and Winchester’s Blindside. Black Cloud is a combination of standard steel and “Flitestopper” shot. The “Flitestopper” pellet looks somewhat like the planet Saturn. These oblong pellets have a raised ring circumscribed on them that create a larger wound channel. The reports that I have read indicate that Black Cloud is extremely effective on waterfowl.
With the Montana waterfowl season set to open on September 29th, let’s take a look at some of the ammunition available to duck and goose hunters. Federal law requires hunters to use non-toxic shot when hunting migratory waterfowl. The US FWS website lists the various types of non-toxic shot that is approved for hunter’s use. Here’s a link to that site: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/CurrentBirdIssues/nontoxic.htm
There are many different types of non-toxics approved for hunting use; they include steel, bismuth-tin, and a bunch of tungsten combinations. The cost varies depending on which combination is used with plain old steel usually the least expensive option.
Nearly all ammunition manufacturers have non-toxic loads available. A couple of the newest choices are Federal’s Black Cloud and Winchester’s Blindside.
Black Cloud is a combination of standard steel and “Flitestopper” shot. The “Flitestopper” pellet looks somewhat like the planet Saturn. These oblong pellets have a raised ring circumscribed on them that create a larger wound channel. The reports that I have read indicate that Black Cloud is extremely effective on waterfowl.
Read more of this recap from Colonel Smoothbore in September of 2012 right here!
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