Help...Rem Hevi-Shot anyone use it?

[IAJack]

Toss up as to here or the hunting forum but here goes?

Hevi-Shot loads patterened like crap on 1st test?

I bought some Rem-Hevi shot loads yesterday to try out for hunting season this fall. Mostly pheasant and waterfoul since they are no-tox loads and will be on state land. I have heard great things about them and how they perform like lead. I also heard a more open choke works better or usually one step down is best. (Mod=Full) So I tried a shot of #2 and #6 duck load on a target at 35 yds. with a Modified choke. It ammounted to a really crappy hit rate?

This is through a Mossy 835 Ulti mag. Will a Full choke probably give better results.....any experiences? I guess I will have to break down and try it again with a full choke, but was kinda dissapointed especially at 2.00 a SHOT!

 

[Snake Jenkins]

I have used Environ Metal HS and Remington HS before i started loading my own. What I found out was that (this is in my Browning A-5 Stalker mag. 12) I had to buy a Briley IC choke. The Browning (and Winchester SX2) chokes are really, really loose for what they are marked. I found that 1 1/4 oz. of #5 HS (RSI recipie # 22) worked wonders. If I used the factory chokes I was getting 60%-70% pattterns, with the Briley IC I got 88%-90% patterns. What it all boils down to is you might look at other chokes offered by aftermarket dealers.

Snake

 

[KMDO]

Ive also seen this shot offered and in a buck shot version and was curious how that would pattern. It seems odd how they can claim a higher weight than straight lead.

 

[Kingcreek]

I'll be honest, I haven't patterned the hevi-shot on paper but I have used it since it first appeared on the market in a Beretta (initially) and then in a Winchester SX2. I have settled mostly on the IC choke in the SX2 for ducks over decoys and sometimes Modified for the goose pit. Don't know what it looks like on paper but it swats em hard- dead-in-the-air dead. I use 6s on ducks, 4s on snows and close working geese, 2s on big Canadas when they are hanging up or the shots are longer. Great stuff. (said to be hard on barrels in the long run)
For pheasants on non-tox land I prefer the old Federal tungsten-poly loads but will settle for steel or bismuth. Some bismuth is really crappy and clumps up or shears.

 

[IAJack]

thanks for the replies so far.

Yeah I am mostly being a tightwad and not wanting to have to shoot a full box of this stuff to find the sweet combo but looks like I may have to?

I have heard that less is more as far as choke when using hevi-shot so I dont know whether to try down to IC or up to full?

Maybe I will call the folks at Briley chokes and see if they can help me or give me insight?