Pennsylvania Game News - March 2011 - 62

thusiasts to get back into the waterfowling game with steel shot. Over the years I had limited success with steel shot, and I longed for the old days when a shot duck (with lead) was a dead duck. Steel just seemed to shoot right through the critters without imparting any shock. The ducks and geese sometimes died a football field away, sometimes out of PATTERNING a muzzleloading shotgun is necessary sight. Now that waterfowlers are reto understand the limits and yardage of the load. quired to use nontoxic shot, modern muzzleloading shotguns are ronments. The biggest reason that being outfitted with molychrome steel barmuzzleloading shotguns disappoint hunt- rels and other alloys that allow the guns to ers is rust. Regardless of whether you shoot weather the abrasion of the shot. Plastic the salty black powders or corrosive rep- shot collars really improve the performance lica blends, primers and environmental of steel pellets and reduce barrel wear as moisture can cause rust. Effective cleaning well. Plastic shot cups protect the steel techniques and moisture barriers end the shotgun barrels, but they also make the problem. loading process slower, because the cups Van Patten Industries (theinhibitor.com) and wads can’t be rammed through the has introduced an effective system for pro- tightly constricted chokes. Don’t overlook tection from rust and corrosion. The “In- the modified choke. It allows the hibitor” system is an advanced formula for muzzleloader to load the wads and cups protecting all metal parts. The company’s without choke tube removal, while allowmilitary grade vapor technology is able to ing for good shot densities at 30 yards. penetrate the smallest cracks or crevices, Thankfully, with the advent of heavier blending with moisture and oxygen to stop elements, such as bismuth and tungsten, rust and corrosion. The chemical com- we can count on waterfowl to drop on depound used is called VCI (volatile corro- coys, not on distant fields or waterways. sion inhibitor), which slowly vaporizes into Bismuth produces the same predictable an enclosed area, placing an invisible bar- patterns as lead when using the same rier over a wide variety of metal surfaces. chokes. Even the velocities and energies The Inhibitor prevents oxygen and hydro- are similar. Bismuth shot is more expengen from reacting with metals such as iron, sive than lead, but it brings back the perbrass, steel, bronze, aluminum and others. formance edge that lead had in bringing down waterfowl. Because bismuth shot has NonToxic Shot greater density, smaller shot sizes and When lead shot was banned for water- greater numbers of pellets will enhance fowl hunting, many muzzleloading shotgun muzzleloading shotgun effectiveness. Bishunters either got out of the sport, or re- muth shot is also malleable like lead, which linquished the old scattergun to upland means it can be shot in the older, thinnergame. But newer, chrome-lined barrels, barreled muzzleloaders, as well as the newer heavier steel barrels, and a myriad of plas- guns. While I have learned to use steel shot tic shot cups today allow muzzleloader en- with muzzleloading shotguns, bismuth is
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Pennsylvania Game News - March 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - March 2011