How to pick the non-toxic shotshell that best suits your waterfowl-hunting needs

LOADS OF LOADS

Whether you opt for steel, bismuth or tungsten loads for waterfowl, there are plenty of options available in the Canadian marketplace from the major manufacturers. While there are other brands out there, the availability of their products is less widespread.

BROWNING Browning’s shotshell line-up includes Wicked Blend, incorporating both steel and bismuth pellets, Wicked Wing XD, featuring plated steel pellets, and Wicked Wing, its standard steel load. www.browningammo.com

CHALLENGER Quebec-based Challenger offers steel waterfowl loads in sizes from BBB to #4. www.munitionschallenger.com

FEDERAL Federal’s premium steel shotshell is the Black Cloud line, which features 40 per cent FliteStopper pellets, with their distinctive central cutting edge, and 60 per cent round pellets. The standard steel load, meanwhile, is Speed-Shok, interestingly available in 100-round packs. Federal also recently partnered with HEVI-Shot to produce HEVI-Bismuth loads. www.federalpremium.com

HEVI-SHOT Touted as HEVI-Shot’s best waterfowl load, HEVI-XII features tungsten alloy shot with a density of 12 grams per cubic centimetre. HEVI-Bismuth is the brand’s all-bismuth shotshell, while HEVI-Metal Longer Range incorporates 30 per cent bismuth and 70 per cent steel shot in two sizes. Then there’s HEVI-Hammer, with 15 per cent bismuth and 85 per cent steel shot, and the all-steel offering HEVI-Steel. www.hevishot.com

KENT CARTRIDGE New for Kent is Fasteel+, which combines layered payloads of steel BB and #2 pellets, #2 and #4, or #4 and #6. The result is tighter patterns and better downrange energy. Also available are Fasteel 2.0 plated steel loads, Bismuth Waterfowl and Tungsten Matrix. www.kentcartridge.com

PRAIRIE SHOT AMMO This Canadian company’s Score brand includes a range of all-steel waterfowl loads, assembled in Carberry, Manitoba. www.prairieshotammo.com

REMINGTON Premier Bismuth is the latest shotshell from Remington, featuring HEVI-Bismuth shot. It complements the Nitro-Steel, Hypersonic Steel and Sportsman Hi-Speed Steel brands. www.remington.com

WINCHESTER New for Winchester is its buffered Bismuth shotshell, which promises to deliver 50 per cent more pellets in a 30-inch circle at 60 yards than non-buffered bismuth loads. Other waterfowl offerings include Drylok and SuperX steel loads and the unique Blind Side 2 shells featuring hexagonally shaped pellets. www.winchester.com

 

The Affinity 3 autoloader from Franchi is well-suited for the rigours of waterfowl hunting

BONUS: SHOTGUN REVIEW

Franchi’s Affinity 3 is a reliable, mid-priced autoloader

Those unwilling or unable to buy a high-end autoloading shotgun should definitely consider Franchi’s Affinity 3. I shot one exclusively last fall on my waterfowl hunts and came away thoroughly impressed. The 12-gauge 28-inch model I used was well-balanced and handled nicely, with surprisingly little felt recoil for an inertia-operated shotgun. While I didn’t shoot it in the uplands, you could easily carry this responsive shotgun all day long in the pheasant fields.

I fed my Affinity 3 a varied diet of loads, from 2¾-inch target shells to three-inch magnums, and didn’t experience a single failure. It fit me well right out of the box, and I liked the slim fore-end and grip, a noticeable change from the relative bulk of the gas-operated guns I typically shoot. (The Affinity comes with shims to customize the stock fit, if needed.)

I frequently chase diving ducks on large lakes, which is not shotgun-friendly hunting. There are often freezing temperatures, and your shotgun invariably gets wet, dirty and banged around in the boat. I’ve had more than one autoloader quit on me in these conditions over the years, but the Affinity 3 didn’t skip a beat. Conveniently, it features an enlarged bolt handle and bolt release button for ease of operation while wearing gloves in cold conditions, and the beveled loading port makes feeding the magazine a breeze.

The exterior finish may not be on par with that of some premium autoloaders, but the Affinity 3 is reliable, durable and able to do everything duck and goose hunters expect of their shotgun. At a price roughly $1,000 less than top-tier autoloaders, this Franchi offering is the perfect choice for hunters seeking a mid-priced autoloader they can rely on for years of dependable service.