.357 or .44 shotshells for birds?

R

ReadyOnTheRight

New member
I'm interested in upland bird hunting this fall with a pistol.

Does anyone have experience doing this? Are there any good online stores for shotshells in .357 or .44 mag? Is there any way these could mess up a revolver?

Thanks!
 
I suggest you do not do that. They use #12 shot which is too light to give adequate penetration.. Combining the light shot weight with the rifling in the barrel and you also have very poor patterning.
 
I totally agree with you Kilgor. Pistols are not adequate for taking birds.

Get a shotgun and do it right.


Stinger
 
Thanks guys. I was going to go out and try some patterning, but I won't bother. It just seemed like quite a challenge, but I don't want to wound any birds.
 
I use the .357 shotshells to kill rats in my outbuildings without penetrating the tin, or to kill snakes up close. The round is good to about 15 feet. Ditto on what the other guys said about bird hunting with this stuff.
 
Like the other guys told you it would not be effective to use those pistol shotshells on birds. I like to use the pistol rounds on rats and other pest. Get you a good shotgun for bird hunting and you will kill birds in an effective manner and have more fun. :)
 
I load 44 shotshells with #9s for rabbits and they work real well.

The plastic "tube" holds together going out the barrel hence the rifling will not spiral the shot, making the pattern useless.

Of course the shots must be fairly close , about the farthest would be 15-20 yards.
 
Agree with others above. However, FWIW, I have found the shotshells to be quite handy in finishing off wounded birds that are trying to run and/or hide. Does not make near the mess as solids or shotgun.
 
Greybeard,

Do you ever have a problem with the fine #12 shot being interspersed in the meat?

On downed, but not dead birds, I generally raise my aim and the pattern of my shotgun such that it just clips the head. Though I did take one cripple dove that fell in a pond with 1 9mm 124 grain golddot to the head. I doubt I could replicate that shot in a year. I used the pistol because I figured the 12 gauge would sink him from the concussion.

Kilgor
 
A .22-caliber handgun is quite adequate for grouse. I have had good results with a Ruger single-six. However, I would not try hunting pheasant or quail with anything less than a shotgun.
 
"A .22-caliber handgun is quite adequate for grouse."

I'll say. The Bud shot a blue grouse which pitched over - stone-cold dead. Fleshed 'im out & there was a bare 1/2-caliber crease along its thigh. Thing must have died of fright. ;) We still get a kick out of that one ...

I've shot rattlesnakes & smallish birds at from 3-5 feet with .44 mag shotshells & their reliability for clean kills is so disappointing that perhaps the companies that make them may (perhaps) be the only firearms-related group that should be sued for a faulty product = they suck. Yes, perhaps, they're pest-control niche, but real game deserves a clean kill - these don't. (BTW, that sue 'em comment was tongue in cheek)

& Kilgor, why not just walk over & pick up that downed bird?

11.43x23, wanna try your hand at some gamebirds with a handgun - I'd suggest that Contender & .410/.45Colt barrel (pssst, use the .410 ;) ) ... decent enough patterns to 20-25 yards to date with 7-1/2s & 6s.
 
11.43x23, wanna try your hand at some gamebirds with a handgun - I'd suggest that Contender & .410/.45Colt barrel (pssst, use the .410 ) ... decent enough patterns to 20-25 yards to date with 7-1/2s & 6s.
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Thanks Labgrade. I was actually thinking that a .357 or .44 with shotshells would be similar to a .410, but I didn't take into account the small shot and the rifling.

I have an Encore, but I've never checked out out the .410/45. Does the TC .410/.45 have rifling?
 
Kilgor, why not just walk over & pick up that downed bird?
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I shoot the birds head off when they are still alive after being shot from the air. When a dove is wounded, but is still alive they will often wing it to the densest brush available when they are pressured by you walking up to them. They can keep doing this for a long way. By killing the dove before approaching you lose a lot less wounded doves.

Kilgor
 
TC .410/45Colt barrel is rifled, but for shooting .410 there's a screw-in "choke" that is rifled (actually more fluted, as the "rifling" is straight) - grabs the shot cup & stops the spin.

Store-bought handgun shotshells don't have near the weight/payload & too small a shot size for my liking. Both add up to pretty junk effectivity IMO.

Shot a ~3-1/2' rattler once at about 8 feet - 3 times with a factory Speer .44 mag shotshell. Made him mad & certainly didn't do anything to slow him down. A 265 gr cast, however, did. ;)

Kilgore. OK, & just curious. My dog bangs even the "just fakin'" ones pretty toot sweet - only had one or two try to take wing again ....
 
"I've shot rattlesnakes & smallish birds at from 3-5 feet with .44 mag shotshells & their reliability for clean kills is so disappointing that perhaps the companies that make them may (perhaps) be the only firearms-related group that should be sued for a faulty product = they suck."


Agreed 100%. I bought a couple of 10 packs of 38/357 CCI shot shells some years back intending to try them on sankes. First fishing trip there was a cottonmouth aobut 15 feet away. I shot him. He got PO'd and started to the boat. I shot again he got more PO'd and still was coming. The 3rd shot was with a 110 Grain JHP. He died.

When I got home I got some of those 8 or 10 inch aluminum pie tins ( that I like to empty) took em in the shop and set em up with a little backstop. At 8 feet maybe 3 or 4 pellets hit the tin. I then tried a .22 "ratshot" and at that range it gave GREAT groups.

To me the 38/357 is useless while the 22 is good to 10-12 feet or so on rats, mice, snakes (small ones) etc.

grouse are way to big for those.
 
I was gonna say, Southla1, to our good folk here that haven't shot these to do a quick test: shoot a soda/beer can at 20 feet & see if you'd think the pattern's good enough.

Your pie plate's just as good - except that it shows way more hits. ;)

2-3 hits of #12 (or #9) isn't enough to do more than put out an eye - usually.
 
I used CCI .22LR shotshells for sparrows that were roosting in my barn. Killed about 20 birds with 60 shells, only one clean kill I think. I had to keep a pellet gun handy to pop the winged ones on the ground. Didn't do any damage to the roof/walls that way.

I tried a box of Federal .22LR shells and couldn't use them in the barn. They're loaded with #10 instead of #12, in a crimped shell and seem to be loaded alot hotter. Patterning from 40ft, about 1/3 of the load seemed to stay inside a 10" circle with tons of flyers. I bet they would be good for snakes/rats/downed birds out to about 20ft. I don't know if federal makes shells for the larger calibers though.
 
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