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10 ga Loads for Late Season Geese

1705 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  NW Birdhunter
We've been blessed with a warmer than normal late goose season and I'm still hunting geese over water. The geese are pretty wary and I've had to make longer shots. I'm shooting steel BBBs through my Terror .720 choke in my SP10. I've been loading 1 1/2 oz in Federal hulls but I've had some problems with those Federals. Anyone have any good loads in the Remington olive 10 ga hulls?
Here is a video of a recent hunt where I had to make some 60 yard shots:

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Are you stuck on steel shot, or are you flexible on shot material?

Also, if the problems you are having are hull separation at the base with the federal hulls, that is not that uncommon with the federal paper basewad hulls produced from 2019-2021 (maybe from other years too) or so. I have had it happen on multiple load types with both fresh hulls and hulls that had been fired multiple times. The polymers were a little weak in a few production runs and so this problem has been lingering for a while.

To get to the root of your question, I can report that in my experience the Rem hulls are both the most durable, as well as some of the most likely to hold together overall with higher pressure loads (think consistently at the SAAMI MAP or “+P” loads in the 12,500-13,000 PSI range).

That said, I would simply download and progressively work your ladder up until you have achieved the velocity desired and see no function or pressure issues. Even if you stick with Steel shot, there is little advantage in pushing the big shot past 1,350 FPS as you will loose anything you gain in the first 25-35 yards, so you should be able to accomplish exactly what you need to in the Rem hull. I don’t know your load specs, so the more info you share the better myself and others may be able to assist!
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Do you have Joe's 10 ga book?
I've been loading 10 ga steel since 1990 and I still have over 100# of it. I'm "late" in my waterfowling career and I don't really want to spring for bismuth or tungsten. I'm loading 40 gr of Alliant Steel, BP TPS wads, and 1 1/2oz of BBB in the Federal hulls. I'm also shooting 1 3/8 oz loads in the Rem hulls with 44.5 gr of Alliant steel, Fed 209A primers, BP TPS wads with a 20 ga fiber wad inside, and 16 gr of buffer with steel BBBs. This load runs between 1450 and 1475 fps per my chronograph. I also run 1 1/4 oz of buffered BBBs in a Federal hull, 48 gr of Alliant Steel, F209As and the TPS wad. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the 1 1/4 oz load gives me roughly the same number of pellets in a 30" circle at 60 yards through my Terror .720 choke. By the way, the 1 3/8 oz load in the Rem hull with #3 steel is an absolute mallard chrusher (no buffer). I don't have "Joe's 10 ga book". Never heard of it until joining this forum recently.
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This year i been using 1 5/8 bb in a fed hull doin 1450 wasn't really impressed but i use itx as well in 1 1/2 oz rem hull it crushes geese in the 10 ga ,with either hull i rarely get more than a couple of reloads with the gold 10.I like the rsi 1`1/2 oz in the rem hull i think it uses 47 gr of steel.Personally i think bbb is the way to go with steel it retains a little more energy out to 60yds.Ive had problems with both hulls seperating at the base or stretching the hull .I think what ya got are pretty good reloads if ya can get some rsi wads try them to compare against bp
I've been loading 10 ga steel since 1990 and I still have over 100# of it. I'm "late" in my waterfowling career and I don't really want to spring for bismuth or tungsten. I'm loading 40 gr of Alliant Steel, BP TPS wads, and 1 1/2oz of BBB in the Federal hulls. I'm also shooting 1 3/8 oz loads in the Rem hulls with 44.5 gr of Alliant steel, Fed 209A primers, BP TPS wads with a 20 ga fiber wad inside, and 16 gr of buffer with steel BBBs. This load runs between 1450 and 1475 fps per my chronograph. I also run 1 1/4 oz of buffered BBBs in a Federal hull, 48 gr of Alliant Steel, F209As and the TPS wad. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the 1 1/4 oz load gives me roughly the same number of pellets in a 30" circle at 60 yards through my Terror .720 choke. By the way, the 1 3/8 oz load in the Rem hull with #3 steel is an absolute mallard chrusher (no buffer). I don't have "Joe's 10 ga book". Never heard of it until joining this forum recently.
Joe Speroni aka BT Justice on this site and 10gagenut on the Refuge forum wrote a small manual for the 10 ga. 24 loads in total, half steel, half lead that he'd had the most luck with. Unfortunately, he died in December of 2019. His wife was selling his book for a while, but I'm not sure if she still is.
Joe Speroni aka BT Justice on this site and 10gagenut on the Refuge forum wrote a small manual for the 10 ga. 24 loads in total, half steel, half lead that he'd had the most luck with. Unfortunately, he died in December of 2019. His wife was selling his book for a while, but I'm not sure if she still is.
His book is what i use now had alot of success with his 1 1/2 reload recipes this season.
Ive had problems with both hulls seperating at the base or stretching the hull .I think what ya got are pretty good reloads if ya can get some rsi wads try them to compare against bp
I've had zero problems with the Rem 10 ga hulls but lots of problems with the federals. I have RSI 10 ga wads, but when I was doing my pattern testing, I couldn't get good results and the spent RSI wads were often missing a petal and the gas seals had chunks missing. Guess I got a bad taste for RSI wads.
As I understand it, rsi wads are designed to blow their gas seal when a load is too far over pressure.
I've had zero problems with the Rem 10 ga hulls but lots of problems with the federals. I have RSI 10 ga wads, but when I was doing my pattern testing, I couldn't get good results and the spent RSI wads were often missing a petal and the gas seals had chunks missing. Guess I got a bad taste for RSI wads.
I never took mine to the limit i've had seals with gouges in them but i had alot of success as well.I almost forgot lol i had a rem hull blow completly around the rim of the base it got hung up on ejection because it grew about a quarter inch. It was its 3 rd reload on hull i think last year it went into the sea for a min and maybe it corroded who knows.It was an itx reload which i don't like the recipe i don't understand why it needs a 10x gas seal which i think cause extra drag or friction on the hull and increases wear. .
As I understand it, rsi wads are designed to blow their gas seal when a load is too far over pressure.
All of the loads I used came from the RSI manual. I could not get good patterns with them.
All of the loads I used came from the RSI manual. I could not get good patterns with them.
First, I'm just parroting what I've heard, so don't take this as established fact. I heard the wad was designed to blow the skirt as a safety feature, meaning, a turn skirt isn't necessarily a sign of poor quality.
But obviously it's a moot point if you can't get them to pattern well, right?

Myself, ive used only a few rsi wads (and mostly in 12 ga). They worked for me, but i haven't developed a strong opinion on them.
For that matter, I've only started scratching the 10 ga surface. Just as I started working it out, my two sons started hunting, and so I've spent the last year working out 20 ga loads (in between 2 moves and a new baby. Good grief...).
my two sons started hunting, and so I've spent the last year working out 20 ga loads (in between 2 moves and a new baby. Good grief...).
Great times when the kids start hunting with you and congrats on the new baby. Enjoy it! Soon enough you'll be like me - retired, kids moved away, picking the best days to hunt and fish!
While I can’t answer your question, I wouldn’t hesitate to drop to B or BB. Every time I go up in pellet size I end up dropping back down.
37 to 39 grains of steel powder. Fed 209a primer fed hull tps wad. 1 5/8s. Starting using this last year. Work really good with larger shot.
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Rem Hull
Fed 209 A primer
RSI 10 Wad
45 Grns. Steel Powder
1/4 Felt wad under shot
1 1/2 OZ STEEL SHOT T's BBB's BB's
1500 FPS.
Goose Crusher
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