Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: singleshot12 on November 13, 2012, 06:43:17 AM

Title: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: singleshot12 on November 13, 2012, 06:43:17 AM: It appears most places to hunt upland in eastern washington is non-toxic required. Is this true or maybe it is all of eastern washington now?
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: Bob33 on November 13, 2012, 06:44:29 AM: It is not all areas currently.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: singleshot12 on November 13, 2012, 06:51:23 AM: Quote from: Bob33 on November 13, 2012, 06:44:29 AM
It is not all areas currently.

It looks like it is mostly release sites currently and some wildlife areas. Might be less confusing to leave the lead loads at home and not worry about it. Any advice for a good steel load for quail? 2 3/4 in. 6's maybe?
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: JLS on November 13, 2012, 06:53:17 AM: Quote from: singleshot12 on November 13, 2012, 06:51:23 AM
Quote from: Bob33 on November 13, 2012, 06:44:29 AM
It is not all areas currently.

It looks like it is mostly release sites currently and some wildlife areas. Might be less confusing to leave the lead loads at home and not worry about it. Any advice for a good steel load for quail? 2 3/4 in. 6's maybe?

The 6s will work fine.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: Blackjaw on November 13, 2012, 07:21:47 AM: Most of the public land in E Wash is now non-toxic only. I think there are still a few that aren't, but to be on the safe side I would use non-toxic on all public land. As someone else stated, #6 steel should be fine for quail.

Good Luck,

Blackjaw
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: Mr56Jeep on November 13, 2012, 07:39:54 AM: I think Dick's has the econo box of 100 round... Winchester #7 steel. I didn't buy any but I thought it would be a good quail load. :dunno:
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: JLS on November 13, 2012, 07:59:59 AM: Quote from: Blackjaw on November 13, 2012, 07:21:47 AM
Most of the public land in E Wash is now non-toxic only. I think there are still a few that aren't, but to be on the safe side I would use non-toxic on all public land. As someone else stated, #6 steel should be fine for quail.

Good Luck,

Blackjaw

The only state areas that are non-toxic only are pheasant release sites, and they will be posted "non-toxic only".
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: MP123 on November 13, 2012, 08:05:10 AM: Most public land is no-lead and the areas that aren't will be soon I'm sure. Steel works fine once you get used to it and you can always use the expensive hevi metal loads too if you want. You can't shoot lead at Ducks either.

Other than trap I can't remember the last time I shot lead in the field. It gets confusing to switch back and forth and god help you if you get caught by a Gamie with the wrong shells.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: Bob33 on November 13, 2012, 08:06:57 AM: Read page 22 of the 2012 waterfowl and upland bird regulations.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: scottcrb on November 13, 2012, 08:19:16 AM: just be safe and use steel. it sucks if ya pick up and go to another place to hunt that is non toxic only and you have lead shells in your vest. everything will be non toxic soon enough.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: 10Key on November 13, 2012, 09:06:18 AM: Yep, get used to it...We are trending towards 100% non-toxic in this state. It seems like the only time I carry lead is when I am chasing grouse in the mountains. I don't even buy lead anymore.

If you are still bouncing between lead and non-toxic and are unsure about regs, err towards non-toxic. If there is water in or near the area you are hunting, good chance it is a lead-free zone.

6 and 7s in steel are what I hunt with most and they do just fine for quail. Tough to drop a wild rooster from 35 yards with them, but I am a bad shot anyways.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: Stilly bay on November 13, 2012, 11:13:49 AM: do you really want to change loads and switch to lead right now in the middle of the season? sounds like a recipe for missing.

Quote from: 10Key on November 13, 2012, 09:06:18 AM

6 and 7s in steel are what I hunt with most and they do just fine for quail. Tough to drop a wild rooster from 35 yards with them, but I am a bad shot anyways.
:yeah:

since your hunting behind flushing dogs I would up the anti and use steel #5's and or #4's incase they get up past 30 yards or a rooster comes up. and if there is a rooster in the same county you know Sage will find it.

I have been using Heavy metal pheasant out of my 12gauge this year and love it. its like shooting them with a rifle.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: snowshoes22 on November 13, 2012, 11:43:16 AM: I bought the winchester steel target loads for quail. They have them at wal-mart in #7 shot and work good on quail. For everything bigger i'm shooting the remington wingmaster HD #6 load and it kills very well.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: singleshot12 on November 13, 2012, 03:54:14 PM: Thanks guys,The lead will be staying home, I'll be sticking to steel no matter where. I picked up 2 boxes of winchester HV 2 3/4 6's and 2 of boxes of winchester 7's. The velocity varies between the two, one is 1200 fps and the other is 1400 but that shouldn't make a whole lot of difference I don't think. I'm also going to bring along a couple boxes of winchester HV 3 in. 2's and 4's fps 1550 for pheasants.
I may also pick up a box of heavy metal pheasant 4's for the wild ones.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: 509 on November 16, 2012, 07:11:34 PM: Cabela's has 7 1/2 in steel. Not sure how well that pattern opens up.

I shot a pheasant with it with IC....it was at 10-15 yards and the head partially shot off. It was a perfect half circle. A little large than a 50 cent piece. You might want to pattern a few of those shells.

There are plenty of lead shot areas, but they are getting fewer and fewer. The handwriting is on the wall. I am shooting out my lead whenever I can.
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: follow maggie on November 17, 2012, 01:30:27 PM: I just shoot steel all the time, don't have to worry about it that way. I just pick up a box here and there through the year to take the price sting out of it
Title: Re: non-toxic for upland?
Post by: HookedOnQuack on November 17, 2012, 03:02:48 PM: All of the state areas i know of between othello and tri-cities are all non-toxic shot