If you can tell a good day from the morning, what is now entering its busiest phase can be considered a good hunting season. At dawn, as always, we frequented the valleys and countryside where especially wood pigeons, but also turtle doves and waterfowl were able to find pasture fields and resting sites along river courses at the end of summer. For the outcome of these early days when the wild animals are still confident, it is essential to monitor the areas frequented and the routes travelled by wood pigeons, which are usually very regular in their movements. The second aspect, having assessed the useful position in which to lurk, is to make yourself perfectly invisible by blending in with the environment and wait for the right occasion when you can count on your shooting skills and the right cartridges so as not to regret lost emotions.
Baschieri & Pellagri Colombaccio and F2 Extra
As always, I have chosen to alternate in my loading some cartridges that are now classic and well-established in performance with new solutions to be tried out. For example, from the first day and continuing over the following weeks until the migration period still in progress, I always had the Mygra Colombaccio with me. With its 36-gram load and No. 5.5 graphite lead shot, it proves to be a well-balanced cartridge that can be used throughout the course of the season, trying to favour dry weather, regardless of the temperature, given the constancy with the scorching heat or the winter cold, but trying to avoid the wettest days. The cartridge yielded the same positive results in 12-gauge and 20-gauge with 31 grams of lead, stil No. 5.5. The Gordon hull of these cartridges cushions the effects of recoil on the hunter's shoulder and is always useful for improving shooting accuracy.
Another unfailing solution in the cartridge case is the F2 range in both Classic and Extra versions. Again available in various lead shot numbers in both 12- and 20-gauge, it owes its effectiveness to the F2 powder which is a historical propellant of Baschieri & Pellagri, known for its velocity and insensitivity to weather changes. Used with No. 6 and No. 5 lead shot in 12 gauge, and in No. 10 lead shot in 20 gauge, it has made it possible to successfully complete still hunts, also with dogs in the last days of September dedicated to quail hunting. Thanks to its characteristics, the F2 can continue to be used, as in fact we are doing, in the late autumn and coming winter, in hunting small and medium-sized game such as thrushes or wood pigeons.
Baschieri & Pellagri Privilege line for mixed hunting
The Privilege line is one of Baschieri's latest creations that responds to the different needs and hunting situations in which hunters may require both traditional cartridges loaded with lead shot and some alternative special alloy solutions in wetlands, where lead is prohibited. What we can say, having used them in the hunting of prized sedentary game for which they are designed and to which they owe their name, is that these cartridges demonstrate the same value and effectiveness in different loads. In walked-up or still hunting situations at short and medium ranges up to 35 meters, we were able to appreciate immediate and safe kills on pheasants and hares. In this line, in addition to the Gordon cartridge hull, we find felt wads and the Green Core wad, a natural, biodegradable wad that is very effective in distributing the shot pattern.
Available with loads of 30, 32 and 34 grams of lead shot and 28 and 32 grams of steel shot, the Privilege line presented in 2022 is a reliable range of cartridges now in its third season. In the lead cartridges, shot pellets receive a surface treatment - white graphite - and are therefore smoother and faster, providing more powerful and accurate patterns. The Privilege cartridges in steel shot version, on the other hand, are intended for shotguns with steel shot proofed barrels. The distinguishing feature of the entire cartridge range is the velocity, which in tests averaged over 405 m/s. The available shot pellet sizes range from No. 6 to No. 3, targeting, as mentioned above, medium-sized fine game, from pheasant to hare, but also waterfowl, partridge and wood pigeon.
Baschieri & Pellagri One Steel
The One steel line is the most recent one developed by Baschieri & Pellagri. Consisting of five different cartridges that allow to find a solution both in 12-gauge and 20-gauge for hunters who have guns equipped with steel shot proofed or traditional barrels. The eye-catching packaging, depicting the reference game the line is aimed at, had us very curious about its hunting performance, and as soon as they became available, we did not hesitate to take them with us on outings with our hounds. The cartridges are available with different shot diameters from No. 9.5 to 5. In our case, we opted for an intermediate solution, One Steel 28 and No. 7 shot, suitable for the different circumstances of walked-up hunting. The high velocity of 425 m/s developed by the loading can be recognized in the shots we fired at short and medium ranges of no more than 30 metres.
The range also includes the One Steel 30 cartridge for 12/70 guns, with 30 grams of steel shot in diameters ranging from No. 9.5 to 5. Then there is the One Steel 34 cartridge for 12/70 guns, a HP cartridge with No. 8.5 to 4 steel shot for the most demanding shots and with steel shot proofed barrels, and the One Steel 35 for magnum chambers. Moving on to 20-gauge, we find the One Steel 24-grain cartridge with No. 9.5 to 5 shot, which can be used with all guns, even those not steel shot proofed and with a 65-mm chamber, as long as they are in good condition. Last but not least, there is also the good quality/price ratio of this line, which allows performance and costs very close to lead cartridges.
