A Guide's Perspective:
HEVI-Hammer With Claudio Ongaro

Hey guys, I'm Claudio Ongaro. I built my first hunting lodge in the heart of Alberta's pothole country back in 1995 and have been professionally waterfowl outfitting ever since.

I know what you're thinking: "Hunting is so easy up there.” And you know what, there's some truth to that statement, but only because we can get on the X and underneath where the birds want to be. They'll come back to the field, but you still gotta get them close enough to kill, and sometimes, even reach out a fair ways to kill ‘em. Most waterfowl we all enjoying hunting so much seem to be wary all the time. Getting birds well into the effective shooting range is always a challenge; in my crew’s case, since we can't control the flock composition, available cover or weather conditions when we take clients out, it can add greater pressure to pull off a successful hunt. I’ll take every advantage I can get!

The real challenge isn't just the hunting; it's creating a scenario where my clients can shoot effectively and cleanly kill birds from September 1 to November 3 while trying to shoot young of the year pintails that are small and dodgy, thirteen-and-a-half-pound Canada geese sliding by at 65 yards, whiffling specks coming in hot and fast just five yards off the hunter’s toes, and adult snows that hang and hover 70 yards directly overhead. The craziest thing is that this can all happen in one morning.

"Back in the day"—hahaha—I'm dating myself here—hunters had #4 shot for ducks and BBs for geese stuffed into their field bags. They'd often fumble for the right load, causing birds to push off or full-on-flare at the first hint of movement. Sometimes, the hunters would get caught with no ammo in their guns, or worse yet, with the wrong shot size, trying to take down a 13-pound Canada goose with too small a pellet. We’ve all be there!!

Ammo has evolved significantly since my early days, and I might sound crazy saying this, but it's for the better. Today's pellet speeds have reduced the need for complicated down range leads, making for cleaner kills at greater distances. However, even fast-flying steel shot leaves something to be desired at the outer limits of its range.

As an outfitter, I can say for certain, that clients come to shoot lots and take birds home. Sure, the camaraderie and camp life are part of the overall hunting experience, but let's be honest—they don’t come back just because the food was good. They really do want to shoot limits if they can! One of the most impactful changes I made to my outfit, leading to more birds killed each day with less crippling, has been shooting Hevi-Hammer. When Hevi-Hammer was announced, I saw its killing potential with an affordable price point and I jumped all over it. A blended shell with 15 percent of the pellets made of Bismuth allowed me to pick one shot size to cover any hunting situation the Canadian prairies could throw at me, my crew and our clients. The pattern of the #2 shot is dense enough where ducks won’t fly through it but there is enough knock down power to kill those big Canada geese or high hovering Snows. I can say this for sure: Hevi-Hammer has made my life easier, and my client's hunting experiences better than ever.

If I were to recommend one thing to help you kill more birds it would be adjusting your ammo to something that, and I hate to sound cliche here but, gives you the biggest bang for your buck. Hevi-Hammer 3” #2’s have definitely contributed to more dead birds on the ground each day than any other piece of equipment in my outfit. I just ordered a bunch more for both of my lodges. It’s all we shoot now!

Keep huntin'