Hevi-shot coyote T's 3 1/2.

 

Man, they aren't pterodactyls.

 

The only times I ever hunted them I used 3" BB's. Killed 'em just fine. I was amazed at how big they AREN'T.........at least the body. The bird looks absolutely huge but the actual body is about 1.5X the size of big Canada by my estimation. The dog looked at me like I was crazy for having him retrieve a down comforter.

 

Trumpeter Swan Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Trumpeter Swans demand superlatives: they’re our biggest native waterfowl, stretching to 6 feet in length and weighing more than 25 pounds - almost twice as massive as a Tundra Swan. Getting airborne requires a lumbering takeoff along a 100-yard runway. Despite their size, this once-endangered...

www.allaboutbirds.org

"Trumpeter Swans are impressively large—males average over 26 pounds, making them North America’s heaviest flying bird."

The giant Canada goose (Branta canadensis maxima) is the largest subspecies of Canada goose, on average weighing in at 5 kg (11 pounds).


So an average swan is about 2.6X the Giant Canadas size

 

I've killed 11 tundra swans and my son has killed 6. We've shot most of them with high speed #2 steel. I've killed one or two with bismuth #2s. Just shoot for the head.

 

I would use some of my 3" 1-1/2 oz, TSS #3 shot or #4 shot coyote loads on swans. There is no way I would use steel #2 shot on swans.

If you can find some Hevi-Shot 12g/cc or Remington Wingmaster HD 12g/cc loads in #2 shot or Federal Heavyweight 15g/cc #2 shot they would make great swan loads.

From KPY Shotshell Ballistics
1500 fps steel #2 shot gets 2.70" of 20% gel penetration at 15.9 yards.
1500 fps steel BB shot gets 2.70" of 20% gel penetration at 33.8 yards.
1300 fps 12g/cc #2 Hevi-Shot shot gets 2.70" of 20% gel penetration at 61.4 yards.
1300 fps TSS 18g/cc #5 shot gets 2.70" of 20% gel penetration at 97.5 yards.

 

What do they taste like? I'm guessing like dove but a little milder? How about Sandhills? I'm in Ohio. No season here. It's not likely I'll ever get to hunt them.

 

Sandhill crane tastes great, they're called ribeye in the sky for good reason.
Swan, on the other hand, tastes like the worst goose you ever had, but twice as much to eat...
Swan is edible if it's smoked.

 

Yep - the legs and thighs actually roast up pretty well. We got to where all we did with the breast filet was to make jerky out of them.

 

Where is it legal to hunt trumpeter swans?

 

Montana, Pacic flyway.

 

I’d probably not hunt them, based on the description of the taste.

 

I killed my swan with 1.25oz of hevi 12 4’s
And handloads of steel b’s

I have a handload of steel b’s and tss7’s that is very impressive too

most guys out west shoot Sandhills with steel 2’s

we’ve killed a lot of big geese with steel 2’s over the years

 

If I was going on a swan hunt, with a tag for one swan, I would go all out on the gun and ammo. Personally, it would be a little more memorable to shoot a swan with a Winchester model 21 Heavy Duck or a Fox HE, with Bismuth 2s. Maybe a model 12 heavy duck. They are a very big target and not hard to retrieve, you could take one at very long range. I understand long is a relative term. How many shells will you fire, 2 or 3? If you are going to use a modern shotgun maybe tungsten.