HEVI-METAL verses HEVI-SHOT

[Double Lab]

Steel does suck. I've been hunting waterfowl here on the fabled Chesapeake Bay since the early 60's. Back in the good old days with lead you very rarely chased cripples. When the pinheads in DC mandated the use of steel I almost gave up waterfowling due to the horrible performance of the early steel loads. No one will ever convince me that steel shot saves birds. I became an outlaw for a few years, still shooting my old lead loads but always having some steel loads in my pocket in case the "man" would check us. Then Bismuth came along and it was better than steel but not without its limitations. I'd say that about 80% of my birds are shot at 45yds. or less in that I spend considerable effort in decoys and calling to get the birds to lock up and glide in. I shoot a number of Parkers, Foxes and just recently a M12 from 1940 and for my money nothing beats the Tungsten Matrix loads. I agree that steel should be banned. These ammo companies are selling these new fast steel loads that chrono at 1400-1700fps. They are no better than the crap they were selling in the early 80's. Most waterfowlers are horrible judges of distance and they tend to stretch their shots to 60+ yds. We call them skybusters here and they cripple birds. Makes me sick. Buy the best loads- the birds deserve it.