steel shot

[charlie cleveland]

loaded up some 1 ounce stell bb loads last night in 2 3/4 12 ga...not to many bbs in a 1 ounce load...i tried pattering them this afternoon and i was a little disappointed in the results...i used a 30 inch circle and distance was 45 yards...patterns were jagged and not uniform....but they would have killed a big duck or goose in my opinon but i now see the need for the 3 inch or better yet 3 1/2 inch hulls...reason longer the hull more bbs or steel shot it would hold....so in my opinon the 2 3/4 inch in steel shot with bbs or other large shot is barely good enough for the big ducks and geese... what say ye duck and goose hunters on my findings..... charlie

[J. A. EARLY]

Charlie,

Just throw the steel away. Useless. Regardless of the cost, I only use Hevi-shot in the big 12s and 10s. Won't let the people whom I am calling geese for cripple them with steel either. Use it on Turkeys also. Nothing like it for penetration and instant kills. Plus you can go down a size or two with the same results since it is heavier than lead. That's how you get patterns with no holes in them.

I use the tungsten polymers for reloading for old doubles. As heavy as lead.

[charlie cleveland]

i still use lead shot on the turkeys.... i would like to use the heay shot but its too high for me....your rite about hevi shot its good stuff but just a little pricey.... charlie

[J. A. EARLY]

Charlie,

In the spring I hope to shoot only three times for three birds, so counting all of the gas, time, etc. I spend chasing turkeys it is a small price to pay to add ten plus yards onto your range. It clearly makes 50 yard shots when one misjudges the distance into a dead as a door nail kill.

On geese, it is also cost efficient because it only takes one shot for a kill instead of three steel shells for just a wounded bird and a handful of feathers floating down from the sky. Never did like the taste of feathers.

[charlie cleveland]

never got to shoot any geese or ducks with steel shot...in fact aint got to really shoot any duck for a no of years...for the last 3 years ive planned to get back into duck hunting...when i was young i hunted ducks a lot but about all we had waswood ducks a few mallards and teal...only seen one red head in my life and i passed on shooting him for some reason he was feeding and i musta whatched him for 30 minutesbefore a muskrat came along and i put him in the bag instead of the duck...and as far as geese were concerned only time i ever saw them were when they were flying south and i would look up while i was standing in that ole cotton patch and say some day...then somebody holler and say lookin up aint gonna get this cotton outa this field any sooner.... jerry ive got some 10 ga hevi shot shells i may use this in my old ithaca mag 10 aint hunted with it in a few years ...your rite about when the moment comes a fellow should be using the best ammo out there...hey i got my 3 last spring too good luck with your spring season ours is about 3 weeks away i think march 15..... charlie

[Paul Harm]

charlie, why are you even messing with steel if you aren't gonna hunt duck or geese ? That stuff won't kill anything past about 40yds. My buddy goes goose hunting out west and got nothing but feathers - was useing steel - and he ask me why. He says " we were shooting so much, I didn't want to pay the high price for those other shells". JA is right - don't waste your time with steel. Paul

[charlie cleveland]

paul i had never shot steel so i thought i wouldtry it and pattern it....well you know the outcome it just aint as good as lead....ive patterned some 7 1/2 steel shot and it really impressed me on the patterns it throwed...but theres just not enough bb sin a 1 ounce 12 load todo anything but touse on shots over decoys at close range...my next try with steel shot will be with the 10 and 12 ga 3 1/2 inch hulls.... charlie