Steel shot??
- Thread starter Smellydog
- Start date
Yep your choice SD
Stalker-of-the-deer
Well-Known Member
Steel is a funny one, it certainly kills though I've found you can shoot stuff and it fly on and bleeds out before dropping a short distance away vs lead which gives more dramatic kills.
I've used alot of steel on geese and the home loaded stuff that emulates american loadings is much superior. Bigger pellets, more of them driven at a much higher speeds.
I've used alot of steel on geese and the home loaded stuff that emulates american loadings is much superior. Bigger pellets, more of them driven at a much higher speeds.
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Difference is that goose shooting you are firing relatively few shots compared to a decent driven game day or a round of clays. Safety wise there's no beating line or trees to consider on the marsh or foreshore either.
I’ve stood back and watched game over the line on a top level private estate shoot, and watched myself and my fellow guns on smaller farm shoots. And there are plenty of birds pricked with lead. Always has been. That’s why we have pickers up and our own gun dogs.
I had a terrible last stand of the day a couple of shoots ago after a mediocre day in general. One miss, one killed, two runners and planed out bird in the distance. All with steel game cartridges (thank god for the picker up behind me). Next couple of shoots, shot well and killed dead in air birds far better than those I messed up, all with the same steel. I just shot better that’s all. Got through them an extra couple of foot, hit them in the front end and not the arse end. It really is that simple.
I had a terrible last stand of the day a couple of shoots ago after a mediocre day in general. One miss, one killed, two runners and planed out bird in the distance. All with steel game cartridges (thank god for the picker up behind me). Next couple of shoots, shot well and killed dead in air birds far better than those I messed up, all with the same steel. I just shot better that’s all. Got through them an extra couple of foot, hit them in the front end and not the arse end. It really is that simple.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I appreciate your comments and get your points.
I have analysed the several days shots experimenting with steel.
The strange thing is though, on the several days trialing I also switched back to lead and straight away things improved dramatically!
And I'm not talking a few shots of each!
And not just pheasant also.
I understand the risk of pricking a bird, it happens but if I had to shoot a 12/1 ratio to get a bird I'd have to give up!
When I switched to lead, every time I was at 2/1 ratio immediately!
It's not even close so not a fluke.
Like I've said before either some are fibbing or absolutely awesome shots. Seeing how the average guy shoots I'm extremely worried for the quarry being shot at with steel! It's bad enough with lead.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Steel comes out of the barrel with a different velocity to lead. Basic mathematics means that you will need a slightly different lead and timing. Its a reprogramming job - clays are helpful, but clays are different to live birds. Once you are dialed in to steel they really are no different to lead cartridges.
To be honest lead also has different velocities between brands. Changing cartridges, changing a gun, indeed changing anything and it takes time to adjust.
Or more probably your brain takes time to adjust. I rather suspect that I took your lead cartridges, swapped out the shot for steel and never told you, you would probably shoot just fine.
I suspect what is also happening is that you are trying to hard to hit with the new cartridges, but when you go back to your old you just relax and don’t even think about it and as a consequence your shooting improves.
Overlay
Well-Known Member
I’ve been using fiochi steel 3’s . In my browning steel proof 20 bore all of last season on teal, mallard and Canada’s all retrieved dead as a duck, I had a need to get used to them as I purchased a whole slab of them in 1/4 and 1/4 choke they kill very well
For fowling 3” steel 3’s for everything 1/2 choke in a Browning A5 ) the steel proof model
No problems with them at all
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Shame about the wads though.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
You presume. I saw plenty birds hit with the steel! It's not a simple issue of missing.
I've shot for enough decades to know what to do and know when it's me thank you.
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Thanks but neither my cartridge supplier nor ASI were willing to supply me with replacement barrels foc if steel shot damaged my existing ones , it's an Aya no 2 with 2 3/4" chambers.
Overlay
Well-Known Member
I know
my mate has 3 English shotguns and not one of them will he put steel through them
I lend him my browning o/u when we sit around a pond, which although he shoots well with it he hates it because it’s not his gun and the barrels are upside down
He does a hell of a lot of pigeon shooting, bit of clays and a couple partridge days a year, the cost alone doesn’t even make it thinkable about having new barrels made
I get steel over wetlands, foreshore etc, but for game shooting, pigeon shooting and clay shooting it sure is a bitter pill to have forced down your neck
my mate has 3 English shotguns and not one of them will he put steel through them
I lend him my browning o/u when we sit around a pond, which although he shoots well with it he hates it because it’s not his gun and the barrels are upside down
He does a hell of a lot of pigeon shooting, bit of clays and a couple partridge days a year, the cost alone doesn’t even make it thinkable about having new barrels made
I get steel over wetlands, foreshore etc, but for game shooting, pigeon shooting and clay shooting it sure is a bitter pill to have forced down your neck
Our shoot has 18 members - the odd fibber and maybe a couple of above average shots
We usually shoot 12 days a season - with all shots and head recorded - we tend to average bags of 100
The ratio is actually better this season with everyone using steel than the previous 10
Fluke ? Coincidence ? No idea - but i can certainly vouch that steel does kill
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
I'm happy to pay the extra for non lead or steel cartridges for game shooting, clays will be more of a problem, perhaps buy something cheap for them, use steel and chuck it when it falls apart?
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Why would a gun fall apart when you use a cartridge where the steel shot is contained in a cup so it doesn’t touch the barrels. A shot cup keeps the shot together until it well exited the muzzle.
Lead shot with a fibre wad on the other hand - the lead shot is bouncing on the walls of the barrel and deforming as it goes along.
Most damage anyhow to shotgun barrels is done in the cabinet when they are put away wet and uncleaned. They then get rusty pits and gunsmith has to remove metal to restore their smooth insides.
Guns get loose due to recoil and shooting heavy loads through them.
Plastic wads - yes are a real issue, and should be phased out as well. Plenty of cartridges using a biodegradable eco wad. These degrade / rot away as quickly or as slowly as fibre, cardboard and paper wads.
Overlay
Well-Known Member
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
Only because clay pigeon shooting is not so much of a priority for shooting spending so rather than buy a quality gun I'd be looking at something like a second hand hatsan or yildiz which aren't exactly built to last. Using my Aya with steel is out of the question unless both asi and the cartridge supplier will warranty my barrels without quibble
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