Mirrors my experience in that’s steel does not kill cleanly unless you are shooting unsporting pillowcase birds, bismuth works if you go big enough shot size, but still inferior to lead and quite pricey! I like to be as ethical and sporting as possible, pillow casing or watching runners bleed out isn’t for me, neither is chucking plastic into the countryside.
Steel shot??
- Thread starter Smellydog
- Start date
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Wrong again Timmy.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
Yes, I don't keep guns I can not shoot well, that's stupid.
Very easy you have confidence in lead. As for Steel ( not looking for a bun fight) You need get out of your head Steel is poop as i will 100% put my life on it If you had hit the Birds right it it would have killed them cleanly. This morning i had four shots at Flighting Pinkfooted Geese between 35 and 50 yards with 15/16 Oz Steel 3 an 2 shot from my 20 bore and trust me they all was well dead. I bet if tried to shoot stuff with your Muzzle Loader etc I'd be saying they are not fit for purpose ( which i know is not true)
Ratcatcher
Well-Known Member
A better test, with the greatest respect, is to have a day on the crow's or pigeons where a good number of shots are being fired, not just one or two, start with lead, go to steel, back to lead, that's how I tried, I reckon my ratio of hits was roughly ( ISH) the same, I did however get more runner's with the steel, IMHO only a Fool will tell me that steel is as good as lead, because ballistically it can't be, however at the correct range, I struggle to see a noticeable difference
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
No not really. I have shot steel now over several days from a few guns and every time it was lacking cartridge to kill ratio. But switching to lead the ratio improves on the same day! And no my shooting doesn't get influenced because I have got something in my head.
Re your comment about the muzzleloader I didn't understand a word.
While I'm here, shooting pigeons over decoys is quite easy usually. I've no doubt that steel may work there and possibly driven pheasant but walked January crossers or quartering away birds, forget it.
Steel shot left me feeling dismayed today.
Normally I come satisfied, like this afternoon with the 410. FFS, a 410 beat a 12g with steel today with four different loads! That says it all.
I certainly ain't no Fool you want to get out shooting in the real or you one of the many I've personally seen over the last 20-30 years shooting at stuff 70+ yards and blame steel
Ratcatcher
Well-Known Member
Please read my post more carefully
Hornet
Well-Known Member
I started using steel through necessity wildfowling when the price of Tungsten matrix/ heavy shot became astronomical, I generally use 36gm no 3s and have cleanly killed enough duck and geese to know they work, standard steel 24gm 5s in my 20 bore are used generally to shoot squirrels/pigeons for my hawk to eat, and are remarkably effective, far more than Standard steel in a 12, which I have always found lacklustre, to say the least, until recently however, I was given a handful of B&P dual steel to try by a kind fellow who assured me they are mustard, with some sceptism I handed 3each to my two lads, and had a couple myself, with orders only to shoot pigeon at decent range, (apparently the no2&no3 pellets are designed to converge around 35yards) we set out, first shot was number 3 son who killed a pigeon dead in the air at a "good" 45 yards, number 2 son repeated this at slightly less distance, perhaps 35-40 yards, I shot a crow at perhaps 40 yards, which just folded in the air, these are bio wad, standard steel, with number 2 pellets on top of coated number 3 pellets, if you can get hold of any, I suggest you give them a try, I was gobsmacked, apparently they will be available in HP in the future, so I can only imagine how deadly they will be, and before anyone asks, I still use lead and much prefer it, however, it is clear from my small, albeit unscientific test, leaps forward are being made.
Like yourself Hornet being a Wildfowler i had three choices pack up Wildfowling - Break the law keep using Lead or use Non Toxic Shot. Admittedly i struggled with steel on my first flight Tungsten Matrix Hevi- shot wow I'd say better than lead but so expensive. Now this is just me i decided to use same chokes and shot sizes next flight plenty of Geese and Ducks killed cleanly with steel. I got into reloading as i did not want to not use my 20 bore. Move on several years better powders wads etc and honestly even with my 20 bore i certainly don't miss using Lead kill just as many Geese and Ducks and don't leave the country side littered with injured birds. Of course i injure now and again but definitely no more than when i used Lead.
Hornet
Well-Known Member
I don't reload (shotgun ammo) but I am tempted to start and use some of the TSS shot, members of my club who use it say it's absolutely incredible, so dense in fact that no7s are more than enough for high duck and even close range geese, I will get a slab of the aforementioned B&P dual steel when I can, my boss was shooting duck with the chap that gave me the ones I tried, and he mirrored my comments, he said they were killing duck stone dead out to 50yards easily, which is as far as I would wish to shoot at anything with a shotgun.
TSS is in another league i don't use it much due the price and how well i get on with steel. 1oz TSS 7's from a 12 bore put in the right place will shock you and 15/16oz TSS 7's from a 20 bore is just as eye opening.
Been back on the lead today on another shoot and in my opinion - was more runners with lead than steel we use on our shoot
Shooting - like anything is always influenced / affected by whats in peoples head SD
Confidence is perhaps as much as 50 percent of something
Stalker-of-the-deer
Well-Known Member
Depends on the gun...
It's not exactly kosher, but my beretta 3" chambered gun isn't HP steel (no fleurs de lea) as its and I throw steel magnums through that all the time. It's a safe bet if it's made after 1991 as that's when it's became mandatory to shoot steel at wildfowl in the US.
Just keep choke under 1/2
I wouldn't do it through the old magnum side by sides though.
Smellydog
Well-Known Member
I've tested four loads of steel now with two guns over several outings and consistently wounded more and lost more than with lead.
It is NOT a head thing.
Then to cap it all off went out with a 410 and had more success.
It's not a head thing.
Maybe with you or others but not this time.
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