Steel Shot

[RKE]

Anyone else having real bad luck with the steel shot? I have searched around for Bizmuth, but haven’t had any luck. Seems like a lot of solid hits don’t have the same result as in the past with lead. I’ve also looked around for 5 or 6 shot steel and haven’t been able to find any either.

 

[MJB]

Speed is what you need

 

[ilovesprig]

Shot the old 12 gauge "Humpy" with Winchester 2 3/4" 1 oz 7's at 1325 fps this morning...Seems to kill 'em pretty good.....

ps...Hit 'em in the front half....

.

 

[duck-boy]

What Steve says. Lots of our birds got hit hard with feathers everywhere but those shot were behind so birds amazingly kept flying. Adjust and leed more, you will see better results

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

Shot the old 12 gauge "Humpy" with Winchester 2 3/4" 1 oz 7's at 1325 fps this morning...Seems to kill 'em pretty good.....

ps...Hit 'em in the front half....

.View attachment 45809

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

sure wish I still had my dads humpy. my Ahole brother sold it while I was in the Navy.

 

[ilovesprig]

sure wish I still had my dads humpy. my Ahole brother sold it while I was in the Navy.

Bummer John...I shot my 1st duck with a "Humpy" 12....I also have my dads old Sweet 20 and a 3" magnum 20 (like frigging new)...All Belgium's.

 

[skeet]

Ya wish I had my grandpa old Belgium humpy but someone in the san Bernardino sheriffs office somehow misplaced it

 

[sureshot]

I've shot my 870 20 ga with Winchester #7s steel this year twice so far.
Crushes them. Even the euros.

 

[Wildgame]

Anyone else having real bad luck with the steel shot? I have searched around for Bizmuth, but haven’t had any luck. Seems like a lot of solid hits don’t have the same result as in the past with lead. I’ve also looked around for 5 or 6 shot steel and haven’t been able to find any either.

I have noticed that the birds are a little more stubborn with #7 steel, but I shoot a 20ga. I seem to get more stopping power with #6 in the 1400 fps range.

 

[Crabbclaw]

Anyone else having real bad luck with the steel shot? I have searched around for Bizmuth, but haven’t had any luck. Seems like a lot of solid hits don’t have the same result as in the past with lead. I’ve also looked around for 5 or 6 shot steel and haven’t been able to find any either.

You can special order 6’s through Turners web site and pick them up at the store. You want to go up one size with steel. I shoot #6 in my 28 gauge and kills them dead. I shot #7 at white wing and saw the feathers come off but the birds kept flying; I am sure they died later but not anywhere close to where we were. Switched to full choke and improved dispatch ratio.

 

[RKE]

You can special order 6’s through Turners web site and pick them up at the store. You want to go up one size with steel. I shoot #6 in my 28 gauge and kills them dead. I shot #7 at white wing and saw the feathers come off but the birds kept flying; I am sure they died later but not anywhere close to where we were. Switched to full choke and improved dispatch ratio.

Thanks for the info. Are you planning on shooting #6 at Quail too or moving to #5?

 

[A Team]

I find that the Fiocchi #7 pattern well in my Browning BPS , 1375 good knock power .

I'll use the same shells for gambles and valley quail this season.

 

[Cdj85]

I had the same thing happen. I swear it was a dead on hit. Feathers flew everywhere and the thing kept flying. My dad even shot at it and had more feathers and there it kept going. I was only able to down 2 birds in owens valley but everything was a very long shot where we were. Hardly anything flying that we could find. I found some 6 shot at Big 5.

 

[Crabbclaw]

I had the same thing happen. I swear it was a dead on hit. Feathers flew everywhere and the thing kept flying. My dad even shot at it and had more feathers and there it kept going. I was only able to down 2 birds in owens valley but everything was a very long shot where we were. Hardly anything flying that we could find. I found some 6 shot at Big 5.

What choke are you using? That might play in too. I started using my full and the pattern tightened up on those high fliers. At some point you gotta think of the right range for the effectiveness of you shot and choke. Or bring 100 rounds to blow through on 5 birds.

 

[ilovesprig]

It's not recommended to use lead full chokes with steel...A plain modified is considered a full with steel....Rule of thumb....Small bird, small shot....Hence, why I like #7's with the denser pattern.

 

[Cdj85]

I had an improved cylinder choke on there.

 

[ilovesprig]

IC is fine for steel...I have just found that the modified throws a little tighter pattern...And I want as many pellets on target as I can get with steel...2 cents

 

[Cdj85]

Makes sense. I may try that next time if I can find any birds around here. IV is a bit far for a day trip.

 

[Crabbclaw]

It's not recommended to use lead full chokes with steel...A plain modified is considered a full with steel....Rule of thumb....Small bird, small shot....Hence, why I like #7's with the denser pattern.

Good point ilovesprig, I gotta be more careful. Note and agree with the recommendation about not using a stock full choke with steel; unless the choke is designed for steel. Aftermarket chokes like Carlson (https://www.choketube.com/index.php) or Patternmaster (https://www.patternmaster.com) are made for steel and work just fine. I use both of these chokes for tighter patterns in my 12, 20 and 28 gauges. The tighter chokes are called long range or Improved Modified (IM), some makers still call them full choke. BTW...Carlson actually makes a Whitewing choke that is IM. Still recommend #6’s with a tighter steel approved choke.