My brother sent this to me yesterday, and we have found it to be very true!
Steel Shot
- Thread starter RKE
- Start date
Taking the same shots from the same gun as when we were allowed to hunt with lead.
Lead is definitely better than steel but I don’t have too much issues shooting dove and quail with steel #7s. Kills them just fine
I did the same the year the rule took effect. They are certainly better than 7's in steel, but not as effective as 7's in lead.
Good luck on locating them!
Here's my 2 cents from using steel for our local upland... 
Birds the size of quail & doves have soft feathers, as do band-tailed pigeons (waterfowl do not)...A smaller target requires a denser pattern (ask any trap or skeet shooter)...The key to killing them IS the dense pattern...And to get a denser pattern, you need smaller shot sizes.
I have shot both the 6's and 7's and have killed many birds with bothl,m ...But, the better of the two, has always been the 7's.
ps...Pattern them at 25-30 yds...You will see the difference (holes the size of quail or doves)...I only shoot a factory Benelli modified choke for all steel.
Birds the size of quail & doves have soft feathers, as do band-tailed pigeons (waterfowl do not)...A smaller target requires a denser pattern (ask any trap or skeet shooter)...The key to killing them IS the dense pattern...And to get a denser pattern, you need smaller shot sizes.
I have shot both the 6's and 7's and have killed many birds with bothl,m ...But, the better of the two, has always been the 7's.
ps...Pattern them at 25-30 yds...You will see the difference (holes the size of quail or doves)...I only shoot a factory Benelli modified choke for all steel.