Steel shot vs. lead and others- Lethality

[PaulFWI]

Lethality of steel vs lead is no difference in my opinion. It's all on how good of a shot you are. People blame birds getting away on the shot (steel-lead) just be a better shot.

This is a conflation of numerous things, and kind of a denial of physics.

Energy retention is a matter of density. Lead holds energy better. At any given range, lead will have more kinetic energy retained.

Use steel if you have to, or want to, but be aware of this.

 

[millerkiller77]

I absolutely hate steel for ducks.....lost too many birds .....I used Heavy-shot and stone birds at solid 40 yd shots now. And that 1700 FPS Kent is BS....kicks like a mule even in an auto
So, I was hating the steel rule in CA until I figured out how lethal #7 is on doves and quail......
The winchester stuff goes about 1350.....far less leed needed on doves and they simply die when hit....20 ga improved cyl....seriously....lead them by less than the slower lead shells...impresive.

Quail....I dont have a problem killing a limit with steel either- no complaints.

Now the problem is finding the damn steel required to hunt here in CA.

Chukar-----well.....I spend the extra on bismuth as I had too many kinda shake when I hit them and keep going....

My 3 cents...

Buy the steel in the off season, it's readily available at great prices

 

[sagebrush]

Steel doesn't perform nearly as well as lead in my experience on ducks and geese. Longer range shots that would result in a dead bird with lead, would show feathers raked over most of the body with steel and a bird continuing to fly. But nothing is as deadly as HeviShot. That stuff flat knocks 'em out of the sky. I believe there is a body shock factor that occurs with dense shot that just doesn't happen with steel.

 

[D4570]

Over the years I feel steel shells have improved greatly with the new technology...
I simply can't afford to use tungsten, to buy or reload.
We have found in our real field shooting A well-placed shot of 1 1/8 oz steel at 1400 to 1500 does in fact produce fewer cripples.
With a few exceptions, Like, Birds such as Goldeyes that have very heavy bones and very dense feathers. Require larger shot. With that said too large of shot is impeded by the dense feathers. We never go bigger than BB even for large Greater Canada geese, pass shooting. It is never a good idea for coyotes in my mind, our heavenly furred-up northern dogs seem to repel any steel load we have tried. That's at 40 yards ish. My pet load for most all waterfowl is a 1 3/16 oz #2x#B duplex load 1500 fps, 12 gauge, and a very tight choke, I use a .670 on my Stoager.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[Mallardsx2]

.410 2-1/2" 3/8 ounce of #9 TSS going 1300 FPS....

Thats where it is at.

I'm over those big hard kicking steel loads for ducks.

 

[BoomerUSAF]

.410 2-1/2" 3/8 ounce of #9 TSS going 1300 FPS....

Thats where it is at.

I'm over those big hard kicking steel loads for ducks.

Alright! I didn’t realize they made .410 shells

 

[corndog1]

I have been hunting waterfowl long enough now that I only shoot at birds that are in the "hole" so shots are thirty yards and less and use three inch BB and two shot.

 

[MS 9x56]

Lethality of steel vs lead is no difference in my opinion. It's all on how good of a shot you are. People blame birds getting away on the shot (steel-lead) just be a better shot.

Shoot much? Do you work for a steel shot manufacturer?

 

[MS 9x56]

They can spout all the drivel they want about steel being just as good as lead (physics say it isn’t) but you can’t argue with Sir Isaac Newton. Steel shot is why I gave up waterfowl hunting. I just couldn’t stand seeing all those injured birds get away to die a slow lingering death. I enjoy hunting but I also care for the animals I hunt. During the pandemic the only 20 gauge ammo I could find was 20 gauge #6 steel loads. Tried them on squirrels in tree tops. It took 2 or 3 shots to bring them down. Shoot better doesn’t change the laws of physics. I gave up and used up the box on clay birds. I will never use steel on live game again.

 

[Nicoli7153]

Think bismuth is a good alternative to steel and tungsten. Steel looses it's kinetic energy quicker and tungsten is pretty pricey for the volume of shooting done waterfowling. Hand loading tungsten gets tedious weighing each shot and powder charge, buying fillers and special wads etc.....

Boss makes a good product

 

[more_cowbell]

Apart from kinetic energy, in steel v lead debate, is it also a factor that we can't or shouldn't use steel in full and extra full chokes?

I own shotguns and experiment a bit with different steel and lead loads and chokes, but I'm not a waterfowler or shotgun expert. I have seen that manufacturers like Browning say full and extra full chokes for steel will sometimes result in a "blown pattern".

Any chance that's a factor when people have used steel? Or have they instead used a IM choke for steel, instead of full for lead?

 

[D4570]

I use steel in extra full chokes most of the time.
In fact, in the stoeger I use a .670 extended ported choke, with shot up to B and going 1500 fps.
You gata pattern it and see, not just write it off.

 

[kansasdad]

Apart from kinetic energy, in steel v lead debate, is it also a factor that we can't or shouldn't use steel in full and extra full chokes?

The larger the shot size, the more likely you are to have issues with tighter chokes, so I’ve read.

One advantage skeet shooters utilize is there are more steel shot per oz compared to lead shot.