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Steel pigeon cartridges


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What's the opinions on the increasing number of non-toxic options for pigeon cartridges? I've seen some reasonably priced 28g - 30g ones in size 4 & 5 shot and was wondering if anyone has any experience of using them especially whether they aresuited to older guns with more open chokes.

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That link doesn't work Nick.

 

Hull, Gamebore and others are advertising steel loads in all sorts of shot sizes. They are sometimes cheaper than conventional ones too. One of the farmers I shoot for will not stock wood pigeons in his farm shop because of the lead shot. If I used steel he would buy them from me. Hence the question.

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Guest cookoff013

just get a load thats fast. there are some really slow loads out there.

 

ps,

how many shoot pigeons with steel? i`m just wondering, i `d like to see what the numbers are like.

Edited by cookoff013
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Got the link now Thanks.

 

The loads seem to be on the heavy side and given that steel is lighter than lead I assume that there are more pellets per gram in similar shot sizes. I'd be happier with 24g or 28g loads as they would put less pressure on the barrel.

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Guest cookoff013
Will be using 28g No7 steels on clays and pigeon, all down to price £119 @ 1000 must have chrome barrels, with the way steel shot has come on the chokes are not a problem, i know you could not use steel shot in 3/4 & full but all ok now.

 

-errrr, the chrome lined barrels are to reduce pitting / corrosion.

 

i was just wondering, because i may develop a steel cartridge that could be of beneficial to pigeon shooters.

i`ve got to get some stuff proofed first. but until then, i shall say, shoot steel fast, and with little or no choke.

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Guest cookoff013
As some of you will know, i use steel for all my decoying. i have just got some Gamebore Steel 5s 28g with the fibre wad. i hope to test them in the field next week.

I will keep you informed. Rich G.

 

i`d be really interested with the result. could you tell us the brand / product? not all steel shells are good.

some have a speed of sub sonic !

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I'd be interested in your experiences too Rich ;)

 

Hull Cartridge give the following information:

 

Steel 5's - 275 m/s at 20 m and 160 m/s at 50 m with a pellet count of 229

 

Lead 6's 260 m/s at 20m and 172 m/s at 50 m and a pellet count of 270

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This subject has been well covered in the past . I sometimes use 32 gr gamebore steel in 4s and 3s for pigeons. They work very well to 40 yards and perhaps a little further , but at extream range ( 50 yards ) lead works better. But for decoying they are fine, indeed the kills are usualy cleaner with steel. When the harvest finaly comes ( its going to be very late in Norfolk this year ) I am taking a couple of forum non steel belevers out and we will be using steel and posting the results on here , probably in the second half of August

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Have you seen the price of them? :rolleyes: you wouldnt want too many decent days shooting pigeons with them

 

Dont bother with steel, use lead - its better and no dearer than steel

 

The steel cartridges are cheaper than lead ones. £158 per thousand.

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Topshot , I use lead for most of my pigeon decoying for one reason . they are free for me. I have used Gamebore 32gr no 4 or 3 , steel and they do the job fine. And they are the same price as the cheapest lead and cheaper than many lead shells. I will continue to use lead as long as my farmer gives them to me , but for decoying I can see little difference between the two shell types except you get more clean kills with good quality steel shells.

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not with fibre wads they are not

 

The new degradable wads supplied with steel loads make steel cartridges cheaper than lead cartridges.

 

Specialist steel wad features protective shot cup to aid barrel protection and is photodegradable to minimise littering
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The new degradable wads supplied with steel loads make steel cartridges cheaper than lead cartridges.

 

they dont degrade quick enough to use where there is livestock and can be fatal, and still look a mess all over the fields.

Edited by topshot_2k
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Guest topshot_2k
Express Steel cartridges do the job for me. Just shoot at reasonable, non-ridiculous distances and they'll fall dead when you put the tubes in the right place. All this BS about ricochets should be ignored, if there's nothing to bounce off!

 

no good for lamping rabbits then

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