Have you tried steel shot? Is it as effective as lead?

[semiautolee]

ended

Edited January 27, 2011 by semiautolee

[mudpatten]

Forgive me if I don`t vote but I think the terms of reference for your poll are a bit too wide and too simplistic.

 

Have I used steel? Yes. Lots of it. Almost all of it homeloaded and outside the CIP parameters in which format it is devastatingly effective. To a large extent it depends on what you do with steel as to how effective it is. What sort of cartridges are you seeking an opinion on? Or are you just after information about the material itself in isolation from the rest of the cartridge components.

 

Unfortunately there is nothing one can do to prevent those who have never used it but have a number of objections to it on a variety of grounds, many of them spurious or imagined,from voting negatively, which will seriously skew the results of your poll.

 

Is it as effective as lead? Effective in what context? Velocity, penetration, pattern? Or just "Does it kill as well as lead if you point it in the right direction." To which the answer is "Yes", it kills as well as lead, but it kills differently and there may be range issues with some of the slower factory loaded ammunition.

 

If you could give us a clearer idea as to exactly what information you`re after, you will get a much more meaningful response.

[VicW]

I have used steel shot on sporting clays. For most presentations it was OK but lacked killing power on edge targets at 40yds plus. I used it at one shoot that had a quartering away rabbit shot at about 35yds and the steel shot didn't appear to have enough energy to break the clay.It was possible to see the rabbit clay swerve when hit but not break.

I used lead shot on the same targets without problems.

I know that a lot of skeet shooters use steel successfully but that's at 20-25yds.

In my opinion one of the main objections to steel is the price.When you compare the price of iron against lead,the cartridge price should be a lot lower than it is.

 

Vic.

[MC]

Forgive me if I don`t vote but I think the terms of reference for your poll are a bit too wide and too simplistic.

 

Have I used steel? Yes. Lots of it. Almost all of it homeloaded and outside the CIP parameters in which format it is devastatingly effective. To a large extent it depends on what you do with steel as to how effective it is. What sort of cartridges are you seeking an opinion on? Or are you just after information about the material itself in isolation from the rest of the cartridge components.

 

Unfortunately there is nothing one can do to prevent those who have never used it but have a number of objections to it on a variety of grounds, many of them spurious or imagined,from voting negatively, which will seriously skew the results of your poll.

 

Is it as effective as lead? Effective in what context? Velocity, penetration, pattern? Or just "Does it kill as well as lead if you point it in the right direction." To which the answer is "Yes", it kills as well as lead, but it kills differently and there may be range issues with some of the slower factory loaded ammunition.

 

If you could give us a clearer idea as to exactly what information you`re after, you will get a much more meaningful response.

 

 

That is actually bang on, I have used nearly every make of steel shot cartridges and have to be honest, the stuff loaded to CIP regulations is poor. I have used 100's of Remingtons loaded in the states and it is superb.

 

Gamebore are without doubt leading the way for the british manufacturers but still with their hands tied by the idiots in brussels what chance do they have?

 

I have not as yet loaded my own although I think that will come for next season.

[David BASC]

Remember, if the shoot is using ‘rabbit clays’ they are tougher than the normal clays as they have to survive bouncing along the ground.

 

Pigeon, duck, pheasant, clay…use the right cartridge / pellet size combo within the max effective range and you can’t go wrong regardless of the shot type – presuming you can shoot well enough to get what ever you are shooting at within your shot pattern in my experience.

 

David

[kent]

I had my doubts until one day i picked up steel 5's instead of 36 grms of lead 5's as they both had blue hulls. Crow shooting no less and i did not know i was using steel assuming till i picked up my empties i was on lead! what a difference it makes when you shoot steel but think it is lead. However we need to take extra care eating stuff, as it might be someone else who lightly pricked a bird previous and you assume a totally clean of shot breast - only to break a tooth. Pattening i have found essential when talking of wildfowling loads they react so differently than you assume to choke and some guns just seem to preffer a certain brand

[VicW]

Remember, if the shoot is using rabbit clays they are tougher than the normal clays as they have to survive bouncing along the ground.

 

Pigeon, duck, pheasant, clay…use the right cartridge / pellet size combo within the max effective range and you cant go wrong regardless of the shot type presuming you can shoot well enough to get what ever you are shooting at within your shot pattern in my experience.

 

David

The fact that rabbit clays are tougher than normal clays is the point,steel shot did not have enough energy to break them in that quartering away presentation.Face on rabbit clays were no problem

The criteria 'within the effective range' is crucial here.The shooter must know and accept that their steel shot cartridges have probably got a shorter 'effective range' than lead.

In the unwelcome event that lead shot was banned,and I am sure that the BASC are fighting hard against such a ban,game and clay shooting would have to change to encompass the fact that steel shot is not the equal of lead shot.

 

Vic.

Edited January 27, 2011 by VicW

[anser2]

For most shooting steel works as well as lead out to 40 and 45 yards with the heavy loads as long as you pick the right shot size ( go up 2 - 3 sizes in what you would use in lead ) . Its only at the limits of normal range that lead out performs steel ( 45 - 50 yards ), however I have used gamebore shells in 32 gr no 3s with very good effect at high pigeons.

 

Given the choice I would always go for lead mainly on price and it does give you a little edge on those high shots. I can get 28 gr lead RIO target shells at £ 3.45 a box , steel is a pound more , but cheaper than a lot of lead game loads( before the recent VAT rise ). But for 90% of my shooting steel works fine for me.

Edited January 28, 2011 by anser2

[bop]

I've had a lot of ducks ‘stagger' in midair when hit with a steel load as if the shot is going clean through and not deforming to use all of it's energy to kill. I have some Gamebore steel loads to try this season.

I'm taking no chances but and am training my lab pup to mark and retrieve at distance!

[wymberley]

I've had a lot of ducks ‘stagger' in midair when hit with a steel load as if the shot is going clean through and not deforming to use all of it's energy to kill. I have some Gamebore steel loads to try this season.

I'm taking no chances but and am training my lab pup to mark and retrieve at distance!

While you're resting the dog between training sessions, do some training yourself and bone up on lethal density. Come the season you and the dog will make a formidable partnership!

[bop]

Obviously I've some serious studying to do on lethal density! Didn't think it would matter that much with a 32gram #4 steel load on a rising mallard at 25 yards! It's not as if it was shooting at a flighting bird exceeding theoretical effective range, which a lead load would have killed cleanly.

I've tried one manufacturers offering and am now going to try Gamebores. I'm sick of birds being hit and flying on- all at sensible ranges.

[rcooke25552]

There is ****** all difference. People use it as an excuse for their poor shooting. If your on it it's coming down whether it's lead or steel flying at it. Tin hat on.

[poontang]

To answer the OP's questions.

 

Yes, I've used steel shot quite a lot.

 

No, it's not as effective as lead.

 

That's my experience, and the experience of others who I've been shooting with.

[utectok]

[bop]

There is ****** all difference. People use it as an excuse for their poor shooting. If your on it it's coming down whether it's lead or steel flying at it. Tin hat on.

 

Yeah so I'm suddenly a bad shot when I use steel! 

[wymberley]

Obviously I've some serious studying to do on lethal density! Didn't think it would matter that much with a 32gram #4 steel load on a rising mallard at 25 yards! It's not as if it was shooting at a flighting bird exceeding theoretical effective range, which a lead load would have killed cleanly.

I've tried one manufacturers offering and am now going to try Gamebores. I'm sick of birds being hit and flying on- all at sensible ranges.

First of all, I don't, won't and can't use steel.

Yep, it does matter. You are not comparing like with like so it's necessary to introduce a factor to level the playing field. Others who have grasped this manage to extend their effective ranges to an acceptable degree.

[Guest cookoff013]

buy a reloader, reload and shoot.

 

full stop.

 

cook.

[rcooke25552]

I shoot ducks at Upto 40yd using 34g no4's in steel and they come down. So I don't see a difference between the 2.