Best steel cartridges

[cundyno1]

Just wondering whats the best/cheapest steel cartridge people have used for game/pigeons etc??

 

James

[utectok]

Gamebore super steel 32 gm 4 is deadly up to 50yrds I'd say

[fenboy]

I myself dont like to use steel for game or pigeons as I and I guess the vast majority of people I think lead gives cleaner kills particulary on pigeon at closer ranges there is a real risk of over penetration,if you really want to use steel perhaps consider using larger shot sizes.

[tigger]

I myself dont like to use steel for game or pigeons as I and I guess the vast majority of people I think lead gives cleaner kills particulary on pigeon at closer ranges there is a real risk of over penetration,if you really want to use steel perhaps consider using larger shot sizes.

 

Yes your right i only use steel because i have to i would certainly not use it for game/pigeons there is not that much difference in price anyway not enough to make me use it anyway :good:

[anser2]

Provided you use the right shot size steel will do the same job as lead with no problems. For pigeons i use no 3 or 4. No problems with wounded birds , indeed I find the kills cleaner than with lead. The one thing you cant do with steel is take fluky long shots.

 

The only other problem I have found with steel is if you fire a 100 or more in a day the Gamebore I use are a bit punchy. But then so are some lead shells. Forget all the rubbish people tell you about steel not being up the job. A decade ago they were right the old steel was awful , but most steel shells ( RC , Rio , Gamebore, Eley ) today is a very different beasty as four 50 yard duck found out last week. All dead in the air. But you must use the right load and they will do 95% of what lead will do.

 

Beware of Express shells though , some apear ok , but 2 mates got a couple of cases and they were very poor. They did not kill a single bird outright . A guy tested them and they were only 950fps , much too slow for steel. I suspect a badly loaded batch.

[TJ91]

I have used mirage 32g 5 when rough shooting before.

Took a pigeon, brace of pheasants, snipe, a teal and a handful of rabits.

Through quarter choke they patterned well in my gun. All bar 1 rabbit was clean killed but that was only due to me hitting the rear end at fairly close range.

They were shot between 35 and 45yards (approx)

 

I would never convert to steel unless the law makes me do so.

 

I only used them that day as I picked up the wrong cartridge belt.

 

Shot many ducks with them on the foreshore and flightpond and must say I was very impressed with them.

Edited October 11, 2011 by TJ91

[coyotemaster]

I hate to ride this horse again but you will find you get what you pay for---never more often less. Goes double for shotgun shells, I purchased some el cheapo Winchester Promo steel loads and on a whim cut one open (being a reloader makes you curious) and found the shot quality was atrocious. As recall it wouldn't hardly roll off a piece of glass. Indignant I called Winchester on it and they said if you want higher quality buy our best not the cheapest. :blink: