Steel/Lead cartridges comparison.

[Cranfield]

We have been asked the following;

 

"I currently use 12ga 30gm No6 shot lead cartridges for pigeon, I am considering moving to steel, please could you tell me what the comparative load for steel is.

I appreciate pigeons can be shot with lighter loads and smaller shot, but this is my preference".

[casts_by_fly]

28g of either 4's or 5's would be a good substitute all purpose pigeon load.

 

rick

[fenboy]

Yes 28 grams of 4 .

[Guest stevo]

Try an Oz of 5 through a 5/8ths choke . Thats what i use if im using steel .

[Stonepark]

30g steel 5 (2.8mm) would be eqivilent in power at 40 yards and would pattern 10% or so better (in reality closer to 6.5 lead).

 

Steel 4 are roughly same as lead no 5 and whilst fine for duck, pattern a bit sparsely for pigeon and carry a lot of excess energy for sub 40 yard shooting, though people do use them.

 

I tend to shoot open chokes and therefore prefer more pellets with adequate energy than fewer pellets with high energy.

[wymberley]

It very much depends on what is meant by "comparative load" and whether or not the shooter wishes to have the same effective maximum range (energy) with steel as offered by lead.

[motty]

If i could pick a load, it would probably be an ounce of no.5 steel. I have recently shot a number of pigeons with 32gm 4s. They kill extremely well. I have taken a fair few pigeons cleanly at well over 50 yards using them. The downside to these is that the recoil is a lot harsher than my usual ounce of lead 7s.

[Farma Geddon]

If i could pick a load, it would probably be an ounce of no.5 steel. I have recently shot a number of pigeons with 32gm 4s. They kill extremely well. I have taken a fair few pigeons cleanly at well over 50 yards using them. The downside to these is that the recoil is a lot harsher than my usual ounce of lead 7s.

I don't feel them in my big gun Motty , but they are very effective ,but a little hard to shoot with because they shoot fairly tightly.

[Cyrus1988]

If i could pick a load, it would probably be an ounce of no.5 steel. I have recently shot a number of pigeons with 32gm 4s. They kill extremely well. I have taken a fair few pigeons cleanly at well over 50 yards using them. The downside to these is that the recoil is a lot harsher than my usual ounce of lead 7s.

 

What kind of pellet count do you get with 32 grams of #4s?

[AVB]

I shoot duck rarely(and one shoot where some of the drives are SSSI) so my experience of any non-lead shot is limited and have only ever used steel. I can't get to grips with it at all. Perhaps it's all in my head.

[Farma Geddon]

 

What kind of pellet count do you get with 32 grams of #4s?

190 to the ounce as Gaybor use US sizes. So about the same as an ounce of lead 5s. Edited October 22, 2015 by Farma Geddon

[Guest cookoff013]

It very much depends on what is meant by "comparative load" and whether or not the shooter wishes to have the same effective maximum range (energy) with steel as offered by lead.

What he said but with lashings of jam on top.

It's all about compromise but with an added insider information. Certainly 7/8oz can be used. 4s still give a good pellet count. And if push came to shove a 28g #4 would probably see 90% of shots getting the target.

Wymberly and I did a steel comparison chart. I think he and I came to the same conclusions.

For my money if a steel shotsize was to be selected then go up 3shotsizes for game 40yards at 1400fps MV. That's for an uncompromising switch.

For a decoy load then easily 24g 1400fps #4 would do. That combo sounds abutt right.

 

I'm actually about to test a few loads. These should pass. I have one HP load to be tested too.

[Farma Geddon]

What he said but with lashings of jam on top.

It's all about compromise but with an added insider information. Certainly 7/8oz can be used. 4s still give a good pellet count. And if push came to shove a 28g #4 would probably see 90% of shots getting the target.

Wymberly and I did a steel comparison chart. I think he and I came to the same conclusions.

For my money if a steel shotsize was to be selected then go up 3shotsizes for game 40yards at 1400fps MV. That's for an uncompromising switch.

For a decoy load then easily 24g 1400fps #4 would do. That combo sounds abutt right.

 

I'm actually about to test a few loads. These should pass. I have one HP load to be tested too.

If I were to use anything less than one ounce in steel , it would have to 3mm. 3.3mm will give low pellet counts.

[anser2]

I usualy use 32 gr of no 4 and sometimes no 3 in Gamebore 70mm steel with I\c choke and it works well for me on pigeons.. The only consideration is if you fire a lot of cartridges recoil may be an issue.

[rjimmer]

 

What kind of pellet count do you get with 32 grams of #4s?

http://shotshell.drundel.com/pelletcount.htm

[tigger got stichs]

have used hull steel game 32g and 28g #4 through cyl choke to very good effect at all common decoy ranges

[Guest cookoff013]

If I were to use anything less than one ounce in steel , it would have to 3mm. 3.3mm will give low pellet counts.

That's pellet count. Not pellet count on target.

Pattern some!

[pestcontrol1]

I have been using a certain 24 gram home load i have tried it with #3 #4 #5. and boy dose it kill well i shoot it throw a p/m code black duck as with every cartridge you have to be at the right end of the bird. I am currently using the same load with #3 for duck over the flight pond killed 10 ducks up to now NO divers and it worked with #5 on the pigeons bit settled on #4 just so i had that little more down range energy. It shoots and kills just as good as the 28 gram load that i was using

[archi]

I have been impressed with eley lightening 32g 3s through 3/4 choke in my new Miroku

Gave some good kills in the driven duck on Saturday which weren't floppy pond mallard

[Farma Geddon]

That's pellet count. Not pellet count on target.

Pattern some!

I don't need to pattern them , I have shot more patterns than Ned S the 82 year old reloader of sizzling steel shot or whatever he said.

[tigger got stichs]

I think some people see steel as a disadvantage in there mind witch then transfers to there shooting it rely isn't that bad and as pestcontrol1 has said boy dose it kill well, when the correct shot size is chosen

[fenboy]

I don't need to pattern them , I have shot more patterns than Ned S the 82 year old reloader of sizzling steel shot or whatever he said.

Ned s , now there is a guy that cracks me up , I was only reading the other day about his loads .

 

How about these.

 

I use 1 oz of steel 4's in a 3 inch Cheddite hull at 1864 fps and 1964 fps in my 935 with a Terror choke. At 3500 ft where I hunt this load will penetrate to kill to 65 yds. Like others I also will shoot them immediately with 7/8 oz of 4's at 1764 fps or 1 oz of 3's at 1650 fps. The 4's will kill to 58 yds and the 3's to 62 yds. Ned

[Farma Geddon]

Ned s , now there is a guy that cracks me up , I was only reading the other day about his loads .

 

 

How about these.

 

I use 1 oz of steel 4's in a 3 inch Cheddite hull at 1864 fps and 1964 fps in my 935 with a Terror choke. At 3500 ft where I hunt this load will penetrate to kill to 65 yds. Like others I also will shoot them immediately with 7/8 oz of 4's at 1764 fps or 1 oz of 3's at 1650 fps. The 4's will kill to 58 yds and the 3's to 62 yds. Ned

Yep. And people believe you need to shoot steel like that. It's a load of squit and totally unnecessary.

[pestcontrol1]

I am very happy with the steel loads that i am shooting at the moment and cant see me changing any load maybe just the shot size. That little 24 gram of #3 dropped a Canada goose cleanly on its fourth flight around the pond and me knowing what i had in the gun was a bit reluctant but no it dropped dead at around 35 yards.

[fenboy]

Yep. And people believe you need to shoot steel like that. It's a load of squit and totally unnecessary.

 

How his shoulders have survived 80 odd years amazes me let alone his guns