Which steel cartridge?

[Krico woodcock]

Hi all. I'm looking at trying some steel loads. Have very limited options available as I live in rep of ireland. But I can order in GB's (spanish cartridge) and possibly nobel sport. I'm looking to try 32g.  I want to try on pigeons first, to see how I can get on with them. Have any of ye lads experience with either makes or recommend a good all round 32g steel load to try. Don't want to bother with 36g hp stuff. Not yet anyway. See how I go with standard stuff first. Thank you.

[6.5x55SE]

21 minutes ago, Krico woodcock said:

Hi all. I'm looking at trying some steel loads. Have very limited options available as I live in rep of ireland. But I can order in GB's (spanish cartridge) and possibly nobel sport. I'm looking to try 32g.  I want to try on pigeons first, to see how I can get on with them. Have any of ye lads experience with either makes or recommend a good all round 32g steel load to try. Don't want to bother with 36g hp stuff. Not yet anyway. See how I go with standard stuff first. Thank you.

NSI ( noble sports ) Gamebore Fiochi are all decent cartridges a very good friend uses Gamebore White Gold ( clay steel cartridges ) to very good effect on Pigeon and Crow's RC Atomic is another

[Guest cookoff013]

Very little speed difference beween hp stuff and standard. 

[Scully]

I mostly use Gamebore Super steel 32g 3’s or 4’s, although SAGA 32g 3’s are good also, and I’ve also used Lyalvale Express 28g 4’s. I think they’re all HP, although I’ve never checked; I know the GB are. 

[rbrowning2]

None of them so far suggested, unless you are happy to leave plastic wads in the ground for the next 400 to 500years.

if not happy to do so then you need to look for the steel shot cartridges using biodegradable wads, made by the likes of Eley, Jocker and bioammo.
 

Edited March 8, 2021 by rbrowning2

[Scully]

The wads can be a point to consider actually, if you’re shooting on land which isn’t yours. Some landowners don’t want plastic wads ( some don’t want lead shot ) and some are indifferent, so maybe best to ask first. 

[mgsontour]

If your shooting at distance then the shot size will play a big part to the killing force upon impact so be careful which you choose. . . . May I suggest you buy a slab of 3's, 4's & 5's and go halves with a mate then you can tell which shot size suits your style, range and chokes

[Krico woodcock]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.. I can get all major brands here in ireland, rc, fiocchi,eley, Nobel spot, cheddite etc. But to buy steel shot in any of them would be hard found. As we don't need to use it (yet). But I might be able to get some from northern ireland.  I understand that I'll have to go up a couple of shot sizes. Compared to lead,as it hasn't near the density But I'm sure 4's or 5's will have no bother out to 40_ 45 yard's, as no.6or 7 in lead will kill anything that ever flew at that range. And I understand that steel patterns tighter,  Want to try some on pigeons and see how I get on, then give them a go on duck, game next season. Is there much of a difference in price between steel shot 32g and lead 32g? Thanks again.

[Krico woodcock]

So I managed to get some steel shot. 5 boxes of express supreme steel 32g4's and 5 boxes gamebore super steel 32g3's.. I got to fire a box of the supreme 4's at a round of skeet this evening. 24ex 25. Turned clays into black smoke with them.  I know skeet is absolutely no test for any cartridge, especially 32g of no.4's steel or not,but I wanted to see if any difference in just shooting them. I found no difference,and no amount of recoil either. I'll hopefully get to try a few on pigeons on some drillings soon. I've no doubt that they'll do the job on them as well. Looking at the gamebore super steel, them no.3's are big pellets!! Compared to a no 7 lead pellet size I'd normally be using for pigeons. Can't imagine anything hit square with them under 30 yard's will be in great shape for the table, time will tell.