Im done with steel shot

[Dirtdart]

I have seen many limits of late season honkers that were taken cleanly with steel shot. Many of which were taken with a 20 gauge using #2 steel. Shoot em the lips.
Steel may not be the best but if you have a proper blind, decoy spread, and someone that knows how to call it works.

 

[503]

I've killed lots of ducks and geese with steel. Also missed a lot because of it too. It will kill them sure, but its also a pretty big handicap and I also don't like how many birds it ends up crippling

 

[503]

You looking for a goose/duck O/U?

A citori is way too nice for me haha. Besides I def need that extra shot the way things go most of the time. I run a franchi affinity and my OG 870.

Oddly enough in the 870 I have a factory full choke that's rated for steel and it patterns great with everything. I use it for turkey, waterfowl, crows, buckshot whatever. Big Green used to do stuff correctly back in the day I guess.

 

[Mekaniks]

You looking for a goose/duck O/U?

You have one that you are looking to part with?

 

[Vintageguy]

Complete agreement! I used steel one day of one season and that was it for me. I had patterned it with decent results but its lousy killing performance at close range left me disgusted. I went to Bismuth and Hevi-shot with much better results.

 

[503]

Complete agreement! I used steel one day of one season and that was it for me. I had patterned it with decent results but its lousy killing performance at close range left me disgusted. I went to Bismuth and Hevi-shot with much better results.

It's really interesting how changing the material of the shot almost makes the mighty 12 gauge barely lethal haha

 

[Red Leg]

It's really interesting how changing the material of the shot almost makes the mighty 12 gauge barely lethal haha

I think that is actually a pretty accurate statement. At least in my experience, steel turns the mighty 12 with Hevishot or Tungsten, into a real wounding machine.

 

[flatwater bill]

Bought box of 5 TSS shells yesterday.....$71. That's $14.20 per shell. (3" 12 ga) Of course, there are many other forms of "tungsten" besides "Tungsten Super Shot". While cheaper, they are not cheap. On YT, you can watch the faces of intrepid testers as they pattern TSS with loads that weigh 2 1/2 oz. It's a hoot. Over 60 years of hunting ducks and geese I have used all available shot materials except plated Bismuth. TSS is certainly the best, but plain old soft iron shot, called "steel", will answer MOST of my waterfowling needs if using a 12 ga. Almost any bird centered in the pattern at 45 yards or less is killed. For the 20 ga, upgrading the shot type seems worthwhile. JMO.....FWB

 

[BeeMaa]

I think that is actually a pretty accurate statement. At least in my experience, steel turns the mighty 12 with Hevishot or Tungsten, into a real wounding machine.

With all due respect, I have all evidence and experience to the contrary. Or maybe I'm not sure what you really mean by this.

 

[Red Leg]

With all due respect, I have all evidence and experience to the contrary. Or maybe I'm not sure what you really mean by this.

Sorry the irony was lost in my syntax. I mean a 12 bore with Hevi shot or Tungsten is absolutely lethal on waterfowl. The same gun with steel is a waterfowl wounding machine.

 

[BeeMaa]

I mean a 12 bore with Hevi shot or Tungsten is absolutely lethal on waterfowl. The same gun with steel is a waterfowl wounding machine.

Absolutely agree.

 

[Dirtdart]

I have seen many limits of late season honkers that were taken cleanly with steel shot. Many of which were taken with a 20 gauge using #2 steel. Shoot em the lips.
Steel may not be the best but if you have a proper blind, decoy spread, and someone that knows how to call it works.

I've killed lots of ducks and geese with steel. Also missed a lot because of it too. It will kill them sure, but its also a pretty big handicap and I also don't like how many birds it ends up crippling

A shot taken beyond the range capability of the shot type, bullet, or shooter is what makes for wounded game.

 

[503]

A shot taken beyond the range capability of the shot type, bullet, or shooter is what makes for wounded game.

Well the range/ lethality of the shot type is the issue here. It's terrible. Steel is incredibly limiting and even good shots in range have a greater probability of wounding or having a garbage pattern that its not worth it. There are much better options now.

I've seen too many birds hit within 20 to 30 yards which should be well within range lose a few feathers and take off. Better shot equals dead birds. There's really no good argument for steel anymore.

 

[Dirtdart]

I agree with you that some of the more dense non toxic shot out there these days will out penetrate steel, at a longer distances especially.
My point was that to say steel is not effective has not been my experience. At 30 yards if that bird doesn't bounce it ain't the fact that the shooter was using steel shot.

 

[503]

Steel works, we've all killed birds with it. I know what you're saying. Everything has its limits I just want fewer limits on my few hunting days. Cheers

 

[Milo]

I cut open about $20 of shells last night, weighed and counted pellets. Draw your own conclusions. I have.

 

[Longwalker]

I shoot a lot of waterfowl each year. I live in an area that is the prime destination for many visiting waterfowl hunters from the USA. Almost universally, those hunters think they need 3-1/2 “ super magnum shells, special long range chokes, and they shoot at any bird they see. Probably those choices come from the competitive nature of the hunting that they are accustomed to at home. I take a different approach. I scout carefully and so hunt birds exactly where they want to be, call and decoy them in close, and kill them very effectively with 2-3/4” shells loaded with 1-1/8 to 1-1/16oz of good 2, 1, or BB steel shot at 1500 or so FPS. We shoot mallard, snow geese, white fronts, lesser Canada and Greater Canada geese often on the same morning in the same location. Combined species limit is 36 birds per day. This experience has taught me expensive fancy shells are not needed, just don’t stretch the shots and make sure to hit the bird with the centre of the pattern. Tungsten and bismuth certainly work well, but are not necessary for success if you know how to hunt and shoot.

 

[NTX]

I use Kent Bismuth exclusively now. It’s cheaper than tungsten but steel is still no comparison

 

[Red Leg]

I shoot a lot of waterfowl each year. I live in an area that is the prime destination for many visiting waterfowl hunters from the USA. Almost universally, those hunters think they need 3-1/2 “ super magnum shells, special long range chokes, and they shoot at any bird they see. Probably those choices come from the competitive nature of the hunting that they are accustomed to at home. I take a different approach. I scout carefully and so hunt birds exactly where they want to be, call and decoy them in close, and kill them very effectively with 2-3/4” shells loaded with 1-1/8 to 1-1/16oz of good 2, 1, or BB steel shot at 1500 or so FPS. We shoot mallard, snow geese, white fronts, lesser Canada and Greater Canada geese often on the same morning in the same location. Combined species limit is 36 birds per day. This experience has taught me expensive fancy shells are not needed, just don’t stretch the shots and make sure to hit the bird with the centre of the pattern. Tungsten and bismuth certainly work well, but are not necessary for success if you know how to hunt and shoot. View attachment 511466

I really don't care for the "if you know how to hunt and shoot," thing. I both know how to shoot and I how to hunt. Started out guiding every single day of the early seventies duck seasons in SW Louisiana (that and a ROTC scholarship) put me through school. Those thousands of birds were hunted with lead. A lot of subsequent experience proved to me that steel is a miserable substitute to use on geese or ducks. I don't care how fabulous a shot someone is, more birds will be wounded and lost with steel. Like using a 30-06 on a buffalo - it will work in the hands of a skilled shot, but the margin of era is much smaller than a .416 and the even the skilled buffalo hunter is more likely to lose a bull. I agree that 3.5 inch shells are unnecessary. They simply put out more inadequate shot with the added bonus of flinch inducing recoil. If I couldn't get Hevi shot or Tungsten, I would no longer hunt waterfowl.

Since we are doing show and tell, these were all taken with 2 3/4" 1 1/4 ounces of #4 Hevi-shot. We did not sail a bird, much less have one fly off.

 

[Hunt anything]

Red leg, nice bag of specks! One of the reasons I got out of my Mississippi duck lease was a couple of younger hunters wanted to shoot group limits, shoot at any duck or goose that flew by and every once in awhile they would scratch one down it would reinforce this behavior. They would walk out with a few shovelers and scaup and I would leave with mallards, pintail, gadwall and widgeon. I think a lot of waterfowling is going in this direction. Outfitters pushing clients to shoot farther and mixing client groups. I also worked as a guide at times in South Louisiana in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Sort of off thread , sorry.