Field & Target 12ga loads. Steel or lead or other

[jeeptim]

Gents how we doing?
I'm a bit no a lot confused about 12ga hunting shells, maybe one of us can help me clear this up.
Went pheasant hunting today with my son grate day!!!
Here in .ca and at our club lead free only. so thinking steel. I have a few boxes of Winchester #7 and the box clearly says steel. Wanted to use a larger shot size so my son got 2 boxes of Field and target #6 but no where on the box did it say steel and had some lead warning.
So I buy 2 boxes at the club and no where on the box did it say steel or lead free.
I like to shop around and get a good deal especially since I dropped $1150.00 at the club today and $40.00 for 2 boxes of shells. I know!! but it's Califorina.
So are field loads lead free??
Thanx

 

[PapaG]

Don't know for sure but lead staphnate used to be in priming compound.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Take out your handy dandy trusty pocket magnet from Harbor Freight and test one
of the shells, if it sticks where the shot charge is then they are steel.

 

[jeeptim]

Magnet!! Yep that identifies steel for sure.
But... the ammo at the club that they sell for hunting at a lead free club. In a lead area is not Steel! Liika like lead feels like lead and nowhere on the box says lead free or lead full.
Only difference is field loads.

 

[jaguarxk120]

It is a sure bet the game warden has one in his pocket!

 

[George P]

If they have a lead warning and do not mention steel, I would bet they are lead.......

 

[Random 8]

Federal "Field and Target" is most definitely lead. I use the same load in #6 for grouse. Somewhere on the box, you may have to look a bit, it will definitively identify the shot type. Some of the lower priced shells hide it a bit for some stupid reason. The basic types of lead-free shot available are: Steel (multiple manufacturers), Hevi-shot (from "hevi-shot " shell company, clearly labeled), Heavy Metal (mix of hevi-shot and steel, also very clear), Tungsten matrix and bismuth (I believe Kent is the sole manufacturer).

For steel shot, the "rule of 2" is a decent general guideline. That is, you want to use 2 sizes larger shot than you would with lead to get similar results. For example, if you would use lead 6 at 1330fps for an all purpose pheasant load, steel 4 at an equal or higher velocity should be your choice. On public lands here in MN, lead free shot must be used. Our birds are big, tough and wild, and I use steel #3 to good effect. As many areas I hunt have bonus waterfowl as a possibility, the #3 is also good for them. My standard load is Kent Faststeel brand 3" #3 shot at 1550 fps. Fiocchi also makes a quality steel load, and both theirs and Kents 2 3/4" shells also pack enough velocity to be effective on larger birds. Both are reasonably priced, but unless you live in an area with lots of waterfowl hunting, you will probably have to order from the internets. I'll try to link a couple of options shortly. If you're hunting game farm birds closely flushed, #4 steel will likely suffice for your purpose and be easier to find.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Kent-Fasteel-12ga-2-34-1-116oz-25bx/productinfo/K122ST30/4/ This would be a fine load for closely worked birds.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Kent-Fasteel-12ga-3-1-18oz-25box/productinfo/K123ST32/3/ This is my standard pheasant and medium duck load. Should serve you well as a backer (second barrel) or for wilder flushing birds at longer distance.

 

[entropy]

When did MN go lead-free on public land? Glad I live on the other side of the river now.

 

[Random 8]

When did MN go lead-free on public land? Glad I live on the other side of the river now.

Applies specifically to Federal lands. Refuge or Waterfowl Production areas. I believe state lands designated as refuge also. These encompass the vast majority in pheasant country, so I guess I kind of lumped them together for the sake of this post. Does not apply to all public lands.

 

[jmr40]

In most places where unleaded ammo is required "non-toxic" is allowed. Steel is the cheapest non-toxic option, but not the only choice. Just because it isn't attracted to a magnet does not mean it isn't non-toxic. With most of the other non-toxic shot the same shot sizes and chokes are normally used. With steel you normally go up 1 or 2 shot sizes larger than you would with lead and a little more open choke than you would use with lead.

 

[Speedo66]

Bismuth shot is used, not magnetic.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Bismuth shells are marked as such. If the markings wear off, the game warden has no way
of telling what is inside.

 

[Steve C]

Lead shot shells are less expensive than steel or any of the other lead free shells. I always used 2-3/4" in 4 and 6 lead shot for hunting pheasants as they are larger birds while 7.5 and 8 shot was for clay targets, quail, doves and pigeons. Being non migratory there isn't generally a legal requirement to go lead free for pheasant .except in CA where they want to prevent lead poisoning in Condors who may eat dead or wounded game that they find.

Bismuth and Tungsten shot is more like lead in performance having density close or exceeding lead but being more rare metals they are the most expensive shells. With steel shells you need larger size shot and more of it to get similar performance to smaller lead shells in lighter loads. Steel shot legal requirement has pushed the evolution in shotguns to longer shells 3" to 3-1/2" 12ga shells for anyone wanting to hunt waterfowl.

 

[cdb1]

Federal "Field and Target" is most definitely lead. I use the same load in #6 for grouse. Somewhere on the box, you may have to look a bit, it will definitively identify the shot type. Some of the lower priced shells hide it a bit for some stupid reason. The basic types of lead-free shot available are: Steel (multiple manufacturers), Hevi-shot (from "hevi-shot " shell company, clearly labeled), Heavy Metal (mix of hevi-shot and steel, also very clear), Tungsten matrix and bismuth (I believe Kent is the sole manufacturer).

For steel shot, the "rule of 2" is a decent general guideline. That is, you want to use 2 sizes larger shot than you would with lead to get similar results. For example, if you would use lead 6 at 1330fps for an all purpose pheasant load, steel 4 at an equal or higher velocity should be your choice. On public lands here in MN, lead free shot must be used. Our birds are big, tough and wild, and I use steel #3 to good effect. As many areas I hunt have bonus waterfowl as a possibility, the #3 is also good for them. My standard load is Kent Faststeel brand 3" #3 shot at 1550 fps. Fiocchi also makes a quality steel load, and both theirs and Kents 2 3/4" shells also pack enough velocity to be effective on larger birds. Both are reasonably priced, but unless you live in an area with lots of waterfowl hunting, you will probably have to order from the internets. I'll try to link a couple of options shortly. If you're hunting game farm birds closely flushed, #4 steel will likely suffice for your purpose and be easier to find.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Kent-Fasteel-12ga-2-34-1-116oz-25bx/productinfo/K122ST30/4/ This would be a fine load for closely worked birds.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Kent-Fasteel-12ga-3-1-18oz-25box/productinfo/K123ST32/3/ This is my standard pheasant and medium duck load. Should serve you well as a backer (second barrel) or for wilder flushing birds at longer distance.

Great post.