Steel shot test results

[rbernie]

Dunno if anyone saw this earlier this spring, but it's worth a read:

Is Steel Shot Effective? Here’s What the Data Say After Decades of Testing
The author has spent the last 40 years studying and researching pellet lethality. Here's what he's learned

https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/steel-shot-lethality-testing/

...The research involved taking X-rays and necropsies of some 26,000 North American ducks, geese, pheasants, doves, quail, and turkeys to study pellet penetration and striking phenomena. This resulted in the world’s largest lethality data base on lead and nontoxic shotshell ammunition performance on wild game birds. It also involved the destructive testing of dozens of shotguns and the pattern testing of 25,000-plus rounds of shotgun ammunition.

 

[jmr40]

That was interesting.

According to the article there is no difference in effectiveness between steel and lead. But I don't believe that was always true. Early steel shot was less effective, but 2 things have happened. Steel shot has gotten better. And hunters have learned how to use it effectively. You can't use the same shot sizes and chokes with steel and lead. Once hunters figured out how to use steel it seems to be fine.

 

[entropy]

It was enough to get me out of duck hunting, and the adaptations aren't enough to get me back in the blind. I have occasionally over the years though about getting a dedicated waterfowl gun and shooting bismuth shot, but not enough to actually go ahead with it.

 

[Hookeye]

Use steel on state ground doves. Shorter range, bigger shot, it works. But it still has some degree of suck.

Lead worked better ( non promo loads ).

 

[d2wing]

Not much new for me. Except I should use bigger shot on pheasants . I generally use 4 shot in steel. Steel is required most places that I hunt.

 

[PapaG]

My boys and I have our own land for doves now so the steel sits in the garage.
My first experiences were poor, both on ducks and doves. (circa 1982)
On public land doves using 7 1/2 steel and modified chokes we had many birds hit, tumble, then recover and fly off. A buddy suggested imp cyl and 6 steel. Way better.
I believe steel requires one less degree of choke than lead in most cases, and most choke manufacturers seem to support that. Most have choke ratings like: lead-mod, steel-full and so on.
Glad, as are my teeth, that we are lead only on my farm.

 

[Hookeye]

Got a few boxes of 20 ga steel 6s from Sportsmans Warehouse.
New Citori 20 ga gonna whap some doves.
Shotgun came w 3 choketubes. Imp Cyl, Mod and Full.

Idea is to get another Imp cyl choketube and run both bbls that way.

 

[Virginian]

Typical BS. How do we know the significantly higher percentages of "misses" with steel were not in fact wounding shots ?

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Been hearing this kind of crap for decades. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of physics can figure out Steel is nowhere near as effective his lead shot.