Why Steel Shot Sucks

[CP]

It all boils down to sectional density (SD).  SD is defined as the weight of the projectile in pounds divided by the square of its diameter in inches.  SD provides a common reference for comparison of the ability of a projectile to penetrate its target. 

For example, take two projectiles:
1.   12 gauge lead ball
2.   an equal weight dart

The 12 gauge lead ball weighs 1/12 Lbs and has a diameter of .729 inches (SD = 0.1568 lbs/in^2)

The dart weighs the same but the diameter of its business end is much smaller therefore its SD is much greater.

Toss the lead ball at a sheet of plywood and it bounces off.  Toss the dart at the same sheet and at the same velocity and sticks in the wood.  Greater SD = greater penetration for a given velocity.

Take a look at the SD of various sizes of lead & steel shot (see chart):

The general rule of thumb for steel shot is to go up 2 sizes for an equivalent steel load.  Say I’m used to shooting ducks with 1.25 oz of #5 lead.  Then #3 should be about the same right? 

Wrong.  I have to go 5 sizes, all the way #B to get same SD as #5 lead.  But there are 50% fewer pellets per oz of steel #B than there are per oz #5 lead (172 vs 85) so I have to double my payload to get the same pattern density.  That means that I need 2.5 oz of steel #B to equal the performance of 1.25 oz of lead #5, right? 

Wrong again.  #B having a larger area than #5 has a higher drag coefficient (Same SD but higher Cd = a worse Ballistic coefficient) and therefore steel #B slows down faster than lead #5.  Now I have to up the velocity of the steel #B as well.  But it’s a moot point because nobody is going to shoot 2.5oz of anything at ducks. 

OK, next example.  Say I’m used to shooting geese with 1 5/8oz of #2 lead.  Forget it.  Steel is never even going to get close.

[BurleyDog]

I love to shoot ducks - divers and puddlers, as well as geese feet down over the decoys.

I have shot a 20 gauge 870 pump for 10+ years at waterfowl and never ever had a problem
killing birds over the decoys with steel.

I often equate the "heavier" loads with people trying to stretch the effective limit of a
shotgun which more often than it should eqauls crippled birds and unethical shots.
Part of the fun of waterfowl hunting is tricking the birds to actually commit to a spread
where steel #6's through a 20 gauge will do the job.

[CP]

Yea I know.  All of us that hunted waterfowl before the lead shot ban were unethical skybusters. 

[lokidog]

Have to agree with Burlydog. 

It doesn't mean you're an unethical skybuster... but steel can be very effective when shot distances are kept reasonable.  Reasonable being defined by a person's ability to consistently place a lethal amount of pellets on target during varying hunting conditions.

I grew up (in WI) having to use steel shot for waterfowl hunting on public land from age 12 (1976), I used lead for pheasants and grouse.  When I moved to OR in 1986 I was happy to be able to use less expensive lead for duck hunting on the bay.  In the first month or so of the season, I had many cripples that were lost since I could not row my little borrowed 8 foot dinghy fast enough to catch them.  I was shooting over decoys at the same ranges that I had previously shot steel, maybe a little farther away as it was more open on the bay than in the marshes where I was used to shooting.  I decided to try a box of #4 steel, we used #1 and #2 on giant canada geese in WI.  I ended up only losing two ducks the ENTIRE rest of the season using steel shot.  I think this is not because steel shot is more effective (obviously, ballistically it is not) but it was because that is what I was used to shooting at ducks.  I had ten years of practice with steel at ducks.

So yes, steel shot sucks, unless you are proficient with it.  And, for me, it sucks a lot less than paying $1 or more per shot for the available alternatives, I'll just keep my shots under forty yards thank you.

[Dustin07]

I used some of that tungsten this year and was pretty happy with it. but pricey pricey pricey.

[dawei]

Well my $0.02 is that I agree with BurleyDog, lokidog, and Dustin07. No hunter I know likes to use steel, however we are stuck with it so why not learn how to use it? Because of age (61), infirmities, and surgeries (Rotator cuff & total shoulder replacement); I use a 20ga for all of my shotgun hunting - turkey, upland, and waterfowl hunting. I learned decades ago to view ballistics charts with great caution; what the chart says is insufficient is often a great round/shell. Conversely what is often touted as being the best for a particular application often falls far short.

I don't use Hevi•Shot® for duck hunting simply because it is so expensive. I do use it for the occasional shot at a goose. I also use it when turkey hunting.

I kill a lot of ducks every year using my 20ga gun(s) and steel shot. I use a Mossberg® Mdl 500C, an IMP CYL OEM choke and Kent® Fasteel®3" Mag 1500fps ⅞oz #2, 3, and 4 shot (#K203ST24-2, -3, -4). If over decoys I use #4 for the first shot and #3 for followup shots. When pass shooting it's #3 for the first shot followed by #2 through the OEM MOD choke.

For the occasional goose that comes in I use a Remington® SPR220 (Baikal® IZH-43) SxS. I use Federal® Ultra-Shok® 3" Mag 1350fps 1oz #1 steel (#PW209 1) and it folds honkers out to 40yds very cleanly. I also have a horded stash of the original Remington® Premier® Hevi•Shot® Nitro Magnum Waterfowl Loads 3" 1300fps 1⅛oz #4 (#PRHSN20M4). This stuff will fold a goose out to 50yds if you center the bird in your pattern.

When using steel shot conventional wisdom has always been "go two shot sizes up and use a more open choke". Many will argue against this, but I have followed this advice since 1991 when steel shot became mandatory for waterfowl hunting; and HAVE FOUND IT TO BE GOOD ADVICE! The steel shotshell ammunition we have today is leaps and bounds ahead of what we had to use back in the early 1990s. Look at Federal® Black Cloud®, Remington® HyperSonic®, and Winchester® Blind Side® for example.

[BurleyDog]

I will say this too. Hunting with a 20 gauge for geese I have found that I am
more aware of my shot placement on the bird. I tend to aim for the white cheek
patch and it is a very effective way to shoot at geese. In the face that is!!!

[singleshot12]

There is a new steel shot out on the market I'm looking forward to trying it's called (Federal Prairie Storm FS Steel) which has regular round pellets with ridged FliteStopper pellets inside a unique rear-braking wad. Suppose to have better patterns with the ridged pellets creating a larger wound channel. We'll see.

[Curly]

I sure miss the old days of shooting ducks with 1.5 oz of #5 lead, or 1 3/8 oz of #5's.  Those loads would fold them way out there. 

Killed a lot of ducks with #2 steel though after the lead ban, but had to pass up some of the marginal shots that might be presented.

[pianoman9701]

There's no question that lead makes it easier to kill birds, but I too get great satisfaction from making an effective spread and being able to call the geese to me so close that I can hear the wingbeat. It forces us to take better shots and it helps the environment and the birds.

[WSU]

Steel shot does suck.  No matter what anyone says, it is less effective.  I too prefer to kill ducks at 15 yards with their feet down, but that doesn't change the fact that steel shot sucks.

[Curly]

Steel shot does suck.  No matter what anyone says, it is less effective.  I too prefer to kill ducks at 15 yards with their feet down, but that doesn't change the fact that steel shot sucks.

 

[Dustin07]

using the more expensive load allows me to compensate for being a crappy/late/behind the bird shooter

steel shot will still knock them down if you hit them in the head within range.

the more expensive shots help compensate, and may be more justifiable, in my opinion, for geese and seaducks.

[dawei]

using the more expensive load allows me to compensate for being a crappy/late/behind the bird shooter

steel shot will still knock them down if you hit them in the head within range.

the more expensive shots help compensate, and may be more justifiable, in my opinion, for geese and seaducks.

Hevi•Shot® is great stuff, I use it every year for turkey hunting (not a lot of rounds fired [1-3] per season). It is just too flat out expensive to be shooting every time I waterfowl hunt however. I use it for an occasional goose that does a flyby of my dekes. I may shoot 1 10rd box for geese the whole season if that. YMMVH.

[h2ofowlr]

There is a new steel shot out on the market I'm looking forward to trying it's called (Federal Prairie Storm FS Steel) which has regular round pellets with ridged FliteStopper pellets inside a unique rear-braking wad. Suppose to have better patterns with the ridged pellets creating a larger wound channel. We'll see.

Wasn't this out at a few locations last season?  I saw that Winchester I believe is coming out with a new load as well where the pellets will be square.  Should be interesting.  I don't mind shooting steel, I kill just as many, but I probably burn through more shells than I did with lead.  Less cripples also.  The birds just seem to always be dead on arrival.  I think we quite using lead in the 80's when we finally ran out of lead shells.  Last year I saw 10-14 empty 1/O buck shot hulls on the dike.  Someone must have been taking tall shots at snows with lead.  I personally can't wait until some of these pattened shots are up and everyone can produce them.  A little more comp. to drive the prices down.  They mark them at a price the market will bear.