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Choice of Shotgun shells

6K views 40 replies 28 participants last post by  7pntail 
#1 ·
I shoot a 20ga Ruger OU for pheasant and sometimes duck. I use my 20 Benilli most of the time. I use Hevi-Shot and Hevi-Metal. For me I do not want to use cheap shells in my guns. Does anyone else use HS or HM?
 
#8 ·
If your gonna spend 20$ for a box of shells Hevi-metal is the only one worth that money, cause its half steel and half hevi shot. All the rest is steel, and I don't care how you shape the pellets, what kind of wad its in, and how fast you make it go its still steel shot, and there isn't a lot of difference between them. I shoot the Rio blue steel that we go out of Able Ammo for about 10$ a box and if you get the ducks where they are supposed to be it does just fine. Shells don't make up for poor workers of ducks or poor shots.
 
#9 ·
IHATESTEEL

You better look at the Hevi-Metal Box again. It's a duplex load of hevi shot and Hevi Steel. Hevi Steel is not plain Jane steel. It's Heavier than steel. It's a very underrated load.

Some shells do make a difference, I wouldn't shoot a Rio shell. But having stood in this winner circle several times you might just be right.;-)
 
#35 ·
I know its late, but pleas re-read my original post, I am a fan of Hevi metal, IMPO its the only shell on the market worth 20$ a box. when I said the rest I meant shells like black cloud, and Blind side. I to was skeptical of the Rio shell, until we shot doves with there game loads, and they did so well we tried there steel load for ducks, and I must say that the 1 1/8 oz number 3 has done its job exceptionally well for us this year, as a matter of fact the only complaint I have is the box, when it gets a little damp its ruined, but that is the only place it looked to me they've cut cost, the pellets are all round and uniform, the primers have all gone off, and the powder burns very clean, and when the shots find there mark ducks fall dead. It is an inexpensive shell, not a cheap one. But the whole key to this equation is that there is no magic shell that will magically find the mark every time fired, only way for that is to spend time on the range. Also find a shell that patterns good for your gun and choke, also with steel loads don't be afraid to shoot open chokes like .010.
 
#10 ·
I shoot heavy metal 3inch #3's or 4's for ducks and #2s or BB's for geese it is great out of my benelli nova with a long range pattern master choke. Black cloud is great but didnt want to buy a expensive choke. Heavyshot is great but to expensive and heavy metal is good enough for me. One thing I have noticed since switching to hm Is less criples.
 
#13 ·
i shoot hevi shot 3 inch #4's out of my benelli. i have also shot blind side and black cloud this year. i dont find either to perform as well as hevi shot. on another note, as someone had mentioned on the previous page, prarie storm #5's kill pheasants like nothing ive seen in 25 years of killing them chickens. absolutely incredible
 
#14 ·
My 2 cents - if you hit a bird with the center of the pattern, it makes no difference with what you hit it. Same goes for a miss.

Lots of guys swear by heavy this, blind that, black whatever.... bottom line is if you can't shoot, it doesn't matter. Sure - if you're a good shot the "puff" of feather may be better with pellets that behave like lead- no doubt. But a half a dozen steel #2's zipping through the chest of a duck are no less deadly than a half a dozen pellets of anything else.

If your gun patterns cheap Winchester steel well (as does mine), you're pretty much just shooting money at decoying birds with anything more. Passing shots at a distance - not so much. The extra kinetic energy and tighter patterns of exotic shot shine here, but for the most part we all shoot decoying birds (for waterfowl).

Find a load - any load - that patterns well and pratice with it. I promise that has more impact (no pun intended) than the type of shell you load in your gun.

Just my experience.
 
#19 ·
My 2 cents - if you hit a bird with the center of the pattern, it makes no difference with what you hit it. Same goes for a miss.

Lots of guys swear by heavy this, blind that, black whatever.... bottom line is if you can't shoot, it doesn't matter. Sure - if you're a good shot the "puff" of feather may be better with pellets that behave like lead- no doubt. But a half a dozen steel #2's zipping through the chest of a duck are no less deadly than a half a dozen pellets of anything else.

If your gun patterns cheap Winchester steel well (as does mine), you're pretty much just shooting money at decoying birds with anything more. Passing shots at a distance - not so much. The extra kinetic energy and tighter patterns of exotic shot shine here, but for the most part we all shoot decoying birds (for waterfowl).

Find a load - any load - that patterns well and pratice with it. I promise that has more impact (no pun intended) than the type of shell you load in your gun.

Just my experience.
I totally agree.
 
#15 ·
I'll leave the waterfowl discussion alone. Personally I shoot Fiocchi Fast steel with a Patternmaster.
For ditch parrots I suggest Fiocchi golden pheasant. Its a nickel plated shot that has unbelievable penetration and holds dense patterns out of most of my shootin irons. Iwas using a 20ga benelli montefeltro (still kicking myself for selling it) and prefer 3" I am pheasant guide and I have yet to see a pheasant shell offer a better value. I have not tried the prairie storm and the few clients that Iknow used it couldn't hit the broad side of the barn from the inside so don't have an opinion.
 
#16 ·
. Fiocci golden pheasant. Its a nickel plated shot that has unbelievable penetration and holds dense patterns out of most of my shootin irons. Iwas using a 20ga benelli montefeltro (still kicking myself for selling it) and prefer 3" I am pheasant guide and I have yet to see a pheasant shell offer a better value.
I'll second the golden pheasants, they are awesome - although I prefer 2.75". My franchi 20 only shoots 2.75 and I've had much better results with 2.75 in my 12 gauges compared to the 3".

I have surprised myself (and hunting partners) quite a few times with the knock down power of the 2.75" 20's. Makes it hard to justify carrying the extra weight of 12.
 
#24 ·
I will second this. I shoot a Beretta Xtrema with 30'' barrel and patternmaster choke. for geese its 3.5'' BB's Kents 1625 FPS and for ducks 3" 3's high velocities. I shoot either Kents or Winchesters. I kill a lot of ducks. I hunted Canada this year with a good buddy shooting his benelli with patternmaster. He was shooting Heavy Metal. He was really struggling. The loads seemed to either tear the ducks and geese apart, or he would miss. He was really getting mad when I was crushing birds and he was shooting the $25/box stuff.
 
#21 ·
There's not enough copper or nickle in today's lead shot to make it any harder. Lead shot has been refined to make it as hard as possible. I hear all this smoke em, out shoot anyone on the block, cheap shells out perform the 3 bucks a shot. OK boys step up to the plate, Feb Texas world live duck shoot. Bring your cheap shells and 7 grand only 50 ducks to win it. Of course you'll walk away with about 80grand then you can trade in the old 870;-)

The bottom line is no 2 shells are created equal, nor are after market chokes. There is no way that any steel shot can hit as hard as Hevi Shot, HS is heavier than lead. I guess that is why they banned it from live pigeon shoots. In the right hands HS payload of 1 1/4oz at 1250 FPS hits harder than any steel shot at 50 yards. There are many birds that get hit and don't even miss a wing beat. That is another reason why HS is so deadly since the pellets are deformed they tear like all hell. Where steel just blows a straight hole not tearing like a lead or HS Pellet. That is why you see many pigeon shooters using soft lead, since it tears feather and flesh.

But for the boys that are taking there limit of ducks with 7-8 shots way to go but I don't see many of them doing it. Passing geese now that is where the 10ga shines, a dose of 1 1/4oz of B HS 1300 fps and the right choking can be deadly in the right gunners hands.
If you want to buy in the world duck shoot pm me.
 
#30 ·
There's not enough copper or nickle in today's lead shot to make it any harder. Lead shot has been refined to make it as hard as possible. I hear all this smoke em, out shoot anyone on the block, cheap shells out perform the 3 bucks a shot. OK boys step up to the plate, Feb Texas world live duck shoot. Bring your cheap shells and 7 grand only 50 ducks to win it. Of course you'll walk away with about 80grand then you can trade in the old 870;-)

How do you get info on this? Where, when, entry, etc....is it an open competition?
 
#22 ·
I used to shoot Kent Tungsten Matrix and loved it. Way too expensive now. Then I went to HS. 3" #3's or 4's is also a greaqt load for ducks. This past season I've shot almost a case of Hevi-Metal and it is performing very well. I've been shooting the 3" #3's and so far this will be my go to load for ducks.
 
#23 ·
I shoot Hevi Metal #2s when hunting ducks and geese at the same time, else I use Hevi Metal #4s for ducks.

For late season geese, I'll use Hevi Shot B duck load or I'll use recently purchased Federal Heavyweight #2s (from Rogers).
 
#25 ·
He was shooting Heavy Metal. He was really struggling. The loads seemed to either tear the ducks and geese apart, or he would miss. He was really getting mad when I was crushing birds and he was shooting the $25/box stuff.

You can not fault a guy that works with his gun and choke choice. Where another guy is just struggling and they gets a flopper shot. The problem is most guys are over choked that cause's more problems than being under choked.
 
#27 ·
Shooting "cheap" shells is not analogous to buying "cheap" in most cases. There are very few powder manufacturers & all from the western world are virtually equivalent. Relative to powder, I'd avoid any Russian or Chinese powders (dirty, inconsistent pressures, high residue). That's the only real variable that could damage your gun, when making shotshell choices.

Regarding shot, the harder the shot the greater potential for gun damage.

You didn't mention performance & no doubt Hevi-Shot is one of the better performers. My point being, I use Hevi-Shot for waterfowl hunting because it performs better than ANY steel loads and it costs less than other heavier-than-lead competitors. But that choice has nothing to do with potential for gun damage because ALL western world loads are safe. Because hevi-shot is very hard, there is likely more potential (as slim as it might actually be) for gun damage than a "cheap" steel or lead load (which exerts lower barrel pressure & possibly containing shot not as hard in comparation to hevi-shot).

I use hevi-shot because it's a greater performer. I use "cheap" lead target loads when I am shooting flyers, doves, etc. where premium performance is not required or lead restricted. Neither, IMO, harm my shotguns.
 
#28 ·
Flopper is when you get a pellet in the brain and they just go out of control on the drop, hit the deck and start flopping or AKA Prairie Dog Shuffle. Take a HS shell apart and look at there wads, all there loads are worked up by non other than Tom Roster. Tom also has an unlimited Waterfowl permit, he shoots about 1500 birds a year then Xrays them. He is the man behind the move away from steel.
 
#29 ·
Great post guys. Very positive feedback. Thanks. I just got back from Calif. HS was great and HM for pheasants. We use HM for National training on hen pheasants and we had some very long shots. I was a convert for sure. Back to Calie in a couple of weeks for jr. hunt and I think I will bring the kids some.
 
#31 · (Edited)
The Nickel or Copper arnt IN the shot!!

The alloys are Plated OVER the shot to help keep uniformity of roundness, which improves patterens.
A side advantage is the more round the shot stays,, the less velocity it looses down range. Therefore you DO get SOME better penetration.
Its CALLED copper or Nickel PLATED shot.


Gooser
 
#32 ·
What others have said about HS and the like, they perform better than any steel shot. Basic physics, how far can a ping-pong ball be thrown as oppose to a rock the same size?

And most hunters don't pattern their guns, so many hunters out there are over choked. I would think most guns should be choked using a IC or something close.
 
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