Lead Shot

[Native NV Ducker]

And duder is passing up shots he could have made with lead.

To be clear, he is passing up shots that the shells had the ability to kill. That is not the same as the shooter having the ability to make that shot, at least not ethically. 50 yards is a LONG way for a moving target and shotgun shells.

 

[Ravenanme]

You got that right JIM ! Back in those days most Gentleman (waterfowlers) shot 71/2's ,6's and #5's while the rest of us , learned to
take advantage of opportunities ! All I can say is , there were days birds were shot at extreme distances , if you had the goods ? There
again there seemed to be more places that birds frequented in the olden days . Flooded pastures were prime spots so a Tumbleweed
blind was all we had !

 

[Jim Atlas]

To be clear, he is passing up shots that the shells had the ability to kill. That is not the same as the shooter having the ability to make that shot, at least not ethically. 50 yards is a LONG way for a moving target and shotgun shells.

Absolutely.

 

[Fogie]

To be clear, he is passing up shots that the shells had the ability to kill. That is not the same as the shooter having the ability to make that shot, at least not ethically. 50 yards is a LONG way for a moving target and shotgun shells.

yes, 50 straight up is a long way and would consider that or so the limit that could be done with economy and consistently good effect using lead #6, $3.99 Federal “duck and pheasant” in those days…for me, at least
Now… rarely past 35 for passing where the #2 steel gets spotty, too thin and generally wimpy beyond that imo. Steel has indeed cut into our standing game, I generally call shots.
I will go jumping if I really want to pile em’ up, GW teal for company or something.
Apex TSS for passing geese now though, how far reliably I don’t want to say.

 

[Soggy Socks]

I think I still have a box of those feds somewhere.

 

[bill cooksey]

As I reload my own Steel Shot loads I find the additional pellets to be a benefit ( pattern density rules the sky ) with proper payload density !
The huge benefit is the velocity I can achieve with steel shot and as most , who patterns steel shot knows , it patterns tighter than lead !

Are you able to put more #4 steel than #6 lead into a three inch shell? How about vs. #5 lead?

 

[Northhunter]

As stated above, steel shot is what it is. And duder is passing up shots he could have made with lead. It seems that 40 is the new 50! I've seen in books and manuals from 70's and 80's a lot of references to 50 and 60 as if it's the limit--which makes sense with lead. Limit of shells ability, not shooter's of course.

I was shooting the chit with a coworker of my dad's (maybe 20 years ago, but it stuck). He was an old Newfie, and had hunted everything. He screwed up his back hauling bull moose quarters up the hill it had rolled down... Somehow the conversation turned to ducks and steel shot. He put it as simply and truthfully as I believe I've ever heard or read.. "You lose 10 yards".

 

[Ravenanme]

I was shooting the chit with a coworker of my dad's (maybe 20 years ago, but it stuck). He was an old Newfie, and had hunted everything. He screwed up his back hauling bull moose quarters up the hill it had rolled down... Somehow the conversation turned to ducks and steel shot. He put it as simply and truthfully as I believe I've ever heard or read.. "You lose 10 yards".

Yeah Maybe ? At distances inside of 50 yds , for those who can shoot straight , steel works just as good !
Most who try stretching the distance of their ability , think steel is weaker but , for those who can put the pattern on the bird do just fine !
I will say , a lot of misconception is from hunters using the wrong pellet size when shooting beyond their ability . This falls true also with
choke constriction as the optimum pattern percentage for the distance of pellet size , can be different ! Energy and penetration can be
affected with the angle of the bird at the shot as the birds heavier wing feathers can lesson the chance of mortally wounding a bird .

 

[Ravenanme]

Are you able to put more #4 steel than #6 lead into a three inch shell? How about vs. #5 lead?

Well in my loads a 1 1/4 oz of #6 lead has 275 pellets , whereas the same load of Steel #4's only has 235 pellets..But , in terms of
pattern density "Maybe" with the steel traveling 200 fps faster and the payload staying together longer in a tighter pattern , there
could be more body hits with steel ?
Personally I don't care for # 4's , I like the ballistics of # 3's even though there's less pellets in my 1 1/16 oz loads . I like the
ballistic performance of this load at 1475 fps through a LM (.015) constriction . I do change chokes to a IM (.025) on windy days
or when birds become stale an Hang at 40 plus not willing to commit !

 

[bill cooksey]

Well in my loads a 1 1/4 oz of #6 lead has 275 pellets , whereas the same load of Steel #4's only has 235 pellets..But , in terms of
pattern density "Maybe" with the steel traveling 200 fps faster and the payload staying together longer in a tighter pattern , there
could be more body hits with steel ?
Personally I don't care for # 4's , I like the ballistics of # 3's even though there's less pellets in my 1 1/16 oz loads . I like the
ballistic performance of this load at 1475 fps through a LM (.015) constriction . I do change chokes to a IM (.025) on windy days
or when birds become stale an Hang at 40 plus not willing to commit !

Fair enough