Is Anyone Shooting Steel Shot Here?

[bbjaccov5 4]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering if any of you guy's shoots with steel shot or all lead?

Here in Holland we are not allowed to shoot lead so im forced to shoot steel. (since tungshot and bismuth is far to expensive)

Im shooting tunet passion 28 number 5's and i love them! I never shot so well with any cartridge. Only for hare and fox i use tunet 36 tungshot. Because it hit's harder and acts like lead (no broken bones etc.)

Other than that i shoot pigeons, crow, duck, geese all with the 28 passion's and i don't think there is any better cartridge! I heard many story's from people in england and germany etc. who think the steel shot will not be as good as lead. But i think for birds it is a great cartridge.

 

So any good experiences with steel?

 

Gr Jacco

[b53hunt 15]

the only problem i have with steel is the maximum choke its safe with is 1/2 but you can put bismuth and tungsten through full with it behaving more like lead so for long shots steel does have limits with pattern density

Edited July 18, 2013 by b53hunt

[bbjaccov5 4]

That was what i thought to. But in my experience steel patterns more tight than lead thats the reason you can't shoot it with full choke. My gun shoots improved modified and improved cylindrical and its shooting allot tighter with steel than lead. I also made very long shots with steel even further than i ever thought was possible.

Have you tried it on a test board? Our gunsmith told me that if you shoot lead in 1/4 3/4 choke and than shoot steel it will pattern like half and full choke. Thats my experience to.

 

Gr Jacco

[b53hunt 15]

some years back before hitting the ducks and it seemed to loose pattern and be wider than lead but i have some steels i will take what youve said and have a go at patterning a few a different distances to see and your correct when you say that tungsten and bismuth are too expensive but i love them in large shot 3s and above for the geese atb

[Alsone 789]

I've heard Hevi shot are about the best lead substitute you can buy but the cost is horrendous around £56 (Euro 65) for 25 cartridges in 70mm!!!! ....and that's from a discount retailer!

 

A lead ban is pretty much the end of shooting in the UK in my view. I'd like to see lead phased out for non wildfowl but until Hevi can be brought down to £7 a box, I don't see them as a practical alternative.

 

Good to hear some steel works against small game in your experience, but equally I've heard many horror stories of woundings from steel due to a lack of energy transference. As for fox and hare, still couldn't justify nearly £60 a box.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Steel shot is good if it is pushed FAST, I would like to try some of the Eley lightning steel 1600 fps or if we could only get it here the Remington wildfowling cartridges @ 1700 fps, the other alternative is to load your own which I will be experimenting with this wildfowling season, heavy shot is very good indeed and I have shot some high duck and geese with it as I have tungsten matrix and I cant tell the difference between lead with those two, tight chokes are a big mistake with large shot/heavy load shells they will ruin the pattern, I use imp cylinder for everything and as I have said elsewhere I have killed enough duck at long range stone dead to know that for ME what I am using is spot on (others may see it differently) Alsone if you think a lead ban will end shooting in the uk why on earth would you like to see it phased out for none wildfowl species???? lead is the best shot and nothing is quite as good there is no evidence to support a lead ban, and I would like the stupid ban on lead for wildfowling lifted, and for shooting inland duck, I mean how stupid is a rule that says you can shoot a pheasant flying over a stubble field with a lead shot shell, but if five minutes later a mallard flies over the same field you have to change cartridges and use a none toxic shell, bloody stupid

[b53hunt 15]

i agree with cc above spot on

[ayrshiretaxidermy 29]

the only problem i have with steel is the maximum choke its safe with is 1/2 but you can put bismuth and tungsten through full with it behaving more like lead so for long shots steel does have limits with pattern density

You can shot steel thru tighter than half. As for range, 3 days ago, using 28g 7s, I dropped a pigeon at 71 paces, and regularly drop them upto 50. Steels faster, therefore your lead needs to be adjusted accordingly.

[Alsone 789]

Alsone if you think a lead ban will end shooting in the uk why on earth would you like to see it phased out for none wildfowl species???? lead is the best shot and nothing is quite as good there is no evidence to support a lead ban, and I would like the stupid ban on lead for wildfowling lifted, and for shooting inland duck, I mean how stupid is a rule that says you can shoot a pheasant flying over a stubble field with a lead shot shell, but if five minutes later a mallard flies over the same field you have to change cartridges and use a none toxic shell, bloody stupid

 

Well I happen to feel that shooting lead into the environment can't be a good thing generally. That said, I don't agree with a ban this side of a comparibly priced alternative that performs as well or almost as well becoming available and the only thing I know of that does is Hevi and its not comparatively priced!

 

I also agree that the current lead ban should apply more to the site rather than the species. ie non toxic when shooitng over water, lead over land.

 

Edited July 19, 2013 by Alsone

[bbjaccov5 4]

Steel shot is good if it is pushed FAST, I would like to try some of the Eley lightning steel 1600 fps or if we could only get it here the Remington wildfowling cartridges @ 1700 fps, the other alternative is to load your own which I will be experimenting with this wildfowling season, heavy shot is very good indeed and I have shot some high duck and geese with it as I have tungsten matrix and I cant tell the difference between lead with those two, tight chokes are a big mistake with large shot/heavy load shells they will ruin the pattern, I use imp cylinder for everything and as I have said elsewhere I have killed enough duck at long range stone dead to know that for ME what I am using is spot on (others may see it differently) Alsone if you think a lead ban will end shooting in the uk why on earth would you like to see it phased out for none wildfowl species???? lead is the best shot and nothing is quite as good there is no evidence to support a lead ban, and I would like the stupid ban on lead for wildfowling lifted, and for shooting inland duck, I mean how stupid is a rule that says you can shoot a pheasant flying over a stubble field with a lead shot shell, but if five minutes later a mallard flies over the same field you have to change cartridges and use a none toxic shell, bloody stupid

 

That's the reason why i shoot tunet passion 28 it's a fast cartridge which in my oponion is far better than 32 and 36 steel. I shot greylag geese at 45 metres with these cartridges. Just to be clear it where two geese who had been shot at and did not come down by another hunter so i tried it, and worked well.

Lead cannot be beaten i think but steel for small game and a tungsten for bigger is wonderfull. I would rather shoot lead but since it is illegal here i have not much choice. Bismuth i tried several times but im never shooting that again. Then i prever steel.

 

Gr Jacco

[bbjaccov5 4]

I've heard Hevi shot are about the best lead substitute you can buy but the cost is horrendous around £56 (Euro 65) for 25 cartridges in 70mm!!!! ....and that's from a discount retailer!

 

A lead ban is pretty much the end of shooting in the UK in my view. I'd like to see lead phased out for non wildfowl but until Hevi can be brought down to £7 a box, I don't see them as a practical alternative.

 

Good to hear some steel works against small game in your experience, but equally I've heard many horror stories of woundings from steel due to a lack of energy transference. As for fox and hare, still couldn't justify nearly £60 a box.

 

Hello, when the lead ban came here, most hunters complaint and where also affraid of wounding animals. Most of them will never shoot lead again. Even when they go hunting in germany they shoot steel. The first steel whas not that good and the cheapest cartridges are still not. But the steel produced these day's is great. I never had such experiences with steel the only thing they make a bit more dammage somtimes. Birds dont always look like they can fly away anytime.

 

Gr Jacco

[charlie caller 3,654]

Well the environment has managed ok for the last several hundred years with lead shot raining down on it, and its not like lead does not occur naturally is it? all the million upon millions of tons of crap dumped into the sea, including radio active waste, millions of tons of ordinance after two world wars,and they worry about a ounce of lead or two, crazy.

[bbjaccov5 4]

Well the environment has managed ok for the last several hundred years with lead shot raining down on it, and its not like lead does not occur naturally is it? all the million upon millions of tons of crap dumped into the sea, including radio active waste, millions of tons of ordinance after two world wars,and they worry about a ounce of lead or two, crazy.

I agree

I think the (don't know the word in english) plactic cup where the lead damages allot more. Nobody ever complained about that, here they even want to ban rifle bullets with lead in it. So in worst case scenario we have to shoot non toxic rifle bullets also!

Gr Jacco

[Alsone 789]

Don't know I always use felt wads. Nothing worse than a farmer with a vets bill because his animal chewed on a plastic wadding.

[bbjaccov5 4]

Don't know I always use felt wads. Nothing worse than a farmer with a vets bill because his animal chewed on a plastic wadding.

 

I know! We spent lots of time finding al the "plastic" but i don't think steel has felt wads, i never saw one. So in my oppinion we could better shoot lead with felt wads instead of steel with plastic.

Gr Jacco