Steel clay loads?
- Thread starter Grouser
- Start date
I had a couple boxes of Kent steel loads that I tried at 16 yard trap. They broke targets well enough but were smoky and dirty compared to my lead loads. I also patterned a couple and not suprisingly they were very, very tight patterning compared to lead.
I tried at least a flat of Kent steel 12ga for skeet. The smallest shot size they had (at least at the time) was #7.
We were able to get approval from the NSSA to use these loads for registered targets.
The performance was very good. The targets were hit extremely hard. The patterns were tighter (as expected). I figure the 12ga gave a pattern about the size of a 20ga.
Any targets I missed were 100% attributed to the guy pulling the trigger...
There was also 20ga ammo available, but I didn't have the opportunity to test it, as my subgauge tubes were not approved for steel use.
Kent had very reasonable pricing to boot. If I was ever again in a situation where steel was required, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to them.
Brad.
We were able to get approval from the NSSA to use these loads for registered targets.
The performance was very good. The targets were hit extremely hard. The patterns were tighter (as expected). I figure the 12ga gave a pattern about the size of a 20ga.
Any targets I missed were 100% attributed to the guy pulling the trigger...
There was also 20ga ammo available, but I didn't have the opportunity to test it, as my subgauge tubes were not approved for steel use.
Kent had very reasonable pricing to boot. If I was ever again in a situation where steel was required, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to them.
Brad.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Reading BPI's stuff on steel for clays, they say it hirs very hard, yet it doesn't do well at all on real birds unles it is pushed fast and hard!
I've wanted to try it out, because of the price, amd may yet.
I gues a guy could use CYL choke tubes?
Cat
I've wanted to try it out, because of the price, amd may yet.
I gues a guy could use CYL choke tubes?
Cat
Quote "I figure the 12ga gave a pattern about the size of a 20ga"
IIRC, pattern sizes don't vary according to gauge. A full choke pattern from a 20ga is the same size as a full choke pattern from a 12ga, the 20ga pattern just has fewer pellets in it.
Steel causes tighter patterns to be thrown- eg: a modified choke (for lead shot) may throw a full choke pattern with steel.
I think choke is decribed as the % of shot that patterns within a 30" circle at 30 yrds.
IIRC, pattern sizes don't vary according to gauge. A full choke pattern from a 20ga is the same size as a full choke pattern from a 12ga, the 20ga pattern just has fewer pellets in it.
Steel causes tighter patterns to be thrown- eg: a modified choke (for lead shot) may throw a full choke pattern with steel.
I think choke is decribed as the % of shot that patterns within a 30" circle at 30 yrds.
Smokepole said:
I think you will find that for Cylinder and Skeet chokes they go by a defined constriction for all gauges. As you throw less shot, the pattern size will decrease.
A 12vs20 may not be overly noticeable, but vs28 or vs.410 the difference becomes very apparent.
Brad.
Last edited:
Are they advertised at le$$ than lead because someone is selling old stock of steel or is new steel target loads going to be le$$ than lead?
I'm going to have to call you guys on this one.......You know I don't like to stir the pot but...I'm with Smokepole on this one...pattern width is strictly a result of choke and not gauge. Pattern density is another matter. A .410 can be made to throw a wider pattern then a 12 gauge, it all depends on the choke!
Patterning on paper gives you a 2D view of where your shot pattern is. The problem is that you are shooting an object in 3D.
Perhaps I should have said 'effective pattern', the size of pattern at which a bird will be solidly broken (that is not a cheap chip caused by one of the extraneous flier pellets).
Through extensive testing (shooting skeet targets) with 12/20/28/.410 at targets from 5 yards to about 25 yards, I have determined that each gauge has a 'sweet spot'. If you put this sweet spot through a target, you will obliterate it. The size of the sweet spot gets progressively smaller as the bore size and payload are reduced. Of course it is also extremely tiny between the muzzle and about 5-7 yards, and it will be lost to the natural spread somewhere after 20 yards.
For anyone who thinks a 12ga effectively patterns the same as a .410 (let's go with the extreme example), sit on station 7 of a skeet field, and shoot at only low birds. You will see that the effective kill zone on a 12ga is significantly larger than on a .410.
If I was to restate, I'd say the sweet spot on the steel 12ga ammo fell somewhere between 20ga and 28ga. Some of the chips that you'd normally get with the 12ga just weren't there. The hits in the sweet spot were very hard.
Brad.
Perhaps I should have said 'effective pattern', the size of pattern at which a bird will be solidly broken (that is not a cheap chip caused by one of the extraneous flier pellets).
Through extensive testing (shooting skeet targets) with 12/20/28/.410 at targets from 5 yards to about 25 yards, I have determined that each gauge has a 'sweet spot'. If you put this sweet spot through a target, you will obliterate it. The size of the sweet spot gets progressively smaller as the bore size and payload are reduced. Of course it is also extremely tiny between the muzzle and about 5-7 yards, and it will be lost to the natural spread somewhere after 20 yards.
For anyone who thinks a 12ga effectively patterns the same as a .410 (let's go with the extreme example), sit on station 7 of a skeet field, and shoot at only low birds. You will see that the effective kill zone on a 12ga is significantly larger than on a .410.
If I was to restate, I'd say the sweet spot on the steel 12ga ammo fell somewhere between 20ga and 28ga. Some of the chips that you'd normally get with the 12ga just weren't there. The hits in the sweet spot were very hard.
Brad.
bmcrae:
Good explanation.
It stands to reason that effective pattern would be a volume thing! Probably related somehow to the cube of the radius of the bore times, weight of pellets and inversely effected by the size of pellets and directly by the average of the ballistic coefficient of the pellets, and somehow the hardness of pellets are taken into account. That is really mathematical and geeky
For me, it is better to know that 12s are more efficient than 28s and 28s are a lot more efficient than 410.
PS Ooops! Used the word efficient!
That could send this thread in a complete other direction. Should have said better 3D pattern.
Good explanation.
It stands to reason that effective pattern would be a volume thing! Probably related somehow to the cube of the radius of the bore times, weight of pellets and inversely effected by the size of pellets and directly by the average of the ballistic coefficient of the pellets, and somehow the hardness of pellets are taken into account. That is really mathematical and geeky
For me, it is better to know that 12s are more efficient than 28s and 28s are a lot more efficient than 410.
PS Ooops! Used the word efficient!
That could send this thread in a complete other direction. Should have said better 3D pattern.
Last edited:
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I understood you guys!
I guess you really have to look at what you are breaking to actually see th difference.
A crusher is as good as a chip as far as score goes, but if you REALLY look at the way the birds are breaking, you CAN see the difference, for sure.
I use 7 low , 1 high and 1 low to "check" my patterns of different loads.
It tends to give me another dimension other than the pattern board to tell just what the shot charge is doing in the "3D".
Cat
I guess you really have to look at what you are breaking to actually see th difference.
A crusher is as good as a chip as far as score goes, but if you REALLY look at the way the birds are breaking, you CAN see the difference, for sure.
I use 7 low , 1 high and 1 low to "check" my patterns of different loads.
It tends to give me another dimension other than the pattern board to tell just what the shot charge is doing in the "3D".
Cat
