I only shot the 2 middle loads as the wind didn't do what it was forecast to to do and the decoy set-up wasn't quite right for the direction the wind was coming from. Birds were between 25 yards and 40 yards, with most being to the outside end of that.
The friend I took with me was shooting #3 Kent Fasteel. He dumped the first two singles that came in, blue bill and a mallard. We each then pulled a double out of a flock of about 10 mallards, and quickly followed that with another pair of doubles out of flock of wigeon. He nailed another single mallard and a single wigeon to finish his limit while I doubled on mallards and picked up a lonely wigeon followed by a low screaming bluebill that streaked in decoy high to finish mine.
All but 4 birds were dead on the water, two of those didn't need finishers but we gave it to them any way. Only one did the "fluttering" away to die move. Landing about 80 yards out and dying -- autopsy on him showed the old story of steel pellets passing through the body without breaking bones. 3 Pellets through the breast and under the wings and a heart/lungs that were perforated -- pellets went through the tail, legs, and beak also -- indicating that the bird was pretty well centered in the pattern. No birds were lost and no ducks that were fired at were missed (some were picked up on the second shot though).
Starting to become a little more of a believer in Blackcloud as a bird killer. I'm not sure I want to use it all the time because the birds hit with Blackcloud were noticeably more mangled that those hit with regular steel. On wigeon lost a good chunk of skull to one pellet of # 4 and the bloodshot meat in the BC killed birds was more prevalent than in the ones killed with the Kent. Some of the individual wound channels were quite large and ragged (assuming from the off shaped pellets). I like eating duck so this is a bit of a turn off for me.
At the end of the morning a flock of 15 geese was feet down and setting into the decoys at about 25 yards. The young fella with me had 3inch federal T steel and I had the 3 inch Federal HD BB shot. He had matched me shot for shot all morning with ducks, shooting very well for not having shot much in the past year. I up and fired three times and brought down three geese -- two dead and one that needed a second shot. He fired just before I did and fired three times and killed none despite both of us hearing the shot whacking into the feathers and feathers being left behind. Maybe he got too keyed up because they were geese, maybe the holes in the pattern of the T shot were too large. Anyway the result was not a ringing endorsement of steel and follows what I have observed over the years.
Steel will obviously kill birds and the steel loads are getting better every year. But in my experience and especially with geese, you will shoot more birds with less shells by spending the extra to get the good non-toxics out there.
Anyway here's some pics. At one point the dog made 10 retrieves before he could get back in the boat. He was a tired pup at the end of the day.
