The lethality of steel shot, or lack thereof

In 2008 I had the chance to do some concentrated waterfowl hunting for the first time in many years. I got to hunt with an uncle and a couple of friends who have been using shotguns for 40 odd years. They'd all out shoot me on most days. Having not done much shooting for maybe 15 years, I'd collected a large supply of tungsten based shot before the price of it went completely throught he roof. I used that while the others used steel. Over the course of 3 hunts, 60 odd ducks and geese were collected. I was surprised by the wounding rate of those using steel. It was noticably higher than mine and the guys using steel do know their way around shot guns. Small sample size and maybe old habits from lead days, but it was an eye openner.

Dean
 
Me, I think it was just another barrier that the anti-hunting 'environmentalists' threw up at us, with the excuse that lead was bad for the environment and was poisoning waterfowl.

Steel is more expensive and less lethal. The ballistics of steel is different from lead. A lot of hunters just quit because of it. Who's to say that wasn't the ultimate aim of the change?
 
G P said:
I've seen a lot of wounded birds with steel. You really have to limit your range for humane kills.
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Steel is lethal to 45 yards, most shotgunners have no business shooting beyond that. I am not saying at 46 yards steel is all of a sudden no longer lethal, but you get the point.

Steel shot behave like an arrow passing through rather than expanding, it may actually lead to more broken wings or spines.

I know for a fact that duck hunting was for alot of people a longer range proposition where the fired two boxes of shells to kill their 6 ducks. Maybe steel did some good? I knwo I would love to be able to use it again, atleast in fields.

Also for the record I have never hunted with anything but steel for waterfowl and yet some how our hunts are more successful on average than those recorded on the barn doors of the historic family home.
 
bearkilr said:
Oh boy, here we go.......head shots on flying birds.
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When you shoot a few hundred of them every year you start to get good at it. Pattern density helps make sure you hit the head or neck. It doesn't mean ONLY the head if that is what you think I was implying. I just looked at the 24 birds I have hanging. All but two took pellets in the head -- so YEAH head shots on flying birds. If you ain't trying it then f:P: back at ya.
 
Grouse Man said:
Me, I think it was just another barrier that the anti-hunting 'environmentalists' threw up at us, with the excuse that lead was bad for the environment and was poisoning waterfowl.

Steel is more expensive and less lethal. The ballistics of steel is different from lead. A lot of hunters just quit because of it. Who's to say that wasn't the ultimate aim of the change?
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth? I barelly ever hunt waterfowl because the steel shot laws. The few times i have gone since the laws were put into effect, i didn't really enjoy. When i was just a wee lad, i remember being out with my father and watching him shoot loads of ducks and geese with lead shot. After the new rules came into effect, we tried the steel shot and found it wanting. We stick to upland and big game now.

Dorian
 
bearkilr said:
f:P:

Oh boy, here we go.......head shots on flying birds.
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If you are aiming at the centre of the bird most of your shots will be behind it.
Learn to lead on the beak of the bird and concentrate only on the beak and you will find that you have less body shot birds and more one shot kills.
Cat
 
Steel etc...

We do a good number of goose hunts with clients. Nearly all of them have no idea about ballistics and what kills! They buy what is cheapest!

I shoot and kill over a hundred birds a season in Quebec and Eastern Ontario. I use Kent 1560 fps BB untill November. It works even at distance. The geese still don't have that much down or fat. November and December, it is time for BBB in regular steel or Blackcloud also in BBB plus shot number 2 or 3 has a tungsten combination. I don't get many wounded birds using those combinations! Steel pellets are like FMJ military rounds, they wound and the animal dies of bleeding, most of the time, unless a lucky vital organ shot (head, heart). Blackcloud has a much larger wound channel as it cavitates upon entering. The density of all the tungsten compounds make them superiro to lead and will kill birds way out there!

This is last weeks maxed out with Kent 1560 fps BB:
IMG_0985.jpg


I did get a few head shots. I shoot a lot of clays. One needs to focus on the leading edge and not on the whole target!

Meanwhile two weeks ago some yahoos showed up duck hunting with 3.5 inch shells thinking that they could hit 80 yard birds. DAH!!!!!!!!! It don't go any further! I used my 3s in 3 inch MAX to do a number of one shot kills to fill THEIR limits. Pattern at distances that you will shoot with the choke combination that you will use. I use LM which gives me a lead IM pattern with the shell combinations that I use.

Regards,
Henry;)
 
I try not to respond to the steel vs lead debate as it has been done to death but after a week of hunting the steel really pis__es me off,watching well hit ducks and geese fly away only to drop five or six hundred yards away really gets frustrating.

As far as attempting to shoot birds in the head I will leave that to the experts.
 
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