Anyone else hate steel shot as much as I do.

[deernhog]

Me and my crew had an exceptionally good year hunting ducks. But after the great year we had we reflected on how many ducks that we wounded and had to make followup shots on or flat could not find after they went down in the thick and got away. We also made numerous shots that blew feathers away from ducks and they just kept going. We did not take long shots mostly 15 to 30 yards and always used #4 or larger shot. I never had a problem when we used lead and had mostly #6 shot in the guns. I was never a big believer in the lead shot poisoned the duck population claim made by the fish and game.

[spruce]

I'm with you.  Grew up using lead shot and the first time I had to use steel I thought I was shooting blanks!
 
Personally, I think a lot more die from being crippled with steel shot than ever died from lead poisoning.
 
Probably the younger guys who grew up using steel shot think it works just fine - as they wouldn't have any experience with the effectiveness of lead shot to compare it to!

[deernhog]

We had several go down in the heavy buttonwillow and clumpgrass swamp cover  that we could not find and I know they were scurrying around. The next weekend we would find where they had been dragged to the wateredge and eaten. Bad feeling for sure. I have never cleaned a duck that had any shot of anykind in their gizzard so how is it they were poisoning themselves on the lead shot?
I saw a cripple put down at 40yards with a field load of 7 1/2 lead and it would have taken a 3 1/2 mag load of #2 or BB to do the same.  It was illegal I know but it was not bobcat or coon fodder after it got dark.

[Oldshooter]

I'm with you.  Grew up using lead shot and the first time I had to use steel I thought I was shooting blanks!
 
Personally, I think a lot more die from being crippled with steel shot than ever died from lead poisoning.
 
Probably the younger guys who grew up using steel shot think it works just fine - as they wouldn't have any experience with the effectiveness of lead shot to compare it to!

Amen!

[thxmrgarand]

Yes, I dislike steel shot and am sure it cripples lots of birds unnecessarily.  I know others dislike it because it's often almost free or free at garage sales, and that is why I can never run out of it.  I cannot resist picking up steel shot loads at garage sales.


Here in Alaska the feds don't actually require steel shot in rural villages.  Possibly since they allow .22 rifles to be the most commonly used method, or one of the most, of taking waterfowl they figure why require non-lead shot.  In any event enforcement seems to be either nonexistent or limited to advising use and providing free steel shot loads.  So long as almost half of federal expenditures are sourced from borrowing, with the largest lenders being China and Japan, maybe free bismuth and tungsten loads can be given free to Alaska hunters.  The feds also look the other way here, officially and unofficially, at spring hunting of waterfowl.


The uneven application of federal law here in Alaska is a major reason why Alaskans  wish the feds would leave here.  It is not the only reason of course.

[SHOOTALL]

I have used steel shot off and on (read when other shot was not aval. ) and can't think of one good thing to say about it. NOT ONE. It was forced on hunters by tree huggers now known as greenes . If you ever hunt wood ducks where beavers dam up creeks and hunt or others hunt up stream from the dam walk down a few days after the hunting you almost always find dead ducks that got away and die only to float in later and collect at the dam. Around here we us another word that starts with a S infront of shot .

[rzwieg]

I only shot a couple duck with lead before the mandate and didn't like steel when I used it. I didn't hunt ducks after high school but started again a few years ago. My group used bismuth until we couldn't afford it anymore. We crippled and lost more birds with steel than with the better shot. Now I really hate it.
 
I think it's time to start bowhunting again.

[Specklebelly]

I miss the lead days.  However, the steel now is tons better than the early loads.  I remember throwing ducks in the boat and shot falling off them.  Cripples were everywhere back then, thank goodness that has stopped some. 
 
My solution to steel is I shoot a 10 gauge.

[SHOOTALL]

I have tried most of the steel shot and see little improvment . my fix is hevi-shot . You drop a bird with one shot . You shoot less shells , your day is good and in reality your cost is less in the long run. With steel each bird can take several shots including swatter shots after they hit the water and start to swim off.

[Specklebelly]

I have tried most of the steel shot and see little improvment . my fix is hevi-shot . You drop a bird with one shot . You shoot less shells , your day is good and in reality your cost is less in the long run. With steel each bird can take several shots including swatter shots after they hit the water and start to swim off.

I just bought a bunch of hevi-metal and hope that is as effective. 

[SHOOTALL]

Not sure about hevi-metal as they have several products . But what I use is hevier than lead . While in Canada we were ask to shoot all the snows we could as they were considered pest. I shot as many as legal . At 40-50 yards hevi shot was great #2 shot. At 70-80 BBB was deadly on three that one hunter had wounded with steel at 40 yards. A good option on decoy ducks id a 20 ga. and hevi-shot keeps cost down.

[deernhog]

Not sure about hevi-metal as they have several products . But what I use is hevier than lead . While in Canada we were ask to shoot all the snows we could as they were considered pest. I shot as many as legal . At 40-50 yards hevi shot was great #2 shot. At 70-80 BBB was deadly on three that one hunter had wounded with steel at 40 yards. A good option on decoy ducks id a 20 ga. and hevi-shot keeps cost down.

But how much a shot was that Hevi shot??   

[SHOOTALL]

2-3 bucks each. Lets see my gun was around 900 bucks (had 2) , my other gear including boat was in the thousands maybe over 10 thousand. A trip to Manatoba was 1500 to 2000 bucks . I was there for 6 days of hunting and shot about 30 to 35 shells a day on an off day so lets see that would be $630.00 or so a trip and the shot in those shells determine a sucessful hunt or not . Seems cheap to me really  .
IMHO the most important thing is the shells buy the best you can afford skimp on decoys or guns . Never on waders though .

[Specklebelly]

I believe you should NEVER and I repeat, NEVER go cheap on waders.  I am with you on shells as well to a certain extent.  I mainly shoot high quality steel shells with a dabble in Hevi or Wingmaster HD. 

[deernhog]

Hell I barely spent half of $630 all season and hunted every weekend. We killed out limits and never fired a box each (25). You need to check the sight on that $900 gun. Just kidding you. Honestly I'll feed a bobcat or coon a duck or 2 before I pay $3 a shot. Now if you add in the 5mm waders I bought I probably did go over the $650 mark. $200+ for a good pair of waders make for a more comfortable confident hunt when it is 15 degrees F.

[SHOOTALL]

That was a high estimate , but then I had sons hunting with me and I furnished the shells.

[deernhog]

That was a high estimate , but then I had sons hunting with me and I furnished the shells.

If you was hunting with your sons then no price would be too high. I luv to see my boys dust a bird. Even though they are grown men I still see that look of boyish wonder on their faces.

[SHOOTALL]

funny story , we are hunting Crown land . A field next a lake with maybe 30000 or more snows on it. They are trading back and forth between the lake and Oak Hammock . We are set up in a hay field with round bales everywhere. Geese were landing next to the truck as we were placing decoys. So I shoot a while and take a break and just watch. Well my younghest is shooting with a friends kid , both about 13 . They are behind a big bale so I ease up behind them my son is telling the other boy to shoot the all white ones the gray ones are to easy . 

[KIMBER45]

I use # 2 or BB for ducks and BB,BBB or T for geese. Depending on the conditions. My 10 gauge out reaches my friends 12 gauge every time. I have noticed more cripples , but the larger shot seems to help.

[deernhog]

We don't even consider #4 anymore even at the closed  in puddles we hunt where they drop in at  15yrds or less. Some shots look like they they are plucked and keep flying or drop into the brush and keep running on the ground.   #5 lead was was my all time duck medicine before the ban went into effect. It was rare to have a cripple then and you caught heck if you had to water swat one.
We got us a new pup so hopefully that will cut out a lot of lost downed birds.

[SHOOTALL]

ya'll need to invest in heavyshot , try a couple boxes . I sold my 10 ga. when I started using it.

[deernhog]

ya'll need to invest in heavyshot , try a couple boxes . I sold my 10 ga. when I started using it.

I'm hardheaded about spending that much but I'll try some out if you had that good of luck with it.
 

[GeneRector]

   Howdy! I have a Mossberg 835 12gauge. A few years ago I decided to hunt some ducks with 3.5inch #2 Steel loads. I might would have done better just getting some 2.75inch or 3inch shells instead. It almost seemed that the pellets just barely left the barrel of the gun and fell to the ground. I tried some Bismuth loads also; but I have not been impressed with steel shot at all. I have not been duck or goose hunting in years, but if I decide to go again, I will have to try a few of the newer loads and pattern the shotgun. Always, Gene
 
 

[SHOOTALL]

ya'll need to invest in heavyshot , try a couple boxes . I sold my 10 ga. when I started using it.

I'm hardheaded about spending that much but I'll try some out if you had that good of luck with it.

I use hevi-shot for turkeys because it is better than lead .

[JonnyReb]

I did a hunt for Canadian geese a few years ago in N.Y. state. Everyone else used steel while I used number 2 hevishot. Seemed to be a big difference in lethality, my birds hit the ground dead, my dad and some of the other guys were pretty much dealing with cripples on every downed bird. I hated seeing it and feel I owe the animal a quicker death. I'll never try steel shot EVER.  J